Tuesday, May 8, 2012
286 - Demons, Redemption, and Perfection
Spirituality Column #286
May 8, 2012
Current in Carmel – Westfield
Demons, Redemption, and Perfection
By Bob Walters
I read a lot, see a lot, possess an impressive (some would say annoying) mental stash of utterly useless but infallibly entertaining (at least to me) information, keep up on current events, and generally feel very informed.
But upon hearing the news of Thomas Kinkade’s death April 6, I was floored to find out that this wildly popular artist whose serene, light-infused paintings seemed to have been around most of my adult life was a) a committed Christian believer; b) actually a couple of years younger than me; c) a multimillionaire with both family and financial problems; and d) an alcoholic who died after a night of hard drinking and Valium
I had no idea; I couldn’t believe it.
Reaching farther back in history, I was in journalism school (Franklin College
When Colson, in 1973 after being arrested, “got religion,” I didn’t believe it. And when, after seven months in prison for his Watergate shenanigans, Colson founded “Prison Fellowship Ministries,” I skeptically didn’t believe or trust that either.
Kinkade’s and Colson’s lives are both superlative examples of what lives in Christ can look like. How often those lives are not what we expect, nor easily accept.
Kinkade was a 70s-vintageCalifornia
In Colson’s 35 years of committed Christian service, his world-wide prison ministry left a positive effect on thousands of the least and the lost. Further, Colson’s theological and intellectual depth made him a leading, loving, lucid voice of Christian evangelism. Yet because of his Watergate woes, some think, “God wouldn’t want Him.”
Cynics need to pay close attention to Kinkade and Colson. God’s glory shined through both of their imperfect lives thanks to a perfect redeemer in Jesus Christ.
That’s something you can believe.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) is good at crossword puzzles. His book, Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary is available at Amazon.com and Lulu.com.
I read a lot, see a lot, possess an impressive (some would say annoying) mental stash of utterly useless but infallibly entertaining (at least to me) information, keep up on current events, and generally feel very informed.
But upon hearing the news of Thomas Kinkade’s death April 6, I was floored to find out that this wildly popular artist whose serene, light-infused paintings seemed to have been around most of my adult life was a) a committed Christian believer; b) actually a couple of years younger than me; c) a multimillionaire with both family and financial problems; and d) an alcoholic who died after a night of hard drinking and Valium
I had no idea; I couldn’t believe it.
Reaching farther back in history, I was in journalism school (
When Colson, in 1973 after being arrested, “got religion,” I didn’t believe it. And when, after seven months in prison for his Watergate shenanigans, Colson founded “Prison Fellowship Ministries,” I skeptically didn’t believe or trust that either.
Kinkade’s and Colson’s lives are both superlative examples of what lives in Christ can look like. How often those lives are not what we expect, nor easily accept.
Kinkade was a 70s-vintage
In Colson’s 35 years of committed Christian service, his world-wide prison ministry left a positive effect on thousands of the least and the lost. Further, Colson’s theological and intellectual depth made him a leading, loving, lucid voice of Christian evangelism. Yet because of his Watergate woes, some think, “God wouldn’t want Him.”
Cynics need to pay close attention to Kinkade and Colson. God’s glory shined through both of their imperfect lives thanks to a perfect redeemer in Jesus Christ.
That’s something you can believe.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) is good at crossword puzzles. His book, Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary is available at Amazon.com and Lulu.com.
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