A little over a year ago my wife and I attended a concert by Home Free, a talented country a cappella group. During the vocal percussionist's "drum" solo, my wife felt our son kick for the very first time. We told the vocal percussionist about it after the show, and he even tweeted about it. Fast forward a year, and we just got home from another Home Free concert, but this time David is 9 months old. He enjoyed the show tonight even more than he did a year ago, and we had fun talking with the vocal percussionist once again. Upgrading from a husband to also being a father has been an incredible journey, and I am blessed to be sharing it with a wife who is loving, caring, and encouraging.
Though it seems uncommon among the web development crowd I run with, I'm a Christian. The Bible tells us that the Lord calls us to reason together, to study the facts and draw logical conclusions. It then follows that Christians must study and follow the Bible as it says, or real Christianity is lost. The blind, unreasonable hate that has been so overwhelming recently simply doesn't fall in line with real Christianity. Neither does the piecemeal disregard for the laws of God.
Jesus both accepted even the worst offenders without condemning them, and drove the thieves from the House of God with authority. All can see that the character of Jesus is perfect, even if they disagree whether he even existed. If we act like Jesus, we can work together to find ways to make our society more inclusive, more accepting, and safer, all while rooting out intolerance, inequality, and injustice.
Jesus also says that you will find Him, if you search for Him with all your heart. What do you have to lose? If you search with all your heart (a measurement only you can verify), and you do not find Him, then you have proven, at least to yourself, that the Bible cannot be believed. However, if you do find Him, then you have found a friend whose love has no limits.
Ryan Hiebert
[email protected]
Northwest Arkansas