Josh Lyons

Not long ago, I attended an emotional family funeral and burial. It took place in a large Pennsylvania cemetery that contained graves going back to the 1700s. The cemetery’s website explained that the oldest legible tombstone dated to 1764, almost 260 years ago. Walking through that old cemetery made me think, Many people have been in these graves for over 200 years, far longer than they lived. As I watched a grave being closed today, their graves were closed multiple generations ago.

This summer, I had the privilege of serving on the softball staff at one of the Living Church of God teen camps. A major theme we teach at our youth camps is the importance of doing all things decently, in order, without confusion, and in peace (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). We also teach many other values from the Bible, and one of the biblical principles that came up a few times this year—including in basketball, softball, and other classes—was the principle of what is often called the “Golden Rule.”

Just the other day, as I was taking out the trash early in the morning, I noticed that some food debris had dripped onto the sidewalk. The need to clean the small area came to mind, but I then noticed that ants had beaten me to task.

Now that June has ended, the so-called “Pride Month,” which celebrates LGBTQI+ behaviors and lifestyles, has concluded in the United States. During “Pride Month,” many facets of our country celebrate pride, as seen in professional sports, government, and military branches, a variety of “pride flags” flown, clothing worn, and more. This year, the White House even hung a large “Progress Pride flag” front and center at a “Pride” celebration on June 10.