Point of View

            To put it in modern parlance, he was an “influencer.” Without access to technology that would allow unlimited multiplication and widespread distribution, he was limited regarding the scope of his reach. Live groups were the reality of his time; even then, the extent of his listening audience would be bounded

            I’m glad that we’re trusted friends, you and I. Because of that familiarity and relational faith, I can bring you in on my current situation. Cheri and I are in Switzerland today – on a personal “roots” trip – but still want to read you in on what I’m experiencing.

            I was at a board gathering in Texas recently; in the mix was a good friend from Minnesota – he’s also a graduate of The Master’s Program – who explained his perspective about groups these days. He said that he scans the crowd and unconsciously slots people into two

            “Do the math.” We’re all expected to do some level of computation. People whose interests run far away from the disciplines that demand quantitative prowess will, nonetheless, challenge others with that directive. By the way: did you know that God is really into math?          

            Have you ever “struck a chord?” That’s an idiom that is not uncommon, though most often expressed by people with no musical background. It means that you’ve produced an emotional response, evoked a memory, or caused someone to agree/identify with something. That happened in last week’s Point of View: music

            Language is tricky: it frames our thinking – and, often, our lives – in unusual ways. What we say – and, what we mean when we say it – is both descriptive and prescriptive: it can explain where we are today and it can forecast