Problems are for Solving

that George W. Bush, Nancy Pelosi, and Charles Manson all drink water? I think there’s some kind of vast, murderous conspiracy going on . . .

Guilt by association is back en vogue!

I know people who voted for Ron Paul. You know, the Ron Paul who was endorsed by Rolling Stone because he’s against the war and for the legalization of recreational pharmaceuticals? Some prostitutes and racists voted for Ron Paul, too. Therefore the people I know who voted for Congressman Paul must be racist adulterers, right?

I also know people who voted for John McCain. Senator McCain sponsored a bill that limits free speech. He voted for taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research. Therefore those people must be pro-choice, anti-baby and fascists who want to limit free speech, right?

The internet is a wonderful invention (thank you Al Gore!) but it’s also a cesspool. If you know somebody, don’t believe what you read on the internet about them–ask them face to face and give them some benefit of doubt if you’re not willing to bring it up to them personally. And if you read something about me on the internet, it might be true. But then I know people who are racist adulterous freespeech hating, baby hating fascists so I must be one too.

If you’re my friend I’ll ask you about yourself and generally trust what you say rather than what people who don’t like you say. And I’ll do that no matter whether you voted for Ron Paul, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Barack Obama or whatever. I’d like to hope my friends would do the same for me.

Oh, and by the way. I’m a sinner. And so are you and all my friends. And somewhere there’s a few things written about sin and what we do about it. Now where was that book…. oh right. It’s the Bible.

Communication is important.

I know this–but at times I let things get the better of me. In the past few weeks I have seen God remind me of something: communication early is better than communication late. And another thing: when we know we’re supposed to do something and don’t, it bothers us. Whether consciously or deep in the recesses of our hearts, it bothers us.

A few times over the last few weeks I’ve had conversations that I had been putting off. Why did I put them off? Because I was afraid of the worst possible way they could go. I was thinking through all the possible scenarios and I didn’t like the bad ones. In some cases, I needed to talk about things related to me. If the other person really cared they’d ask, I’d tell myself. Foolish, foolish man that I am.

And when the conversations happened? Weight was lifted, relationships extended and bettered, the Gospel reminded. Not that they were necessarily easy, but better now than later. This past week I started a conversation that I would usually put off and stew over right away. And you know what? It was good. And helpful. And a loving, productive chat about stuff that I might not have brought up at all if I’d let the grass grow under my feet on it.

So don’t wait. That conversation you’ve been putting off with someone you care about? Do it today. Think through what you need to say. Examine your motives and make sure you’re not coming from selfishness. But then go do it. You’ll find that it opens doors that you feel like are closed and that speaking the truth in love with one another will bring grace into your life in a mighty way.