Jo Bower's Blog

Luke 19:40
And he answered and said unto them,
I tell you that, if these should hold their peace,
the stones would immediately cry out.

God, the problem with the very stones crying out
Is that as human, we insist on mis-hearing them.

We want the ‘natural way’ – the stones crying out –
To be expressions of our uncontrolled selves.

Doing what comes naturally is
A permissive excusing of ‘mildly sinful’ ways to act.

Men need more than one woman.
They get ‘bored’ with one woman.

Kids will get into trouble: get caught up in their new culture,
Or uncontrolled expression of everything that comes along.

Adults have to think of “me.”
Take care of me first.

Put kids first.
That’s not good.

Kids are naturally self-centered.
If everyone puts them first, it magnifies their control urges.

Yes, we need to love or be involved with
Or give to something beyond ourselves.

Good! A step in the right direction.
But now we’re confused; the directions contradict each other.

So, we substitute things,
And they are all good things in themselves.

We find ways to give back to the community.
Concoct all sorts of ways to raise money for charities.

We go to Africa and as far as we can to opposite directions
To seek out the poor, ill and alone.

We give our whole life, soul and resources
To our “family.”

We find a great cause to promote,
And we feel fulfilled for a while.

But we never tend to our souls.
We put all these things in the place where God should be.

And eventually we run out of strength
Because charities burn out.

Problems get solved.
Families change.

Causes shift in importance as society grows.
(Today it’s Native American culture, kids first, and tolerance.)

But our need for God
To fill that space in our lives never changes.

It is not until we get God in the right place
Do things take on their proper, good, and helpful places.

Causes are good,
And there is a place for the natural things of life.
The problem is when we insist action is the stones’ message,
When what they cry out is the opposite.

They say God is! God is love!
And God loves you.

God wants to gather you into His spiritual arms
And make you spiritually whole.

God then will help you
Fulfill those needs that sent you chasing after causes.

God will help you
Become the whole person you can be.

He will help you know how
To help other people become whole.

He will help you find fulfillment
Helping others find fulfillment.

He will help you reflect his glory so people
Will know the natural way is really God’s way.

He will help us understand he gives the strength
To do great things and find happiness,

Instead of following causes and doing good
To find strength and happiness.

The stones will cry out and say:
“You’re doing it backwards!”