In what seems like one week’s time to go from tree inches of snow on the car to 82 degrees and the car air conditioning going at full blast seems like strange weather for Indiana in April. From icicles hanging from elbows to heat stroke seems like a world out of control. Of course, it was only a day in each case with more normal weather in between. It was the sheer unpredictability of the weather that was so scary. Life itself is often just as unpredictable. We do not know how to predict what is ahead. For the most part life seems pretty stable, but just when we feel most comfortable we are struck with the unexpected. The New Testament book of James reminds us that our life is like a vapor. We plan and prepare but we cannot fully anticipate the future. We boast about the business of tomorrow, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” (James 4: 114). That does not mean that we should never plan but rather seek God’s guidance in our planning while always being aware that plans can sometimes must be changed. There will always be challenges and changes to meet them. However, we can have confidence that God is always with us and will give us strength and courage to face each new day with its challenges and possibilities.
04/24/2022
It is the first Sunday after Easter. The glory has not entirely faded, but it is time to move on into the rest of the year. There are chocolate bunnies to finish off and Easter baskets to put away. Why did we color so many Easter eggs? They did look so festive that we couldn’t resist coloring just a few more. We could feel a bit let down after all the celebration unless we remember that Jesus still with us. We now get to live out this year in his presence. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us. In a few weeks we will remember the gift, the Spirit of Christ is with us always. We will never be abandoned even if we feel alone and adrift at times. This year we may get knocked down but we won’t be destroyed. We may feel alone but never abandoned. We may grieve but never without comfort. Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We are on the path of God’s Kingdom. We have not yet even begun to imagine the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. We get glimpses of it through the Spirit, but ultimately it is beyond human imagination. We ask the Lord to move in our midst and move ever closer to the fullness of the kingdom of God. We are citizens of God’s new world, a world of justice, righteousness, joy and peace. Every Sunday is a new resurrection morning as is every new day in the presence of our God.
04/17/2022
Time was in a more rural setting where folk were used to early rising that we had a sunrise service on Easter Sunday. Rather than sunrise as on that first Easter morning we had a “sunrise service at 8:00 am or 9:00 am. It was more suitable for our modern lifestyle. We still remembered and celebrated that first Easter morning when the women came early to the tomb, but somehow it didn’t quite seem the same. At least we were more awake for the morning worship and with bright voices we could say “He is risen!” and hear the response “He is risen, indeed!” The heart of Easter morning is still there. Times change but the glory of resurrection morning still stirs our hearts. The symbolic lilies and spring flowers speak joy to our vision. We sing the songs of resurrection. We remember that Jesus the resurrected one is with us still. He is risen, indeed and we share and will share in his resurrection. We remember that Jesus the resurrected one is with us still. We gather with those we love, distant ones often come home to be with us. We are a resurrection people. Life is still with us. Jesus is still with us. God is still with us. We are living in God’s new world. It has started and we are on our way to glory. His is risen and because he is, so we are and shall be always with the Lord. Hallelujah, his is risen indeed.
04/10/2022
Most of us like a parade. It can be as elaborate as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or as simple as the Daleville Fourth of July parade. Celebration and pageantry have their own appeal. I have often thought of Palm Sunday as a parade. Branches cut from trees and coats spread as carpet were festive touches. Palms waved in our imaginary vision of the moment were festive. A humble king riding in on a donkey to the cheers of the crowd was high drama, excitement and even joy. Promises seemed ready to be realized, Deliverance was in sight. Jesus’ disciples seem heady with triumph. In the midst of all that some of Jesus’ opponents were ready to rain on his parade. “It is unseemly for your disciples to carry on so!” If they don’t shout perhaps the stones in the street will take up the chant: “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” There will always be those who wish to dampen the joy of others. Some will be happy if all the joyous spontaneity fizzles out. Let everything stay calm and orderly. Don’t act like children. Block the parade route, silence the cheers. Do these people have the proper permit for such a demonstration? These ordinary folk should know their place. Bring out the grand parade with proper dignity, official dignitaries, white horses, trumpets and marching soldiers not this rabble who have no official standing. Let those who deserve it march in the parade. The humble king responds: Let them cheer, there is a victory coming.
04/03/2022
A person could almost feel dizzy trying to figure out how to live a healthy lifestyle. At one point coffee was to be avoided, at another one cup per day wouldn’t be dangerous, at a third point 2 cups per day was good for one’s health. Everyone should have eight –ten ounce glasses of water not counting other drinks. In another recommendation, coffee and tea (with no cream or sugar) counted in the total. A different recommendation indicates dangers in taking in too much water. One study indicates day time napping interfers with cognitive function. In another, naps are beneficial. Low fat, low carb, low protein diets all have advocates. High fat, high protein, high complex carbs are touted by others. Everybody should get eight hours of sleep every night or is it that sleep amounts vary by individual needs? It is all very frustrating if one is hoping to take care of one’s health. Where is the reliable information? Do we just throw up our hands and say “What’s the point? My loving step mother, Marie, was perpetually on a diet. My brother could be really picky about what he wanted to eat. After one too many requests for a dish to suit his taste, my stepmother stamped into the kitchen muttering ,”It makes me so mad, I could just eat it all myself!” Perhaps choices we know to make and the lesson in all this is that we will never find perfect permanent guidance for all the problems of our lives. Sometime we just have to make the best choices we know to make and live with the results. As human beings we do not do “perfect” all that well. Sometimes our quest for the “best” or the “perfect” can block us from the “good”. Maybe we just have to get on with doing the best we can and trust God to help us on the way as we journey with him.
03/27/2022
Among the loveliest gifts in life is a good night’s sleep. by proper rest. Our patience supply is increased when we have slept well. Unfortunately, those same problems may be sleep interrupters, sometimes it is difficult to fall asleep. I am told that people sleep better with a set bedtime routine. Life, however, seems intent on destroying our well planned routine. A late night phone call emergency can change everything. Even pleasant things can damage our sleep schedule. That second cup of coffee or third glass of iced tea can caffeinate our sleep. Some read to fall asleep, but for me, the material must be at the level of tax schedules to not make my mind wake up. Small pains that can be ignored during the day seem intensified when we try to fall asleep. Even a nagging conscience can make sleep difficult. What can we do? I suppose we could count sheep, but that could result in “wolly” thinking. Most of the time we just try to endure until the first light of morning. We may be better off accepting that this will be a difficult night. Doubtless tomorrow will be better. We can redeem the time by simply resting or doing some simple tasks. It can be a good time to pray and focus our concerns beyond our own sleeplessness. Usually the sleepless nights do not last for a long time. Soon the good gift of a night’s sleep returns. I think to myself “Thanks be to God for this night’s blessing as I drift off into blissful sleep.
03/20/2022
Social greetings have an interesting function. Greetings on arriving and departing are among the first words one learns in a new language. These words smooth our social interactions in ways that are conventional and comfortable. “Hello” which might have evolved from the greeting “Hail” and is a relative new comer dating from the 1800s and became popular attached to its use as a telephone greeting. Goodbye in contrast is a contraction of “God be with you” and is in evidence in the 1600s. The origin of these terms is hardly in evidence to many users today. Few people now think when they say “go9odbye” that they are invoking God’s presence. Other greetings rise and fall in popularity. At the time I lived in Scotland we were surprised at “Cherrio” being used quite often. The Scots were equally startled that people often said “Have a nice day” at parting even from strangers. Fitting into a given culture and knowing what to say in interacting politely especially with strangers can bring a degree of confidence and comfort. I have known persons who did not observe such polite words. One man I knew years ago would simply leave when he felt the conversation was over. Initially this seemed abrupt and impolite. As I came to know him better it became obvious that he intended no rudeness. It simply did not occur to him that more might be expected. In other ways he was polite and even quite kind. Somehow this bit of conventional behavior was missed in his background and upbringing. Living in another culture outside the United States taught me how often I might cause offense without intending to do so. No doubt I do so even in my own culture. I am glad for anytime someone has overlooked my social mistakes and believed me to be better than I might have appeared.
03/13/2022
While I was growing up, the answer to the question “What’s for supper?” was usually answered by an indication of what meat was being served. Beef, chicken, ham, and pork were the main stars with lamb a distant fifth with liver much farther down the list. Turkey was a Thanksgiving or Christmas treat. Bean soup might make the list if it was loaded with ham or bacon. Beans were usually at most a side dish. Now there are many bean dishes I enjoy but if asked what I would like for an evening meal, it is almost never that bean dishes that come to mind. I know that it takes far less energy to produce the equivalent protein in plant sources than in animal sources. Beans are more environmentally friendly as far as I can tell. They contain no cholesterol. I did see a hand written sign in a Kroger store advertising fat free avocado when the writer meant cholesterol free avocado. A strong argument can be made for a plant based diet, but I admit I still prefer meat. I am trying however, to add a few more bean entrees to the Spaulding home diet. There are a number of good choices. Most of us like chili, but red beans and rice or Hoppin’ John (black-eyed peas and rice, refried beans, 3 bean salad, Brazilian black beans and rice (feijoada), US Senate Dining Room White beans Soup, and many tofu dishes to name but a few. Slowly I’m learning how to flavor bean dishes to bring them up to the level of delight I expect from my food. However, old habits are hard to break so I still think first of meat and potato dishes. Change always seems so hard even when the goal is a better life. If you have some family favorite bean dishes, let me have your recipes. They probably won’t replace steak and baked potato, but they may be added to the menu rotation. After all even a 76 year old amateur cook can still learn to change for the better.
03/06/2022
I am fascinated by the word “equanimity.” It can be defined as “mental calmness, composure and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.” As in the sentence “She accepted the good and the bad with equanimity.” Another word for equanimity might be serenity. It may be what St. Paul meant when he said “I have learned in whatever state I am in to be content. (Philippians 4:11) I take seriously the ideal that Paul is speaking truthfully, but it is not a state that I have yet achieved. While I have increased my level of patience as I have gotten older. Nevertheless, far too many insignificant things I still give the power to upset me. In the midst of life’s frustration I long for serenity or even equanimity. I hope that I will always be passionate for the truly important things of life. I always want to care deeply about justice and compassion and peace. But I would like to rise above the petty irritations of life. Perhaps a key to that kind of life is found in the words of an old gospel song “When streams of life are ‘round me beating, when rough the path that I have trod, within my closet door retreating I long to be alone with God.” If that can work for the great storm of life perhaps time alone with God can help us keep perspective on important issues of life and rise above the petty irritations. I do know that often in worship I find the smallness of my concerns are caught up in the larger mission of the faith. Together we remember what is truly important and rededicate ourselves to making the main thing the “main thing”. It is when I recognize the presence of God with me and with us that I am closest to not just equanimity but even to serenity.
02/20/2022
I am fascinated by the word “equanimity.” It can be defined as “mental calmness, composure and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.” As in the sentence “She accepted the good and the bad with equanimity.” Another word for equanimity might be serenity. It may be what St. Paul meant when he said “I have learned in whatever state I am in to be content. (Philippians 4:11) I take seriously the ideal that Paul is speaking truthfully, but it is not a state that I have yet achieved. While I have increased my level of patience as I have gotten older. Nevertheless, far too many insignificant things I still give the power to upset me. In the midst of life’s frustration I long for serenity or even equanimity. I hope that I will always be passionate for the truly important things of life. I always want to care deeply about justice and compassion and peace. But I would like to rise above the petty irritations of life. Perhaps a key to that kind of life is found in the words of an old gospel song “When streams of life are ‘round me beating, when rough the path that I have trod, within my closet door retreating I long to be alone with God.” If that can work for the great storm of life perhaps time alone with God can help us keep perspective on important issues of life and rise above the petty irritations. I do know that often in worship I find the smallness of my concerns are caught up in the larger mission of the faith. Together we remember what is truly important and rededicate ourselves to making the main thing the “main thing”. It is when I recognize the presence of God with me and with us that I am closest to not just equanimity but even to serenity.
02/13/2022
With a few exception, most people seem to realize that they have done wrong. People may not agree with each other about what constitutes sin, but they often know that they have done things that they themselves believe to be wrong. It would not be difficult to convince the average guy or girl that they are wrong doers or even sinners. Usually we are not short on guilt of one kind or another. What seems to be the most difficult for Christian leaders is to convince people that God forgives. It is almost as if they say in their minds “I wouldn’t forgive someone who did what I did.” Perhaps at heart it is that we find it difficult to forgive ourselves. On one level it is as if we said “I know better than you do, God. You shouldn’t be so forgiving.” It is exactly Jonah’s complaint about God forgiving Ninevah. If we admit that God is that kind of forgiving being then we might feel compelled to forgive those we would just as soon not forgive. There is a certain satisfaction in believing, “Well at least, I’m not as bad as that other person.” It sounds a sour note when we examine our own short comings. Forgiveness from God must be a universal offering or we might fear finding ourselves among the unforgiven. That God could forgive those who do not deserve it seems wrong until we consider ourselves and then we want to shout, “God have mercy on me.” We in the Christian faith take sin and wrong doing both public and private as a serious matter, but we take grace, mercy, and forgiveness as serious matters as well. For ourselves and others we pray “Lord have mercy!”
02/06/2022
A recent survey estimates that nearly 80% of our population in a ten minute driving time of the church has some kind of internet service with almost 20% not having internet access. This is a massive change over the years where an even a higher percentage have computers. Cell phones (themselves mini computers) are even more common. This has changed the way we communicate, the way we advertise and the way we get our message out. Newspaper subscriptions have fallen greatly with advertising moving increasingly to digital media. A significant question is how will we use this change for the sake of the gospel? Changes in the past in transportation and communication have been utilized to get out the gospel message. Radio and TV have substantial religious presence today which developed over the years. One of the accidental blessings of the COVID pandemic is that we learned to use electronic media to share services and link us together when we could not use our regular service outlets. Local congregations found ways to put our church worship services on line. Sometimes we were surprised when people joined us from far away. We do not yet know all the ways that the digital world might be useful to the church and her mission for Christ and the gospel. Creative thinking and experimental attempts may lead us in ways we did not anticipate. Some seminaries now hold classes electronically in different parts of the world at the same time. They have created virtual unified classrooms when students from different countries can learn together. Who knows what could happen in local churches. We may be at the beginning of a joining of local and digital congregations. We in the church have found new ways before. Let’s find those new ways again.
01/30/2022
Recently we went with friends to a showing of Harriet a novelized film about Harriet Tubman. It was not a documentary but rather a feature film. As you probably know Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave who became a conductor on the under ground railroad freeing scores of slaves from their bandage toward a life of freedom in the northern free states. The story approach gave a stronger feeling of her life and work than might have happened in a documentary. It was notable that while the film demonstrated the horror of slavery, it did so without using graphic and excessively violent images. It is sometimes easy to lose the point of a film when we are overwhelmed by visual images of such intensity that they nearly block out rational thought. The religious themes of the film were handled with sensitivity rather than sentimentality. The emotional impact was heightened by the less intense approach. It was fascinating to see how the songs the slaves sang became a code to share with each other in ways that the masters did not see. Tubman’s courage, resourcefulness, and passion were on full display. She was known among the slaves as Moses, a protective code name with the obvious parallels to the Israelites bondage in Egypt and Moses as liberator. One of the most memorable lines in the movie has Harriet Tubman having her former slave owner at disadvantage when she says “God doesn’t want people to own other people.” Harriet is a thoughtful and through provoking film worthy of consideration.
01/23/2022
During the Christmas season things are so busy that while I look at all the cards that come from friends, they go by pretty fast. At this point in January I like to get them out and read them again. The pictures are so beautiful and the sentiments so often meaningful. I enjoy the short attached notes and see in my mind the faces behind the signatures. I especially enjoy the Christmas letters. It is a chance to catch up on the extended family of people I like. Even though they are generally not prayer requests, they often become that in my mind. It gives me a chance to name in my prayers people I rarely or perhaps never get to see in person. I have known people who have made sending cards a ministry. In our instant message online world, letters and cards are becoming increasingly rare. An elderly person of my acquaintance saves her Christmas cards and devotes a week to each card and showers it with prayers and sometimes notes throughout the year. It seems like an excellent idea, but so far I just use January for such reflection. I do have other cards that I have saved especially from loved ones. I don’t have a specific plan for remembering them, but when I run across them in my things they provide a warm and almost living memory. There is so much in scripture about remembering both for human kinds and for God. In Exodus 2 we read “The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Out of their slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites and God took notice of them.” Great possibilities happen when we remember God and each other, and even greater possibilities when God remembers us.
01/16/2022
When our older daughter was in Brownies as a part of Girls Guides in Scotland (Girl Scouts in the USA), each girl had a small leather purse on the belt of their uniform. They were required to have 20 pence for a telephone emergency call and a handkerchief in the pouch along with other emergency items. Now day, finding a pay phone anywhere, even in Scotland, is very unlikely. Handkerchief is not as common as it once was. A packet of tissues seems more sanitary and easy to throw away. I still carry a hanky most of the time and it can be a useful pocket piece adaptable for multiple uses. Many men used to carry a small pocket knife. Safety check points and metal detectors have made that a less common practice. A wallet, keys, and a cell phone seem basic pocket gear. I’m not sure what the brownies do recommend for wee girls in Scotland. Contracting diabetes as many have, mean we have more gear to carry. Women solve this with a purse, but men generally settle for stuffed pockets. A “man bag”, however functional often results in merciless teasing. I am considering the Batman solution of a utility belt, but I’m still concerned about how ridiculous I might look. “Varity of varieties, all is vanity.” So I will probably continue to stuff my pockets and hope for the best. How did good practical advice for young Scottish girls evolve into such complicated adult practices? No doubt we are even more self- conscious of our appearance to others than even children are. I wonder if we will ever fully let practicality outweigh appearance. Jesus only had one coat although the description that it was woven without a seam, indicates that it was a good one. Perhaps it was both practical and attractive. We could count this a win-win for Jesus. Practical and attractive sound good for us all.
01/09/2022
Recently a family trio, a sister and two brothers, won the Voice music competition. They perform under the name, A Girl Named Tom, a nickname given the younger sister. There was some degree of controversy with some feeling that there were more talented singers than the trio. Opinions can vary with taste, but what was notable with the trio was their flawless harmony. Family members and especially siblings often blend beautifully. Siblings grow up hearing words pronounced the same and know each others’ voices. This can make for close harmony and blend of the voices. A well - known gospel music writer of my acquaintance speculated that harmony has a spiritual component. Was there music and harmony at the beginning of creation?, he wondered. We do talk about the importance of living in harmony with each other. We are speaking of more than music when we say that, but musical harmony can serve as an appropriate metaphor for harmony more generally understood. One does not have to be a master musician to notice the discord of an out-of-tune piano. Being in harmony with others and with God is pleasant and even life giving. Out of harmony always strikes a bad chord. So the Psalmist intoned “how good and perfect it is for brothers to dwell together in unity”. It is hard to sing “I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God,” if there is a church fight going on. When there is true harmony among the sisters and brothers we can sing “I love thy church, O God.“ Harmony can bring freedom, fellowship, friendship and even joy. Let’s live in harmony and sing the song we were meant to sing.
01/02/2022
New Year’s Day is a lot like a birthday. Nothing has changed from the day before in actuality, but there is great symbolic value. Short of remembering the new date on a check or deposit, and right dating on a letter there is little change in the day to day function, but it feels like there is a difference. We say things like “I’m a year older,” when actually it is only one day. Perhaps for both birthdays and New Year’s Day it is that we hope for a better future. After the last two years, that feels like a necessary hope. Hope is a real benefit. With hope in us we can survive whatever comes. With hope we can live confidently. If that hope is in the compassion and blessing of God, it is more than wishful thinking. Hope can make us unafraid because the love of God is filling up our inner being. Sometimes hope is on the other side of dark days, but it reaches out through the darkness like a beacon set on a tower. The light of hope conquers the darkness and pushes it back into the corners of our perception. It is bordered by faith and love, and is equal to them in strength and significance. With faith and love, hope endures. In fact its strength is shown by its endurance. So let’s go ahead and focus our hope on the New Year. What do you suppose God has planned for us? We may not have a pillar of fire or a cloud of smoke to show us the way like the Israelites of old did. But we do have a God in whom our hope is placed and we can follow him into the New Year. “ Lead on O King eternal we follow not with fears; for gladness breaks like morning where’re Thy face appears. Thy cross is lifted o’er us. We journey in its light. The crown awaits the conquest; lead on, O God of might.”
12/26/2021
December 25 came earlier this year. I know that is not technically possible, but that is how it felt. Perhaps it was that last year so much had to be cancelled and put off. The season was less busy last year because it had to be. This year everything seemed to come back at super sonic speed. Thanksgiving was gone and Advent was upon us before we could even catch our breath. I never caught up to the season. Normally by the end of the last week of November I have many of my Christmas presents in hand. This year all my Christmas giving feels like a belated birthday card. “Sorry I missed your birthday this year, Jesus!” There was just so much going on that I couldn’t keep up. Perhaps, in spite of the tragedy of over 800,000 deaths due to COVID there were some small blessings. Circumstances and health mandates forced us to slow down and limit our activities. We experienced more quiet and more time for reflection. We were more appreciative of all we have with family and friends. Our ultimate dependency on others and especially on God was made plain to us. The driver who delivers our food, the person who serves our meals, the entertainers who distract us from our pains, the medical personnel who risk their lives for our health and safety seem much more important than we realized before. I, for one, often appreciated some of the slower pace in our life. I do not find the busyness as attractive as I thought I would when it returned. So I may leave the Christmas decorations up a bit longer now that we are past the busy season. The new year is just days away now. I think I’ll try to work on making it slower, simpler and more peaceful. Maybe we could try to do that together.
12/19/2021
Christmas is the season of good will and peace for all. We celebrate the birth of Jesus and remember that little holy family with all its triumphant joy and distressing challenges. It is a time filled with great music and with silly romantic Christmas movies. There are culinary treats: rich desserts, crisp cookies and wonderful entrees. Even the side dishes are especially ampted-up creations. There are decorations and tinsel. There are TV specials with glittering performers. It is the season of meaningful, beautiful Christmas worship drawing on our memories and making new ones to add to our collective memory. There are family moments of real importance. We celebrate it all. It is unfortunately also the season of catalogues. Every day in the mail during this season we find our mail box stuffed with catalogues offering nearly everything one could imagine.New gadgets, unimagined by most of us are available both cheap and expensive.Exotic cheeses, teas, candies, coffees are on offer.You can find Danish Kringle, Syrian spices, nuts of all types and flavors.There are aged steaks, smoked salmon, kippers and pickled herring.Every tool for every hobby or project can be ordered.Garden seeds and supplies are available and if you buy just a bit more than then shopping is included.I admit that I enjoy the first few catalogues, but after a while there is just too much.I begin to pity themail man lugging all this stuff around.Sure it was a blessing for many of us to order online during the COVID pandemic since we are so far away from family, but I am ready to be back in the stores looking for Christmas bargains.As I think about all this, I remember that in the early years on the prairie most of what people could buy would have to be ordered from a Sears, Wards, or Penny’s catalogue.May be we are moving back in the direction of that earlier time. Amidst all the changing world, Let us celebrate.After all it is Christmas!
12/12/2021
My favorite kind of weather is what I call “sweater weather.” That is the kind of weather that requires a sweater outdoors with cooler nights that require a warm comforter on the bed. It is good for a fire in the fire place with hot chocolate or mocha coffee on the side table. I much prefer cool to warm or not. I do notice the cold more now than when I was younger, so you have my permission to tease me if you catch me complaining about the cold this winter. By the end of February I am longing for some warmer days. Maybe it is the diversity of climate that appeals to me. I like the variety we get to experience. Extreme cold or extreme heat proves tiresome over long periods, but I am sure that I would not like 365 days at 72 degrees. Give me some variety. Of course I prefer that variety on my time table and schedule. I like variety in other things. I like it in my reading material. I like it in my foods. I like it in my clothing. I have trouble answering the question: “What is your favorite...?” I never know what to say on those rare occasions when someone in the family asks: “What do you want sung at your funeral service?” I can think of thirty options which doesn’t match my goal of a short funeral service. So whatever is chosen , sing loudly enough that hopefully I can hear it in heaven. Perhaps this desire for variety is one of the reasons that I like so many different kinds of people. There is such a variety in the human race. The more I get to know people, the more I see that makes them worth knowing. Even when there are tensions in relationships, I often think that if I knew the other better I would probably find things to like about them. It has happened so often to me that I have come to expect that I will ultimately like the people I meet. Now this is far below the standard that God practices - who loves all in a wonderful self - giving way, but is at least a small movement in that direction.