“ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

– Matthew [5:16]

BEACON OF LIGHT

At seven each morning two men arrive at the tennis court across the street from my house. Each morning they tend to the court and the grounds around its area. Each morning they drive forty-five minutes to do their job. Each morning I hear their voices of camaraderie. They serve without complaint and dutifully do their job. They always smile and say “hi” when I greet them.

They also tend to the fourteen hundred acres of natural beauty that surround our homes off the coast of North Carolina. When I first arrived, I thought there was an army of people who did the work of maintaining the beauty of our small village community. But I learned later it was just these two men. They work dutifully each day from seven to six, whether in the oppressive heat of the summer or the cold biting winds of the winter. They are here silently doing their job.

When we see them and try to supplement their meager income with a gift of our appreciation, they won’t accept unless both men are present. To which they then share equally, carefully dividing up the small gift.

Before hurricane Florence severely damaged the coast of North Carolina, one of them, Carmella, had taken a long and hard-earned vacation. When he heard about the devastation, he shortened his vacation and came back to help with the reconstruction. Driving through a long night, that required many turns and detours to avoid the many closed roads, he arrived that morning ready to help.

They came to our country from a distant land in South America, seeking freedom and a better life. You won’t see their life stories on CNN or Fox news. Their kindness and dedication don’t make great news stories. They are legal immigrants, like my great grandfathers and mothers. They came to our country, not to harm and maim, but to have a chance at a life where they could be free.

Their lives are much harder than most. They struggle to keep their cars on the road and bread for their families. They work long hours doing the work of far more than we should expect from two men.

But they show up every day in front of my house. Every day, they smile and wave. Every day, they dutifully go about their rounds. Every day, they do far more than they are paid. Every day, I see the beacon of their light shining, as a reminder of how I should live.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Joakim Honkasalo

 

 

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;”

– Matthew [6:14]

WHERE HAS AMERICA GONE?

In 1776, recoiled by oppressive oversight the great experiment of a true democracy began in Lexington Massachusetts. Man, and women gathered to carve out a democracy under God. Later in 1789 the constitution was written that the firmed up the democratic principles of this great experiment. It has survived to become the longest and oldest pure democracy of modern times. It has survived a terrible civil war,  internal charlatans who sought to steal freedom and the threats of evil from other places. It was created at a time when rancorous crowds in other countries could not see that rancor and unforgiving heart kills a democracy and their attempts failed.

This wonderful experiment has created a people that responds first to all calamities and its people will lend a hand to any country in need. Sure, we have had our moments caused by ill-intentioned politicians and scam artists. But at our core are the everyday people that make this grand experiment work.

Our country has endured much, but protected by those who serve on the frontlines of our freedom. Whether at Lexington or Gettysburg or the shore of Normandy, those that protect this democracy have sacrificed their lives to maintain this gift of freedom.

We are country whose constitution provides the right of free speech and the practice of religion. We are a country where the right to vote is gift, that not all share. We are a country, where due process is the civil and orderly way disputes are solved. All those who come forward are thought to be innocent until proven guilty. Not only the accused but the accuser.

I think about the men and women who were on the beaches of Normandy and bravely got out of boats into a fusillade of bullets to protect this right and way of life. Their efforts of sacrifice saved us and the world from the evil of Nazi tyranny. I think about the men and women of the Army corp of engineers who help reconstruct those places damaged by typhoons and other natural disasters. I think about the lonely nights of terror they had to survive for our freedom. It is not the generals or politicians, but the foot soldiers, nurses, pilots and seaman who protect us.

Our country was founded on freedom and one of those freedoms is a life of second chances. Most of the immigrants who came to our country were seeking a different life. To America they came for a second chance. A country not founded on negativity and rancor, but founded on forgiveness and second chances. A place where any person could rise up and excel, not bound in by elitism or aristocracy.

But as I watch today, I am dismayed by listening to our politicians’ bicker and name call each other. Gone are the days when patriots served in our legislature. Gone are days when those who served set an example of politeness and devotion. Gone are men like John McCain and Hubert Humphrey who stood up for us.

We need to return to our core values in Washington, state senates, our academic world and our churches. It starts with forgiving our brothers and sisters first. Listening, before we hit the prerecorded opinions of those we are aligned with. We must return to seeing each other as what we are, people made in the image of God. No longer should the accuser be vilified. No longer should the accused be tried outside of due process. No longer is right to demean other races. Both from white’s harboring ill will towards blacks. But also, not to systematically call white people oppressors. We are all God’s people and we all deserve respect, even when we disagree.

We are better than this,  a potential supreme court justice should not yell at congress regardless of how he feels he was wronged. We are better than trying people in the court of public opinion and not in the courts set up by men and women who valiantly established our wonderful experiment. Selfish motives should become replaced by those seeking the truth. Our party affiliation should not dictate our conscience, but replaced by a conscience the is enamored with truth. But mostly, we should remember that God forgave us for our moments of cringeful behavior.

Forgiveness isn’t about remembering the slights. It isn’t about anger. It isn’t about talking without listening. Forgiveness is part of love. If Love is the top side of the coin in Jesus’ eyes than forgiveness is the other side. Without a forgiving nature we will fail in this experiment of freedom.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

 

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

-Matthew [22:36]-40

LOVING THY NEIGHBOR

My neighbor, Lynn, lives out the primal Christian attitude of “Love thy God and Love thy neighbor” every day and with every thought. She was a great sales person in previous life, before taking on the immensely important duty of raising two wonderful young men. In her previous life as a sales person, she was successful because she respected and cared for her customers. She never sold products based on achieving sales goals, but sold products that served the customer’s needs. Her sons, who have in turn become wonderful examples of how to live life and are successful are a mirror of both their parents.

Lynn can be frank, but never unkind. When she greets you, it is always with a hug and a welcoming comment. When neighbors are struggling she invites them to dinner to enjoy a period of neighborly comradery. Lynn’s life arrow is all pointed straight and true. But her most redeeming characteristic is her belief in “loving her neighbor.” Like many of the women in my neighborhood, caring comes first, agenda comes second.

Recently, I was watching the Kavanaugh hearings and became extraordinarily dismayed at the politics of our country. A woman has come forward to accuse a man of abuse. Instead of a hearing of interest in finding the truth, I watched a hearing of bickering and acrimony. For our country, perhaps one of its worst moments. With this extraordinarily sensitive subject, we witnessed politics of hate and not the sensitivity and compassion that it deserved. I wondered what if Lynn and the other fine women in my community had served as the seekers of truth in this hearing. What if Lynn or Linda or Cindy or Jonelle or Nancy or Mari or Collen or LeeAnn or Darlene or Patty or my wife had served as those looking for the truth?  The outcome and spectacle would have been very different. What Lynn and the other women in my community have in their hearts is a love for all humankind. Sure, they are all smart and sure they are all polished, but they love humankind first.

I think about  the men in my neighborhood who served in the military protect the right of “Due process” for all the citizens of our great country. Like Lynn they served for their neighbors. A life purpose of trying to help humankind.

On this day, I wondered, “What if Lynn was a senator or even president? How much different the hearings would have been.” In fact, what if most of my neighbors had been president or a senator.

As a country we need more people with an attitude of “loving their neighbor.” Gone would be the politics of name calling, racial slurs against all races and gender, spoken by all races and genders. Gone would be a sense of self-importance, and replaced by a patriotic attitude of respect for the man and women who created the oldest form of democracy that exists in the world. The left would hear first and talk second. The right would do the same. Gone would be the pre-recorded rebuttals of unhearing politicians.

On a quiet afternoon on her wonderful porch, Lynn politely reminded me to avoid negativity in my thinking. Not in an accusatory way, but with a gentle conviction. A way that made me feel loved and that catapulted me to thinking I could do better. I know many fine women and men who do the same thing. I only wish that Lynn, Connie, Mike, Nancy, Steve, Emmitt, Scott, Cindy, Geoff, Bern, Roger, Anne, Connie, Betsy, Jonelle, Jeff, Penny, Chrissi, Carolyn, Bill, Dorothy, Robert, James, Kenny, Ken, Susan, Sue and so many others served and protected this great country of liberty.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

 

 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

CHRISTIAN LED BUSINESSES THRIVE!

As an author I love to read reviews. All authors seek them out. We do to see if the reader was helped. Did we help change their lives? Was my book valuable? Any review is important, because it gives us author’s insight into how we are helping the world. Sure, we get disappointed with reviews that are bad and overly excited with good reviews. But we write to help and these reviews guide us for the future.

Recently I read a review of my book, Jesus & Co., that said, “I wish I worked in this company, I wish my employers focused on these values and learned the lessons of Jesus.” Immediately I was dismayed and empathetic for this woman who wrote the review. Then thought, “It isn’t this hard, why couldn’t she work at a place she could respect.” I had this life, why couldn’t she? A friend of mine, said, “Bruce you lived in a bubble for most of your life! Her life is normal.

It is true that I was blessed with two wonderful parents, who ensured that I had a childhood of riches, even though they weren’t wealthy. I had a guidance counselor in high school who knew my limitations and sent me to the right college for my abilities. And with  what limited resources they had, my parents paid for my education. I was fortunate to work for great companies that cared for their employees. I was fortunate to be married to a woman of grace and intelligence. I was surrounded by four daughters, who in each has a special sweetness. Whatever turmoil existed in my life, it was self-induced. Maybe I do live in a bubble.

But shouldn’t all people have this life, especially this woman who wrote the review. Shouldn’t she be able to go to work and look forward to the day. Shouldn’t she be able to support her family without feeling enslaved. Sure, she should! It is sobering to know that this life of drudgery exists.

Running a business on Christian values isn’t that hard and all people should be able to enjoy the fruit of these values. For employers it starts with a purity of the heart. A heart that seeks out good, for their employees and customers. Not one driven by numbers first and everything else second. Surely, employers have to worry about paying the bills and staying afloat. The irony is that having a generous heart and caring for both employees and customers actually create a more sustainable business. A business that is driven without self-interest and is focused on the values of Christ will not only survive, but thrive.

Running a Christian business means replacing the fear of scarcity with faith in the future. It means giving into the needs of others and not protecting our own self-interest. It means letting the power of humankind act independently and not commanded through excessive control caused by fear. The greatest asset a Christian led business has is not its hard assets, besides Jesus’ values, it is its people, employees and customers. And they only require direction with the purity of heart.

For some, giving up fear and control is hard. But Jesus tells us that there is a powerful future when we employ our values with a heart that does good. Imagine this woman working in an environment that cared for her, how much better would she work? Imagine if she was given the freedom to do what she thought was right, how much better the company would perform. Running a business with Christian values means giving up on fearful management and embracing the values of Jesus.

I have lived in a bubble and am thankful. From this pinnacle of being surrounded and nurtured by wonderful people, life has been good. But all people deserve this same chance. It is much simpler than we think,  it means leading with a heart that is filled with the purity of Christian values.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman