Forthright Magazine http://www.forthright.net Straight to the Cross ---- Today's Prayer: Checks and Balances http://www.forthright.net/todays_prayer/checks_and_balances.htm ---- COLUMN: Reality Check An Oak, or a Squash? by Stan Mitchell "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who builds his house on a rock" (Matthew 7:24). I confess I don't know what to say when someone compliments me by saying: "I liked that sermon; it was so easy to understand." Does that mean complex ideas were expressed in a clear and understandable manner, or that I delivered a "sermon lite"? Why do we put such a premium on ignorance? There was a time people read good books and thought things through. Now our belief systems are based on sound bites and bumper sticker slogans. The scary part is that so many Christians have decided that they know all there is to know about God's will, judging by their failure to attend Bible class! Should preachers dumb down their message, or err on the side of challenging a little too much? Bertrand Russell once declared: "Most Christians would rather die than think. In fact, most do!" If we don't think, we will die. If we don't study, our Christianity will become anemic. Christians could weather tough times better if their root system was already sunk deeply into bedrock when the storms came. Don't assume that you know it all; that's the first step to never growing. Before he became president, James A. Garfield was president of Hiram College. One day the father of a student asked him about the curriculum. Garfield began to describe the courses and requirements. "Mr. Garfield," the father declared, "couldn't you make it a little easier?" "Yes, I suppose I could," Garfield replied, "but then I am reminded of the fact that when God wants to build a tall, strong oak tree, he takes a hundred years. But he only takes three months to make a squash. Which do you want your son to be, an oak or a squash?" ---- Join the conversation. Read this article online and share your thoughts with us. Click here: http://www.forthright.net/reality_check/an_oak_or_a_squash.htm ---- You can help us get the word out. Here's how: http://www.forthright.net/editorial/lend_a_hand.htm