“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’” (Luke 15:20-21,MSG).

     People are interesting. The National Parks Service recently issued a warning to refrain from licking the Sonoran Desert Toad. Apparently, some tourists have been licking the toxins emitted behind the toad’s eyes for its powerful psychedelic effects. The toad’s secretions reportedly cause euphoria and strong auditory hallucinations.

“ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:15, ESV)

     In 1847, Ignaz Semmelweis, M.D., observed a disturbing trend. New mothers were dying of fever at an alarming rate at a maternity clinic in Vienna. Semmelweis discovered that prior to delivery, doctors were not washing their hands. The doctor hypothesized these obstetricians were spreading foreign bodies to the mothers.

“When [Jesus] was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult… (1 Peter 2:23, NIV).

     I overheard a conversation a few days ago between a mom and her pre-K son. Mom was reprimanding the boy for taking an unauthorized package of chocolate chip cookies from the grocery shelf. The young man defiantly looked at her and spouted, “Well, what about daddy? He buys cookies and you don’t get mad at him.” Dad was standing only feet away as his wife glared in his direction. I imagine it was a long drive home for all of them.

     A few weeks ago, I was tuning my snow blower in preparation for the winter months. I changed the oil and air filter. Yet when it came time to lubricate the auger I couldn’t find the WD-40. WD-40 has been my faithful companion when it comes to fixing things that squeak and stick.

“The one to whom little is forgiven loves little” (Luke 7:47, NRSV).

     Ernest Hemingway once told the following true story. A teenage boy and his father had a terrible argument. They spoke terrible words to one another. Hemingway claimed that no one really knew why the young man had run away. Perhaps he didn’t. Maybe he was kicked out of the home by his father. Either way, Paco found himself wandering the streets of Madrid, Spain with hopes of entering a profession that would most likely get him killed‒‒bullfighting.