Who Do You See?

I know...I know...it's Wednesday again...hey what do you do when the Gremlins are still lurking within the computer...think it's time for som computer geek maintenance.

On Sunday, my friend and brother, Pastor Greg Ott, in his message at Trinity Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) asked the question, 'Who do you see?'

 

Watch this video and think about the question.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaGLDKBE8Ho 

Check out his sign.  "I have a God given gift of voice..."

I was struck by Greg's question,"Who do you see?"  We see people like Ted Williams every day as we go about our daily lives.  Do you see a homeless man, a bum, a black man, a vagrant, a panhandler, a nuisance, a  liar, a father, an uncle, a brother, a husband, a son, a man or the face of God?

I especially liked Biblical scholar 'Arthur Weiser's quote that Greg shared with us referring to Pslam 27 as a song; a "courage of faith'.

“...we are confronted not with the exuberant strength of a courage characteristic of an untroubled and lighthearted young man, who treats with indifference the seriousness of a dangerous situation, but with the strength of a mature man which is grounded in faith and has been acquired in the course of many conflicts and has been tested in many battles; such a man reckons with the grim facts of life, but on that account does not only not lose courage but on the contrary ’lifts up his head’ the more confidently, being inwardly strengthened and fortified by the power of a faith that rejoice in HOPE. It is in this attitude and spirit that the song has been written as a striking testimony to the fact that the faith of a human cannot at all be equated with cowardly subservience to the facts of life, BUT [faith] steels man’s heart in the struggle for existence and lifts him up to the higher level of heroic greatness.”  

Greg read this quote before showing the video.  This quote said a lot and made me say 'Amen' when I heard it then.  Now that I've re-read it and thought about it more in relation to Ted Williams, the man, I'm more hopeful and more optimistic about the resilience of the human spirit and the knowledge that indeed faith is uplifting and up to us no matter what happens to us during this life.

Thanks Greg for making me think.

Peace be with you Ted Williams.

Peace,
Ray

PS- I always like to share music I'm currently listening to.  Today I was listening intently to 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', by the Beatles.  The famous Eric Clapton guest solo in this George Harrison written tune is awesome, combined with Paul McCartney's very prominent bass drives and John Lennon's backing guitar this tune will stick with you again and again.  Listen to it closely musicians and music lovers.  Remember it was recorded in 1968.  It think it sounds great!  Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3RYvO2X0Oo