In chapter 3 of his book Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You, John MacArthur describes the apostles James and John like this:
James and John were nicknamed [Boanerges] “Sons of Thunder” [by Jesus] because of their reckless tendencies.
Later, in chapter 5 on John – The Apostle of Love, he describes just how reckless and rough John could be:
The two men [brothers, James and John] had similar temperaments, … they were inseparable in the Gospel accounts. John was right there with James, eager to call down fire from heaven against the Samaritans.
But Jesus changes John and he becomes known as the apostle of love. In the same chapter MacArthur offers the following observation on love and truth:
Zeal for the truth must be balanced by love for people. Truth without love has no decency; it’s just brutality. On the other hand, love without truth has no character; it’s just hypocrisy.
Upon reading that observation, it became immediately clear to me how it applied to the current debate on Human Sexuality and Marriage in the Church. Although in its history the Church has brutally spoken truth without love, it does not excuse its current detractors of the hypocrisy of love without truth. There’s too much at stake to be that reckless.
In our house we always—I do mean always—watch It’s a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. This year we watched it on an iPad when our only television went out. Watching the movie is really my thing and everyone else has given in to my eccentricity.
The show has a lot of personal meaning to me because I watched it for the first time as a flat-broke single parent while wrapping Christmas presents late into the night (I’m a slow wrapper) on Christmas Eve. It helped me refocus on Christmas and less on self pity. I really needed that at the time…still do.
As we were watching it this year on the beautiful Retina display of the iPad, I was giving the typical narrative comparing that era to the present. As usual I’m saying things like, “That $8000 Uncle Billy lost is something like a ginormous amount of money nowadays.” Ginormous is difficult to visualize.
In order to be a little more precise I used the inflation calculator at the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate its modern value. Two values stand out to me in the movie: 1) the $8000 Uncle Billy lost, and 2) the $25,000 line of credit Sam Wainwright telegrams to George Bailey.
In today’s dollars the lost $8,000 would be $133,182.29 and the $25,000 line of credit would $416,194.64! In that light, I think we all understand why George was freaking out and contemplating suicide. Plus, the powerful statement by Sam that people—the simple, self-sacrificing little people—are worth more than money. I love that show and I’m blessed by a wonderful family to watch it with.
Introvert Pride? Introversion Demystified by Victoria Raphael | Noomii.
I completely agree with this article. Extroverts look at me—an introvert, note that I operate differently and think, “I need to help him become normal.” Then they help me by attempting to make me do all things I find uncomfortable. Ugh.
I used to really resent people (extroverts) because I thought they were being intentionally unkind to me. Now I realize they don’t really know they are being cruel. It also reminds me to slow down and evaluate the situation when people I’m attempting to help someone and they balk or close off.
Sometimes, just being accessible is the right help. I wouldn’t prescribe large quantities of chocolate to cure a dog of digestion ailments, why treat an introvert like an extrovert or visa versa?
