apathetic
In December 2011, USA Today ran an article that analyzed a group of Americans called the “spiritually apathetic.” Their attitude could be summed up as: “So what?” The article presented the following sad statistics:
not bored
The picture in my news magazine showed a Moscow circus bear that was shuffling across a tightrope in preparation for its next performance. More interesting was the woman sitting in the background, slumped over, with her head resting on one hand, as if she had seen this act before. She couldn’t have looked more bored.
rough waters
Palmer Chinchen, author of True Religion, tells of the time when he went whitewater rafting down the Zambezi River. As he and his brothers were preparing to make their way down the watery roller coaster, the guide gave them some very helpful advice: “When—not if—the raft flips, stay in the rough water. You’ll be tempted to swim toward the stagnant water at the edge of the banks. Don’t do it, because it is in the stagnant water that the crocs wait for you. They are large and hungry. So when the raft flips, stay in the rough water.”
keep your guard up
A young man and several friends drove to a ski resort, went through a gate that contained warning signs about the dangerous condition of the slopes, and started snowboarding. On the second trip down the mountain, someone shouted, “Avalanche!” but the young man couldn’t escape and perished in the cascading snow. Some in the media severely criticized him for being a novice, but he was actually an “avalanche-certified backcountry guide.” An avalanche researcher said that seasoned skiers are most likely to be seduced into faulty reasoning. He said, “[The young man] died because he was lulled into letting his guard down.”
unaffected
Not all influence is the same. A piece of coal and a diamond vastly differ in their make-up and value, though both contain carbon. Coal’s stubborn, black residue marks anything it touches. A diamond, though stronger and more costly, doesn’t transfer its brilliance. Carry a bag of coal or a bag of diamonds, and the lesson is visible—only one influences by proximity.
reject apathy
Job description: Rebuild national security. Deal with economic injustice. Snuff out internal strife. Initiate religious reforms. Remuneration: Threats, threats, and more threats.
Would you give up a comfortable job at the “White House” to take this job? Nehemiah did. He left his job as cupbearer and confidant to the king of Persia in order to help the demoralized people in…
cheaters
Business professor Richard Quinn was disgusted. By careful analysis, he discovered that many of his students had cheated on their midterm exam. So he did what professors do best—he gave the students a lecture . . . on ethics. His message? Confess that you have cheated, and then the remainder of your classwork will determine your grade. You’ll also need…
big toe lack of belief
A co-worker was having a conversation with her son about spiritual things. Striving to express his present lack of both belief and commitment to Jesus, the young man said, “God isn’t in my life right now; He’s just in my big toe.”
Have you ever felt that way? Has doubt or lack of commitment left you with a serious dearth…
no escape
Last year a couple in South Korea chose to escape the discouragement of unemployment by playing a virtual reality game at a local Internet café. The game provided faux careers and even a virtual child they named Anima. The problem was, while they were playing online, their real, human baby was left at home. Daily, they would give the baby…
