SETTING OUR CLOCKS

Ruth Ann Ridley ("Learning to Live in the Limits," Discipleship Journal, Jan/Feb 1983) tells an old tale of a village that bought a fancy tower clock. Some time after it was installed, a visitor to the town discovered that all the people were sleeping during the day and working at night. When he questioned them about this, they answered, "We have the most unique town in America. After we got our new clock, we began to notice that the sun kept rising earlier and earlier every morning. Finally the daytime hours were dark and the night hours were light. We are petitioning the President for special recognition as the only town in America with such a situation."

As it turned out, of course, the new clock had been running slower and slower each day, all because sparrows were roosting inside it. The people allowed themselves to be controlled by this manmade device.

We sometimes allow the same kind of thing to happen with our "faith clock." Something from the outside enters and throws everything off until we begin to believe and act according to the outside influence. Jesus made it plain when He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." He's the One I'm setting my "faith clock" by.

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson


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