Tag Archives: Colossians 1

Distracted

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The other evening I was playing Wordle on my phone,
while working on a blog post on my laptop,
while watching the Brewer game on TV.

Was I being “distracted from distraction by distraction”?
(T. S. Eliot, “The Four Quartets”)
Sure I was.

The only time the word “distracted” shows up in the Bible is in Luke 10:40. “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” In Greek, the word means “to be driven about or dragged all around.”

I wanted to know more.

So I put down my Wordle game and looked away from the ballgame so I could open up another tab on my laptop and look up the history of the word “distraction.”

One of the meanings of the word comes from a French term related to a cruel form of torture in the Middle Ages, reserved for the very worst of criminals. The offender’s four limbs were tied to four horses……and……well……they got dis-tracted.

The world tries to pull us in different directions
until we feel stretched and about to snap.

Jesus offers something different.
“In him all things hold together…
So that in everything He might have supremacy.”
Colossians 1:17-18

Lord, I invite You to rule and reign over my time today. Teach me to set aside worthless idols and be drawn to Your beauty, truth and goodness. Distract me away from distractions with Your loving-kindness. Help me keep my eyes on You.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

Peace Signs

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I was a child of the 60s, but I didn’t pay much attention to what was happening in the world. I was too busy riding my bike, playing down by the creek, and setting up paper-doll families all over the living room. I overheard adults talking about the anti-war riots, the civil rights marches, and the hippies, but the first decade of my life was about as peaceful as a lazy afternoon in the haymow.

One thing I do remember from those days: the peace sign.
It was everywhere.

I was in my actual 60s when I learned that the famous sign was based on the letters N and D, and stood for Nuclear Disarmament.

Two flags down at a 45 degree angle = N
One flag up and the other flag down = D

Long before this symbol was created, the ancient Jews had a peace sign of their own, also based on a letter of their alphabet.

“Shin” is the twenty-first letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It is the first letter in the word “Shalom,” so it is associated with peace.

When the temple priests gave the Priestly Blessing at the end of the service, they lifted their hands and made the sign of Shin while reciting, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Num. 6:24-26)

As a child, Leonard Nimoy went to synagogue services with his grandfather. He was intrigued by this sign of “shalom” or peace. As Dr. Spock, Nimoy used the gesture on Star Trek to mean “live long and prosper.”

Maybe it’s time for a new peace sign.
Something we can plaster on t-shirts and billboards.
A universal symbol, easily recognized.
Something cool, groovy, far-out.

Or maybe it’s time for an old peace sign.

God made peace through his Son’s blood on the cross.
Colossians 1:20

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie

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My granddaughters love to create bracelets and necklaces with beads.
Itsy bitsy teenie weenie beads.
I have established a system for this artistic endeavor.

The puzzle board comes out from under the couch.

The boxes of beads go onto the board.

And away they go.

The puzzle board prevents the delightful sound of tiny beads bouncing all over the floor. Most of the time. The girls are very careful and they keep the pink beads in the pink section, the blue beads in the blue section, etc. I have taught them well. When everybody goes home, I put the boxes away and slide the puzzle board back under the couch. It’s all very orderly.

Until this happened.

It wasn’t the nine year old or the four year old.
It was me. I tipped it over after everyone was gone.
And yes, I spent the following week sorting out those darn beads.

I’m so glad it happened, though,
because as I was picking up all the minuscule pieces,
I heard the Spirit whisper.

“Some days your life is nicely sorted and everything is in place.
Don’t get too smug.
Some days your life is a chaotic, disordered, mixed-up mess.
Don’t despair.
There is beauty in all of it.”

“In Him, all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:17

Even the itsy bitsy teenie weenie things.