Good Ideas From Bad Individuals
In my tale of two grandmothers, I described my “bad” grandma…
My swearing-smoking-drinking-gambling grandmother was a constant, loving, generous, steady, faithful, and gracious presence in my life – until she died of lung cancer when I was 19 years old.
Life is interesting that way.
It’s far less black and white than we think. Our categories don’t always have the space for what is actually there. We want to use the labels “good” or “bad,” “sinner” or “saint,” but the truth usually is found in the AND…
We are simultaneously both good AND bad, sinner AND saint.
Paul the Apostle (who is credited with the taking Christianity to the world and writing more books of the New Testament than anyone else) acknowledged this “sinner AND saint” truth when he wrote,
This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. —1 Timothy 1.15
I love that Paul didn’t say, “I WAS the worst of them all,” but chose instead to admit, “I AM the worst.”
Here we have the “worst sinner” writing the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit…
He’s both good and bad, sinner and saint.
And so are we.
The idea that we learn all the good things from good people and get all our bad ideas from bad individuals is… Read More
