Careful You May Be Wrong

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matt. 7:1-2)

Hey Gang:  Did you ever have a wrong opinion of someone only to find out you were out in left field?   I was never much of a boxing fan but kind of enjoyed the rhetoric that transpired between the contestants as they prepared a fight.  Cassius Clay was one of my favorites.  You know who Cassius Clay is, don’t you? or does that date you as a more recent entrant to this world where we live?

We older timers know that Cassius Clay made a decision in his hey day to become a follower of Allah and choose to change his name to Muhammad Ali.  Ali was kind of unique in that he had a sense of humor.  One of his favorite sayings was “I will fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee”.  

Muhammad was at the top of his career when many feel he entered the ring one or more too many times.  Today he suffers from maladies that have restricted his life in a very serious way and does not appear in public affairs very often.

I always thought he was one of the greatest boxers of all time.  I was privileged to see another great boxer by the name of Joe Lewis;  now that tells you that I am an older-type codger.  And, I always felt to be a boxer one had to live a kind of shady life.  Not sure where I got that idea.  But recently I ran across the following story about Ali that changed my opinion of the man. 

An incident transpired that Muhammad Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were quite revealing. Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:

“When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.

My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to.

Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock.

You've got to work hard to get to them.” He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.” 

Soooo, my younger friends, there is no greater beauty in our world than when a ”pearl of great price”, created by our heavenly Father is pure, not only on the inside but on the outside as well. 

Lemuel’s contribution to the Proverbs of Solomon (Proverbs 31) is a beautiful tribute to those mothers and daughters that we can say, “Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.”   I am truly blessed to have a “pearl of great price” as my bride, and two ”pearls of great price” that are my daughters.

We differ in theology, but remember this father's words “you are more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.”

Blessings,

Gramps