Let’s talk rabbit ears. Not the furry bunny kind. The antenna kind.
You jiggle the rabbit ears to clear up the signal.
I have spiritual rabbit ears–I can adjust them to better hear God. And sometimes I fiddle with them to block God’s message. It’s the spiritual equivalent of fingers in my ears, “na-na-nah-na-nah.”
Me: I can’t hear you, God.
God: Silly child, fix those rabbit ears.
Now.
James 1:19
Be quick to listen.
You remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. Bunny versus turtle. Quick versus slow. In what ways are you rabbit-like?
Quick to listen?
Listening is slow! There’s a lot of STOP in listening. STOP what you’re doing. STOP planning what you’re going to say next.
Listening seems all turtle, no bunny.
James 1:19 (NIV)
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Put on your rabbit ears.
“Love is something more stern and splendid
than mere kindness.”
C. S. Lewis
The Problem of Pain, 1940
When it comes to refugees, Lord, make us more than kind.
It is easy to say, “Come to America. It will be fine.” But nothing is that simple.
I remember when Hmong refugees were brought to America after the Vietnam War. Thousands of churches and individuals worked tirelessly to resettle the newcomers, family by family. It was hard.*
I hope all the folks calling us to open our nation to today’s refugees are ready to roll up their sleeves and open their arms. If you think it is the right thing for America to do, then it is the right thing for you to do.
Early in our marriage, we were houseparents at a home for wayward boys. Sometimes one of them would go missing. We were taught to ask ourselves if they were running to something, or away. Running to? We knew where to look.
I wonder if this also applies to refugees. Are they running to, or running away? Those who are running to America, the ones who long for what we have to offer (flaws included)–shouldn’t we welcome them with open arms? The ones who are running away, the ones whose hearts are still firmly rooted in their homeland–maybe our resources (our money, our influence and our prayers) are better spent providing safe space closer to the land they love, and doing all we can to restore peace.
Proverbs 31:31 (NIV)
Let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Lord God, if you marched my works across the mall in Washington, would they bring me praise? More importantly, would they bring you praise?
Within a single week’s time, we had the Women’s March on Washington and the March for Life. All those signs and banners! Are you feeling frustrated or confused?
Proverbs 31:30-31 (NET)
A woman who fears the Lord will be praised.
Give her credit for what she has accomplished,
and let her works praise her in the city gates.
It isn’t about the signs, people. 
Today is the March for Life. Bless all the dedicated souls who make their way to Washington to make their opinions known.
Good news: the US abortion rate has fallen to its lowest level since Roe v Wade.
Let us pray beyond the statistics.
Lord, we pray that the abortion rate will continue to fall . . . not because the laws change, but because hearts change. Amen.
“All abortion is genocide.
All abortion is eugenics.
It’s designed for population control
for various reasons.”
Alveda King, Founder
National Black Pro-Life Coalition
12% of Americans are black.
28% of aborted babies are black.
16 million black babies have been aborted since 1973.
Isn’t that enough?
Let’s turn our hearts to abortion (as thousands make their annual trek to Washington for Friday’s March for Life).
OK, I’ll say it. I think abortion is sin. But don’t paint me judgmental. The woman who chooses abortion is no worse than me, because I too am a sinner —
all have sinned (Romans 3:23).
A lot of sins can be corrected: I can repay what I stole. I can confess the error I covered up. I can make it up to the person I hurt.
What’s lost with an abortion can never be recovered. I weep for that loss.
