Our world is a little less perfect with the loss of Andy Griffith this past Tuesday..  Known by most of the world for his creation of a special place called Mayberry, the perfect hometown where everyone lived in harmony with one another.

This landmark television series was not real popular when it began on Oct. 3, 1960.  By the final season, the show had moved to the number one position on all networks.  Since then, the Andy Griffith Show has provided entertainment to countless millions and thrived for over 5 decades in syndication.

While many contemporary viewers cherish The Andy Griffith Show for its rural values, the reality is that the integrities, morals and religious beliefs instilled in the show could be a lesson for us all.  Each week as viewers tuned in to laugh and enjoy, there were true life lessons to be learned by watching the wonderfully diverse and original characters on Andy Griffith.
Honesty, kindness, charity, respect, love thy neighbor, a strong work ethic, and humor were always present within the under current of the weekly dialogue.  Many times, you would find that Andy's commitment to personal responsibility and community involvement were always evident.  If you watched closely, no character quality was more obvious in each weekly lesson than Andy's tolerance for situations and for others.

Tolerance is defined as a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry.  Can you imagine how this applies to the relationship between Andy and his buddy Barney Fife.  Daily, the character played by the late Don Knotts, offered challenges from purchasing a used car to riot causing tickets issued to the suspicions that only Barney could dream up.

And of course, tolerance would abound in the relationship with Otis Campbell.  Otis was the harmless town drunk who carried an entitled attitude with him when he checked into his jail cell each night after a long drinking binge.  Singing, stumbling but always kind, everyone questioned Andy's leadership by allowing Otis to take advantage of everyone in this way.  Andy's ability to always seek a way to resolve a situation to the best possible outcome is found in his response about Otis:  

 
Did you ever watch the relationship between Andy and his Aunt Bea.   By some, Aunt Beatrice Taylor could be seen as one that was meddling, a little bossy and always required an extra helping of patience.  Therefore, to live with Aunt Bea would have been a challenge in and of itself.  But Andy was always kind and looking for the best outcome of others.  


Remember the episode when Aunt B produced the hazardous waste problem known as “kerosene cucumbers".  However, the situation here was filled with double trouble as Aunt Bea and Ms Clara Edwards were in a match of pride over winning the county fair's pickle contest.  Andy saved the day for both ladies by eating 16 bottles of Aunt Bea's pickles while sustaining Clara's 20-year reign as the County Pickle Champion.  Andy was able to make everyone feel good about themselves in the end.
 
One particular show had the nit-witted Gomer Pyle entering the courthouse singing the Marine Battle hymn, actually the rebirth of a new series.  You could see and feel the worry on Andy's face as Gomer enthusiastically shared about his enlistment and departure the next day.  Compassionately, Andy found a way to accompany Gomer to his first day to report for Marine bootcamp.  He cared enough to be a servant to his friends.

There was nothing more moving than the father-son relationship portrayed between Andy and Opie.  A single dad, Andy was always the dad that worked to teach the deeper lessons found in all situations to the young Opie, played by Ron Howard. Usually the lesson was about the importance of life itself as when Opie accidently shot the mother bird with his sling shot.  Andy simply opened up the lesson by opening the window of Opie's room so that he could hear the young baby birds chirp in the nest nearby .  

Oddly enough, Sheriff Andy Taylor was completely 100% surrounded by misfits.  All the characters of the show were engaged in creating problems and troubles for the always able and competent Andy Taylor to play problem solver, mediator, advisor, disciplinarian and counselor.  It was a big job as you think of the notable list of cast members.  

With 249 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, Andy had a lot of fixes in the lives of his cast.  Even with all the work involved to keep everyone happy, Andy always seemed to maintain a positive spirit of optimism about himself and to others. Andy always delivered dignity to the drunk, integrity to the moonshiners and fairness to every bully.  He taught us to listen and evaluate carefully before we react, even if the person is your young son, Opie.

A person will find many biblical truths in the character and integrity of Andy Griffith.  He roots were deeply rooted in his faith in Jesus Christ and it reflected in the wisdoms that were shared through his show.  Having Andy in charge of Mayberry, he taught us all what we seem to have forgotten over the years. 

• Everyone has value and something to offer.  
• Everyone has something to teach us if we will just listen.
• Remember, winning is not everything, but being a good sport is always important.
• Remember, the love of family and community was, and always will be the most important lesson in life.

Andy Griffith remained a good man throughout his life and it just wasn't a show.  May he rest in peace.

Enjoy the Intro and Exit:

This was shared by one of our ShowMe Times readers and as many pass along emails that take on political positions, we never want to fail to give the proper honor and respect to our servicemen of the United States Military.  These men and women deserve a large degree of thanks from us all and a tribute for the freedoms of life that we enjoy in our country.

So I would ask that you take a moment to read this short poem.  Though the presentation may not completely meet with your approval, the truth in the words are real and offer us a different perspective from the eyes of a soldier.

May God continue to bless all of our soldiers with his mercy, protection and grace.  May they be kept from harms way and always be able to protect this great Nation.

Know that many of our WWII Veterans are growing old and the history of their service and the experiences of freedom will only be carried forward by our preservation of their memories.   We should all be encouraged to stop our busy schedules and offer a deep, heartfelt "thank you" to these gentlemen.

From Korea, to Vietnam, to the Persian Gulf and many other conflicts, the American soldier has made personal sacrifice to bring freedom.  Many have gone on with their lives and have never felt the appreciation that was deserved. 

If you have a member of your family, a friend or someone that you know deserves this spotlight, we would ask that you offer a salute to them by going to our Facebook page and share their name, branch of service and give them a well deserved "shout out" of appreciation.  Our Facebook Page is:  https://www.facebook.com/showmetimes. 

If it weren't for the United States military, there'd be NO United States of America.

By George H. Guthrie

 

JACKSON, Tenn. -- Leaning forward, you strain to hear. The fresh, cool breeze of the garden morning brushes your cheek. Bending, you look into that open, black-dark mouth of the tomb, its only light the sun's thin finger reaching past your shoulder to touch the corner of a bone box. But the bones for which it waits have changed, gotten up and walked away. No smell of death; only the sweet scent of burial spices hanging in the air.

Bouncing off the walls of this vacated tomb, you may hear echoes from another garden where the lie, "Has God really said?" prevailed, and death was ushered in. But now, in this garden the lie has been silenced with a resounding, "Yes!! His Word lives!" and death has been driven out, the curse of Eden swallowed up in this empty space.

And do you hear the echo of righteous Noah, who built a deliverance to carry God's creations through the judgment, or Father Abraham, through whom all the peoples of the earth would be blessed? Do you hear the echoes of Egypt's oppressive slavery turned inside-out in powerful salvation, and at its peak an innocent lamb slain so that death would pass over? Do you hear the echo of new life found through parting waters, or of bread, water, and the Shekinah tent given in a wilderness? Do you hear the death-dealing law, unable to give life, at once fulfilled and filled full by the Life? Do you hear these echoes?

As you now kneel on this rough-hewn path leading into where Hope was dead for a moment, do you hear Joshua's name, bouncing 'round these walls, the same name as "Yeshua," "Jesus," whose very name shouts "Salvation!"? Walls have crumbled. Evil has been judged, banished from the land. Joshua led God's people to a promised place, a place flowing with all good things, as does now his namesake, who takes us to a promised rest harder bought. And the chaos of Judges too rings through this darkened grave, its "every man did what was right in his own eyes" now crushed under a staggering obedience, one Man having done what was right to give us new hearts, making us right with God.

King David's words, "You will not allow your Holy One to see decay," hang in this sweet air, and His Son, the ultimate Man, the ultimate King, receives the coronation song and, finally, dominion of the world and of a different kind of Kingdom. And this Easter tomb, having become a temple of sorts, housing God, echoes with the words of blessing over Solomon's temple, its walls now torn down but built up in flesh and bone, stone by stone, to go walking through the world, taking the Light of the Gospel, the Presence, to all the black corners of the earth. The temple decisively cleansed by one Offering, the Great High Priest intercedes, never to offer another sacrifice, the way into the holiest place forever opened by His trail-blazing life.

Here too, in this now-hollow crypt ring full the words of Isaiah, "On this mountain ... He will destroy death forever," and Jeremiah's "they will all know Me," and do you hear Ezekiel's bones rattle with hope? Exile having been exiled, this now is the true return, the Kingdom come, God's people ruled by one ever-living King.

A baby's cry, warbling out from a dusty trough, warbles here too, for the birth of Salvation always was leading to death, thus to this place. Vulnerability led to and ended here. The Jordan with open sky and loving Voice, the temptation to bow down, gain dominion, and avoid the terrible fate, and the transfiguration, shining and telling of his Exodus -- events that all anticipate this shaking of the earth, this shattering of our assumptions. Echoed in every inch of this tomb are Love's words, "no greater love," and Love's power that shushed a storm and raised a child. You hear them here in this cavernous glory.

And now you turn looking from this garden to the outpouring, the Spirit come, and to the church spreading down the ages, and to those who die in Hope, and you see us. For all these echoes from the Easter tomb, you realize, are our Story, and we, at the mouth of this conquered grave, stand at the center of His Story. 

George H. Guthrie is the Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and author of the book "Read the Bible for Life." More information about the "Read the Bible for Life" initiative is available at www.readthebibleforlife.com.