Perspective

As I sit here writing, a friend of mine is in China evading the authorities. No joke.

He went over to serve some Christians operating an orphanage. Those same Chinese Christians have now been arrested. One committed suicide to avoid the pending torture by the Chinese government.

I know this based on a few phone calls my friend has been able to make in hiding. He is hoping to be able to come home in a few days - that is unless the authorities are waiting to take him in at the airport. (You see, in the fleeing part, all of his stuff was left behind, including some things that would provide the government with identification.) No one will know until later this week.

I, on the other hand, spent the day hanging and finishing drywall. I also got riled up about something insignificant and complained to a few people.

What a contrast. Petty squabbling surrounding a church building project verses people risking (and giving) their lives for the sake of the gospel - the good news that Jesus Christ forgives, saves and gives hope.

Perspective... This (somewhat) famous picture is called "Pale Blue Dot". Between those two white bars is earth - the pale blue dot. This picture is not taken from that far away. Just the edge of our neighborhood somewhere about Pluto's orbit.

Funny how things change from far away. Most of the things I worry about don't seem to matter: the price of gas, the church building project, school, taking the trash out in the morning...

There are still some things that matter, though...