Combining Matthew 7:15-20 and Matthew 12:33-37, Jesus considers our spoken words — particularly the kind that eventually leak out — to be among the most telling of fruits:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)

Scripture is dark and pessimistic over humanity. Throughout life I have been both blessed and burned by people whom I deeply love.

I believe that:

1. Those I most look up to, if truly known, will at some point deeply let me down.

2. Those who look up to me, if they get to know me, will at some point be deeply let down.

Negatively, this makes relationships risky.

Positively, understanding it helps me be realistic in my expectations and pre-emptive in my empathy.

I can give others the benefit of doubt, yet assume that there are unknown things about them that are disappointing, and simply decide beforehand to love them anyway.

Humanity was a deep disappointment to God. I have been a huge disappointment to God. Yet he loves me. And delights in me. Deeply.

This is a heads-up for those using Ember Data. As of 1.0.0-beta.7, it doesn’t seem to conform to the following prescription of JSON API for creation of records:

“Its root key MUST be the same as the root key provided in the server’s response to GET request for the collection.” (jsonapi.org)

Also, Ember Data expects:

JSON API prescribes:

Update: The documentation is out of sync with the code, evidently. There seems to be support for “links” but not “linked.”

The New Testament never gives the Christian movement an official organizational name. Instead, the movement was called “the Way” (Acts 9:2), and in Antioch the disciples are mockingly called “Christians” (Acts 11:26).

“We are allowed to define our own identity insofar as we are allowed to take credit for our own existence.” (Tom)

“The most beautiful instrument in any Christian service is the sound of the congregation singing.” (Jonathan Leeman)

“Infants are the drill sergeants of parenting bootcamp. They give you four basic tasks – diapers, burping, feeding, and napping – and then scream at you when you do them wrong. There’s no encouragement, no smiles, just crying and quiet. And they give you tasks at any time, day or night. Just finished changing my diaper? Change it again. Good job, now change that one. After a few months of breaking you down, they build you back up again. They smile at you. They sleep through the night. They hold their head up, so you don’t have to. And after It’s over, the tasks you learned – swaddling, diapering, bottle prepping – are tasks you will likely never use again. But the skills you’ve gained – patience without sleep, calm in the face of screams, moving your hand into the [poop] instead of recoiling – are skills that will serve you the rest of your life.” (Comment on Reddit)

“After Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,’ God said they had ‘become as one of us,’ suggesting that a process of approaching godliness was already underway.” (https://www.lds.org/topics/becoming-like-god?lang=eng)

This deserves our most exasperated incredulity. Genesis 3:22 comes after Adam and Eve hid from God, and shamefully blamed others for their crime. The serpent was cursed, the woman’s childbearing pains were multiplied, Adam’s job of tending to the ground was now fraught with pain, and Adam and Eve were denied access to the Tree of Life and given over to the sting of death.

Ironically, part of human carnality is our general unwillingness to give others the personal benefit of doubt. We are called to be optimistic about others in our relationships, and avoid undue cynicism and conspiracy theories, etc.

But another part of human carnality is our undue optimism over the goodness in our own hearts. More caution is needed. Our hearts need to be carefully guarded. We are so bad that we need to be forgiven and born again. We are needy for a Savior and Counselor.

Last updated March 15, 2018

1. It shows that you are listening.

2. Translating it into your own words requires a basic understanding of what they said.

3. “If it can’t be translated, it probably doesn’t mean anything.”[a] Attempting to translate it into your own words can identify meaninglessness.

4. Hearing their own position translated helps them understand their own position. I don’t merely want you to understand my position. I also want you to understand your own position.

5. It slows things down. You haven’t shot back or merely reacted. This reduces tension. Makes for a sustainable conversational rhythm.

6. Your translation of their argument or position can strip it of needless rhetorical flourish.

7. Positions or arguments can sound ridiculous when they are clearly summarized. Simply restating someone’s position can remove the need to refute it.

8. It earns you credibility from which to state your own position.

9. It can help you identify common ground upon which to build.

10. You might make a friend.

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” (Proverbs 18:2)

[a] Something I once heard Bill McKeever essentially say.

Added:

11. It dignifies and honors their words as meaningful.

12. It dignifies the very act of communication, of dialectic and dialog.

13. It combats cynicism that all such communication can be reduced to sophistry, stimulus, or grandstanding.

14. It honors another as a thinking soul — a royal, rational, reflective, introspective human being made in the image of God. Not just one of Pavlov’s dogs.

15. We would want others to do the same to us. This fulfills neighbor-love. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

16. It provides an opportunity to overlook or redirect poor communication. This graciously seasons conversation with salt.

17. It may provide another with a better way to restate their own position elsewhere. In this case it is the gift of even clearer articulation. More grace.