… and I’m wondering if there is a correlation between being “woke” and being “Christlike”?  It’s an honest reflection of my mind’s musing as I read, think and pray about current events, Biblical devotions and political biases.

I was enjoying a wonderful dinner last night with my three grown children and one grandchild.  It was a great Father’s Day gift… time to listen to favorite and worst memories of their childhood in relation to their dad.  A couple of memories stand out… which naturally come from the worst memories!

When Melissa was in elementary school she received a Spice Girls sweatshirt as a birthday present… and I foolishly demanded that it be returned.  I knew that would come up because I have rued that decision for many years now.  My reasons for banning the Spice Girls from my daughter’s wardrobe was purely selfish, thinking that it would somehow reflect on my Christian values to allow my daughter to wear it.  In hindsight, it only reflected my underdeveloped ability to reason more thoughtfully.

Emily’s worst memory was when I was teaching her how to do a cartwheel and I landed right on top of her head!  Poor child, she never saw it coming… and I remember how angry I was at myself!  I was so excited to teach Emily something that she asked me to teach her, only to realize that I didn’t really know how to properly do a cartwheel… and I hurt her in the process.  In hindsight, I was trying to share something that I didn’t possess.  Hmmm.

If being “woke” is having a deeper understanding of our culture, an ability to see and think about things from another’s perspective, and to thoughtfully respond to circumstances in a more fair and equitable way, then I will take the label, because that is where I believe my Christianity is practically lived.  Jesus stated it most clearly when He told the Pharisee who was “an expert in the law” that the greatest commandment in the Law was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind… and love your neighbor as yourself.”

The verb is “love” and the “best interest of the other” is what that means.  The “other” in Jesus’ law is God, neighbor and self… in that order!

For His glory,

Pastor Mike