Tag Archives: peacemaker

Data

Data: (n) individual facts, statistics, or items of information

There are certainly occasions when the pursuit of truth is greatly hindered by facts.

Likewise, the beauty of possibility is just stomped to death by information.

I am temporarily many things.

  • I am temporarily lazy.
  • I am temporarily ignorant.
  • I am temporarily a liar, confused, opinionated and misguided.

Well, I could go on and on.

For you see, if you just give facts to provide the information of my status, you can present me any way you wish.

Then it would fall my lot to justify myself.

You don’t need to go dig up dirt on me.

I’ll tell you myself:

  • I have been unfaithful.
  • I have sexually harassed a woman.
  • I have cheated.
  • I have stolen, lied and misrepresented myself.
  • I have gotten angry without having a real reason.
  • Jealous.

I have been all of these things—for single moments.

Then I have repented.

  • Regretted.
  • Changed my mind.
  • Assisted.
  • Given.
  • Healed.
  • Been a peacemaker.
  • Become merciful.

Yet to claim that these virtues are continually my personality would also be false data and deceptive information.

To the average Jew in Jerusalem, Jesus was a troublemaker who didn’t follow the faith and was making himself noticeable, which was going to create problems with the Romans and unearth a dangerous environment.

The data said he was a huge problem.

The information concluded that he must die.

The truth was waiting to set us free.

You can collect your data and your information, but let it mingle with other realities, other examples and other testimonies before you become certain that you’ve gained enough input to make an honest conclusion.

Buffer

j-r-practix-with-border-2

Buffer: (n) something that prevents conflict

A book called Isaiah refers to it as “a repairer of the breach.”

It is an individual–or maybe even group–who decides that holding one opinion or another in reverence does notDictionary B grant the equity and generosity of spirit that is necessary to allow for tender human interaction.

Over the years, such a position has been deemed anemic or ill-defined. We are told that the most important thing is to believe in something and then cling to it in spite of how many people object to the position.

That style of living has left us at odds, seeking out camps of culture, where we pretend to be equal with those around us while secretly feeling that our clan is superior.

God knows we need a buffer.

We need people who know that the greatest accomplishment in the human race is to be a peace-maker.

It doesn’t make us evasive or lily-livered–rather, desirous of the “oil of gladness,” to lubricate all human relationships.

Without this buffer we bang up against each other, and pretty soon we’re so bruised that it takes less banging to bring pain. Eventually we are so angry about any interaction that we either hurt one another or we run away from each other in horror.

It begins with a simple understanding: there is no way at all that I can be better than you.

Even if I believed I was, God, our Creator, is no respecter of persons.

Donate ButtonThank you for enjoying Words from Dic(tionary) —  J.R. Practix