Facing eternity

PS. I heard a very sad story yesterday from a friend I sometimes meet for coffee at McDonald's. (They have senior coffee for 50 cents) He went to the hospital to visit a very sick friend who was dying. He was determined to offer hims some words of comfort at this final hour. The fellow greeted my friend and added, "It is a very sad time." My buddy agreed and started to offer something more but the guy said, "The stock market went down over 300 points yesterday and I lost 4 million dollars. It really upsets me."

He died that night. That is sad because he obviously worshiped his money at the final hour. At the funeral there was no U'HAUL connected to the hearse. One of the man's kids joked that he thought about putting a big check in the coffin.

What are you worshiping? Anything or anybody you can take with you to the great beyond?

Norways Grief

The news from Norway is grim and full of agony for the people who lost family and friends and for all Norwegians. Norwegians are justly proud of their national emphasis on peace, love and Christian compassion. The State Lutheran Church as well as the Lutheran Free Church and other Free Churches that are not State Controlled are among the most open and caring groups on the planet. That fact alone makes the headlines which scream that the killer of so many was a "Christian Fundamentalist" seem unreal and fantastic.

At this moment my prayers and condolences go to the many friends Karen and I have there. I have made over forty trips to Norway and other Scandinavian nations and I love the people and the way they treat others with so much care. That is why the recent killings seem so out of place and so painful for the Believers there and here to comprehend.

People tend to jump to conclusions and the temptation to do immediate Psychiatric analysis about the killer and his family are too much for many to resist. After reading an interview with his father I wanted to think that he was getting even with a very liberal dad who abandoned him as a child and had not seen him for decades. But that may not be true. I have never spoken to these people so it is probably my projection rather than his inner hate.

So, let us refrain from judging anyone but the killer and pray for our friends and the nation of Norway. Their grief must be overwhelming.

Shalom my friends.