"Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

As anyone attending First Baptist Church Muncie during this series has noticed, we've made faux-political signs for the fruit of the Spirit. The one which is most amusing to me is, "Self-Control 2024."

I've tried to figure out what makes that particular sign so amusing to me. Perhaps it seems antithetical to so much of our public life, which is animated by excess or problems exterior to us. Problems and solutions are offered by parties and candidates who promise, "I have a plan" or "I alone can fix it." It would seem odd if a candidate stood up in front of their potential voters and said, "You know some of your problems are your fault and could be fixed by self-control." Even when we speak of "personal responsibility," we often mean other people taking such responsibility.

Read more at fbcmuncie.org/blog.