?In New Brunswick, Canada, the Bay of Fundy presents a remarkable sight. Twice daily, the tides reach such heights that they actually force the Saint John River to flow upstream, creating what the tour books call “The Reversing Waterfalls.” It is unique in the world. It should not be unique in the Christian world.
Christians are called to be counter-cultural. We are called to reverse the tide.
Michael Shaara died thinking he was a failure. His great love was writing. He did get a few short stories published, but not enough to pay the bills, so he taught writing at Florida State University and his wife had a job as well to support the family. His first book received a few positive reviews, but was a commercial failure.
His greatest passion was a book on the battle of Gettysburg, a project he began after a pleasing family vacation there. It took him seven years to complete the project. Not long after its completion, he had a major heart attack. The Killer Angels was rejected by thirteen publishers. Finally, in 1973 it was printed by a small publishing house. It was virtually ignored by the public, but did receive a Pulitzer Prize. Even that did nothing to help the sales. In 1988, Michael died.
Filmmaker Ron Maxwell decided to use the book, The Killer Angels, as the basis of his film, Gettysburg. Because of that, the book rocketed to the best seller list nineteen years after its publication and after Shaara had died. What is most significant was that Michael’s son, Jeff, picked up the mantle and has written five best sellers in the genre of his father. He even worked to get his father’s baseball book published and turned into a move. Michael Shaara was a greater success than he knew and his influence wider than he had dreamed.
-Michael Shannon, Preaching March/April 2003
Many Christians wear a WWJD band on their arms. This stands for the question, “What Would Jesus Do?” This question goes all the way back to a book written by Charles Sheldon entitled, In His Steps. The book mused on what would happen if people in everyday life asked “What Would Jesus Do?”
What is not widely know is that after the book came out the Topeka Daily Capital newspaper decided to put Sheldon’s ideas to the test and allowed him to edit the newspaper for a week. The story is told in the book, Significa. What happened? Sheldon submitted every story to his important question. He severely restricted advertisements to wholesome products. A news story on a famine included an appeal to help those in need. Positive stories were given top billing. As a result the circulation of the paper went from 15,000 to 367,000.
-Michael Shannon, Preaching May/June 2002
The ancient Greek mathematician once used his ingenuity to help defend his home against foreign invaders. When Roman forces prepared to attack Syracuse about 214 BC, Archimedes installed mirrors on shore and trained them on the Roman vessels. The sun’s magnified rays were trained on the Roman ships and ignited them.
Scientists today believe this story was possible. It makes us think twice when Jesus calls us the light of the world. We know in a general sense what light does, but do we consider how powerful it can be?
-Michael Shannon, Preaching May/June 2002
Rivers gain more attention than the little streams that create them. You can name the great rivers of the world, but you cannot name their tributaries. However, without the tributaries, there would be no river. And it must be remembered that the smaller streams, while less well-known, are purer and are found on a higher elevation. Some of our lives are tributary lives. It is our role to provide the pure water from the higher elevation that enables another to be a mighty river of power and influence.
-Michael Shannon, Preaching September/October 2003
In Morocco’s famed resort city of Marrakech it is the law that no building can be built taller than the minarets that rise above the city’s mosques. No hotel, no office building, nothing can stand taller than the symbol of Islam. It is interesting to suggest the important of one’s religion symbolically and architecturally. It is, however, much more important to Christians that the precepts of their faith tower above commerce and entertainment and every thing else in life. Certainly it would be nice if steeples on our churches towered above our high rises, but it would have little effect practically. When the substance of faith towers above the desire for gain or pleasure or comfort, then believe really dominates life.
-Robert Shannon, Preaching May/June 1998
Those
who speak up for Jesus are often labeled as annoyances. Some of that may be
unavoidable. Herb Caen once said, “The problem with born-again Christians is
that they are an even bigger pain the second time around.” Caen’s comment might
well be an overstatement, but all who love the Lord would do well to share the
truth with winsomeness and grace.
_______________
J.
Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati,
OH.
Rivers gain more attention than the little streams that create them. You can name the great rivers of the world, but you cannot name their tributaries. However, without the tributaries, there would be no river. And it must be remembered that the smaller streams, while less well-known, are purer and are found on a higher elevation. Some of our lives are tributary lives. It is our role to provide the pure water from the higher elevation that enables another to be a mighty river of power and influence.
Rivers
gain more attention than the little streams that create them. You
can name the great rivers of the world, but you cannot name their
tributaries. However, without the tributaries, there would be no
river. And it must be remembered that the smaller streams, while
less well-known, are purer and are found on a higher elevation. Some
of our lives are tributary lives. It is our role to provide the pure
water from the higher elevation that enables another to be a mighty
river of power and influence.
_______________
J. Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati, OH.
Carl Henry wrote
in Twilight of a Great Civilization: “We may even now live in the half
generation before all hell breaks loose, and if its fury is contained we will
be remembered, if we are remembered at all, as those who used their hands and
hearts and minds and very bodies to plug the dikes against impending doom.”
According to international
news accounts, Mathieu Boya delivered in 1987 the most devastating golf shot
in history. His errant drive struck a flying bird, which flopped into the open
cockpit of a taxiing jet. The startled pilot lost control and slammed his plane
into four shiny mirage jet fighters. The entire Air Force of the African republic
of Benin was destroyed. Boya was charged with ‘hooliganism’ and fined $40 million.
Fortunately, our
words and deeds seldom have such devastating results. But like ripples in a
pond, our influence goes farther than we realize. Our smile, warm greeting,
and encouraging word could be the highlight in someone’s entire day. It may
be the one thing that keeps someone from giving up. Today let’s try to make
someone’s day.
– Bill Bouknight, Christ United Methodist Church, Memphis, TN
A French criminologist
named Emile Locard came up with an idea which he called Locard’s exchange principle.
It says that any person passing through a room will unknowingly leave something
there and take something away. That means that any encounter we have with people
today leaves us and them better or worse, but never the same. An exchange takes
place. Do you usually cause people to smile or frown? Is your conversation complimentary
or crude, caring or caustic? Is your tendency to be helpful or hurried? Are
you sensitive enough to detect someone’s unspoken worry? Do people discern that
your emphasis is on you or on others? In each inter-personal encounter today,
an exchange will happen. The real winners are persons who make others better
for having met them.
– Bill Bouknight, Christ United Methodist Church, Memphis,
TN
“A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than a giant
himself.”
– Robert Burton
Many Christians wear a WWJD band on their arms. This stands for the question,
“What Would Jesus Do?” This question goes all the way back to a book
written by Charles Sheldon entitled, In His Steps. The book mused on what would
happen if people in everyday life asked “What Would Jesus Do?”
What is not widely known is that after the book came out, the Topeka Daily
Capital newspaper decided to put Sheldon’s ideas to the test and allowed him to
edit the newspaper for a week. The story is told in the book, Significa. What
happened? Sheldon submitted every story to his important question. He severely
restricted advertisements to wholesome products. A news story on a famine
included an appeal to help those in need. Positive stories were given top
billing. As a result the circulation of the paper went from 15,000 to 367,000.
___________________________
Illustration by J. Michael Shannon, Professor of Preaching, Cincinnati Bible
College & Seminary, Cincinnati, OH.
The ancient Greek mathematician once used his ingenuity to help defend his home
against foreign invaders. When Roman forces prepared to attack Syracuse about
214 BC, Archimedes installed mirrors on the shore and trained them on the Roman
vessels. The sun’s magnified rays were trained on the Roman ships and ignited
them.
Scientists today believe this story was possible. It makes us think twice when
Jesus calls us the light of the world. We know in a general sense what light
does, but do we consider how powerful it can be?
___________________________
Illustration by J. Michael Shannon, Professor of Preaching, Cincinnati Bible
College & Seminary, Cincinnati, OH.