Dale, Job, Jesus, and Others

One more picture from my trip to North Carolina. This is the 10 year anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhart. He died in a crash during the last lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001. Dale's son, Dale Jr., has become something of the controversial fan favorite of the racing world. This despite his less than impressive record.

It reminds me that all of us are, in some way, shape or form, standing on the shoulders of giants. There have been people that have come before us who have made it possible to grow in our understanding of the things of this world because of the thoughts they've left us with. There are others who have approached the world with such grace and goodness that they have left us with a view of the world that colors ours with such grace. There are those who have accomplished much by the standards of others and they have inspired us to seek those higher standards.

Like Dale, Jr. they have been parents or grandparents we've known. Sometimes we haven't known them personally but only known of them. Still others have been of such renown that everyone knows at least something about them. In the case of Dale, Sr. I'm not much of a NASCAR fan but I know the name. I also know that if I want to know something about the sport, I ought to learn something about the ones whose names have made an impact upon the sport.

In the book of Job we find a man who is seeking to know God. His teachers and friends have failed in providing a understanding of God that makes sense. So Job seeks to go to the source. Eventually he finds himself in the presence of God. After God has addressed Job he responds by saying "I've known about you. Now I know you. And I am humbled by the One I have met." (My own translation of the story.)

As I write this I am preparing a sermon on the virtues of Learning. It is so important in learning that we not only learn about, but that we come to a knowledge of. This means that we meet the teacher and the message. In Jesus Christ I have met the teacher and that has had a profound impact of the way I read the message.