Most who live in HereAndNow have grown up knowing the atmosphere of excitement, the drive of competition, and the lure and the lust of getting and having. The presence of the tempters is as persistent as the broken bobbles that litter the walkway. You can dismiss one—if you choose to—but you’ll probably find another around the corner with a pile of temporary teasers.

If you asked the average person on the street, they might say, “That’s just the way it is in HereAndNow.” But is there something better than the way things appear— better than the status quo? The tempters would laugh at such a notion! Is it because there really isn’t anything better than living in HereAndNow? Or, could it be they don’t want anyone to consider the Bridge from OneDayBow?

Here and now, where we live, is a lot like HereAndNow. But I bet you already figured that out. The tempters we face are both obvious and allusive, and the bobbles are many and varied. As one man once said: We Americans bring them in through our front door and take them out through the back door. What was so desirable today may easily become trash tomorrow.

Okay, I have to admit something… I did it again. I didn’t want to, but I did it anyway. I got sucked into the commercial celebration of Christmas. I didn’t disregard the birth of Jesus Christ, but I’m afraid He often took a back seat as I rushed about my shopping, wrapping and preparing. In all honesty, I feel a little empty about the whole thing and am reminded again that a bag full of baubles can’t satisfy our real need. Yes, even those who know the Truth can get caught up in lesser things.

One last thought: I wonder if our modern celebration of Christmas, with all of its excesses, accounts for the high number of New Year’s resolutions! Another commercial success? What do you think? Is it just the way it is in here and now?

But what about beyond here and now?