A gallery of walls with stuff written on
Wow, this is such sarcastic graffiti. Please take a look. You can also participate by uploading your own pictures too.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The Nose Knows
I don’t know if different people have some senses which are more developed than others or if I just have such bad sinuses that I miss a lot of odors. Our 4 year old, Ellen doesn’t miss ANY.
The other morning she stepped out side, and took a deep breath. She stuck out her chest and stretched out her arms. I half expected her to announce like Robert Duvall in ‘Apocalypse Now,’ “I LOVE the smell of napalm in the morning.
In stead she mused, “MMMM, it smells like Halloween out here!” with a big grin as she marched out to the truck. Hmmm, I wondered. What the heck does Halloween smell like? Candy Corns? Chocolate, popcorn, candied apples and the inside of plastic or rubber masks? She’s only 4- how many Halloweens can she possible remember?
Naturally, I asked her what she meant.
“Mmm, cool, crisp, yummy!” was all the explanation that she gave. I suppose it has been unseasonably warm for January. There was a hint of smoke from people’s fireplaces or burn piles in the air. It was pretty dry that morning, not too humid or foggy. I guess she knew what she was smelling.
“MMMM, you smell like Gwampa” she told me one evening.
“Which Grandpa? And is that a good thing or a BAD thing?” I asked her. I have been dealing the best I can with some early arthritis lately, but I try to use odorless Aspercream or Sportscream and avoid heavy menthol rubs like Icy Hot and Absorbine Jr.
“MMM, it’s a good thing,” she assured me and nuzzled her head in my shoulder. If I remember this story right, wife Bethany explained later that I’d done something mechanical for once in my life so I probably smelled like her dad who’s always got his hands in a tractor, baler, or combine. So I took it as a good thing.
“MMMM, you breath smells like apples!” she might tell you if you’ve been drinking juice. “MMMMM, I smell like SWA-bewies!” she might announce as she blows a breath in your face after she’s brushed her teeth.
“Do I smell like STWAbewie Shortcake???” she’ll ask, sticking her head right under your nose. “I used STWAbewie Show-tcake shampoo!”
“It smells like KwisMass!” she’s announced before on snowy days.
One morning after I’d finished my shower and returned to my room to get dressed for work, she shuffled out of bed and out into the hall, rubbing her eyes and dragging her “blankie,” hair all a fright. She stopped and sniffed and noted, “MMM, it smells like DADDY out here!”
Bethany once again had to assure me that this was a good thing, and that she was just smelling the cologne I’d just put on.
THAT was a relief because just the day before Ellen had shared with me a scientific discover she’d made.
“Daddy, did you know that Soda makes you toot? That’s why grown-ups toot so much, cause they drink too much soda. Maybe you should stop drinking soda, that way you won’t toot so much!”
The other morning she stepped out side, and took a deep breath. She stuck out her chest and stretched out her arms. I half expected her to announce like Robert Duvall in ‘Apocalypse Now,’ “I LOVE the smell of napalm in the morning.
In stead she mused, “MMMM, it smells like Halloween out here!” with a big grin as she marched out to the truck. Hmmm, I wondered. What the heck does Halloween smell like? Candy Corns? Chocolate, popcorn, candied apples and the inside of plastic or rubber masks? She’s only 4- how many Halloweens can she possible remember?
Naturally, I asked her what she meant.
“Mmm, cool, crisp, yummy!” was all the explanation that she gave. I suppose it has been unseasonably warm for January. There was a hint of smoke from people’s fireplaces or burn piles in the air. It was pretty dry that morning, not too humid or foggy. I guess she knew what she was smelling.
“MMMM, you smell like Gwampa” she told me one evening.
“Which Grandpa? And is that a good thing or a BAD thing?” I asked her. I have been dealing the best I can with some early arthritis lately, but I try to use odorless Aspercream or Sportscream and avoid heavy menthol rubs like Icy Hot and Absorbine Jr.
“MMM, it’s a good thing,” she assured me and nuzzled her head in my shoulder. If I remember this story right, wife Bethany explained later that I’d done something mechanical for once in my life so I probably smelled like her dad who’s always got his hands in a tractor, baler, or combine. So I took it as a good thing.
“MMMM, you breath smells like apples!” she might tell you if you’ve been drinking juice. “MMMMM, I smell like SWA-bewies!” she might announce as she blows a breath in your face after she’s brushed her teeth.
“Do I smell like STWAbewie Shortcake???” she’ll ask, sticking her head right under your nose. “I used STWAbewie Show-tcake shampoo!”
“It smells like KwisMass!” she’s announced before on snowy days.
One morning after I’d finished my shower and returned to my room to get dressed for work, she shuffled out of bed and out into the hall, rubbing her eyes and dragging her “blankie,” hair all a fright. She stopped and sniffed and noted, “MMM, it smells like DADDY out here!”
Bethany once again had to assure me that this was a good thing, and that she was just smelling the cologne I’d just put on.
THAT was a relief because just the day before Ellen had shared with me a scientific discover she’d made.
“Daddy, did you know that Soda makes you toot? That’s why grown-ups toot so much, cause they drink too much soda. Maybe you should stop drinking soda, that way you won’t toot so much!”
Monday, January 23, 2006
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: " On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and 'to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.'
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,"
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,"
Friday, January 20, 2006
Gestures
I haven't added many images to this blog in a long time and when I have they've mostly been photos. Here are three 18X24 newsprint gesture sketches in charcoal and conte' crayon.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
The Radical Middle: Conclusion
Both Liberal John Locke and Conservative Thomas Hobbes were right about some things, and both were wrong about some things. Can't there be three sides to every issue?
Gun Control- One extreme says that there shouldn't be any. Anyone should be able to own any gun. The other extreme says that no one needs any guns in the 21st century anymore so no one should be allowed to own any. But somewhere in the middle we can talk about waiting periods and hunting weapons or home protection as opposed to instruments of murder and war.
Death penalty- One extreme says that not only should murder be punished by death, but so should rape and kidnapping. The other extreme says that it's barbaric, cruel and unusual. Surely, somewhere in between we can talk about DNA evidence and redemption and rehabilitation- yet restitution, consequence, and deterrence.
Stem Cells- One extreme says that we shouldn't play God, the other thinks that science has the solution to almost everything. Somehow, so long as we're not deliberately fertilizing eggs to create stem cell lines, if legal fertility treatments, produce cells that will be disposed of anyway, why not allow those to be used for research?
Gay marriage- One extreme stands outside of churches with posters that say "God hates fags." The other extreme would be blasé' about deviant behavior becoming more and more acceptable as just another lifestyle choice. Somewhere in the middle we can see that the constitution guarantees rights to everyone no matter how different from us, like it or not, so if marriage is so holy, then why should states issue marriage licenses? Let marriage be religious and civil unions be social.
Evolution- One extreme says that God created the earth in 6 24-hour calendar days as we know them, roughly 6,000 years ago. The theories of Charles Darwin threaten all Christian norms and not only should Intelligent Design be taught in public schools, but Darwinism should not. The other extreme is that we're all random stardust and everything we know is by random accident. Religion is a delusion and an opiate and not only is the whole concept of Intelligent Design laughable, but you can put your faith in any of the scientific theories in current textbooks, including Darwin's and there's no place for any religion in our schools.
Yikes, right? Seems like there would be no middle, but come on- obviously both of these are too absolutist. No scientific theory or discovery can shake my faith because "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1)." Whereas science is studying, testing, and reporting those things that you CAN see. You can't measure, calibrate, quantify or qualify faith, prayer, love, devotion, belief or forgiveness. And the problem with science is that it depends entirely on what we can see, but the very act of observing something alters it's natural state- so we can never observe something the way it really is. It's like trying to see if the light turns off in the refrigerator when you close the door. The evidence suggests that the rock is billions of years old. Evidence may suggest that a candle has been burning for three hours, unless you lit it with a blow torch.
So where is the middle? Teach scientific method as a method and ALL scientific theories as theories. Teach critical thinking skills, then go ahead and present Intelligent Design as a theory, but attribute it to who advocates it and why and let students make their own judgments about it. But don't try covertly sneak religion into the science classroom. Teach religious doctrine and dogma at Church, at home or at parochial schools in Religion class.
And remember, the First amendment prohibits public school teachers from using their position to proselytize students, but it also protects every students right to freely speak about and practice their religion anywhere, including school. So, as long as the kids initiate it and the teacher facilitates discussion rather than advocating or promoting any one position, there's no reason that kids can't talk about their views on evolution or religion or anything else in any classroom.
Abortion, the war in Iraq, equal pay for women, affirmative action, a progressive tax code, the distribution of power and responsibility between the three branches of government, the balance of power and responsibility between states and the Federal government, participation in international treaties and organizations, illegal immigration, domestic spying, work safety, drug safety, TV ratings, boring budgets and appropriations… everything from infrastructure to Social Security can divide us and anyone can have a liberal positions on one or two issues and yet a very conservative positions on several other.
Not all Republicans are filthy rich and white males and not all Democrats are herb smoking New Agers who can't wait to spit on our soldiers when the come home. So both as Christians and as Americans, we should be slow to judge and quick to look for what we have in common with others, so that together we can move forward on the things we agree on instead of stereotyping each other and resenting each other because of what we disagree about.
"It is good to grasp on to one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes."~ Ecclesiastes 7:18
____________________________________________
"The gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." ~Garrison Keillor
Gun Control- One extreme says that there shouldn't be any. Anyone should be able to own any gun. The other extreme says that no one needs any guns in the 21st century anymore so no one should be allowed to own any. But somewhere in the middle we can talk about waiting periods and hunting weapons or home protection as opposed to instruments of murder and war.
Death penalty- One extreme says that not only should murder be punished by death, but so should rape and kidnapping. The other extreme says that it's barbaric, cruel and unusual. Surely, somewhere in between we can talk about DNA evidence and redemption and rehabilitation- yet restitution, consequence, and deterrence.
Stem Cells- One extreme says that we shouldn't play God, the other thinks that science has the solution to almost everything. Somehow, so long as we're not deliberately fertilizing eggs to create stem cell lines, if legal fertility treatments, produce cells that will be disposed of anyway, why not allow those to be used for research?
Gay marriage- One extreme stands outside of churches with posters that say "God hates fags." The other extreme would be blasé' about deviant behavior becoming more and more acceptable as just another lifestyle choice. Somewhere in the middle we can see that the constitution guarantees rights to everyone no matter how different from us, like it or not, so if marriage is so holy, then why should states issue marriage licenses? Let marriage be religious and civil unions be social.
Evolution- One extreme says that God created the earth in 6 24-hour calendar days as we know them, roughly 6,000 years ago. The theories of Charles Darwin threaten all Christian norms and not only should Intelligent Design be taught in public schools, but Darwinism should not. The other extreme is that we're all random stardust and everything we know is by random accident. Religion is a delusion and an opiate and not only is the whole concept of Intelligent Design laughable, but you can put your faith in any of the scientific theories in current textbooks, including Darwin's and there's no place for any religion in our schools.
Yikes, right? Seems like there would be no middle, but come on- obviously both of these are too absolutist. No scientific theory or discovery can shake my faith because "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1)." Whereas science is studying, testing, and reporting those things that you CAN see. You can't measure, calibrate, quantify or qualify faith, prayer, love, devotion, belief or forgiveness. And the problem with science is that it depends entirely on what we can see, but the very act of observing something alters it's natural state- so we can never observe something the way it really is. It's like trying to see if the light turns off in the refrigerator when you close the door. The evidence suggests that the rock is billions of years old. Evidence may suggest that a candle has been burning for three hours, unless you lit it with a blow torch.
So where is the middle? Teach scientific method as a method and ALL scientific theories as theories. Teach critical thinking skills, then go ahead and present Intelligent Design as a theory, but attribute it to who advocates it and why and let students make their own judgments about it. But don't try covertly sneak religion into the science classroom. Teach religious doctrine and dogma at Church, at home or at parochial schools in Religion class.
And remember, the First amendment prohibits public school teachers from using their position to proselytize students, but it also protects every students right to freely speak about and practice their religion anywhere, including school. So, as long as the kids initiate it and the teacher facilitates discussion rather than advocating or promoting any one position, there's no reason that kids can't talk about their views on evolution or religion or anything else in any classroom.
Abortion, the war in Iraq, equal pay for women, affirmative action, a progressive tax code, the distribution of power and responsibility between the three branches of government, the balance of power and responsibility between states and the Federal government, participation in international treaties and organizations, illegal immigration, domestic spying, work safety, drug safety, TV ratings, boring budgets and appropriations… everything from infrastructure to Social Security can divide us and anyone can have a liberal positions on one or two issues and yet a very conservative positions on several other.
Not all Republicans are filthy rich and white males and not all Democrats are herb smoking New Agers who can't wait to spit on our soldiers when the come home. So both as Christians and as Americans, we should be slow to judge and quick to look for what we have in common with others, so that together we can move forward on the things we agree on instead of stereotyping each other and resenting each other because of what we disagree about.
"It is good to grasp on to one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes."~ Ecclesiastes 7:18
____________________________________________
"The gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." ~Garrison Keillor
Monday, January 16, 2006
Beware of the 9/11 email hoax
Once again, someone has sent me this spam forward that claims that the Koran (the Muslim holy book) contains prophecies that predicted the American invasion of Iraq and that this is somehow a war that was predicted in the Bible as well. PLEASE, if you get this email too- copy and paste this blog post into a reply email. Best yet make sure you hit "reply all" so that everyone else who received the hoax email can read the truth too.
Here it is, from this very blog back in September 2004:
BEWARE of The 9/11 email Hoax!
There is an email hoax going around that claims that Chapter 9, Verse 11 of the Koran says something like this:
"For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace."
It's supposed to get Americans to support the War in Iraq because it coincidenttly is the "9/11" verse. Well it is NOT true!
Here's what I got at U.S.C.'s online translation of the Koran at
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/qmtintro.html
009.011
"YUSUFALI: But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity,- they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand.
PICKTHAL: But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then are they your brethren in religion. We detail Our revelations for a people who have knowledge.
SHAKIR: But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the communications clear for a people who know. "
Please be careful with internet forwards. They may often be fabricated by people who're seeking to advance political agendas.
If there is a problem for believing Christians with this it may be the false doctrine of "Dispensationalism," that is the belief that Jesus' work was somehow incomplete on the cross and that God will make a special allowance for Israel to accept Jesus. Other people seem to think that Jesus' second coming won't happen until Solomon's Temple is rebuilt where there is currently a mosuque- as if the Temple is some kind of stargate through which Jesus will arrive.
Neither of these ideas is found in Scripture, in fact, Jesus makes two things clear. One is that our relationship with God is no longer tied to physical, geographical, or political places. The other one is that there is nothing we can do to precipitate, or speed-up Jesus' coming.
John 4: 19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Matt 24:36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,but only the Father....44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
For any politician or party to think that they are a catylist for the end times is either presumptuous or delusional. The greatest fault of Islam is it's unacceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, other than that it is not in itself a violent or malevolent religion. Muslim extremist terrorists are to Islam what the Christian Identity and other white-supremest groups are to Christianity, fanatical cults, not true believers. Please be careful about email hoaxes that perpetuate negative stereotypes.
Sorry to be so "preachy," I'll get off my soapbox now.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." ~Matthew 5:9
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.'" ~Psalm 122:6-7
Here it is, from this very blog back in September 2004:
BEWARE of The 9/11 email Hoax!
There is an email hoax going around that claims that Chapter 9, Verse 11 of the Koran says something like this:
"For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace."
It's supposed to get Americans to support the War in Iraq because it coincidenttly is the "9/11" verse. Well it is NOT true!
Here's what I got at U.S.C.'s online translation of the Koran at
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/qmtintro.html
009.011
"YUSUFALI: But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity,- they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand.
PICKTHAL: But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then are they your brethren in religion. We detail Our revelations for a people who have knowledge.
SHAKIR: But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the communications clear for a people who know. "
Please be careful with internet forwards. They may often be fabricated by people who're seeking to advance political agendas.
If there is a problem for believing Christians with this it may be the false doctrine of "Dispensationalism," that is the belief that Jesus' work was somehow incomplete on the cross and that God will make a special allowance for Israel to accept Jesus. Other people seem to think that Jesus' second coming won't happen until Solomon's Temple is rebuilt where there is currently a mosuque- as if the Temple is some kind of stargate through which Jesus will arrive.
Neither of these ideas is found in Scripture, in fact, Jesus makes two things clear. One is that our relationship with God is no longer tied to physical, geographical, or political places. The other one is that there is nothing we can do to precipitate, or speed-up Jesus' coming.
John 4: 19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Matt 24:36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,but only the Father....44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
For any politician or party to think that they are a catylist for the end times is either presumptuous or delusional. The greatest fault of Islam is it's unacceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, other than that it is not in itself a violent or malevolent religion. Muslim extremist terrorists are to Islam what the Christian Identity and other white-supremest groups are to Christianity, fanatical cults, not true believers. Please be careful about email hoaxes that perpetuate negative stereotypes.
Sorry to be so "preachy," I'll get off my soapbox now.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." ~Matthew 5:9
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.'" ~Psalm 122:6-7
MLK Day
Did you know why MLK was in Memphis for the garbage workers' strike when he was shot on his motel balcony? Two black garbage men sought shelter from a storm during a break. The city wouldn't let them inside with white workers, so they sat in the tailgate of their truck. They were crushed to death by the compactor. During the protests and labor strike that followed, workers wore placards that read "I am a man." As in, a human being- not a piece of garbage.
Today fundamentalist white Southern Baptist "conservative-Christians" dominate American politics, and unfortunately, American theology. Their issues are anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-Darwin, pro-war and pro-rich. Their end-times theology of "millennialism" is perhaps their greatest false doctrine which has a dangerous influence on all the rest of their teaching, but worst, on American foreign policy. I will stipulate that abortion is wrong and that the Bible clearly does not condone homosexuality- but should Christians only protect a human being before it is born? Don't we also have a responsibility to be our brothers' keepers their whole lives?
Dr. King is most remembered for his leadership in the non-violent civil rights movement, but the Nobel Peace Prize winner was also an opponent of war and a champion of social and economic justice. Today, on his birthday, please pray that God will lead our nation and it's leaders away from coruption and complacency and toward His will for us to have a heart for the poor, the weak, and the infirm. Pray that "compassionate conservatism" would become reality, and not mere campaign rhetoric.
"...any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the economic conditions that damn the soul, the social conditions that corrupt men, and the city governments that cripple them, is a dry, dead, do-nothing religion in need of new blood."
~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
James 2 (New International Version)
Faith and Deeds
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
Please visit http://www.sojo.net/- Soujourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
MLK Day
"The stars may be marvelous, but not as marvelous as the mind of man that comprehended them.
This is what the biblical writers mean when they say that man is made in the image of God. Man has rational capacity; he has the unique ability to have fellowship with God. Man is a being of spirit."
~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
1 Corinthians 1:8-10 (New International Version)
8He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Divisions in the Church
10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.Thursday, January 12, 2006
The Radical Middle: Part 2
"It is good to grasp on to one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." ~ Ecclesiastes is Chapter 7:18
Last week I wrote about how two political philosophers influenced American history and thinking. Thomas Hobbes believed that most people are basically selfish and incapable of governing themselves, so they need a strong government led by those most fit to lead. John Locke believed that everyone is born a "blank slate" and given the right resources, anyone is capable of making rational decisions, therefore everyone should be able to have an equal input in government. Even our government is designed to reflect these two views.
Congress represents small districts with "common" men and women running every two years. They hold more radical positions on hot-button issues and it's easy for them to pass legislation quickly. Locke would love that kind of direct democracy.
Whereas, the Senators represent entire states, they're generally millionaires, from old wealthy families, or have served for years in other government positions, like the Congress before ascending to the Senate. Things move more slowly there and regardless of which party they're from, they tend to be more cautions and careful, negotiating, deliberating and building consensus before finalizing their decisions. Hobbes would have appreciated that kind of institution.
Like Iowa is stuck in the middle of the country, I've often felt like I was stuck in the middle of Locke and Hobbes' two extremes. Sure I lean to the left a little, some of that is because I loved studying history and I admired Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. I liked their pragmatic, progressive reforms and vision and I liked the positive changes of the civil rights movment. I saw Joseph Macarthy and Richard Nixon as threatening, powerful demagogues.
But I guess I didn't fit the mold of what many post-sixties conservatives think "liberals" should be like. I didn't "hate" America, I'm not an anarchist, I've never used drugs, I believe in God and strong families and tradition and working hard at a 9 to 5 for a decent wage and living in suburbia.
I was frustrated by the Iran-Contra scandal and the trickle-down economics that favored the rich used byt the Reagan administration, so I joined the Young Democrats of America (YDA) in high school. The YDA was so small that to have any activities, the school had us join together with the Teenage Republicans (TAR). What I noticed was that the YDA's president was the "Alex P. Keaton (Micheal J. Fox)" sort of preppie with the tie and briefcase who always read Time and Newsweek. It was the Republican guys who wore black heavy metal band concert t-shirts and had long hair or shaved heads. Maybe they were more interested in the pizza then policy and ideology.
Then in college, I interviewed for a job at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) phone bank- but frankly I was kind of uncomfortable with all of the women who didn't shave their legs and the men who did. I try not to judge people with all kind of piercings and tattoos or anyone who smokes or uses colorful language, but none of those things are me. And like anyone, I can handle hanging out or working with a few people who are different, but it's hard to be the one and only square for too long.
There are two things about Clinton that I appreciated. First is that he was a fiscal conservative. He insisted on a balanced budget and he eventually managed to begin reducing the national debt. The other is that he reached out to Republicans and independents to fill positions and help decide policy- even though some hard-core conservatives hounded him his entire term. No one had been as bipartisan since Abe Lincoln. But yes, I felt angry and betrayed by his philandering and lying.
Now, I know I whine about this a lot, but it drives me crazy to be torn between two worlds. Liberals don't understand how I can be so religious and so into families and small towns. Christians don't understand how I can call myself a Christian and ever vote for any Democrats, let alone be registered to that party. I just wish that Americans could allow themselves to" grasp on to one and not let go of the other."
Last week I wrote about how two political philosophers influenced American history and thinking. Thomas Hobbes believed that most people are basically selfish and incapable of governing themselves, so they need a strong government led by those most fit to lead. John Locke believed that everyone is born a "blank slate" and given the right resources, anyone is capable of making rational decisions, therefore everyone should be able to have an equal input in government. Even our government is designed to reflect these two views.
Congress represents small districts with "common" men and women running every two years. They hold more radical positions on hot-button issues and it's easy for them to pass legislation quickly. Locke would love that kind of direct democracy.
Whereas, the Senators represent entire states, they're generally millionaires, from old wealthy families, or have served for years in other government positions, like the Congress before ascending to the Senate. Things move more slowly there and regardless of which party they're from, they tend to be more cautions and careful, negotiating, deliberating and building consensus before finalizing their decisions. Hobbes would have appreciated that kind of institution.
Like Iowa is stuck in the middle of the country, I've often felt like I was stuck in the middle of Locke and Hobbes' two extremes. Sure I lean to the left a little, some of that is because I loved studying history and I admired Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. I liked their pragmatic, progressive reforms and vision and I liked the positive changes of the civil rights movment. I saw Joseph Macarthy and Richard Nixon as threatening, powerful demagogues.
But I guess I didn't fit the mold of what many post-sixties conservatives think "liberals" should be like. I didn't "hate" America, I'm not an anarchist, I've never used drugs, I believe in God and strong families and tradition and working hard at a 9 to 5 for a decent wage and living in suburbia.
I was frustrated by the Iran-Contra scandal and the trickle-down economics that favored the rich used byt the Reagan administration, so I joined the Young Democrats of America (YDA) in high school. The YDA was so small that to have any activities, the school had us join together with the Teenage Republicans (TAR). What I noticed was that the YDA's president was the "Alex P. Keaton (Micheal J. Fox)" sort of preppie with the tie and briefcase who always read Time and Newsweek. It was the Republican guys who wore black heavy metal band concert t-shirts and had long hair or shaved heads. Maybe they were more interested in the pizza then policy and ideology.
Then in college, I interviewed for a job at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) phone bank- but frankly I was kind of uncomfortable with all of the women who didn't shave their legs and the men who did. I try not to judge people with all kind of piercings and tattoos or anyone who smokes or uses colorful language, but none of those things are me. And like anyone, I can handle hanging out or working with a few people who are different, but it's hard to be the one and only square for too long.
There are two things about Clinton that I appreciated. First is that he was a fiscal conservative. He insisted on a balanced budget and he eventually managed to begin reducing the national debt. The other is that he reached out to Republicans and independents to fill positions and help decide policy- even though some hard-core conservatives hounded him his entire term. No one had been as bipartisan since Abe Lincoln. But yes, I felt angry and betrayed by his philandering and lying.
Now, I know I whine about this a lot, but it drives me crazy to be torn between two worlds. Liberals don't understand how I can be so religious and so into families and small towns. Christians don't understand how I can call myself a Christian and ever vote for any Democrats, let alone be registered to that party. I just wish that Americans could allow themselves to" grasp on to one and not let go of the other."
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Merry Epiphany
The 12 Days of Christmas are just about up. Tommorrow is Epiphany, when we celebrate that Maggi bringing their gifts of gold, frankensence and myrh to the Light of the world. Me, I still haven't gotten my Christmas cards out yet.
One of the nicest things for a teacher about this time of year is that the college kids are still on break, so they come back to their old high school to visit. This morning I got to visit with Jen, a former cheerleader who is now a Junior at Georgetown University. She shared something wonderful with me, the Christmas letter emailed out by her Theology Professor. I know, we LCMS Lutherans are hyper-critical of any religious views that aren't our own, but I found his letter beautuful. I hope that you do too.
I wish you peace in your own varied holidays, and send greetings written in the final hours of my own. Forgive the imposition. History weighs heavily, and we should all speak clearly what is ours to say as best we can. So I offer you my own attempts to make sense of Christmas this year. They are inspired by conversations with some of you. I hope they are helpful in some way.
Mv favorite Christmas song has always been Emerson,
They said there’d be snow on Christmas, they said there’d be peace on earth, well Halleluia! Noel! Be it Heaven or Hell, the Christmas we get we deserve.
I always liked hearing that song. I’d try to find it on the radio as I drove to pick up my grandfather. A bitter tonic for the saccharine glaze of happy families, merry gentlemen, and all the other holiday BS that had little to do with my own Christmas most years.
Peace on Earth and... snow. Wishes ranked on the same level of hallmark sentimentality. The peace presumably of that that ideal scene of family sentimentality. “Away in a manger”—the cozy, warm stable, sweet hay, lowing cattle, and the little Lord Jesus, “no crying he makes.” As touching as it may be. it hardly seems to justify scaring the wits out of shepherds with angels singing “Peace on Earth.”
This fairy tale drops most of the Gospel framing: a vulnerable pregnant couple forced to travel because of imperial caprice, unwelcomed in a strange town, reduced to sleeping with animals. Sweet lowing or not, a horrible place to birth a child, The violence of the powers-that-be frame the story--from the Emperor ordering a census, to Herod, the petty client King, slaughtering all the male children in his realm to eliminate any messianic challenge to his power. It was as strange a birth for a messiah as the end it foreshadowed.
The deep story is so different from the fairy tale. It bears a more savage hope. In a world of violent power, God precisely does not give us what “we deserve.”
God makes all things new. Not with the sort of power we imagine--the power of coercion, of violence, of saying “No” to what we oppose, even when it is evil. But with a “Yes” that reaffirms that primordial yes that lies just beyond the horizon of our impotent, gifted finitude. . .that creative “Yes” that holds us and all things in existence
Frankly. I can’t say I much understand God’s power.
I am more familiar with the variety that says “No.” Modem Christianity is too. It fell into a great misunderstanding of God in this regard. Forgetting God’s transcendence, it imagined him as a Supreme Being. An all-powerful version of the absolute monarchs that ruled
“God” is no such monstrous tyrant, rather a mystery more about being than smiting, the ungraspable source implied in our surprising existence.
When we remake God in our own image, it’s clear enough how we should act. Impose our will on the world; eliminate other alternatives. Indeed so much of Christianity seems obsessed with saying “No” to all it finds wrong, confusing condemnation and coercion with faithfulness to the Gospel.
It’s harder to figure out how to follow the God who says yes. Creation out of nothing is clearly beyond us. But the Incarnation is about more than a baby in a manger. Jesus grew to adulthood and lived a certain way. A way that might make sense of how humans might exercise power like God. He was known to seek out the companionship of the excluded and reviled: prostitutes, drunks, tax collectors and collaborators. He reached across the no’s of excommunication. He spoke the dangerous truth against power and fear. He challenged political and religious authorities, as well as the fear and resentment of the crowds. He preached a Gospel of engagement, of attending to the desperate, frightening need of the poor, the sick, the forgotten, the imprisoned; of facing violence, without flinching and fear, but also without returning it. The Gospels are full of accounts of him practicing what he preached, engaging the bitter and broken, answering opponents, facing his would be oppressors. These yeses continued, through and beyond the world’s great “No” to him.
The core message of Jesus’ preaching (and one hopes of Christianity) is that God empowers us to do the same. We do so by saying yes to where we are, to the history and relationships into which we are born. We do so by looking each other in the eye and listening. We do so by facing those we wish didn’t exist. We do so by saying “Yes” to the obligations we encounter, even when they demand more than we think we can ever give.
A strange power indeed. A yes beyond safety, control, and certainty. One that finds the power to give in having nothing to loose.
“No” seems easier, as does, I suppose, an irrelevant fairy tale about a perfect little baby glowing in a stable. History desperately needs the new things our own “Yes” can make
Peace,
Prof. Miller
The Radical Middle: part 1 of 2
One of my favorite books of the Bible to read at New Year’s is Ecclesiastes. I think a lot of people turn to it in January because of that whole chapter 3 thing, you know, "There is a time for everything. For everything there is a season…" turn, turn, turn. Actually, the Birds added that "turn" part to make it into a folk song, but God and King Solomon pretty much wrote the rest of it.
What I like about it is how bare-bones pragmatic the book is. Solomon tells it like it is, he doesn’t hold anything back, like in Chapter 7, verse 20, where he says "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins."
What makes us all equal, is that at least sometimes every single one of us is selfish and short-sighted, everyone. Enough to separate us from each other, enough to separate us each from a healthy, loving relationship with God. Everyone.
Fortunately for us, as C.S. Lewis pictured in his children’s fantasy, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," God sacrificed His Son, Jesus (as symbolized by the lion Aslam) so that we don’t have to remain separated from Him or each other. Unfortunately, He’s such a loving, patient God that He doesn’t force Himself on anyone and if we reject Him long enough, He’ll give us what we want and leave us alone.
But, self-righteous and short-sighted as we all are, most of the time, most of us think that that’s too simple. Either we accuse God of being worse than Hitler for letting so many people suffer and end up lost or we take it upon ourselves to become His defenders and enforcers, going around telling people why He hates them and what’s wrong with what they do and who they are.
That’s why one of my favorite verses in all of Ecclesiastes is Chapter 7, verse 18: "It is good to grasp on to one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes."
In the history of the United States, two great philosophers dominated Revolutionary War era thought. Each represented opposite extremes on the issue of human nature.
Thomas Hobbes believed that in their natural state, men were constantly in conflict, each person battling for what they thought were their own best interests. He believed that the only answer was a strong central government to maintain law and order. Of course, he also thought that some people were bred to be better leaders, so economic class, if not royal blood lines should determine who got to participate in that government. In order for us to live in harmony, Hobbes thought that we all had to forfeit some of our rights to the state, so that the state could protect us.
John Locke, a prominent pediatrician, sort of the Dr. Spock of his time believed that everyone, no matter who their parents were, was born with absolute equal potential for intelligence, and for good or bad. Given the same opportunities, anyone could grow up to be a competent leader. He felt that every baby was a "blank slate." Needless to say, he felt that in order to meet common goals, all we had to do was to compromise some of our personal interests. He called this a "social-contract," you agree not to kick me if I agree not to punch you in the nose. Locke thought that we all had to forfeit some of our rights to the state, so that the state could help preserve the rest of our rights. Rights to life, liberty and property (Jefferson changed property to "pursuit of happiness").
These two points of view (which honestly have more in common than either Locke or Hobbes would’ve likely wanted to admit) are reflected throughout American society. We elect Presidents instead of anointing Kings, but we hold up athletes and celebrities as if they’re royalty. We claim that we’re all equal, but we’re constantly trying to climb the social ladder.
In Ecclesiastes 7, Solomon warns about trying to be overly righteous or overly wicked. He’s telling the reader that it’s bad idea to be too much of a libertine- giving free reign to impulse, letting anything go- but it’s just as much of a bad idea to be too into legalism- a control freak, not ever letting anything go.
Both Locke and Hobbes had some truth to their ideas, but neither was completely right. We need balance. We need to hold on to one, without letting go of the other.
Next week: Moderation in defense of liberty isn’t a vice either.
What I like about it is how bare-bones pragmatic the book is. Solomon tells it like it is, he doesn’t hold anything back, like in Chapter 7, verse 20, where he says "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins."
What makes us all equal, is that at least sometimes every single one of us is selfish and short-sighted, everyone. Enough to separate us from each other, enough to separate us each from a healthy, loving relationship with God. Everyone.
Fortunately for us, as C.S. Lewis pictured in his children’s fantasy, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," God sacrificed His Son, Jesus (as symbolized by the lion Aslam) so that we don’t have to remain separated from Him or each other. Unfortunately, He’s such a loving, patient God that He doesn’t force Himself on anyone and if we reject Him long enough, He’ll give us what we want and leave us alone.
But, self-righteous and short-sighted as we all are, most of the time, most of us think that that’s too simple. Either we accuse God of being worse than Hitler for letting so many people suffer and end up lost or we take it upon ourselves to become His defenders and enforcers, going around telling people why He hates them and what’s wrong with what they do and who they are.
That’s why one of my favorite verses in all of Ecclesiastes is Chapter 7, verse 18: "It is good to grasp on to one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes."
In the history of the United States, two great philosophers dominated Revolutionary War era thought. Each represented opposite extremes on the issue of human nature.
Thomas Hobbes believed that in their natural state, men were constantly in conflict, each person battling for what they thought were their own best interests. He believed that the only answer was a strong central government to maintain law and order. Of course, he also thought that some people were bred to be better leaders, so economic class, if not royal blood lines should determine who got to participate in that government. In order for us to live in harmony, Hobbes thought that we all had to forfeit some of our rights to the state, so that the state could protect us.
John Locke, a prominent pediatrician, sort of the Dr. Spock of his time believed that everyone, no matter who their parents were, was born with absolute equal potential for intelligence, and for good or bad. Given the same opportunities, anyone could grow up to be a competent leader. He felt that every baby was a "blank slate." Needless to say, he felt that in order to meet common goals, all we had to do was to compromise some of our personal interests. He called this a "social-contract," you agree not to kick me if I agree not to punch you in the nose. Locke thought that we all had to forfeit some of our rights to the state, so that the state could help preserve the rest of our rights. Rights to life, liberty and property (Jefferson changed property to "pursuit of happiness").
These two points of view (which honestly have more in common than either Locke or Hobbes would’ve likely wanted to admit) are reflected throughout American society. We elect Presidents instead of anointing Kings, but we hold up athletes and celebrities as if they’re royalty. We claim that we’re all equal, but we’re constantly trying to climb the social ladder.
In Ecclesiastes 7, Solomon warns about trying to be overly righteous or overly wicked. He’s telling the reader that it’s bad idea to be too much of a libertine- giving free reign to impulse, letting anything go- but it’s just as much of a bad idea to be too into legalism- a control freak, not ever letting anything go.
Both Locke and Hobbes had some truth to their ideas, but neither was completely right. We need balance. We need to hold on to one, without letting go of the other.
Next week: Moderation in defense of liberty isn’t a vice either.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
The TED Shop
TED Airlines Merchandise If you're looking for what to get a guy named Ted for his birthday... Try shopping here!
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