October 26, 2010
Ah-choo
When I write a complimentary close in get well or sympathy card to a friend I often say ‘God bless you’. However it’s just struck me that I also say, ‘God bless you’ to a perfect stranger when he sneezes. Even though I’m saying the same words, the sentiments are entirely different. Think of it, the guy who sneezes could be a serial killer, mass murderer or escaped convict. If I knew the stranger’s history I might pray for him, but being honest, I might not be asking God to bless him. Just when I’m ready to start offering Kleenex rather than blessings I come across, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Ro 12:14 NIV)
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----The different senses of a word should lead us to use them unambiguously, rather than to equivocate in our use of them. Calling upon God’s blessing for a person is certainly different than calling upon the blessing of his ambitions by God. Taken literally, ‘God bless you’ is the former, while ‘God bless your plans’ is the latter. And to bless those who persecute you is not to make yourself more available to the havoc they seek to wreak, but to do unto them the good of God’s discretion for them. That may entail a call to the police. Or maybe not. It all depends upon what God can best use to recover or build another soul.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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