All in the Family

By Rick Woodall

     It is so easy to become comfortable with our surroundings.  We can get to the point where our routine becomes a standard. If forced by life’s circumstances out of our circle it causes pandemonium and turmoil. This can be detrimental to the efforts of reaching out to people from all walks of life. It becomes difficult to reach evangelistic goals when those who oppose use narrow-minded thinking. They are right, everyone else is wrong. I remember a TV show when I was younger.  The lead character was a man by the name of Archie Bunker. Archie was right and everyone else was wrong.  He was not a very good listener. He was an “I have spoken” sort of person.
    The “I have spoken” person is leaving you with a big message.
          1. Things are the way they are because I have spoken.
          2. Things will not improve because I have spoken.
          3. I don’t trust you and I have spoken.
          4. Things will not be different because I have spoken.
          5. If I have not spoken.  I will, so just be quiet and wait.
     To sum up all this let me express that in 2009 Archie Bunker religion that allows only the “I have spoken” to be listened to will not develop the whole body. Did you ever wonder what might happen if we really got serious about laying aside all prejudices, pre-judgments and forgone conclusions and let the New Testament really speak to our inner selves?  It might call several to come out of their circle of manipulation to once again visualize the church of Christ. My gift reminds me there is a big difference between being right and living right. Both should function together in the realm of a house full of love. That was the key ingredient missing from Archie’s life. It’s hard to love the unlovable.
     How will people outside the church family view us in 2009? That can be answered by a spokesperson or we can follow the Bible.  The choice will be ours.
     "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." – John 13:34-35

- Rick Woodall is the minister for the Yorktown Road church of Christ in Logansport Indiana. His weekly devotional message, Life Thoughts, can be found through this address:  http://mysite.verizon.net/yorktownroadchurchofchrist/