Always listen carefully

O ne of my favorite jokes comes from the comedian Emo Phillips.

The joke, “The Guy on the Bridge” was voted to be the funniest religious joke of all times, according to emophillips.com and it goes something like this.

“Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump.

I said, “Don’t do it!” He said, “Nobody loves me.”

I said, “God loves you. Do you believe in God?”

He said, “Yes.” I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?” He said, “A Christian.” I said, “Me, too!

Protestant or Catholic?” He said, “Protestant.” I said, “Me, too! What franchise?” He said, “Baptist.” I said, “Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?” He said, “Northern Baptist.” I said, “Me, too!

Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist? He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist.” I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?”

He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.” I said, “Me, too!”

Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?” He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.” I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over.”

This joke illustrates the fact that although we have much in common, we focus on a single difference.

The singular difference is exploited and used by those who live on deceit, anger, disorder, and hatred to grow stronger at our expense.

Jesus said, “In everything, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

(Matthew 7:12) We know this is the Golden Rule.

Dr. Martin Luther King so famously stated; “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

These words stick in my mind.

Jesus and Dr. King are being ignored, put on the shelf, and are no longer relevant, respected, or honored in our society.

Minds and lives are being wasted and unfortunately, it is not the “content of character” that is used to judge but the color of melanin and this is wrong no matter how words get twisted to justify discrimination and assassination.

Our government is neither our savior nor friend.

The political charade played by both parties and Presidential candidates is a slap in the face and an afront to our intellect.

This false and damning political correctness overrunning our nation is killing people of every color. I believe Dr. King’s legacy has been hijacked by politicians and others and are preaching a new “gospel.” Our country will not survive this political correctness and this new “gospel” will usher in a violent and repulsive time. Our country will not survive the valuing of one color greater over another.

Rights are not more important than responsibilities. Rights and responsibilities are equal and cannot be separated. When rights are taken to the extreme it breeds selfishness, ingratitude, intolerance, and an entitlement mentality. When one is burdened with responsibilities but have little or no rights, this promotes contempt, anger, and political unrest.

Our world only has one race – the human race and we were given a wide spectrum of color by a loving God who values all lives even the ones not yet born or yet conceived.

God knows us before we are conceived; “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) d the Creator also designed us to be GoFor we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, “productive which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) God has a purpose for coloring us. God has a grand design for each life, no matter the length of life or color of life.

At the foot of the Cross, all people are the same.

Color, gender, status, wealth, popularity, pronouns, and whatever the means to measure success or used to divide people have no influence upon the power of the Cross.

Listen to the politicians – they all use language and words to divide people into groups that benefit their positions, power, and perks. Before you vote, listen to the words the candidates speak and as the Holy Bible states, we will know them by the words that comes from their hearts and out of their mouths.

Listen carefully!

Clayton P. Adams, West Memphis, Arkansas, email: clayton padamslll@gmail.com.

Clayton Adams

Time in the Word