Charley Brown and Barnabas

Hey all you Super-Bowl fans, here is a football entry for you. Unless you want to know about the 56- 0 record of our local four in a row state champ football team, this is about as gridiron as I get.

I love the Peanuts cartoon where Lucy grabs the ball out from under Charley Brown as he is about to kick it. I love how she is consistent with her pull and the determination is profound. I also love how in spite of her record, he tries to kick it anyway. He puts his pessimism aside and goes for it with an erring optimistic thought that she will actually do the right thing.

Has Chuck not heard the expression, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”? Why would he keep giving this black haired girl who sales him bad advice for a quarter another chance.

Why would we give anyone who has a bad track record another chance? Take a look at Mr. Encourager, Barnabas. Let’s start off with Acts 4:36 actually naming him as one of the people who sold land for the helping of the Church. Some would call that gullible. But what applies more, is that he was willing in Acts 9 to speak up for the Lord’s new servant Saul. Saul is a man who did a lot more than fool people. No wonder they did not trust him. Yet there was Barnabas, by his side, paving the way for trust with the Church leaders. Why would it be a surprise that later Barnabas would defend Mark? (Acts 15)

I came across a quote that says, “Some are wise, and some are otherwise.” We would assume first off that Charley Brown would be in the otherwise category. But maybe, he knows a little more than we give him credit for. Most of the time, it is wise to walk away if someone continually tricks you. But what if it happens to work out next time?

Kathy

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20