RaMbLeS
Welcome to RaMbLeS, a collection of weekly musings on life and Scripture. It all began in 2005 on Google’s blogspot as the aBeLOG (a name now recycled), a semi-autobiographical devotional that attempted to keep well-wishers abreast of my activities as I relocated to Scotland for a few years. Since my return, I’ve continued my RaMbLeS, and here’s its most recent incarnation on Homiletix, as random reflections usually based on current news articles and travel experiences and whatever else takes my fancy!
Heaven?
Fewer Americans believe in God than ever before.
That’s the result of a study published recently in the journal Sage Open: “Declines in American Adults’ Religious Participation and Beliefs, 1972–2014,” by a group of psychology researchers lead by Prof. Jean Twenge, of San Diego State University.
The percentage of Americans who claim they never pray has climbed to an all time high, up foiur-fold since the 70s and 80s. Correspondingly, belief in God has declined
Acclamation!
I was in Israel last year, with a bunch of Dallas Seminary students, on a study tour. And we were in Jerusalem for several days.
While our days were filled with tours, and lectures and study time for the students (who had to take two exams in those three weeks we were there), we did have some free time. And I set off to wander on my own.
And got lost in the maze-like streets of Jerusalem.
[Not the first time, nor, hopefully, the last. There’s something exhilarating about
Daylight!
They conducted a new poll the other week in the United Kingdom.
2,465 young people between 18 and 25 were asked to name the top five things critical for their quality of life.
Freedom of speech was #1 with 87% voting for this item. Other things that were voted on in fairly large numbers included hot water, welfare system, internet access, and daylight.
In fact, internet access (voted for by 69%) beat daylight (voted for by only 64%). Internet access, these folks believe,
Incentive!
Crime doesn’t pay, they say. But “they” may be wrong, if you live in Washington, D.C.
Recently, the D.C. Council voted to approve a bill that includes—guess what?—a proposal to pay residents of ye olde city not to commit crimes.
The provisions of the bill have city officials identifying about 200 people a year who are potential felons, at risk of committing violent crime. Such folks are encouraged to take part in behavior modifying therapy and various other programs
Zone?
Returning home after a vacation is a bit of a let down. Back to the old grind, the old schedule, the old calendar, the old climate (especially if it is cold) …
Jim and Barbara Casey recently decided to do something about it. Returning to frigid Haversham, U.K. (32°F), from balmy Tenerife, Canary Islands (60°F), they brought its time zone back with them!
It’s only an hour in front of GMT, but they realized they enjoyed living ahead of everyone that they decided to live
Baggage!
Lugging your heavy luggage around is a pain, even if it has wheels. If only baggage had feet and could walk with you. Well, they don’t. But now they can follow you around.
Declared Alex Libman, co-founder and CEO of NUA Robotics, an Israeli company:
Any object can be smart and robotic. We want to bring robots into everyday life.”
There have been other attempts to create smart suitcases.
Bluesmart raised over $2 million in crowdfunding for a suitcase than can be tracked
Confessing!
Some sins are bad, much worse than others. According to the Vatican, these involve: assassination attempts on the pope, defiling the Eucharist (the consecrated bread and wine that “become,” in Catholic doctrine, the body and blood of Jesus Christ) by spitting it out or by using it in satanic rituals, “breaking the seal of confession” (i.e., confidentiality), etc. For the longest time (since the twelfth century), those who committed such egregious deeds would had
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching. 