Don Davis

Two thousand years ago, a minor Roman bureaucrat by the name of Pontius Pilate asked a question that many in our modern, 21st century society would find very relevant: "What is truth?"

There are eight little words, in four simple phrases, that can help solve most of the interpersonal problems we encounter every day. They can end arguments, settle disputes and even bring peace. Sadly, most people are too proud to use them as often as they should, and they suffer from strife and turmoil as a result.

Scripture reminds us that we share in the reputations of our friends. "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed" (Proverbs 13:20).

Many of the problems we have in life involve our relationships with people. We think our boss or teacher doesn't like us, or the folks next door are hard to get along with. Perhaps our marriage has soured and the children are in rebellion. If such difficulties are chronic in our lives, we need to ask a simple question. "Am I contributing to these negative situations?" If the answer is yes, we must then ask: "What should I do about it?"

In its early days, the religion of Islam was spread by the sword as it expanded across the Middle East, northern Africa, and into Spain. By 1683, a Muslim army had almost reached the gates of Vienna before it was driven back.