Cowboy culture is still dominated by the larger-than-life image projected by the greatest cowboy-actor of them all, John Wayne. The rough-and-tumble, heart-of-gold, good-guy character John Wayne perfected on-screen never failed to embody the qualities of honor, loyalty, bravery and commitment.
John Wayne's cowboys didn't just look good. They were good. In the classic, "Rio Bravo," Wayne's character summed up the essence of his cowboy philosophy by declaring to a less-than-perfect sidekick "Just showing up doesn't get the job done!"
Matthew's parable-allegory of the 10 bridesmaids seems to emphasize this same kind of message to his reader--it takes more than good intentions to be a faithful member of the Christian community. In fact, being a disciple of Christ requires us to commit to eight crucial words. These eight words will direct the whole course of our lives--if we take them seriously:
Show Up, Be Present, Be Yourself, Let Go.
Show Up. Getting there, no matter what the...
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