Dale Cresap's blog

Do the founding documents of your country promise you the right to pursue happiness? This isn’t true for everyone, but this is an idea with universal appeal. Have you engaged in this pursuit? How successful have you been? Do you know how to go about it and what would make you happy? Most people think that unlimited self-indulgence is the best approach if they can implement it. Have you noticed that those do end up spoiled and disillusioned rather than happy? What other approaches are there?

You know that you are to forgive others. This is a very strong theme in your faith. When you are faced with a situation that calls for forgiveness, do you try to find a good reason to do it? Do you come up with excuses or rationalizations on the part of the offending party that would explain their actions? Does this make it easier to grant forgiveness? Is this an expression of rigorous thinking? It probably isn’t when you do it on your own behalf, and even less so when you do it on behalf of another person, but if it makes it easier for you to practice forgiveness by all means keep it up.

Do you like variety? Everyone likes ice cream, and there is a reason that it comes in so many flavors. Is there a spiritual counterpart to this?  Do you understand that my mercies are new every morning? This implies that there is a fresh and unique quality to my mercy for each day. Have you experienced this yourself? Each day is different and has it’s own challenges and difficulties. You have my promise that I will craft a new version of mercy to meet the needs of each moment. You may not think of mercy and grace in terms of flavors, but it is an appropriate metaphor.

Do you like stories? Everyone does. Do you see them as harmless entertainment? You get to choose which stories you listen to, but you are influenced by them in turn, so you should take stories seriously, and be selective. Stories are so powerful that I used them to convey eternal truth. Stories teach you what to expect if you continue in a particular direction, and what to value. So the consequences of your stories are enormous and you should think of them as lessons rather than entertainment. You get to choose what course of study you will pursue in school.

You refer to certain metals and stones as precious. They are valuable because they are rare. Can you apply the same logic to yourself? You are a unique creation and precious to me not only because there is just one of you, but also because of the love I have for you that doesn’t apply to inanimate objects, and you are made in my image where they are not. How should you respond? This knowledge shouldn’t make you arrogant, but humble, knowing that it is not based on your own accomplishments. Can you apply the same logic to everyone else, and take your place among all my precious children?

Do you lead a charmed life in an enchanted world? Do you think everyone does? You may think that this applies only to believers, but I send sun and rain on the just and on the unjust alike. Do you know anyone whose life can be explained by random chaos? My favor and blessing are over all. Yet not everyone is aware of this. Even those who walk in darkness are the beneficiaries of my blessings, even as they do not acknowledge them. Blessed are you who know the source of the benevolence bestowed upon you, for you walk in the light and can have peace and confidence in knowing this.

When a relationship breaks up, the person initiating the separation may say, ‘it isn’t you, it’s me’. Is this credible? Who thinks that they are the one at fault? If you get in a dispute and tell your friends about it, are they likely to side with you? The probably are, since they are already biased in your favor since they are your friends, and they are only hearing your side of the story. The law of probability would suggest that you are occasionally at fault, but fear and insecurity prevent people from recognizing this. Are you secure enough to realize when the problem is you?

Who do you think of as poor? Those with no money? That is the most obvious definition, but are there others? What about those with no friends? Which is the more devastating experience of poverty? In what other dimensions of human experience can you be deprived? Health? I spoke highly of the sheep who met the needs of the least of these, whether it was for clothing, or food, or drink, or shelter, or companionship for those sick or in prison. You are capable of meeting all these needs.

Are you a saint? In some faith traditions this term applies to all believers. In others this is a recognized honor bestowed on a select few. It is possible that one is being too inclusive and the other is being too exclusive. The term implies that someone is living a life that manifests Christian principles, and some do this without being recognized for it, but it is not something that happens automatically for every believer. This is not an office in the usual sense of a designated authority in a church hierarchy, but they serve as living examples of Christlike behavior.

When you give alms you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. This is quite a high standard for maintaining security. It is a strong statement against virtue signaling. Have you met people who find ways to inform you of their moral superiority? Don’t you find this annoying? I do. It is no compliment to a believer to be called ‘holier than thou’. Yet you are also told not to hide your light under a bushel, but to put it on a candlestick, to let your light shine before men. Do these seem like conflicting goals?