Questions for a ghost

Peachy Perspective use to keep fish in a fish bowl on her desk at work, but the fish kept dying. Now she keeps the fish bowl full of individual strips of paper, each with a great question on them. When you walk by her desk you can pull out a question, but the rule is that you have to answer the question right then and there.

Yesterday, we thought of a good question to add to her bowl. I'd like to address that question now, but before I do I wanted to note the irony of the question in light of all the fish that have died at her desk.

If you could ask a ghost one question and get the answer, what would your question be?

I don't know what my one question would be but off the top of my head, here are some questions I would like to ask them.

• Why do you ghosts always seem to only appear to people who are scared of you? Why won't you appear to those of us who have some good questions?
• How did you die?
• Do you talk to other ghosts?
• Why do you hang around the same place all of the time?
• Why do you only come out at night? There are a lot of fun things to do during the day too.
• How long have you been a ghost?
• Do you ever get hungry?
• Do you agree with the way ghosts are portrayed in the media? Do you watch television?
• Who's your favorite living person, right now?
• Is there any real reason to be afraid of you? Could you kill me if you wanted to?
• Do you get tired of people blaming you for weird noises when it really IS just the wind? How does that make you feel?
• What kind of advice could you give someone who is about to die?
• Are you a flying ghost?
• What's it like to walk through people?
• Have you had any experiences with the Holy Ghost? Are you friends?
  
• How did you become a ghost? Any regrets on being a ghost?

What would you ask a ghost?

I'm not the center of the universe

When thinking about our relationship with God, N.T. Wright uses a metaphor in which he describes the Earth revolving around the Sun. However, by our own proximity, we could conclude that the Sun revolves around the Earth. Too often, we fall into this trap.

"...we look away from ourselves to Jesus Christ and him crucified, to the God whose gracious love and mercy sent him to die for us. But the sigh of relief which is the characteristic Christian reaction to learning about justification by faith (' you mean I don't have to do anything? God loves me and accepts me as I am, just because Jesus died for me?') ought to give birth at once to a deeper realization down exactly the same line: ' You mean it isn't all about me after all? I'm not the center of the universe? It's all about God and his purposes?' "

- N.T. Wright from Justification, p. 24

How the Mighty Fall

If you have read any of the other books by Jim Collins, then you'll know the way he collects and presents data is eye opening. In his latest book, How the Mighty Fall and Why some Companies Never Give In he discusses the five stages a company can go through before they get to a point of no return.

Unlike a company going from Good to Great, Collins says there are no certain paths to failure like there are to success. However, there are indicators or markers that help you or your company identify which stage you may be in if you are indeed in the process of falling. The downside is, that you may not realize which stage you're in until you've already moved beyond that stage.

I also had a good discussion with someone about how this book is applicable to many stories in scripture.

The 5 Stages of Decline

1. Hubris Born of Success
2. Undisciplined Pursuit of More
3. Denial of Risk and Peril
   
4. Grasping for Salvation
5. Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death