Thursday Three For All: Sutherland Springs and the Tears of Jesus, Lead from the Middle, and Recreated Triangle Solo
It’s Thursday, kiddies: the day when I roll out a few things I’ve been reading over the past week. Three of ‘em, to be exact. Enjoy. (Remember: click on the big bold print to read the entire article.)
FBC Sutherland Springs and the Tears of Jesus
(via @_michaelkelley) Michael speaks for so many of us. “Here we go again.” “Why?” “Where was God?”
Lord, have mercy.
More than 20 dead after a man opened fire in a small church in Sutherland Springs, TX. And here we all are with a lot of questions. Questions like how could this happen. Questions of why. Questions of what should be done to keep it from happening again.
Here we are again.
And then there are questions behind those questions. Questions about God. About His protection. About His sovereignty. About His goodness. About where He is, and where He was when this terrible thing happened. And as I’m trying to process through all these questions, like many of us are, I’m reminded of a woman who also had questions.
She and her family were friends of Jesus. Close friend in fact. So when her brother got sick, they sent word because, after all, Jesus could do something about this situation if anyone could. But the text in John 11 tells us clearly that Jesus stayed where he was. He stayed there, in fact, until Lazarus was clearly dead. And then He came.
Lead from the Middle
(via @timastevens) Leading when you’re not in charge seems to be a hot topic lately. I found this post from Tim to be practical and helpful.
I have never been a top dog. I’ve never owned a company; I’ve never been the principal of a school; I’ve never run a country, been chairman of the board, or been the captain of a sports team. I have always been right in the middle–sometimes toward the bottom of the middle, and sometimes toward the top. Yet I have always had to figure out how to influence people above and around me to change.
Whether you want to change the color of the carpet in the office or you want to see your organization make significant changes, here are a few things I have picked up along the way that will help you lead from the middle.
Florida Orchestra Recreates GEICO’s Triangle Solo Commercial
(via @premiumfunny) Regardless of how you feel about that incredibly divisive original commercial, you gotta admit this is a good example of capitalizing on pop culture. I love the slow-build reaction from the crowd.
photo credit: Jason Mathis
