Making Life Work

By: Lenny Cacchio

Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever. (Jeremiah 25:5 KJV)

    If you are inclined to blame political leadership for all the wrong in our country, you need to rethink it. Sometimes political leadership is nothing more than a reflection of the people it represents, and that is especially true in a representative republic such as ours.     In the last chapter of II Samuel, King David makes an appalling mistake. At the time he is a powerful figure in the Middle East. He has conquered lands as far away as present-day Iraq and beyond. He has friendly relations with the Lebanese to the...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come, reign over us!’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ Finally all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come, reign over us!’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you,...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    And He’s not a Democrat either. From what I know of the Man, he has better things to do than to align himself with various factions vying for political power. Ultimately, he has all of that in abundance anyway.     It’s instructive that even though Jesus held many positions in common with the Pharisees (resurrection of the dead, acceptance of all the Hebrew Scriptures and not just the Torah, belief in angels), he never once identified himself as a Pharisee. It is also instructive that he socialized with people from all backgrounds and factions, including Pharisees (Luke 11, John 3), Samaritans (John 4), people from Herod’s household (Luke 8), Roman soldiers (Matthew 8), Gentiles (Mark 7), fisherman (Matthew 4), publicans...

By: Lenny Cacchio

The book Morning Coffee Companion, a compilation of Sabbath Morning Companion essays, is now available through our publisher and Amazon.com. You may also order a copy through your local bookstore.  Enjoy a daily devotional alongside your favorite cup of joe.

Link:  Morning Coffee Companion

    What is this thing called charisma? Why do people follow a charismatic leader? The word charisma is a Greek word often translated in the New Testament as "gift". More precisely, it can refer to a divine endowment or miraculous faculty. King David undoubtedly had some divine endowments relative to leadership. Strong men naturally followed him, even risking their lives...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    The sergeant’s next assignment would prove to be the most challenging.  His assignment was to lead a battle-hardened platoon with a reputation for shooting its own officers in the back.  That tradition he was intent on breaking, for non-coms were not exempt from such treatment.

    He was a working man from the mountains, and though he might have lacked a formal education in leadership skills, his style was one borne of necessity and experience.  He knew what would work to gain the respect of his men.

    So when it came time to cross the stream, he was the first one in the water.  If they had to cross an open field, he was the point man.  He took his turn at guard duty, and whenever there was a nasty bit of work...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. – Lord Acton

    It is a challenging task to remain humble when people tell you how great you are. Look at the leaders of Israel, many of whom began as humble servants, but who later battled and sometimes lost the war with their egos.

    Moses, who was called the meekest man on earth, one time lost his patience and struck a rock for water, shouting, "Must we fetch water from a rock for you?" In thus doing, he claimed the credit for himself, and not for God.

    King Saul, the reluctant first king of Israel, came to crave his position and power so much that he ceased to obey God and his prophet, seeking his own ways.

    King David, called...

By: Lenny Cacchio

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.  (Psalm 118:9)

    In the first volume of his World War II memoirs, Winston Churchill reports a remarkable admission by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who served in that office from 1935 – 1937.  When challenged for not taking rearmament of Britain seriously in the face of growing threats from the Continent, he replied in Parliament with a remarkable admission of his true motives:

    I put before the whole House my own views with an appalling frankness. … You will remember that at that time [the time of the election] there was probably a stronger pacifist feeling running through this country than at any time since the war.  You will remember...

By: Lenny Cacchio

President Harry Truman wished for a one-armed economist because his economic advisors were always saying, "On the other hand …".     Someone once asked economist Milton Friedman, the Nobel Laureate, what the stock market was going to do, and he replied, "It will go up, it will go down, and it will go sideways, but not necessarily in that order."

    Professor Friedman was wise in his retort, for no one really knows what the market is going to do.  On the other hand (beg pardon), it sure would be nice if someone had convictions about something these days.   Too many people are hesitant to take a moral stand on anything for fear of being called intolerant, arrogant, or  a bigot.  Even nominees for the Federal bench are...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    It saddened me when I saw him.  His once vibrant athletic frame was now a shadow of its former self, racked by the crude chemotherapy of the day.   I remember most how terribly thin and pale he looked, and how much hair he had lost.  But he grinned when he saw me and asked, "Did you play much ball this summer, Leonard?"  "Yep," I said.   "Every chance I got."

    He was Nick Ioveno, my high school baseball coach.  Legend had it that he once played professional baseball and made it all the way to the New York Mets.   In his first game someone hit him a groundball that went right between his legs.  So much for his career in The Show.

    What I knew about him was crude at best: he was the toughest son of a gun I ever...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Baseball beats loudly in the hearts of millions in spite of the inroads of football and NASCAR, in spite of fans frustrated by spoiled athletes and too many sub-par teams.  During this summer of 2007 I was reminded of the soul of the game and why it connects with the American people in a special way.

    I speak of the 2007 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony and specifically about Cal Ripken, Jr.'s remarks to the assembled tens of thousands on the grounds and multitudes more via ESPN Classic.   People can sense a class act, and they sensed it throughout Ripken’s career.  He only confirmed it on the dais in Cooperstown.

    Said Ripken,

"When I realized that I could use baseball to help make...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)

    If I were to ask you what a good mission statement for our country would be, could you recite one?  Likely you could come up with one with a little thought, but the fact that it takes some thought is symptomatic of the problem.      At critical times in our history, leadership has provided a unified vision around which the nation could rally.  Ronald Reagan had his shining city on the hill, borrowed from John Winthrop’s City on a Hill sermon.  Lincoln had his "last best hope of mankind" message.  Roosevelt spoke of a rendezvous with destiny.  Jefferson had his inalienable rights.  Woodrow Wilson wanted to make the world safe for democracy.  Emma Lazarus...