A Tribute to Mike
/I have been in vocational ministry for most of my life. As most of you know, I have served churches in Illinois, California, Wisconsin and Nevada, as well as in Chile and now Costa Rica. Pam and I have enjoyed a rich and meaningful life. We thank God every day for the privilege of living a life dedicated to the advancement of the cause of Christ.
However, long before I became a Jesus-follower, I wanted to become an attorney. I had this vision because I sincerely wanted to make the world a better place. I reasoned that becoming an attorney might lead to politics, and that would, perhaps, offer a platform to help make the world a better place.
Given today’s political vitriol, that dream from so many years ago seems almost fantasy. Instead of meaningful political discourse, most of what goes on today is diatribe and mud-slinging. (That’s putting it politely.)
Once I fell in love with Jesus, I chose to serve in ministry because I reasoned that the world will not change until hearts are changed. And only Jesus can change a human heart from selfish to selfless. I do not regret the decision to serve in ministry. Ever.
However, what many of you may not know is that my older brother, Michael, chose to become an attorney. I don’t know all of the reasons he chose that path, but I suspect that Mike, deep-down, also wanted to make the world a better place. He spent his career defending innocent clients and helping people. I’ve never asked Mike, but I seriously doubt if he ever defended a client, “just for the money,” if he knew the person was guilty. Mike is a better man than that.
Since retiring, Mike has kept his mind sharp by writing a blog that I would like to recommend to you. I’ve said for decades that Mike is the brilliant one in the Bond family. I got good grades and excelled mostly because I worked hard and studied hard. But Mike has a mind that causes mine to spin with admiration with his incisive and well-documented insights. He is truly brilliant.
I want to warn you that I don’t necessarily agree with everything Mike writes. But I guarantee he will cause you to think, especially about current political events. I hope many of you will take the time to click on the link below and read Mike’s recent blog posts. I’m quite sure they will be of interest to many of you.
Please by in prayer for Pam. She is in California this week for follow-up testing from her breast cancer. She had an unexpected unfavorable health report recently. Follow up tests in Costa Rica ruled out any recurrence. But we have sent Pam to CA for further evaluation just to make sure it’s nothing to be concerned about. Thanks in advance.
