Month: August 2025

On my way to school this evening I suddenly realized I had not eaten yet today and knowing I had to teach for four hours I figured I best put something inside.  Swinging into a fast food restaurant I sat down a table away from a man who appeared to be about fifty years old.   He opened his sandwich and also opened several little packets of salt.  Before eating his burger he literally blanketed it with salt until it was white.  I know the body needs salt but this was amazing.

I mentioned it in class a few minutes later and one of my students suggested since salt is a preservative the man only looked fifty.  He was probably ninety.  I suggested that while that might be true his blood pressure had to be 220 over 180.

Jesus loved to use metaphors and salt was one of His favorites.  He called us the salt of the earth.  (Matthew 5:13)  The implications are overwhelming.  Does this mean our task is to preserve the earth?  Just as the Lord promised to save Sodom if there were only ten righteous people there, could it be similar today regarding the entire world?   Perhaps to think so is the result of an overblown sense of self-importance.  Yet God has placed great value upon us.  Consider what He paid to redeem us.  The price was huge.

 

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 24, 2006

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One of the things I am involved with on a regular basis is the formation and development of curriculum.  This occurs every time I enter a classroom and close the door.  What happens in the next 50 minutes is up to me.  I have 50 minutes to pass on to my students something I believe is important.  If I am not there to do that I am not a good teacher.

So where do I get these things I think are important?  I get them the same place all of us get our values – for it is the common experience of all people to develop a personal value system.

Our values come from our experiences.  Does something produce in us pain or pleasure, joy or discouragement, love or apathy?  These personal reactions contribute to our sense of what is good or bad, which often becomes right or wrong.

Our values come from face worth such as the delight of a small child seeing a bunny vs. the delight of a torturer.   The delight of the torturer looks likes perversion in light of the purity of a child.

Our values come from viewing excellence.   Not only moral excellence but excellence in art, music, carpentry, athletic competition, being a good provider, long-term productivity vs. short-term satisfaction.

Every day we need to exam where we expend our energies.  Do our values only contribute to our personal needs or are they part of a broader fulfillment of the needs of everyone we will touch today?

James 3:13,  “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 30, 2006

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My mom is 91 years old and this weekend she moved to a nursing home. From the way she is reacting to her new surroundings I think so far it has been harder on me than her.  I hope it stays that way.  On my way out this evening I heard a resident down the hallway calling out to be taken home.

In the last part of Ecclesiastes Solomon addresses the issues of aging in not very encouraging tones.  In 12:1 he calls them “the evil days” and goes on to speak of strong men becoming feeble and rising at dawn with the birds but not being able to hear them sing.  In verse 5 he speaks of old people being afraid of heights and things on the street.  It reminded me of visiting elderly people and finding multiple locks on their doors.

All in all Solomon is not very optimistic about getting old.  He says in verses 6 & 7 the silver cord is broken and we return to dust and all of it was meaningless.  I’m sorry he never knew about Jesus because Jesus changes everything.  Jesus is hope.  Jesus is the “logos” which means He brings meaning to our lives.  In John 5:24 Jesus promises that we have crossed over from death to an abundant life.   He promises a life of continued development and continuingly expanding mental and moral powers.  We bring glory to our heavenly Father and according to Ephesians 2 become the recipients of lavish grace and gifts.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 30, 2006

rogerbothwell.org