Walk With The (Sean) Wise

I am a Panhead for life. No band has had a bigger impact on my life than Skillet, and no song has been as impactful on me as the one that this post's title is taken from.  Listen to the song here. When I was 12 years old, life was...complicated. I was finishing my second year in a new city and a new school district, after being in the previous city and district for just one year. Nothing at that point felt stable. I made friends quickly and easily, but I had a fear of getting too close, not knowing when the next change would be that would take me away from them. All of this while dealing with the new-found realities of that wonderful time in life we call "adolescence." Along with these changes, though, came some other changes that I simply was not ready for. That year saw the beginning of the end of my parents' relationship. As they grew more distant from each other, I felt a stronger burden to look after my nine-year-old brother and three-year-old sister, forgett...

I'm not going to claim to be perfect at this, but I try hard to get along with and understand those who have different views than me, especially social, political, and theological views. Several of my close friends fall into that category now. I want to take time to learn why they believe what they believe, and often that serves to strengthen my resolve for believing what I believe. The mutual respect and appreciation we have for each other is necessary for it to be beneficial. Lately, however, there seems to be an overarching mentality that those of differing opinions and stances cannot coexist. There is an enmity that seems to be so innate in our beings against those who stand on the "other side of the aisle," and neither side is any less guilty than the other. There is almost enough of a divide in this nation to spark another civil war, but this time around, it would be fought on party lines rather than geographical lines. Christians, this NEEDS to stop! We are called...