I just finished reading an article about geoengineering. Some scientists are proposing regularly releasing tons of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere creating the same effect we get from an active volcano. By doing so we can offset global warming by a degree or two thus prolonging our use of fossil fuels. It reminds me of old movies about pilots seeding clouds to make it rain. Actually altering the atmosphere is really not a bad idea. It’s an idea as old as the day Eve saw Adam for the first time. She smiled and Eden became paradise.
It’s amazing how quickly a small act can alter the feeling in a room. During one of my class discussions a student took exception to a comment made by another student. Instantly the room went cold. People were on edge as the hostility grew. I realized I needed to do something quickly. I took a deep breath and pointed at one of the contenders and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen. In this corner weighing 135 pounds the world’s lightweight champion.” I didn’t need to point to the other. Both started to laugh and the room instantly warmed.
With a smile, with love, with care, with humor we can change where we are. If the people around you aren’t being nice to each other make a concerted effort to be super nice. Psychologists tell us it only takes one person to make or ruin a gathering. I can only imagine the changes we can make when we carry a spirit of Jesus with us. When I was in college I worked one summer on a construction crew. One day one of the guys said, “I like it when you are here. The others don’t swear so much.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on November 17, 2010
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org