When the Walls Come Tumbling Down
This week I was reminded of two famous speeches by American Presidents. First, Ronald Reagan delivered the famous line in 1987 to Gorbachev: “Tear down this wall.” Two years later, in 1989, after standing for twenty-eight years, the Berlin wall came down.
Now, after thirty-eight years of service, the moveable walls in the Fellowship Hall, worn out, busted up, and much less mobile, ended their run of many great meetings, classes, and gatherings. On Monday, inspired by Reagan, we tore down those old walls and hauled them off. It’s a step we’ve been talking about for over a year now. Next is painting, then prepping the track in the ceiling, then carpet, and then new walls. Lord willing, things will be in place for our fall schedule. Keep praying!
Try on their Shoes
The other speech complemented one of the points from Sunday’s sermon on how to give and receive criticism: put yourself in the shoes of the other person. John F. Kennedy gave a speech at American University sixty years ago. In the speech he tried to help his audience see the cold war from the perspective of the Soviets: “No nation in the history of battle ever suffered more than the Soviet Union suffered in the course of the Second World War. At least 20 million lost their lives. Countless millions of homes and farms were burned or sacked. A third of the nation’s territory, including nearly two thirds of its industrial base, was turned into a wasteland–a loss equivalent to the devastation of this country east of Chicago.” In short, the Soviets were doing all they could to make sure this didn’t happen again.
If a president can take the time to consider the view and position of a country pointing nuclear missiles at him, then maybe I can consider others’ views and positions on some of the slightly less important conflicts I face.
In Jesus we have a greater example of how to love others during conflict. He knew when to accept, when to forgive, when to confront, and when to clean out His Father’s house. We’ve seen these events in John, and this week we’ll hear how one of His followers ministers to Him in John 12:1-8.
Pray for our Students
Finally, be praying for our students at camp this week. I always found summer camp to be a spiritually enriching time, and you never know how God might radically change the life of a student during camp. I’m praying a prayer I’ve prayed for my children and for those that were at VBS last week: that they would come to know Christ at a young age and walk faithfully with Him for a lifetime.
Many of the kids who were at VBS last week, and the students at camp this week, will be the foundation of our families and leaders in the coming years. It is through them that God will use Valley View to reach PRP, Valley Station, and all of Southwest Louisville!