Month: September 2017

A Crooked Mechanic

A crooked mechanic almost duped my neighbor. She took her car in for its annual safety inspection and the car failed due to a burned-out brake light.  The mechanic proposed fixing the brake light for three hundred dollars:  $100 for the “specialty” bulb and $200 for the labor requiring two technicians.  When I mentioned this to my husband, he immediately smelled something fishy.  He checked out our neighbor’s brake light and it worked perfectly.  They drove back to the auto shop for re-inspection and the light came on so the car passed the safety inspection. The inspector mumbled something about a faulty wire.  But this was not about a temperamental wire or bulb.  This was a rotten case of taking advantage of an older single woman who was apt to not completely understand her car’s condition but who was very able and likely to pay her bill.  Such dishonest business, targeting the vulnerable, repulses our sense of basic decency!

Nothing crooked about this! Just one of the great vehicles we saw at the NRA car show yesterday.

 

Locally, another criminal story unfolded. A pregnant teacher went missing on the first day of school.  She was found dead within a week and her boyfriend of six years was charged with her murder.  Only a deep kind of evil draws a man to kill his unborn child and its mother.  The young teacher also had floundered in life.  She dated her boyfriend for years without a marriage commitment and became pregnant without a husband (remember the 7th commandment, Exodus 20:14?).

It is easy to view these individuals with an air of disdain and a whiff of superiority. We feel above the corrupt cheater, the heartless killer, and the morally compromised.  But the Bible warns us about this misperception:  “The heart is deceitful above all things and it is extremely sick; who can understand it fully and know its secret motives? (Jeremiah 17:9 Amplified Version) Jesus further expanded the scope of sin with these piercing indictments:  “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.  But I say, if you are even angry with someone you are subject to judgment! You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5: 21, 22 and 27)

Let misconduct and the cruelty of this world provoke you, but at the same time, be mindful of your own secret tendency to stray.

Whoever You Are by Mem Fox

What is your favorite children’s book? It might be a story from your childhood or a book you’ve enjoyed reading to children, yours or someone else’s.

Children’s literature is a wonderful genre. I remember a few books from my childhood but a college course that we called “kiddie lit” introduced me to a world of great stories and talented authors.  Ever since, I have been reading children’s books to my own kids and to students.  At school, reading a text to students is referred to as a “read aloud” and all students, no matter their age, seem to love it.  I continue to expand my familiarity with children’s literature.  I observe what students are reading and browse the library.  I try to read several children’s novels each year.  Usually the stories are an easy, pleasurable read yet important and deep themes emerge.  Children’s literature reflects current thought and trends.

As I meet my new students at the beginning of the year, I like to share the book Whoever You Are by Mem Fox with them.  In simple picture book form, Mem Fox portrays how children from all parts of the world are different in looks, language and culture.  The story climaxes with the human similarities of all children:  smiles, tears, and love.  The ending depicts the children as grown-ups, getting along and working together.  The quirky illustrations emphasize the message candidly.

Kids love the fun pictures in the book.

In America, we experience a lot of harmony within our diversity. A rainbow of children go to school together every day and are successful in learning and making community.  Neighbors across America, with various languages and different faiths, dwell in peace.  Workers of multiple nationalities and differing political views get the job done and enjoy each other’s company while doing it.  Recently the media has accentuated a few difficult racial and political uprisings.  Commentators clash over who hates who more.  I believe the news has actually incited hostility by continually replaying the same emotional footage.  Yes, there are wounds to heal but the American people generously live out our motto “E Pluribus Unum.”

America’s foundational principles of unity and equality are Biblical. God commanded the citizens of Israel to provide for those outside of their nationality (Leviticus 19:34). Jesus’ ministry often reached out to folks on the fringe of society; the Samaritan woman, for example (John 4:1-42).  And the first church was known for its unique ethnic and economic diversity (Galatians 3:28).

If you haven’t read a children’s book lately, head to the bookstore or

Reading at a PTA fundraiser.

library and treat yourself. For an extra bonus, share it with a child.  Look out for fall book celebrations too.  My area has two good ones: Fall for the Book put on by Fairfax and George Mason University and The National Book Festival sponsored by the Library of Congress.  These conferences always include children’s features.