Man Stealing

 "Man Stealing" is an old term for kidnapping. It's found in the King James Translation of the Bible. For instance Exodus 21:16 and Deuteronomy 24:7. It's a graphic term. I've thought about it a good bit over the last week.

The kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie seems to have captured the attention of America. 

• Police personnel and equipment, local, state, and national, have have been mobilized to a remarkable degree.
• This has dominated the news media.
• Billboards, requesting information have been erected all over the Southwest.
  
• Right now this eighty-four year old woman and her family are among the most famous people in the world.

This dispicable act has brought to light some basic realities that should not be ignorred. In a world where the value of human life is too often discouted, one can see from the near universal reaction to this kidnapping that there remains a resevoir of respect for human life that runs deeper than politics and culture. It is right that heroic effort is being undertaken to rescue Nancy and bring relief to her grieving family. It is what we should do. What if Nancy's daughter were the host of a local news station instead of a national celebrity? What if she did a podcast listened to by one-hundred family-members and friends? What if Nancy had no connection to fame at all, would her life be any less valuable?

I recoil at the questions. "Of course not!" rings in my head.

The evil that is resident in the heart(s) of the person, or persons, who did this, is not isolated to the crimanal(s) who stole this mother, grandmother, and friend. When we, one way or another, sin against one person, it almost always the case that that many are hurt. I pray that the pain does not get worse. The Bible is as honest about the wickedness in humanity as the news media has been about evil of the these, or this, man stealer(s). 
The difference is the Bible speaks of evil that is in all of us. I'm not saying we are all man stealers, or theives, or murders. Thank God we aren't. But the difference between me, in and of myself, the yet unnamed kidnapper of Ms. Guthrie is one of degree, not character. "All have sinned and come short of God's glory." Romans 3:23. “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

I don't want to leave you with that downer. The Bible also makes known Good News through Jesus Christ. You can read about it here.

The dedicated service of the hundreds of law-enforcement personnel who are working to solve this case and rescue this lady should remind each of us to push back against the evil around us wherever and whenever we can. Be kind. Love others. Tell the truth. Do what good moms tell their children to do. Play nice, share. Those of us who have trusted Jesus as our Lord have a book full of instruction. We are to be salt and light in this decaying and dark world (Matthew 5:13-16). Nancy's friends are examples of this doing of good deeds. Nancy was supposed to meet with friends to listen to God's word preached the morning after this abduction. When her friends didn't see her, they missed her, and took action.

Our world is full of people who have been stolen, some by kidnapping and human-trafficking. Others are trapped in addiction. Children killed in their mother's wombs are robbed of ever seeing the light of day, and others are robbed of the blessing they would bring. Those who believe the lies that dominate our culture are trapped and robbed in multitudes of ways. We can make a difference. Nancy Guthrie and her family, friends, and those who are working long hours to solve this case remind us we should as well.

Lord, be merciful to Nancy and those who love her.

A Book About Questions With Some Surprisingly Good Answers

 As I write this, I'm sitting in the corner of my living room. I have a view out the double windows on the front of my house. They are about sixteen feet from where I'm sitting. Because of the lovely curtains my wife put up, my view of the outside world is two triangles side by side, and one of those triangles is partly blocked by a potted plant.

Only a few days ago we had a major snow-event, so mostly I just see white. A few times a minute I see a vehicle pass, going north or south. My view of the world is very limited.

Some years ago when I set this blog up I chose the name, "The View Through My Keyhole," in recognition of the reality that my view of the world "out there" is quite limited. All kinds of realities--my one-placed-ness, my prejudices, my time-bounded-ness, and my intellectual and educational limitations are just a few of the curtains, walls, and flowers that keep me from seeing things more broadly and clearly.

About thirty minutes ago I heard noises outside that aroused my curiosity--motor sounds, tires crunching the crust of ice, a door closing. Was it my neighbor coming back from a trip, somebody looking for Kathy or me, or maybe someone thinking that my patch of snow-free pavement was a good place to park?

Though I'm tired from hacking and shoveling snow and ice, I couldn't help myself; I got up and looked out from a couple of windows and the back door.

That sound captured my mind. Maybe "hijacked" is a better word. J.R. Briggs in His book The Art of 

Asking Better Questions: Pursuing Stronger Relationship, Healthier Leadership, and Deeper Faith, Says a good question does that. It opens up new vistas for both the questioner and the one being interogated.

You, don't have to read very far in Briggs's book to find out that he has made the study of questions, especially the study of questions in Scripture a life-long pursuit. He talks about questions God asks, and suggests, in part based on the Psalms, the value of asking questions of God. Among other questionish observations, Briggs pointes out that Jesus almost never directly answered a question. He often asked a question in reply. He challenges his readers to work to ask better questions and be a better question asker. Without question, I am challenged by the book.

I heard about The Art of Asking Better Questions . . ., in a podcast by Carey Nieuwhof. It's well-worth the listen. Click here.

I plan to reread the book. It's actually a bit of a workbook. It's filled with ideas and exercises to expand ones appreciation of and ability to make use of better questions. I think that you, like me, will be surprised at how much there is to know about questions. I just didn't know to ask.