Saturday, June 11, 2022
Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
The 80-20 Principle
I want more Elijah stories! Assuming you do too, we have to wait till Tuesday next week …
From a guy named Bob I heard a Bobism today. He said that in the Old Testament 80% of the people who got involved with God came out all right, and 20% of them got into some pretty hot water. Then in the New Testament the percentage was reversed. Martyrs, martyrs everywhere, with not a drop to drink.
Well, that’s kind of what Jesus said too. Don’t expect anything like a rose garden if you become a Christian. Suffering and Christianity go together. Jesus set the standard with his supreme sacrifice. And then he invites us to continue down the path to resurrection.
In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord. Barnabas rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart.
I get mixed up all the time about this. When things are going well, I assume God is doing his blessing work with me. I’m in the … what is it, 80% or 20%? Are these the days of the Old Testament or the New?
It doesn’t matter if I’m in the 80 or the 20. All the time, God is doing his work in me, at least that’s what I believe. My mistake is to assume that prosperity and health here in my earth-life mean something. I thank God for blessing me, but he is blessing me as much or more when my life stinks and everything hurts and the stock market goes belly-up and I’m living under a bridge. Now I’m in the 80%, and God is closer and more comforting than he ever was when I laid on my living room rug and watched TV, sipping on something sweet, enjoying my 20% life.
It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. And there were prophets and teachers: Symeon, Lucius, Manean, Barnabas and Saul.
These teachers practiced what they preached. They expected to be persecuted, beaten and rejected by some. And they also expected others to hear the Gospel and believe in the Lord, Jesus, Christ.
For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people.
Jim my friend from high school and I sat and ate lunch at the Everyday Kitchen in Champaign. We split fish tacos and a a giant Lodgic burger. We eat lunch once a month when I’m in Illinois, and we talk about everything. We’re getting old(er), and we talk about our ailments. We talk about our money and lack of it, and we remember mutual friends. Like me, Jim was a therapist during much of his life. He is the best listener I know.
“I don’t relax with anyone else the way I do with you,” he said the last time we talked. I feel like that about Jim, too. To feel safe with someone, as I do with Margaret, as I do with Jim, is worth more than gold, than much fine gold.
When I’m safe in God’s hands, I hope I can pass some of that safety and comfort on to others. When their teeth are grinding in anger and fear, they usually don’t want rescue, they just want the safe place to cuss and scream and shake and cry. I won’t remind them that they are in God’s New Testament 80%, but I know they are. I won’t tell them they are safe in the loving hands of God, but I know they are.
They will remember soon enough. There’s no hurry. The God of Kairos Time isn’t going anywhere.
 (Acts 11, Psalm 98, Psalm 119, Matthew 5)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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