Monthly Archives: January 2011

WORDS

Posted on January 25, 2011 by stanwiedeman

Politicians and media commentators wasted no time in laying blame at the feet of their counterparts on the other side of the aisle. MSNBC commentator, Keith Olbermann, demanded that Sarah Palin repudiate her contribution to the tragic shooting in Tucson that left six dead and fourteen wounded, even if her part in “amplifying violence and violent imagery in politics” was only “tangential.” If she does not, “she must be removed from politics.” His countenance and tone suggest the same venom that he condemns. Continue reading →

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EVERYONE WANTS A HEAVEN

Posted on January 19, 2011 by stanwiedeman

Sydney and Joel demonstrate the need for a hope that death does not rule over life. People may try to stare down death with bravado, but deep inside they long for a better ending to the story. Many people ignore death, as if it only happens in movies or the newspaper. When forced to peer into its ugly face, most people are willing to believe anything that will relieve the anxiety and fear, even without substantial evidence. Continue reading →

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ADVOCATING FOR INTROVERTS

Posted on January 11, 2011 by stanwiedeman

The young man talking to me was angry and highly frustrated. He felt ignored and ostracized only because he was socially awkward. He was not gregarious or outgoing. Conversation did not flow easily for him. It was not because he was dull-witted. On the contrary, he had an abundance of thoughts. He loved God and he loved people, but most people expected him to communicate that love along well-defined social paths. But his personality was built more for tracks than highways.

Adam McHugh has written an entire book addressing this problem. Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture thoroughly explores the world of the introvert. The evangelical church has become an inhospitable environment for the introvert. Continue reading →

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FEAR OF THE FUTURE

Posted on January 4, 2011 by stanwiedeman

I wrote the following article in 11/27/2000. A terrorist attack on American soil, a war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the election of the first African-American president, the crash of Wall Street and an economic recession later, and where are we? Have things changed? In some ways. But in some very important ways, nothing has changed.

Leadership must always bear appropriate responsibility for the direction and outcomes of those whom it influences, but we should keep it all in perspective of a greater vision of history. Is God acting in and through these leaders and their decisions? What are His purposes? Does prayer make any difference in what happens or is political activity the real path to liberation? Continue reading →

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