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Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Memory aid or fishing guide?
I've found two ways to use the search capabilities of CTLibrary.com:
1. as an extension of memory, and
2. as a knowledgeable guide for fishing expeditions.
Let me tell you what happened this week.
Like many of you, I watched the first Presidential Debate of 2004. After seeing George W. Bush and John Kerry spar with one another in a relatively civil way, I was talking with a friend, who commented that the political mudslinging this year seemed rather nasty. I nodded but pointed out that political races had, throughout history, known rancor and one-upmanship. I wanted to tell a story that danced just beyond my mental recall.
I vaguely remembered reading about Peter Cartwright, the flame-throwing circuit-riding preacher of the mid-19th century, challenging Abraham Lincoln in a political race, and their exchange being both heated and humorous. That's all the information I remembered, but that was all I needed. At CTLibrary.com, I typed into the search box: Peter Cartwright Abraham Lincoln. The results listed some 14 articles that fit the criteria, and, sure 'nuff, the first one was the one I was after.
"Headed for Heaven or Hell?" from Christian History & Biography magazine, offers the delightful story, originally told by Carl Sandburg in Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years.
It seems that in the race for an Illinois congressional seat in 1846, Cartwright's followers questioned Lincoln's religious commitment, accusing Abe of being an "infidel." Lincoln decided to show up at one of Cartwright's evangelistic rallies.
At the close of his sermon, Cartwright issued a pointed invitation: "All who desire to lead a new life, to give their hearts to God, and go to heaven, will stand." A sprinkling of men, women, and children stood up. Then he exhorted, "All who do not wish to go to hell will stand." All stood up—except Lincoln. Then said Cartwright in his gravest voice, "I observe that many responded to the first invitation to give their hearts to God and go to heaven. And I further observe that all of you save one indicated that you did not desire to go to hell. The sole exception is Mr. Lincoln, who did not respond to either invitation. May I inquire of you, Mr. Lincoln, where are you going?"
Lincoln slowly rose and slowly spoke. "I came here as a respectful listener. I did not know that I was to be singled out by Brother Cartwright. I believe in treating religious matters with due solemnity. I admit that the questions propounded by Brother Cartwright are of great importance. I did not feel called upon to answer as the rest did. Brother Cartwright asks me directly where I am going. I desire to reply with equal directness: I am going to Congress."
Indeed, he did. We can only wish that today's political repartee were as respectful and rewarding as this exchange between Lincoln and Cartwright.
The second time I went to CTLibrary.com this week, I wasn't trying to find something I vaguely remembered. I had a bad case of writer's block, and I needed help getting unstuck. Preparing to speak at a leadership retreat, I was looking for something about the role of love in leadership. But I was out of ideas, so when I went to CT.Library.com, I was fishing. I didn't know what I was looking for, other than a spark for my thinking. So I typed in "leading" and "love" and hoped something useful would come up.
Sure enough. The first piece listed was "What's Love Got to Do with It?" by David Hansen, from his book The Power of Loving Your Church. He discusses a number of ways that love influences leadership, starting with hesed, a Hebrew word defined as "covenant love."
Hansen writes: "When I get flustered with my church and want to quit in a flurry of what I believe is holy anger (which is often nothing more than hurt feelings), I remind myself of my call to keep covenant with my church, and that means to keep my resume where it belongs—in the drawer. I may not feel love when I'm mad, but I can keep my promises when I'm mad. Keeping covenant doesn't always feel like love, but it is a primary form of pastoral love."
That apt insight broke the logjam—the ideas began to flow, and the talk for the leadership retreat began to take shape.
A memory aid, or a fishing guide—two ways you can benefit from CTLibrary.com.
Grace, strength, and joy,
![Marshall Shelley]()
Marshall Shelley
Editory, Leadership journal
Vice President, Christianity Today International
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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The Lord of the Rings has been called "the book of the twentieth century" and has been read by 150 million people. But who exactly was the shy Oxford professor who created Middle-earth?
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'Get Mine, Get Yours'
Sexual swagger and slang do not mask a generation's loneliness.
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For John Wycliffe, the Bible became the sole authority for all of life.
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The Best Book Ever Written on America
Tocqueville's perennial timeliness.
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LEADERSHIP JOURNAL
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Read the answer by J. Rodman Williams, a professor of theology at Regent
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The Fifth novel in Alexander McCall Smith's best-selling No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series once again features Precious Ramotswe, whose sleuthing takes second place to folksy storytelling in McCall Smith's wry novels. Relax with this enjoyable read and experience an alternative view of life on the African continent.
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