The Paradoxical Commandments

Similar versions of this poem have been attributed to Mother Teresa and Dr. Kent M. Keith. I don't know who originated it, but read it anyway... Below the text is a video of Ted Nugent giving his own extravagant performance, complete with a extra commandment. Watch it anyway.

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.



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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282
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Remembering my prison sentence

Photo courtesy of Gipics

I have recurring dreams. There are two or three of them that recur every few years. One involves walking, then running, then losing contact with the ground and flying or leaping in huge, light bounds. Another of them involves a mad scientist using giant flies to turn the whole world into excrement. Not sure of the meaning (if there is any) to those dreams, but the subject of today's post is a third recurrent dream.

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Every so often I have this strange, unsettling dream in which I remember being imprisoned as a teenager for a year for having gotten in a fight and hit the wrong guy - some VIP's son or something. The particularly disturbing part is the fact that the dream/memory is so vivid that upon waking it seems as if the memory remains. I dreamed this dream this morning, and when I woke I had to spend a couple of hours perusing my memories of those years trying to figure out if I'd really been in prison or not. Again, I'm not sure of any meaning to this dream, but it reminds me of Paul's constant reference to servitude and imprisonment, both corporeal and spiritual, throughout the New Testament. For example:

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Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16; ESV)

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For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (1Corinthians 9:19f; ESV)

Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282

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Practice these things

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9; ESV)

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The first part of this citation (Phil 4:8) is so common and beloved that it overshadows the verse following it (Phil 4:9). In the second verse, Paul is saying (again!) to use him as an example - this
time an example of virtue. Bold man! But there is more! He is also saying not to simply think happy thoughts about virtue, but to actually do virtue - to be virtue just like Paul. Reminiscent of James:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22; ESV)

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How is it that Paul got to be so bold? He lets us in on the secret later in Philippians (another very popular and beloved verse):

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13; ESV).

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