Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The Word Part Dos
As if in answer to what I was saying yesterday, I was reading Psalm 91 last night and I came across words that were familiar to me. Later, as I was reading the liner notes from the Bible I noted two things. First, the psalm was attributed to some random scribe or song leader - or, in other words, some schmoe just like you and me. And second, that the familiar words were quoted by Satan to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Now, how's that for lofty ambitions? Who here wants to write words so important that Satan will use them to try and tempt Jesus? Nobody. And nobody can. No matter how hard you try, you can't write the words of God. Only God can write those words. You might physically put them on the paper, but the authorship of the words is not in doubt.
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Word
In the beginning was The Word. I like to picture this, perhaps because I am a writer, of a voice of unspeakable beauty and majesty floating over the formless void - over a newly bubbling and still smoldering Earth. Tolkein would change The Word into music for the creation story of his Middle Earth in the Silmarillion. Either way, it is a lyrical and imaginative look at what is true about the creation story, no matter what side you fall on in the debate. The Word came first.
We can imagine the new people of this planet struggling with language. Humans had the capability to speak for as long as they've been around. But we don't find evidence of written language until about 10,000 years ago. For some 100,000 plus years, humans communicated strictly with words and gestures - making their meanings known to one another without any formal concept of what any of those sounds meant. It is still almost mind-boggling to me that written language should have ever developed as anything other than pictographs. Its one thing to see a cat and point. Its another thing to see a cat and call it a cat and everyone to nod that that is what you are going to call a cat from now on. Its a third thing to point to a picture of a cat and say cat and have everyone agree. But its another thing entirely to write the word CAT and have everyone agree that not only do those letters equal the picture, but also the sound of the word, Cat. Written language is truly a divine miracle.
When the Bible was first written - first in the Torah - it must have seemed that way for the people of the tribes of Israel. Here were God's words, preserved, for all to read or be read to them. This was divine truth. But here is where I start having trouble, because somewhere along the line a split occurs.
Next came Jesus and His words were written into the Bible as well. And I have no doubts in my mind that they are the divine words of truth - no different than those written by Moses. But, there is an entire tribe of humanity who thinks that I have been deluded - that the only words of God that are true are those written by Moses and the prophets. They discount Jesus's words as the holy words of God. It sounds crazy to me, but the Jews were not convinced of Jesus's divine origins. I feel, in part, that they missed the boat and that they weren't ready to admit that Jesus was the savior.
But then, it gets complicated. Mohammed came. And he claims that God spoke to him and even wrote the words of the Koran. And these holy words do not discount the holy words of Moses or Jesus, but they supercede those holy words. I think, perhaps, this is crazy and these people have been deluded. But then, I wonder, isn't that what the Jews think of Christians.
And what are we all to make of the Mormons, who claim that we're all wrong and that Joseph Smith heard and recorded the words of God in his Mormon Bible. Are the Mormons just a cult? Are Joseph Smith's words any less authentic than Moses's?
Its all confusing. When you write, you are putting down words and trying to describe an event - you are painting a word picture. The purpose behind this picture might be to convey wisdom, or beauty, or entertainment, or even truth. But when it comes to God's words, who do we say has the right to put those words into writing? Who do we believe to be the conduit for God's words?
Pastor Dave has long been my hidden conscious. Long before I was blogging, he always seemed to say things to me that were already on my mind. When I knew I had done something wrong, but was unwilling to admit it to myself, along would come Pastor Dave and innocently say, "You know guys, such and such is wrong." And secretly, in my heart, I would think - how did he know?
For a while now, I have been struggling with writing. I have been wandering aimlessly from word to word looking not for technical skill, nor ideas, but direction. Where did I want to go when I write? My novel teeters on the outcome of this wandering. It is written, but it is not yet polished. I have been looking in different directions wondering what path to take. This weekend, I had a revelation. I was watching The Family Man with Nicholas Cage and when the movie was over, I suddenly realized that I would never be Nicholas Cage. This may not seem a huge revelation to most of you. In fact, I imagine that many of you right now are saying, "Duh!" But I realized that, without giving up hope, a life of family - wife and kids - was not my destiny. My purpose here on Earth is to write. And as it all started to cascade into my brain, I realized what it was that I was supposed to have known all along - my direction. I've been put here to tell the truth - as best as I can fathom it.
Pastor Dave wrote, sometime over the weekend, "Will, while you're novel is in gestation, you might consider publishing a book of liturgical verses. Your psalm and this littany are heartfelt and gracefully phrased." My secret conscience strikes again. Compliments aside, Pastor Dave was telling me something I had already known. But, then the thoughts of the complications rose again - who am I to write the word of God?
And finally, I understood something that I had only had the barest hint of knowing - the most important glimpse of the communication between God and us.
In the beginning was The Word... And The Word was without form until written... And The Word was without meaning until read.
There is no such thing as God's written word, unless we read it and receive God's words. We, the readers, are the ones who make God's words important. We are the ones who decide what they mean. We are the ones who act on them. We are the ones who pass them on to others. Anyone can write God's words, but only us readers can make them mean anything.
Cat means cat. God means God. We all agree - and that's how Words work.
We can imagine the new people of this planet struggling with language. Humans had the capability to speak for as long as they've been around. But we don't find evidence of written language until about 10,000 years ago. For some 100,000 plus years, humans communicated strictly with words and gestures - making their meanings known to one another without any formal concept of what any of those sounds meant. It is still almost mind-boggling to me that written language should have ever developed as anything other than pictographs. Its one thing to see a cat and point. Its another thing to see a cat and call it a cat and everyone to nod that that is what you are going to call a cat from now on. Its a third thing to point to a picture of a cat and say cat and have everyone agree. But its another thing entirely to write the word CAT and have everyone agree that not only do those letters equal the picture, but also the sound of the word, Cat. Written language is truly a divine miracle.
When the Bible was first written - first in the Torah - it must have seemed that way for the people of the tribes of Israel. Here were God's words, preserved, for all to read or be read to them. This was divine truth. But here is where I start having trouble, because somewhere along the line a split occurs.
Next came Jesus and His words were written into the Bible as well. And I have no doubts in my mind that they are the divine words of truth - no different than those written by Moses. But, there is an entire tribe of humanity who thinks that I have been deluded - that the only words of God that are true are those written by Moses and the prophets. They discount Jesus's words as the holy words of God. It sounds crazy to me, but the Jews were not convinced of Jesus's divine origins. I feel, in part, that they missed the boat and that they weren't ready to admit that Jesus was the savior.
But then, it gets complicated. Mohammed came. And he claims that God spoke to him and even wrote the words of the Koran. And these holy words do not discount the holy words of Moses or Jesus, but they supercede those holy words. I think, perhaps, this is crazy and these people have been deluded. But then, I wonder, isn't that what the Jews think of Christians.
And what are we all to make of the Mormons, who claim that we're all wrong and that Joseph Smith heard and recorded the words of God in his Mormon Bible. Are the Mormons just a cult? Are Joseph Smith's words any less authentic than Moses's?
Its all confusing. When you write, you are putting down words and trying to describe an event - you are painting a word picture. The purpose behind this picture might be to convey wisdom, or beauty, or entertainment, or even truth. But when it comes to God's words, who do we say has the right to put those words into writing? Who do we believe to be the conduit for God's words?
Pastor Dave has long been my hidden conscious. Long before I was blogging, he always seemed to say things to me that were already on my mind. When I knew I had done something wrong, but was unwilling to admit it to myself, along would come Pastor Dave and innocently say, "You know guys, such and such is wrong." And secretly, in my heart, I would think - how did he know?
For a while now, I have been struggling with writing. I have been wandering aimlessly from word to word looking not for technical skill, nor ideas, but direction. Where did I want to go when I write? My novel teeters on the outcome of this wandering. It is written, but it is not yet polished. I have been looking in different directions wondering what path to take. This weekend, I had a revelation. I was watching The Family Man with Nicholas Cage and when the movie was over, I suddenly realized that I would never be Nicholas Cage. This may not seem a huge revelation to most of you. In fact, I imagine that many of you right now are saying, "Duh!" But I realized that, without giving up hope, a life of family - wife and kids - was not my destiny. My purpose here on Earth is to write. And as it all started to cascade into my brain, I realized what it was that I was supposed to have known all along - my direction. I've been put here to tell the truth - as best as I can fathom it.
Pastor Dave wrote, sometime over the weekend, "Will, while you're novel is in gestation, you might consider publishing a book of liturgical verses. Your psalm and this littany are heartfelt and gracefully phrased." My secret conscience strikes again. Compliments aside, Pastor Dave was telling me something I had already known. But, then the thoughts of the complications rose again - who am I to write the word of God?
And finally, I understood something that I had only had the barest hint of knowing - the most important glimpse of the communication between God and us.
In the beginning was The Word... And The Word was without form until written... And The Word was without meaning until read.
There is no such thing as God's written word, unless we read it and receive God's words. We, the readers, are the ones who make God's words important. We are the ones who decide what they mean. We are the ones who act on them. We are the ones who pass them on to others. Anyone can write God's words, but only us readers can make them mean anything.
Cat means cat. God means God. We all agree - and that's how Words work.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Thankful Thoughts
Its not Friday, but it might as well be... so here are a few of my thankful thoughts...
I, too, was appalled at the Weaver's portrayal of their Christianity in last nights episode of the Amazing Race - that hit oh too close to home (They started in Lake Powell, went to Green River, UT, and then ski-jumped at the Utah Olympic Park, and finally ended up in Salt Lake City... been there... done that!). I can't say I know anything about the Weavers and to criticize them unjustly would be wrong. So I can imagine that they come from a church full of like minded individuals in Florida and have probably never been challenged in their faith before. Their idea of good deeds is writing a check, washing cars and baking cookies for fund raisers, and perhaps even attending a week long mission trip to Mexico to help those poor individuals who are unfortunate enough to live there. Though their minds are in the right place, their hearts are maybe not there yet. They can't imagine being those people - therefore they can't see them as people. Its the old, There But For The Grace of God, Go I syndrome. If you can't honestly say that about your situation, then you have missed the point. Empathy begins with imagination - with realizing that you too could be homeless or poor or tired or angry or whatever. I think the Weavers have never been challenged to empathize with others less fortunate than them. And as a result, like so many of us, when they feel attacked by others, they attack back. The reason Christ said to turn the other cheek wasn't because He was some sort of masochist, but because He understood that until you realize why that person has hit you in the first place, you will never be able to dissapate their anger. What the Weavers should have done was reach out with an olive branch to their other teammates and try to understand them instead of taunting them and condemning them and saying bad things about them and then being unable to understand why everyone was mad at them. They will know you are Christians by your love, not by your admission of faith.
On this Thanksgiving weekend, I am thankful of so many things;
For my health and the continued health of my entire family, I am thankful, Lord.
For the addition of a new niece into my world, I am thankful, Lord.
For the continued joy that I see on my nephew's face, I am thankful, Lord.
For a healing church and renewed spiritual energy, I am thankful, Lord.
For a nation willing to question itself, I am thankful, Lord.
For friends who continue to inspire me, I am thankful, Lord.
For entertainment and sports to enjoy, I am thankful, Lord.
For freedom to speak and to write, I am thankful, Lord.
For peace, for hope, for faith, for charity, for you, oh God, I am thankful, Lord.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I will see you on Monday.
I, too, was appalled at the Weaver's portrayal of their Christianity in last nights episode of the Amazing Race - that hit oh too close to home (They started in Lake Powell, went to Green River, UT, and then ski-jumped at the Utah Olympic Park, and finally ended up in Salt Lake City... been there... done that!). I can't say I know anything about the Weavers and to criticize them unjustly would be wrong. So I can imagine that they come from a church full of like minded individuals in Florida and have probably never been challenged in their faith before. Their idea of good deeds is writing a check, washing cars and baking cookies for fund raisers, and perhaps even attending a week long mission trip to Mexico to help those poor individuals who are unfortunate enough to live there. Though their minds are in the right place, their hearts are maybe not there yet. They can't imagine being those people - therefore they can't see them as people. Its the old, There But For The Grace of God, Go I syndrome. If you can't honestly say that about your situation, then you have missed the point. Empathy begins with imagination - with realizing that you too could be homeless or poor or tired or angry or whatever. I think the Weavers have never been challenged to empathize with others less fortunate than them. And as a result, like so many of us, when they feel attacked by others, they attack back. The reason Christ said to turn the other cheek wasn't because He was some sort of masochist, but because He understood that until you realize why that person has hit you in the first place, you will never be able to dissapate their anger. What the Weavers should have done was reach out with an olive branch to their other teammates and try to understand them instead of taunting them and condemning them and saying bad things about them and then being unable to understand why everyone was mad at them. They will know you are Christians by your love, not by your admission of faith.
On this Thanksgiving weekend, I am thankful of so many things;
For my health and the continued health of my entire family, I am thankful, Lord.
For the addition of a new niece into my world, I am thankful, Lord.
For the continued joy that I see on my nephew's face, I am thankful, Lord.
For a healing church and renewed spiritual energy, I am thankful, Lord.
For a nation willing to question itself, I am thankful, Lord.
For friends who continue to inspire me, I am thankful, Lord.
For entertainment and sports to enjoy, I am thankful, Lord.
For freedom to speak and to write, I am thankful, Lord.
For peace, for hope, for faith, for charity, for you, oh God, I am thankful, Lord.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I will see you on Monday.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The Psalm of Welcoming
Lord, those who we greet,
We do so in your name.
When strangers come looking for you, O Lord,
We are your smile.
When they come to meet you,
We are your handshake.
When they come to embrace you,
We are your hug.
Install in us, Oh Lord,
The confidence to greet your people
With the love and respect
You have for each of us.
Teach us, Oh Lord,
To be the perfect hosts
To all who come to your house.
Honor us, Oh Lord,
With your presence
In everything that we do.
Show us, Oh Lord,
The incredible variety of human experience
Available to us
Right outside our doors.
Protect us, Oh Lord,
From the traps of doubt and fear,
That keep us from doing
Your will on Earth.
Those who have come here seeking the Lord are welcome.
God, the Holy One of Israel, welcomes you to his house.
We do so in your name.
When strangers come looking for you, O Lord,
We are your smile.
When they come to meet you,
We are your handshake.
When they come to embrace you,
We are your hug.
Install in us, Oh Lord,
The confidence to greet your people
With the love and respect
You have for each of us.
Teach us, Oh Lord,
To be the perfect hosts
To all who come to your house.
Honor us, Oh Lord,
With your presence
In everything that we do.
Show us, Oh Lord,
The incredible variety of human experience
Available to us
Right outside our doors.
Protect us, Oh Lord,
From the traps of doubt and fear,
That keep us from doing
Your will on Earth.
Those who have come here seeking the Lord are welcome.
God, the Holy One of Israel, welcomes you to his house.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Fate vs. Pre Destination
We believe that God gave us free will - that we are free to choose our own path. Yet, there are some troubling problems with that built into our own faith.
There is the holy trinity - God, the father, God, the son, and God, the Holy Spirit. They have been manifest since the beginning - since before we were created. Which means that before we were even conceived, before we'd ever fallen, Christ was alive and already headed for his death. Before we'd transgressed, before we'd betrayed with a kiss, God already knew the outcome of events. If free will does exist, how is it that God knew what was already going to happen?
I'm not casting aspersions on the idea of free will. God is far more beautiful and magnificent than my brain could even begin to comprehend. He is infinite, which according to Einstein is where parallel lines meet. So, if there is a way to know what's going to happen, and still not have a pre-ordained life, then God knows it. But I'm curious what you all think? Does Free Will exist? Does fate run our lives? Or is there some other explanation that none of us can fathom?
There is the holy trinity - God, the father, God, the son, and God, the Holy Spirit. They have been manifest since the beginning - since before we were created. Which means that before we were even conceived, before we'd ever fallen, Christ was alive and already headed for his death. Before we'd transgressed, before we'd betrayed with a kiss, God already knew the outcome of events. If free will does exist, how is it that God knew what was already going to happen?
I'm not casting aspersions on the idea of free will. God is far more beautiful and magnificent than my brain could even begin to comprehend. He is infinite, which according to Einstein is where parallel lines meet. So, if there is a way to know what's going to happen, and still not have a pre-ordained life, then God knows it. But I'm curious what you all think? Does Free Will exist? Does fate run our lives? Or is there some other explanation that none of us can fathom?
Friday, November 18, 2005
Quick thoughts on Friday...
My nephew turns two today. Happy Birthday Joshy!
He is also my god son. Which, of course, makes me a god father. Now, any of you god parents out there who have any suggestions about what exactly we're supposed to do as god parents, please let me know. (I've taken the mumbling lessons, moved my office into a dark room, had a few guys whacked, even started going around granting favors - but somehow it all seems so Hollywood... and besides, I would never want to cut off the head of a horse. I like horses.)
No, but seriously... What is the role of the Godfather? Anyone have any clue? I mean, I know the basics - protect and nourish Josh in his walk of faith. But isn't that the role of all Christians? Shouldn't we all be Godparents when it comes to that?
Other thoughts... Hollywood has managed to massage a 750 plus page book into a two and a half hour movie again - Harry Potter - and while I will go see it, I'm kind of wondering how Hollywood would manage to massage The Bible into a two and a half hour movie. So here are some thoughts...
1) World created with great special effects in 70 seconds underneath opening credits with "Invisible Touch" playing softly in the background.
2) Cut back Joseph's musical numbers and don't dwell so much on his coat.
3) Run the entire book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy underneath the film in small print with a scrawl.
4) Amalgamate all the Judges into one badass super Judge and have him played by Clive Owens.
5) Jews defeat the Babylonians - thus no need for all those time consuming prophets.
6) Get 50 Cent to record a few of the psalms as raps, and play them over the closing credits.
7) You know... I'm thinking it might just be easier to make a trilogy of super extended DVD's with audio-commentary by Charlton Heston. No way you shorten the Bible into 2 1/2 hours.
8) Wait, I got it. In not trying to offend anyone, writers cut the overt religious message of the Bible and are left with 43 minutes and change. After you add back in the car chases, wild stunts, and gratuitous sex scenes, the Bible clocks in at a cool two hours.
HAH! And you said it couldn't be done!
Have a Happy Weekend. I will add The Welcoming Psalm later.
He is also my god son. Which, of course, makes me a god father. Now, any of you god parents out there who have any suggestions about what exactly we're supposed to do as god parents, please let me know. (I've taken the mumbling lessons, moved my office into a dark room, had a few guys whacked, even started going around granting favors - but somehow it all seems so Hollywood... and besides, I would never want to cut off the head of a horse. I like horses.)
No, but seriously... What is the role of the Godfather? Anyone have any clue? I mean, I know the basics - protect and nourish Josh in his walk of faith. But isn't that the role of all Christians? Shouldn't we all be Godparents when it comes to that?
Other thoughts... Hollywood has managed to massage a 750 plus page book into a two and a half hour movie again - Harry Potter - and while I will go see it, I'm kind of wondering how Hollywood would manage to massage The Bible into a two and a half hour movie. So here are some thoughts...
1) World created with great special effects in 70 seconds underneath opening credits with "Invisible Touch" playing softly in the background.
2) Cut back Joseph's musical numbers and don't dwell so much on his coat.
3) Run the entire book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy underneath the film in small print with a scrawl.
4) Amalgamate all the Judges into one badass super Judge and have him played by Clive Owens.
5) Jews defeat the Babylonians - thus no need for all those time consuming prophets.
6) Get 50 Cent to record a few of the psalms as raps, and play them over the closing credits.
7) You know... I'm thinking it might just be easier to make a trilogy of super extended DVD's with audio-commentary by Charlton Heston. No way you shorten the Bible into 2 1/2 hours.
8) Wait, I got it. In not trying to offend anyone, writers cut the overt religious message of the Bible and are left with 43 minutes and change. After you add back in the car chases, wild stunts, and gratuitous sex scenes, the Bible clocks in at a cool two hours.
HAH! And you said it couldn't be done!
Have a Happy Weekend. I will add The Welcoming Psalm later.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Welcome back my friends...
Okay. I was out sick yesterday. Something I've noticed lately. I seem to always get a cold every year when the temperature variant is at its greatest. So, its like 80 degrees here during the day and 40 degrees at night. Boom... flu like symptoms - which you can't take lightly anymore.
Anyway, back to our Welcoming Psalm...
What we have so far...
Lord, those who we greet,
We do so in your Name.
When strangers come looking for you, O Lord,
we are your smile.
When they come to meet you,
we are your handshake.
When they come to embrace you,
we are your hug.
I was thinking, at this point, that we ought to have something that describes not only our hopes, but also our fears, in any encounter with a stranger - followed by assurance that God will make everything alright.
Any ideas? Heather? Are you still lurking out there?
Anyway, back to our Welcoming Psalm...
What we have so far...
Lord, those who we greet,
We do so in your Name.
When strangers come looking for you, O Lord,
we are your smile.
When they come to meet you,
we are your handshake.
When they come to embrace you,
we are your hug.
I was thinking, at this point, that we ought to have something that describes not only our hopes, but also our fears, in any encounter with a stranger - followed by assurance that God will make everything alright.
Any ideas? Heather? Are you still lurking out there?
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Help me to help you!
Part two of my Welcoming Psalm blog...
Pastor Dave Lamb wrote some interesting things in his comments about welcoming people. I happen to agree with him about the difficulty in greeting strangers, even at church. I think my church, Lakeside, has a problem with this. Its not intentional, mind you, but its hard to greet people these days. We've become very insular as a society. That was one of the reasons I wanted this first New Psalm to be a Psalm of Welcoming.
So, thanks to Dave, here is what I've got so far...
Lord, those we greet today,
We do so in your Name.
And that's it... Any suggestions on where to go from here?
Pastor Dave Lamb wrote some interesting things in his comments about welcoming people. I happen to agree with him about the difficulty in greeting strangers, even at church. I think my church, Lakeside, has a problem with this. Its not intentional, mind you, but its hard to greet people these days. We've become very insular as a society. That was one of the reasons I wanted this first New Psalm to be a Psalm of Welcoming.
So, thanks to Dave, here is what I've got so far...
Lord, those we greet today,
We do so in your Name.
And that's it... Any suggestions on where to go from here?
Monday, November 14, 2005
A Hello In Any Other Language...
Good morning. Greetings. Happy Monday!
First of all, a message for Pastor Dave. Lila says hello. She only uses her computer to play, what else, solitaire - so she doesn't have the capability to send e-mail. I am sort of her conduit to the former youth group. She wants to tell you all that she misses you and wishes you to stop by some Sunday at Lakeside and say hello. We will be having our Second Annual Youth Reunion Sunday in May - so that might be a glorious time to stop by. More details to follow.
I saw a wonderful film last night as part of our new Film/Flicks/Faith program at Lakeside. The Spitfire Grill, if you haven't already seen it, is the story of a young woman who comes to an ailing town as a stranger and manages to transform the town through her acts of love. It was a deeply inspiring film and our group could have gone on talking about it for most of the night.
I've been trying to wrestle with the Psalms lately because everyone looks to the psalms for bits of inspiration and wisdom. I've had this sort of nagging feeling of wanting to write my own psalms, but I never know where to get started.
I've decided to write a Psalm of Welcoming - inspired by the film I saw last night - and I was wondering if you all would like to help me out. If you feel so inclined, please send me something that you'd like to say to a complete stranger that you feel inspired to say by God.
We're not looking for thee's and thou's here people. Just tell it like it is.
I look forward to reading them. Maybe by Friday I'll post New Psalm 1 - The Psalm of Welcoming.
First of all, a message for Pastor Dave. Lila says hello. She only uses her computer to play, what else, solitaire - so she doesn't have the capability to send e-mail. I am sort of her conduit to the former youth group. She wants to tell you all that she misses you and wishes you to stop by some Sunday at Lakeside and say hello. We will be having our Second Annual Youth Reunion Sunday in May - so that might be a glorious time to stop by. More details to follow.
I saw a wonderful film last night as part of our new Film/Flicks/Faith program at Lakeside. The Spitfire Grill, if you haven't already seen it, is the story of a young woman who comes to an ailing town as a stranger and manages to transform the town through her acts of love. It was a deeply inspiring film and our group could have gone on talking about it for most of the night.
I've been trying to wrestle with the Psalms lately because everyone looks to the psalms for bits of inspiration and wisdom. I've had this sort of nagging feeling of wanting to write my own psalms, but I never know where to get started.
I've decided to write a Psalm of Welcoming - inspired by the film I saw last night - and I was wondering if you all would like to help me out. If you feel so inclined, please send me something that you'd like to say to a complete stranger that you feel inspired to say by God.
We're not looking for thee's and thou's here people. Just tell it like it is.
I look forward to reading them. Maybe by Friday I'll post New Psalm 1 - The Psalm of Welcoming.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Just a quick thought...
Before the weekend...
My friend Nick just got back from New Orleans where he was helping his family-in-law repair Katrina damage to his Grandmother-in-law's home. I was glad to hear that he got home safely and that, from the sounds of it, the house was able to be saved.
Nick had a great comment that I think sums up so much of what we all want to be. He said he found it hard to come back to work. He missed working with a sledgehammer. But mostly, he missed feeling like a hero.
Amen, brother. Amen.
My friend Nick just got back from New Orleans where he was helping his family-in-law repair Katrina damage to his Grandmother-in-law's home. I was glad to hear that he got home safely and that, from the sounds of it, the house was able to be saved.
Nick had a great comment that I think sums up so much of what we all want to be. He said he found it hard to come back to work. He missed working with a sledgehammer. But mostly, he missed feeling like a hero.
Amen, brother. Amen.
FRIDAY FOX MADNESS
Bill O'Reilly proved what a deep thinker he is yesterday when he called for San Francisco's Coit Tower to be bombed by Al Kye Duh because we had the nerve and the audacity to say that we didn't want recruiters in our schools and guns in our homes. Rather than going on a long and lasting rant about how angry this made me feel, I've decided to do the Christian thing and turn the other cheek. Its what Jesus would have wanted me to do.
So in the spirit of Friday Insanity, I'd like to offer Il Quae D'oh a list of other targets that they might as well blow up while they're here enjoying San Francisco's gorgeous weather and charming hospitality.
First, Candlestick has got to go. If the 49ers are ever going to get a new stadium, come on, blow that sucker up!
Second, The New Cliff House - I'm sorry, but its ugly! Bring back the old one.
Third, half a dozen Starbucks Coffee Houses - it's not many, but its a start.
Fourth, those high rise condos on Bay Street that block the view of the bay. Honestly, the guy who put those in place should be chained in the building first.
Fifth, about half the new high rises around Willie Mays Field - I liked it better when it stuck out there all by itself.
Sixth, Pacbell/SBC/AT&T Headquarters - but just a small one - we only want to knock some sense into them about naming Willie Mays Field.
Seventh, any developer who wants to turn Treasure Island into a giant Wal-Mart.
Okay... that's about as many as I can think of. But I'd like to take this opportunity to speak to El Qae Dhuh. Come on guys, the suicide bombings are so last year. Get a new racket. How about reanimated corpses or zombies? Maybe combine some human DNA with a fly and wreak havoc that way? A giant Sea Monster attacking Tokyo or San Francisco would also be cool. Don't evil geniuses have any pride in their work anymore? Whatever happened to mad scientists and crazy schemes to destroy the world? People just don't take the time anymore to do things right.
And as for Bill O'Reilly, I just have one thing to say... but I'm not going to say it, because it isn't polite and probably anatomically impossible.
That's it. Anyone else have any suggestions for Hal Khy Der, while I'm at it?
So in the spirit of Friday Insanity, I'd like to offer Il Quae D'oh a list of other targets that they might as well blow up while they're here enjoying San Francisco's gorgeous weather and charming hospitality.
First, Candlestick has got to go. If the 49ers are ever going to get a new stadium, come on, blow that sucker up!
Second, The New Cliff House - I'm sorry, but its ugly! Bring back the old one.
Third, half a dozen Starbucks Coffee Houses - it's not many, but its a start.
Fourth, those high rise condos on Bay Street that block the view of the bay. Honestly, the guy who put those in place should be chained in the building first.
Fifth, about half the new high rises around Willie Mays Field - I liked it better when it stuck out there all by itself.
Sixth, Pacbell/SBC/AT&T Headquarters - but just a small one - we only want to knock some sense into them about naming Willie Mays Field.
Seventh, any developer who wants to turn Treasure Island into a giant Wal-Mart.
Okay... that's about as many as I can think of. But I'd like to take this opportunity to speak to El Qae Dhuh. Come on guys, the suicide bombings are so last year. Get a new racket. How about reanimated corpses or zombies? Maybe combine some human DNA with a fly and wreak havoc that way? A giant Sea Monster attacking Tokyo or San Francisco would also be cool. Don't evil geniuses have any pride in their work anymore? Whatever happened to mad scientists and crazy schemes to destroy the world? People just don't take the time anymore to do things right.
And as for Bill O'Reilly, I just have one thing to say... but I'm not going to say it, because it isn't polite and probably anatomically impossible.
That's it. Anyone else have any suggestions for Hal Khy Der, while I'm at it?
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Bad Movies We Love
For at least two years now, my brother and I have been having an unofficial Xmas contest. We each try to find the DVD that represents the best movie you ought to have in your collection, but probably don't. Past years have seen movies like The Right Stuff and Laser Blast, and last year, Andy joined the fray with The Final Countdown.
But now I'm starting a new category this year and I need your help... Bad Movies We Love. Movies that are never going to win any awards, that for whatever reason, we still watch over and over again. Grease is, I think, the prime example of this genre. We all mock it. We all cringe at parts during the movie. Shakespeare it ain't. And yet, we love this little film.
So I'm opening the doors wide open... any suggestions?
But now I'm starting a new category this year and I need your help... Bad Movies We Love. Movies that are never going to win any awards, that for whatever reason, we still watch over and over again. Grease is, I think, the prime example of this genre. We all mock it. We all cringe at parts during the movie. Shakespeare it ain't. And yet, we love this little film.
So I'm opening the doors wide open... any suggestions?
Apologies
I reached another dubious milestone today. I've now been writing this darn novel for two years. I'm happy to say that I'm almost half way done with the rewrites and should reach that mark by next week when I have another milestone - 6 months since I finished the first draft. But I should have never gotten into this thing without an exit strategy. There are times when I just feel like I'm never going to escape this thing, that its going to consume me and destroy me and ruin my life. And then there are days where something clicks and I feel on top of the world.
Being a writer means surrendering to writing. When the urge hits you, you write. If you don't, you feel terrible. Writing becomes your life. When you write, the world is great. When you don't write, the world is terrible. Even though you know that the world hasn't changed, you can't help but feel that way. Writing colors your whole being.
I say this because I want to apologize to all of you. I have not always been a good friend, brother, relative, or student. In fact, at times, I have been downright awful. I have been snippy. I have been vacant. I have been there in body only. I have been slow to respond and completely self absorbed. Though I try my hardest to keep relationships close, there are times when I completely disappear and the writing takes over. The writing becomes my own, my precious, my obsession.
I have known this about writing for years. I have known what it does to me. And yet, I choose to keep doing it. I'm not succesful at it. I'm not making a living doing it. I don't really love it. I don't even think I'm very good at it. It doesn't make me a better person. But, I can't walk away from it either. I'm going to be succesful at it. I'm going to make a living doing it. I'm going to love it. I'm going to be great. It's going to make me a better person. Why do any of us do the things we do?
So I'm sorry for being moody, withdrawn, self absorbed, possessed, and, well, insane.
Now, I'm going back to work on my novel... so leave me the heck alone! ;)
Being a writer means surrendering to writing. When the urge hits you, you write. If you don't, you feel terrible. Writing becomes your life. When you write, the world is great. When you don't write, the world is terrible. Even though you know that the world hasn't changed, you can't help but feel that way. Writing colors your whole being.
I say this because I want to apologize to all of you. I have not always been a good friend, brother, relative, or student. In fact, at times, I have been downright awful. I have been snippy. I have been vacant. I have been there in body only. I have been slow to respond and completely self absorbed. Though I try my hardest to keep relationships close, there are times when I completely disappear and the writing takes over. The writing becomes my own, my precious, my obsession.
I have known this about writing for years. I have known what it does to me. And yet, I choose to keep doing it. I'm not succesful at it. I'm not making a living doing it. I don't really love it. I don't even think I'm very good at it. It doesn't make me a better person. But, I can't walk away from it either. I'm going to be succesful at it. I'm going to make a living doing it. I'm going to love it. I'm going to be great. It's going to make me a better person. Why do any of us do the things we do?
So I'm sorry for being moody, withdrawn, self absorbed, possessed, and, well, insane.
Now, I'm going back to work on my novel... so leave me the heck alone! ;)
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
The Perils of Freedom - Part I - Sleight of Hand
A truly masterful magician knows the value of sleight of hand. He gets his audience to watch the first hand and when everyone's attention is focused there, he uses the other hand to perform the magic trick. The end result is always remarkable - things appear out of nowhere just like magic and we've all been fooled and conned to the delight and entertainment of all.
The first peril of freedom is exactly this - the fooling and conning of the masses. This sort of thing does not occur in societies of oppressed people, because there is no reason for the pretense. If a dictator says something will happen, it will happen. And if that thing does not happen, the people will know it did not happen. There is no need to fool or con the people. They have no choice but to live with the consequences. But in a free society, where the people decide who shall lead them, the fooling and conning of the people is prevalent. The masses must be entertained, or they shall become informed.
I have always been fascinated with the rise of Naziism in Germany - not because I'm a big fan of Hitler or anything, but because the rise of Naziism went part and parcel with the fall of German democracy. How did the German people give away their freedoms? How did they allow Hitler to come to power?
The answer, of course, is not a simple one. Hitler used every trick in the book. He dazzled them. He charmed them. He threatened them. He bullyed them. He fooled them. And he conned them. To be sure, the German people were not in the best shape. Their once great nation had been rocked by a series of terrible setbacks. They were afraid of the world around them and just wanted a little sanity restored to their daily lives. Hitler seemed to be the answer.
And Hitler didn't just fool and con the freedom loving people of Germany. He tried to fool and con the rest of the world as well. For the most part, it worked.
A strong clue as to when a nation is being fooled and conned is when a leader tells a people where the danger is located. If the people didn't know there was a danger there before, look out - chances are you're being conned. The People of India, for instance, don't need to be told that the nation of Pakistan hates them... and vice versa. If the leader of India, then, suddenly points to... oh, say... Australia and says that Australia poses a threat to them, the people of India should be very wary.
Prior to World War II, it was first the Austrians threatening the Germans inside their country. To "help" the Germans there, the Nazi's invaded Austria. Then, it was Chechoslovakia. Then, it was Poland. Then, France, England, Russia, Africa... etc... But, by then, the German people knew... and it was too late to do anything about it. The spell had already been cast. The die had been thrown. Their fate had been sealed.
Without directly comparing George Bush with Hitler, I find that my senses are immediately alert when George Bush has to point out how much of a threat Iraq is to the American people. Iraq, which got their butt thrashed in the first Gulf war, was suddenly such an imminent threat that we just had to invade this country. My alarm bells went off. If one hand was getting the American people to look one way, what was the other hand doing?
The peril of freedom is this - constant vigilance means constant vigilance - both foreign and domestic. We can never be content to accept the word of anyone as truth, but must be wary at all times, lest we find ourselves hearing terrible rumors about supposed "enemies" being shipped off to camps in other countries for crimes against the United States.
Keep your eyes on everything the politician does. And when they try to get you to look one way, keep an eye on the other hand. That's the only way to remain free.
The first peril of freedom is exactly this - the fooling and conning of the masses. This sort of thing does not occur in societies of oppressed people, because there is no reason for the pretense. If a dictator says something will happen, it will happen. And if that thing does not happen, the people will know it did not happen. There is no need to fool or con the people. They have no choice but to live with the consequences. But in a free society, where the people decide who shall lead them, the fooling and conning of the people is prevalent. The masses must be entertained, or they shall become informed.
I have always been fascinated with the rise of Naziism in Germany - not because I'm a big fan of Hitler or anything, but because the rise of Naziism went part and parcel with the fall of German democracy. How did the German people give away their freedoms? How did they allow Hitler to come to power?
The answer, of course, is not a simple one. Hitler used every trick in the book. He dazzled them. He charmed them. He threatened them. He bullyed them. He fooled them. And he conned them. To be sure, the German people were not in the best shape. Their once great nation had been rocked by a series of terrible setbacks. They were afraid of the world around them and just wanted a little sanity restored to their daily lives. Hitler seemed to be the answer.
And Hitler didn't just fool and con the freedom loving people of Germany. He tried to fool and con the rest of the world as well. For the most part, it worked.
A strong clue as to when a nation is being fooled and conned is when a leader tells a people where the danger is located. If the people didn't know there was a danger there before, look out - chances are you're being conned. The People of India, for instance, don't need to be told that the nation of Pakistan hates them... and vice versa. If the leader of India, then, suddenly points to... oh, say... Australia and says that Australia poses a threat to them, the people of India should be very wary.
Prior to World War II, it was first the Austrians threatening the Germans inside their country. To "help" the Germans there, the Nazi's invaded Austria. Then, it was Chechoslovakia. Then, it was Poland. Then, France, England, Russia, Africa... etc... But, by then, the German people knew... and it was too late to do anything about it. The spell had already been cast. The die had been thrown. Their fate had been sealed.
Without directly comparing George Bush with Hitler, I find that my senses are immediately alert when George Bush has to point out how much of a threat Iraq is to the American people. Iraq, which got their butt thrashed in the first Gulf war, was suddenly such an imminent threat that we just had to invade this country. My alarm bells went off. If one hand was getting the American people to look one way, what was the other hand doing?
The peril of freedom is this - constant vigilance means constant vigilance - both foreign and domestic. We can never be content to accept the word of anyone as truth, but must be wary at all times, lest we find ourselves hearing terrible rumors about supposed "enemies" being shipped off to camps in other countries for crimes against the United States.
Keep your eyes on everything the politician does. And when they try to get you to look one way, keep an eye on the other hand. That's the only way to remain free.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Its just like riding a bike...
Two things ran through my mind as I took my first training ride on my bike around Lake Merced in San Francisco on Sunday... 1) OOOOWWWWWWWWW! THE PAIN! MAKE IT STOP! and 2) If you never forget how to ride a bike, how come I need a coach?
My friend, Jay, a former cycliste profesionale, not only gave me the bike that I'm riding but has also agreed to coach me on its fine use. He taught me things yesterday that I never knew, nor suspected I needed to know, about riding a bike. I learned to keep my legs straight and to not twist my ankles and to keep pedaling even on downhills and that Lance Armstrong is such a genius on the hills because he has one less testicle - I learned that one the painful way.
All this got me to thinking... they say love is like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it. If I knew so little about riding a bike, what did I really know about love? What had I learned and forgotten? What had I never suspected that I needed to know?
My only love affair was, thankfully, not brief. I was in a loving relationship for six years that never quite made it to the final step. I was young. And stupid. So perhaps that's a good thing. But over the years I've often wondered how much I really knew about loving someone else.
To be honest, I was never very good in this department. When other kids were chasing girls in school, I was busy writing or playing games or seeing movies. When they were learning social skills and dances, I was in front of a computer learning how to program. When I did fall in love in High School, I fell hard. And I was completely discombobulated. But I was really, truly, deeply in love and so, somehow, despite the dangers of rejection and social ostracism, I took the plunge and managed to get a girlfriend out of it. Total wooing time, however, was about one month and included two dates.
Six years later when I broke up with my girlfriend, I had no clue what to do next. There was a long period of mourning. And when I was helped out of that period I had a few dates that all ended in disaster. I tried the online dating thing - disaster. I agreed to be set up - disaster. I went out with a girl who had a crush on me - disaster. I've come to realize that I am a disaster when it comes to love.
To be fair, I've never again felt anything like I felt when I was around my ex-girlfriend. No butterflies. No utter fascination. No strong desire to be near someone and to share their thoughts, dreams, and hopes. They say that no love is like your first love, and perhaps that true. Perhaps I'm just hoping for a feeling that will never return, or that perhaps was never there in the first place.
They say its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I don't know. I think the jury is still out on that one. Before I fell in love, I was perfectly content with my lot in life... now I'm constantly wondering what's wrong with me. I've been left with a dull aching pain and a strong desire to yell... OOOOWWWWW THE PAIN! MAKE IT STOP!
But at least I go up hills faster... ;)
My friend, Jay, a former cycliste profesionale, not only gave me the bike that I'm riding but has also agreed to coach me on its fine use. He taught me things yesterday that I never knew, nor suspected I needed to know, about riding a bike. I learned to keep my legs straight and to not twist my ankles and to keep pedaling even on downhills and that Lance Armstrong is such a genius on the hills because he has one less testicle - I learned that one the painful way.
All this got me to thinking... they say love is like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it. If I knew so little about riding a bike, what did I really know about love? What had I learned and forgotten? What had I never suspected that I needed to know?
My only love affair was, thankfully, not brief. I was in a loving relationship for six years that never quite made it to the final step. I was young. And stupid. So perhaps that's a good thing. But over the years I've often wondered how much I really knew about loving someone else.
To be honest, I was never very good in this department. When other kids were chasing girls in school, I was busy writing or playing games or seeing movies. When they were learning social skills and dances, I was in front of a computer learning how to program. When I did fall in love in High School, I fell hard. And I was completely discombobulated. But I was really, truly, deeply in love and so, somehow, despite the dangers of rejection and social ostracism, I took the plunge and managed to get a girlfriend out of it. Total wooing time, however, was about one month and included two dates.
Six years later when I broke up with my girlfriend, I had no clue what to do next. There was a long period of mourning. And when I was helped out of that period I had a few dates that all ended in disaster. I tried the online dating thing - disaster. I agreed to be set up - disaster. I went out with a girl who had a crush on me - disaster. I've come to realize that I am a disaster when it comes to love.
To be fair, I've never again felt anything like I felt when I was around my ex-girlfriend. No butterflies. No utter fascination. No strong desire to be near someone and to share their thoughts, dreams, and hopes. They say that no love is like your first love, and perhaps that true. Perhaps I'm just hoping for a feeling that will never return, or that perhaps was never there in the first place.
They say its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I don't know. I think the jury is still out on that one. Before I fell in love, I was perfectly content with my lot in life... now I'm constantly wondering what's wrong with me. I've been left with a dull aching pain and a strong desire to yell... OOOOWWWWW THE PAIN! MAKE IT STOP!
But at least I go up hills faster... ;)
Friday, November 04, 2005
Freitag's Gerspelunkenzinen's
Congratulations... if you're reading this blog, your computer has now been infected with the dreaded WMD Virus.
Don't waste your time looking for it, just accept my word that its there. You can spend billions of dollars trying to find it and fighting to get rid of it, but this unholy terror will never be found. Why? Because it doesn't actually exist. It never has. And though you may be mad that you were made a fool of to believe such a thing existed in the first place, that won't affect me - because gullible Americans will still insist that the virus was there in the first place, but that its probably been moved somewhere else. And as a result, they will continue to support my work and elect to bring me back to make fools of them again, and again, and again. God Bless America.
(Okay, this is what's called sarcasm. There is no such virus. Please do not go looking for it.)
I showed this to all the equines down at the stables in Golden Gate Park but they just stared up at me with unseeing eyes. I guess it's true. You can't blog a dead horse.
And on that note, I'm outta here... Have a good weekend.
Don't waste your time looking for it, just accept my word that its there. You can spend billions of dollars trying to find it and fighting to get rid of it, but this unholy terror will never be found. Why? Because it doesn't actually exist. It never has. And though you may be mad that you were made a fool of to believe such a thing existed in the first place, that won't affect me - because gullible Americans will still insist that the virus was there in the first place, but that its probably been moved somewhere else. And as a result, they will continue to support my work and elect to bring me back to make fools of them again, and again, and again. God Bless America.
(Okay, this is what's called sarcasm. There is no such virus. Please do not go looking for it.)
I showed this to all the equines down at the stables in Golden Gate Park but they just stared up at me with unseeing eyes. I guess it's true. You can't blog a dead horse.
And on that note, I'm outta here... Have a good weekend.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
The Mountain Bike Comes To Mohammed
Or something like that.
I am officially throwing my hat in the ring - whatever that means. I am going to start training for the yearly AIDS Ride from SF to LA. I doubt I'll be ready by next spring to make the trek, but I plan to be ready by 2007 for sure. This 400 mile ride takes one week to complete. Riders raise funds for AIDS research. I expect you all to cheer me, prod me, and give me the occassional ride when my tires explode from the stress.
Thank you, and good day...
I am officially throwing my hat in the ring - whatever that means. I am going to start training for the yearly AIDS Ride from SF to LA. I doubt I'll be ready by next spring to make the trek, but I plan to be ready by 2007 for sure. This 400 mile ride takes one week to complete. Riders raise funds for AIDS research. I expect you all to cheer me, prod me, and give me the occassional ride when my tires explode from the stress.
Thank you, and good day...
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
We choose...
"We choose to go to the moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard." John F. Kennedy
In my novel, the grandfather of one of the main characters tells him, "A leader makes choices. They may not always be the right choices, but he makes them all the same."
Right now, we need some leadership in this country - leaders beholden not to promises, but to choices, not to Gallup polls, but to choices, not to key backers, but to choices. We need leaders who make their decisions not based upon what is popular, but what they believe to be the right thing to do.
I could respect the man in the White House much greater if he could make a choice like that. But he can't. He's incapable of it. Whether he's beholden to his political base, to his many generous benefactors, or whether he's just a puppet for other powers that exist in this country, he's incapable of making a choice. He must take the path others have laid out for him.
When it comes to nominating and electing a Supreme Court justice, he has chosen the path laid out by the people whose money got him elected - the Conservative Right Wing of his party. Why? Because he promised them to overthrow Roe v. Wade if elected by placing anti-abortion justices on the nation's highest bench. If you think their right wing agenda is going to stop there, you are sorely mistaken. It should be really obvious to you that two moderate liberal justices were replaced by right wing conservative white males for a reason. Say goodbye to every liberal gain made in this country in the last century. Environmentalism - gone. Civil Rights - history. Equal Rights for Women - never happened. If 51% of Americans weren't paying attention last November, odds are they still don't have a clue now.
When it comes to getting us involved in an illegal war, and then finding a way out of it, our President has no choice but to continue doing what his business interests tell him to do - keep protecting their newly gained oil fields. With the amount of oil newly under United States control, OPEC decisions to increase or decrease oil prices and oil production don't effect us as much anymore. Or, in other words, we can keep the oil prices as high as the market will allow. Gas prices have soared since we took control of the oil in Iraq. So have the profits of Oil Companies. Do you think they have any desire to see the US pull out of Iraq? No, we must stay the course in Iraq. Freedom demands it.
Not only have the powers that be taken control of the Christian image in the United States and used it to their benefit, but not they've co-opted the image of a patriot as well. You simply can't be a good Christian, nor a good American if you're against this nation's policies.
These are but two policies directly controlled by other interests. Our "elected" official seems to have no interests outside of these. When Kennedy said, "We choose to go to the moon..." he didn't have to say it. There was no huge contractor out there threatening to yank their large body of votes away from his reelection campaign, or pull the money from his coffers. Kennedy chose to go to the Moon, because he was a leader. And that's what leaders do. They make choices.
I wish this nation could stop producing so many righteous patriots and maybe produce a leader or two.
In my novel, the grandfather of one of the main characters tells him, "A leader makes choices. They may not always be the right choices, but he makes them all the same."
Right now, we need some leadership in this country - leaders beholden not to promises, but to choices, not to Gallup polls, but to choices, not to key backers, but to choices. We need leaders who make their decisions not based upon what is popular, but what they believe to be the right thing to do.
I could respect the man in the White House much greater if he could make a choice like that. But he can't. He's incapable of it. Whether he's beholden to his political base, to his many generous benefactors, or whether he's just a puppet for other powers that exist in this country, he's incapable of making a choice. He must take the path others have laid out for him.
When it comes to nominating and electing a Supreme Court justice, he has chosen the path laid out by the people whose money got him elected - the Conservative Right Wing of his party. Why? Because he promised them to overthrow Roe v. Wade if elected by placing anti-abortion justices on the nation's highest bench. If you think their right wing agenda is going to stop there, you are sorely mistaken. It should be really obvious to you that two moderate liberal justices were replaced by right wing conservative white males for a reason. Say goodbye to every liberal gain made in this country in the last century. Environmentalism - gone. Civil Rights - history. Equal Rights for Women - never happened. If 51% of Americans weren't paying attention last November, odds are they still don't have a clue now.
When it comes to getting us involved in an illegal war, and then finding a way out of it, our President has no choice but to continue doing what his business interests tell him to do - keep protecting their newly gained oil fields. With the amount of oil newly under United States control, OPEC decisions to increase or decrease oil prices and oil production don't effect us as much anymore. Or, in other words, we can keep the oil prices as high as the market will allow. Gas prices have soared since we took control of the oil in Iraq. So have the profits of Oil Companies. Do you think they have any desire to see the US pull out of Iraq? No, we must stay the course in Iraq. Freedom demands it.
Not only have the powers that be taken control of the Christian image in the United States and used it to their benefit, but not they've co-opted the image of a patriot as well. You simply can't be a good Christian, nor a good American if you're against this nation's policies.
These are but two policies directly controlled by other interests. Our "elected" official seems to have no interests outside of these. When Kennedy said, "We choose to go to the moon..." he didn't have to say it. There was no huge contractor out there threatening to yank their large body of votes away from his reelection campaign, or pull the money from his coffers. Kennedy chose to go to the Moon, because he was a leader. And that's what leaders do. They make choices.
I wish this nation could stop producing so many righteous patriots and maybe produce a leader or two.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)