"Eyes on Heaven, Hands in the Dirt"

Have you heard the phrase . . .

“Some can be so heavenly minded, they are no earthly good?”

Usually, it targets people detached from reality, disconnected from ordinary struggles of life, or floating above practical needs of the world.

Perhaps the deeper question is . . .

What if the opposite is actually true?

What if people who are truly “heavenly” minded become those who do the most “earthly” good?

After all, it was deeply spiritual people who built hospitals, cared for diseased victims, started schools, fought slavery, sheltered refugees, and crossed oceans to serve forgotten people. Because their eyes were focused on others, they saw suffering around them more clearly.

The problem is not being heavenly minded, but rather
becoming spiritually distracted, sentimental without substance, or religious without compassion.

Clearly, authentic faith never separates us from people, but rather moves us toward them.

Jesus spoke often about heaven, yet He constantly touched lepers, fed crowds, listened to outcasts, and wept beside grieving friends. Isn’t that the epitome of “earthly good?”

Perhaps heaven, or what Jesus called “the Kingdom of God”, teaches us how to live on earth with greater grace, deeper peace, and wider love.

If you received my first newsletter, you are aware I am writing these thoughts, inviting you to share my journey, serving the people of Covington, as a member of City Council.

For me, this is an intentional step, insuring I never get so “heavenly” minded, I am no “earthly” good.

For me, this statement has never been an either/or proposition, but a both/and declaration!

Thanks for considering these reflections in my endeavor to serve. I look forward to sharing more in the days ahead.