Give your servant a discerning heart... to distinguish between right and wrong.

A well-known Swiss pastor and one of the most influential Christian thinkers of the 20th century once said 'Take your Bible and take your newspaper and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.'

1 Kings 3:5-12  The Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream and said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”  Solomon answered, "… give your me a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.”  …God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be."

In a time when the 24 hours news cycle can be difficult to keep up with and claims of fake news echoes in our ears, the need for wisdom and discernment is paramount.  Like Solomon, we need wisdom and discernment to get to the truth of the matter. 

Many people don't read newspapers anymore; at least not in their printed versions.  A pastor offered this 21st century update on the quote above, “We must hold the Bible in one hand, and our hand-held device in other – filled with Twitter feeds, Facebook updates, blog subscriptions, news articles from a variety of sources and perspectives, societal studies, and local gossip. (Geoff T. Sinibaldo)

How do we know who is telling us the truth?  The headlines these days reveal a divided and polarized country that often equates an accusation or a denial as the truth.  Solomon got to the truth when two women came before him and both claimed to be that infant's mother.  He listened to the claims of each women and called for a sword to divide the baby in half!  The real mother told him to give the baby to the false mother because she didn't want to see him killed, but the false mother heartily agreed with the King's decision and said, 'Cut him in two.'  Solomon's wisdom allowed him to get to the truth of this dispute.  What will you use to discern the truth in the headlines you read?  I'm not advocating the use of a sword in making up your mind as to whom is telling the truth.  But Solomon's decision to divide the baby between both mothers allowed the truth to be revealed.

Is it a coincidence that the writer of the book of Hebrews (4:12) says, '…the living Word of God, which is full of energy and it pierces more sharply than a two-edged sword… it will even penetrate to the very core of our being …and reveals the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts'?  Is the imagery of a sword cutting through both the accuser and denier to reveal their true thoughts and secret motives an echo of Solomon's example of wisdom and discernment?  More than ever, with all the voices and opinions reverberating in our ears, we need the same wisdom and discernment that God promised Solomon.  James 1:5 suggests that this wisdom is still available to us, 'If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.'

 I hope that we can precisely employ both wisdom and discernment as we wade through the thorny issues of our days.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

The courage to change the things I can;

And the wisdom to know the difference.

March Madness Virus Strikes Again!

MARCH MADNESS

As I write this March Madness is just beginning and tickets are getting punched all over the place for the Big Dance… If you don't know I'm talking about – then you probably don't have March Madness.  This is the time of year that almost everyone seems to turn into Jay Bilas or Bill Walton, that is to say, experts on college basketball. 

You can download (or if you're 'old school' you can print out) a March Madness bracket once the final 64 teams (OK for you purists I know there are actually 68) are announced and become a prognosticator along with 70 million others who complete March Madness brackets and hope to pick their favorites to win, pull an upset or become this year's Cinderella team.  I don't follow college basketball much other than watching an occasional rivalry game – that is until March Madness.  I fill out my online bracket and share it with my sons and friends and we commiserate about our favorites who get beat and celebrate the upsets we 'predicted'. 

                                  

Business experts estimate that the 'average' worker spends six hours of work time following the tournament both on TV and online – about 25 minutes a day.  March Madness is said to be, "the bane of bosses and HR departments, as workers try to keep up with the latest scores and Cinderella stories".  In fact, the NCAA website has a built in "boss button." In the first round of the tournament most games air during the workday, so for hoops fans, that means watching the games online at their desks, hoping the boss doesn’t notice.  The NCAA is keenly aware of this habit and has since 2006 included a “boss button” on its website for streaming the games. Simply click the button, and your screen instantly shifts from basketball to spreadsheets, email, or some other productivity veneer.  But even the "boss button" has changed over the years to become more sophisticated and recent evolutions are the most realistic yet. It allows you to toggle among work, class, and home modes (though we wonder why home is necessary at all – maybe trying to hide your March Madness addiction from your spouse?). The work option actually mimics the looks of Google Slides. 

Back in the old days people used to run an office pool where it would cost $1 to submit your picks, but those pools are NOT allowed in almost all government agencies, but some employee-centered businesses actually embrace March Madness.  One such forward thinking executive says, "While it might not be good for productivity, there are some upsides to this office slacking, particularly with morale building.  While HR personnel and managers may worry about events like March Madness being a distraction in the office, allowing workers to enjoy sports-related activities for even a few minutes can be time well spent, and staff will appreciate the opportunity to bond with colleagues and return to their desks rejuvenated.” 

Here's to unbusted brackets… your #15 seed beating a #2 seed and your Cinderella pick making it to the Final Four!  The virus called March Madness lasts only 19 days and there is no known cure!