The Theology of Calvin . . . and Hobbes (Life & Happiness)

Waiting for life “to shower me with meaning and happiness”! By nature we are self-centered, egotistical creatures whose desires drive us away from God! As Chesterton once put it, some theologians deny the doctrine of sin “which is as plain as potatoes!” Thankfully there is hope for those who will get out of their Lazyboys and open God’s book, the Bible! He wants to save us from ourselves. And then He begins the process of making us like His dear Son!

 

The Theology of Calvin . . . and Hobbes (Entitlement)

Wow, does Calvin articulate the spirit of many today. This sense that the world owes us everything is a devastating philosophy. Biblical Christianity rests on the fundamental truth that we don’t get what we deserve. We get grace. And it’s up to us to receive that grace.

 

A Great Song about . . . . Millennials!

 

Putting Things in Perspective (Time for a Great Cartoon)

 

Jonah: Belief Contradicted by Behavior (Part 39)

God is patient, isn’t He?  At dawn the next day we read of God’s action in providing something in addition to the leafy plant that gave Jonah welcomed shade.  God “provided a worm” (v. 7).  Worms are good for many things — scaring moms when one is young, baiting hooks to catch fish, aerating the soil.  This particular worm was created to . . . chew!  And it chewed the leafy plant to such an extent that the plant withered!

A loss of comfort.  How is Jonah going to respond?  Like Jonah, we are thankful for comfort when it comes — and sometimes outraged when it is taken away!  At sunrise, God provided one more item for His recipe of truth — a scorching east wind.  That wind and the sun “blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint” (v. 8).

Again we read that Jonah “wanted to die.”  God’s servant is miserable.  He is ready to watch the show of judgment — and it doesn’t come.  He is enjoying several elements of God’s good creation — and they are taken away.  And now his head is getting sun-burned and his heart is white-hot angry with God.

Jonah’s ethical system kicks in and he says, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”  And then the Lord said, “Okay.”  And then he killed Jonah.  (Not really)  (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for a Great Cartoon: “When Do I Get What’s Coming to Me?”

 

Time for a Great Cartoon: Studying and Victimhood

“Self-esteem” is a tricky concept, isn’t it?  For Calvin, it appears to mean thinking highly of himself despite any evidence to the contrary.

His teacher — bless her heart! — is always trying to get Calvin to work harder, to put in the effort, to actually STUDY!

But, alas, all Calvin does is come up with more excuses — well-worded excuses, no doubt — but excuses!  His claim to “victimhood” would be laughable if it were not true for some today.

Blaming others, refusing to accept personal responsibility, expecting the world to cater to your whims — these are subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) signs of a culture which no longer values hard work, genuine humility, or gratitude for those who try to instill such virtues in us.

 

Time for a Great Cartoon! (Work)

Back in the 1950’s when I was a wee lad, I watched a TV show called “Dobie Gillis.” It was an innocent show about a young man’s life and his awkward attempts at romance.

One of Dobie’s friends was named Maynard G. Krebs. Here’s a picture of Maynard:
Maynard hated work. In fact, whenever the word “work” was used, he would respond “WORK!?”
That’s, unfortunately, how many view work today. But we were created to work (see Genesis 1-3). Work is not a result of the fall of man — weary work is!

Your comments?

 

Time for a Great Cartoon! (grades)

How indicative of our culture is Calvin’s protest about receiving an “average” grade!  People these days want to be considered “EXCELLENT,” when the evidence may be abundant that they are only “average.”

As an educator, I can attest to the reality of grade inflation.  I’ve had many students over the years — some outstanding, others not so much.  Some come into graduate school with little to no idea how to write a graduate-level research paper.  They’ve been passed along, allowed to miss critical issues which would assist them in producing quality work.

We should not be surprised when people balk at the idea of God’s standard being ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!  But the God who exists is no mediocre or average god.  And that’s precisely why we needed a divine substitute to accomplish salvation for us!

Thank God for our PERFECT Savior.  The work He accomplished on our behalf was A+ quality!

 

 

Time for a Great Cartoon! (sense of entitlement)

You’ve gotta love Calvin & Hobbes.  Watterson gets right to the heart of much of the spirit of the age:  ENTITLEMENT!  A culture built around wishes and pill-popping and button-pushing minimizes the value of work and effort.

How do we combat the pervasive spirit of ENTITLEMENT in our culture?

Your ideas?