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April Fools


For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

      Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe... For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (I Corinthians 1:18-29)



            Some people say that April 1 is the Atheist's holiday, because "The fool says in his heart, 'there is no God'" (Prov 53:1). While that makes a great deal of sense, I think we're wrong to give this day to the Atheist. I would say that it is very clearly a Christian holiday.
            According to Wikipedia (and my French teachers in high school)... "In Italy, France, Belgium, and French-speaking areas of Switzerland and Canada, April 1 tradition is often known as "April fish" (poisson d'avril in French or pesce d'aprile in Italian). This includes attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back(labeling the victim?) without being noticed. Such fish featured prominently on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools' Day postcards."
          During their persecution by the Romans, Christians are said to have used the fish symbol to identify themselves to one another. Since the world then, and the world now, considers Christians to be fools.  The world delights in poking fun at Christians and in "labeling" us. R.C. Sproul, Jr. preached a sermon in which he said that the scandal of the evangelical movement was that we are scandalized by the world's lack of acceptance of us - effectively, we were shocked and hurt that the world thinks we're fools.
        Therefore, I will gladly be called a "Fool" - and not just for today. I invite all my foolish brethren to celebrate the day the world may not even know it connects with us.

 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Birthday of
Edwin Austen Abbey who painted the Quest for the Holy Grail murals in Bostom Public Library
Willam Harvey - discovered circulation of blood,
Sergie Rachmaninoff,  Edmond Rostand (Cyrano De Bergerac)


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