The grass is never greener on the other side.
Things are never as you left them.
These are things that I have been learning lately. It probably comes off as fatalistic, and at the moment, it feels that way. It probably helps to step back and take a long view.
I have always been a proponent of change – and why not? It keeps things exciting, fresh, clean . . . like a new car. But like a new car, the excitement wears off long before the payments do. There are consequences to every choice . . . so essentially we are choosing our consequences. We want the new car, but not the 72 months of payments. This is our disease. We like our new wheels but want it to turn and handle like our old car – we like the reaction our new ultra sweet detailing gets, but we miss those memories in the back seat of our tangerine dream. Thankfully, we never try to mash the old and new car together, but we certainly do this with our lives? And we all know what happens when 2 cars hit head on . . .
I take back the grass is never greener comment, or at the very least, I take back how it reads. There is a future for all of us . . . and I think things can get better in this world . . . its just that sometimes the choices you make will not yield the results you long to cherish. I don't know how we learn to embrace the adventure, but I think we need to.
Some confessions: (Written to humanity in general, never to 1 specific person)
Sometimes I look at people and get angry that they allow themselves to look so stupid.
I hate confrontation and I lie to avoid conflict. I am afraid if you knew what I was really thinking you could not handle it. But I am seriously trying to get better – I work at it every day.
I am terribly controlling, and sadly, I don't want to change because I believe I am smarter than you.
I hate to apologize first because I believe you are just apologizing to follow the trend, and then I cannot take your apology seriously.
I cannot live with myself when I am following trends, and I have been following them all of my life.
Forgive me.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
I have limited wind
This is very long, but I would much appreciate you taking the time to read it. Commenting never hurt me either.
OK, so in my last blog post I admitted some things that may not have reflected on my greatly, and this next confession may possibly be no exception: I would rather rock out to Kenny G on MUZAK than listen to nothing at all. I, of course, am looking at this from the perspective of a cubicle monkey (read ala Career Builder commercials) who sits in an office of solitude, silence and despair. Now, before I go any further, this may seem hypocritical to something I speak about often: the need to get rid of the noise in our lives, whether it be audio, visual, or something in between. Good Examples of this would be always needing the radio on, a cluttered house, the need to always be out and social etc. I often argue on this point to people who say they do not hear God – clearly to me, they have too much noise in their lives. I know I do. So to completely contradict this idea, I want to state that its cruel and unusual punishment to be forced to work in an office, with over circulated stale air, people who microwave food that reeks of curdled milk and onions, and coughing fits that make the infirmaries during the black plague era seem tame, that has no music what so ever. I am not living a noiseless life here at the old job, nor should I be thanking them for allowing me silent time to hear the voice of God, rather I am stuck here amidst all this strife, stuck listening to the screaming in my head that says "Get me the $%^& outta here!"
So it's probably true that I will never be satisfied with a 40 hour a week job (hence my delving into the fields of music and church – although the church field is a whole different sort of torture, maybe not lacking in crappy music (can anyone say "Shine Jesus, Shine . . . and yeah I did just vom in my mouth) but certainly torturous in its own way none the less . . .) but I digress. Either way, I still need a little something more from my job. Redundancy is what is killing most of us – I am pretty sure we were built to be creative, and a job that saps you of your creativity is a lot like the "Suck-Kut" from the movieWayne's World. (Did I just lose some of my readers with that ancient pop-culture reference?)
Somebody actually commented that they really liked my writing style and I was certainly very flattered. What's interesting, though, is that this person must love my parentheses or ellipsis (since I use them all the time. . . )
Does anyone remember that crappy song that went " I love you period. Do you love me question mark? Please, Please exclamation point! (I want to hold you in parenteses.) – I actually have fond memories of that song, but its still really crappy. It just really makes me sad to think that the song my father wrote that said "Kill your mother, rape and pillage . . ." never caught on. Oh, and by the way, he was mocking the music that I was listening to as an angry and disenfranchised youth. Oh yeah, I had a mullet, and black t-shirts with anarchy signs – I was totally sweet. This phase was preceded by my late elementary years in which I clearly remember wearing neon orange spandex with black checkers up the sides, and a t-shirt with a shark on it holding a knife and a fork saying "Let's do lunch." Two things about that: 1. I had no grapes to really be smuggling, so that was of little concern, and 2. I was not nearly as sweet as I thought I was . . . go figure.
So some of my friends are upset because they were implicated in the Enrique Iglesias' "Hero" incident of '05. I personally feel liberated.
I have said it once and I will say it again – Abortion is NOT the only moral issue. Too many Christians and extreme right winger's ("She's only seventeen (seventeen) . . . did anyone else get that?) think they have a cornered market on the "moral" party because they are anti-abortion. Some other moral issues may be, life in general, war, poverty, unfair trade and labor – just to name a few. To vote against abortion does not mean that no other moral issue matters. Think about it.
Now, its strange because I often get accused of being "liberal" now, which is pretty funny to me. Folks, let me be real honest with you – I have opinions. These opinions are constantly being shaped and changed to look more and more in line with how I think Jesus calls me to live. I am trying to not be republican or democrat, right or left. I am just trying to get in line with what is best for the most people. I have issues with both sides. I mostly speak out against the "christian right" because I am a friend of Bill W's (a recovering "christian.") Actually I am trying to throw out the word christian altogether – it conjures up to many thoughts and I am not near good enough to change peoples perception. I am trying to think of a different term for myself other than "christian." Obviously, the term "awesome" fits. Maybe I could make that work? "What religion are you?" - "Awesome." What do you think?
Let me go back to the abortion thing for just a moment. I am trying to have a consistent ethic of human life. To me, this means no war, no genocide, no torture or death penalty, and no abortion. I am trying to be all around pro-life – all lives are important and equal. I get that this is a major issue. I have read all the bumper stickers and yes I am glad my mom chose life, but here is the thing. We just had 8 years of a pro-life candidate in the white house and it did not change a thing. Does this make it an unworthy cause? Of course not. Before Roe v. Wade, abortions were still popular, just illegal. Much like prohibition, making them illegal will really not change anything. We need to change our hearts and we need to make a difference in peoples lives. Legislation can only make minor changes at best, but the real change starts with us (have I said this before?) So why do I advocate interest in politics? Because it is a part of our world and it is a good place to start the discussion, and can even be helpful in raising awareness for some major injustices that are currently happening in our world. But the other day, Derek Webb said, and I completely agree, "I venture to say, that if you step out of your house and look at the 6 or 8 houses/apts./condos around you, and try to make a difference through love and service in those peoples lives, that it would make a thousand times more impact in our world than any politician ever could." Well played.
www.postsecret.com – have you been there? You need to go. Better yet, send one in. Its like a modern day confession. The idea behind confession is not bad – simply getting things off your chest is very cathartic. You were not meant to carry all that baggage.
I absolutely fear confrontation, but I love to debate.
I often wonder if anyone really gets me.
I used to want to be hospitalized to see who would show up, so I could see who really cared. Then I went to the hospital and I was pleasantly surprised by the people who visited.
Sometimes I am afraid I talk a better game than I really have.
I confess some things so I do not have to confess others. Maybe someday.
One of the hardest things about writing about social issues, pop culture, theology and the like is finding out how to best portray my opinion. You see, clearly I think my thoughts are better than some peoples because they would not be my opinions if I didn't. I also want people to know that I try to be open to new ideas and I certainly don't want people to take my thoughts as the final word on the matter, but at the same time, I do not want them completely dismissed either. I want people to know that I am just trying to be part of the discussion and that I am equally flawed. Its hard to make a harsh stand on certain topics because I am far from perfect and I am always afraid someone will look at my life and call me out. Sometimes we need to have thoughts before we can take action, but actions speak louder than words . . . how interesting.
Are you enjoying my foray into hyperlinks? I am trying.
There is a guy that sits near me that honestly thinks that Mountain Dew is the devil's tool. 1. Has he ever even had Mountain Dew? Yummy. 2. If he is a christian, I am definitely now calling myself awesome. 3. Isn't he fighting the wrong battles? 4. This is also the guy who thinks Barack Obama is the anti-christ.
I, on the other hand, think David Archuletais the anti-christ.
I am thinking about bringing the phrase "bomb-diggity" back – With the help of my friend Eric, we clearly made "your mom" jokes cool again. Any other suggestions?
"Today the minutes seemed like hours, the hours go so slowly . . . "
Albums you should be listening to (at least what is appealing to me right now, and clearly seems like a much better deal than Kenny G on MUZAK):
The National "Boxer"
Derek Webb "Mockingbird"
Jeff Buckley "Grace"
Arcade Fire "Neon Bible"
Neil Diamond "Hot August Night"
Under the Influence of Giants "Under the Influence of Giants"
Ray Lamontagne "'Til the Sun Turns Black"
A Perfect Circle "eMotive"
Beck "Guero"
Badly Drawn Boy "The Hour of Bewilderbeast"
Movies you should be watching:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Blood Diamond
No Country For Old Men
Juno
Sweeney Todd
Books you should be reading:
"Everything Must Change" by Brian McLaren
"Jesus For President" by Shane Claiborne
"Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
"Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
"Serve God, Save the Planet" by Matthew Sleeth
"The Great Awakening" by Jim Wallis
"Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk
"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski
"The Secret Lives of Men and Women" by Frank Warren
"Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell
"The World According to Garp" by John Irving
If you ever want to discuss any of the aforementioned titles (movies, music, books, etc.), please hit me up.
And you should not be watching TV because it steals your soul – but I have no room to talk. DVR has seriously ruined my life. I watch shows that no one watches, like "Monsterquest" – seriously, I have got issues.
OK, so in my last blog post I admitted some things that may not have reflected on my greatly, and this next confession may possibly be no exception: I would rather rock out to Kenny G on MUZAK than listen to nothing at all. I, of course, am looking at this from the perspective of a cubicle monkey (read ala Career Builder commercials) who sits in an office of solitude, silence and despair. Now, before I go any further, this may seem hypocritical to something I speak about often: the need to get rid of the noise in our lives, whether it be audio, visual, or something in between. Good Examples of this would be always needing the radio on, a cluttered house, the need to always be out and social etc. I often argue on this point to people who say they do not hear God – clearly to me, they have too much noise in their lives. I know I do. So to completely contradict this idea, I want to state that its cruel and unusual punishment to be forced to work in an office, with over circulated stale air, people who microwave food that reeks of curdled milk and onions, and coughing fits that make the infirmaries during the black plague era seem tame, that has no music what so ever. I am not living a noiseless life here at the old job, nor should I be thanking them for allowing me silent time to hear the voice of God, rather I am stuck here amidst all this strife, stuck listening to the screaming in my head that says "Get me the $%^& outta here!"
So it's probably true that I will never be satisfied with a 40 hour a week job (hence my delving into the fields of music and church – although the church field is a whole different sort of torture, maybe not lacking in crappy music (can anyone say "Shine Jesus, Shine . . . and yeah I did just vom in my mouth) but certainly torturous in its own way none the less . . .) but I digress. Either way, I still need a little something more from my job. Redundancy is what is killing most of us – I am pretty sure we were built to be creative, and a job that saps you of your creativity is a lot like the "Suck-Kut" from the movieWayne's World. (Did I just lose some of my readers with that ancient pop-culture reference?)
Somebody actually commented that they really liked my writing style and I was certainly very flattered. What's interesting, though, is that this person must love my parentheses or ellipsis (since I use them all the time. . . )
Does anyone remember that crappy song that went " I love you period. Do you love me question mark? Please, Please exclamation point! (I want to hold you in parenteses.) – I actually have fond memories of that song, but its still really crappy. It just really makes me sad to think that the song my father wrote that said "Kill your mother, rape and pillage . . ." never caught on. Oh, and by the way, he was mocking the music that I was listening to as an angry and disenfranchised youth. Oh yeah, I had a mullet, and black t-shirts with anarchy signs – I was totally sweet. This phase was preceded by my late elementary years in which I clearly remember wearing neon orange spandex with black checkers up the sides, and a t-shirt with a shark on it holding a knife and a fork saying "Let's do lunch." Two things about that: 1. I had no grapes to really be smuggling, so that was of little concern, and 2. I was not nearly as sweet as I thought I was . . . go figure.
So some of my friends are upset because they were implicated in the Enrique Iglesias' "Hero" incident of '05. I personally feel liberated.
I have said it once and I will say it again – Abortion is NOT the only moral issue. Too many Christians and extreme right winger's ("She's only seventeen (seventeen) . . . did anyone else get that?) think they have a cornered market on the "moral" party because they are anti-abortion. Some other moral issues may be, life in general, war, poverty, unfair trade and labor – just to name a few. To vote against abortion does not mean that no other moral issue matters. Think about it.
Now, its strange because I often get accused of being "liberal" now, which is pretty funny to me. Folks, let me be real honest with you – I have opinions. These opinions are constantly being shaped and changed to look more and more in line with how I think Jesus calls me to live. I am trying to not be republican or democrat, right or left. I am just trying to get in line with what is best for the most people. I have issues with both sides. I mostly speak out against the "christian right" because I am a friend of Bill W's (a recovering "christian.") Actually I am trying to throw out the word christian altogether – it conjures up to many thoughts and I am not near good enough to change peoples perception. I am trying to think of a different term for myself other than "christian." Obviously, the term "awesome" fits. Maybe I could make that work? "What religion are you?" - "Awesome." What do you think?
Let me go back to the abortion thing for just a moment. I am trying to have a consistent ethic of human life. To me, this means no war, no genocide, no torture or death penalty, and no abortion. I am trying to be all around pro-life – all lives are important and equal. I get that this is a major issue. I have read all the bumper stickers and yes I am glad my mom chose life, but here is the thing. We just had 8 years of a pro-life candidate in the white house and it did not change a thing. Does this make it an unworthy cause? Of course not. Before Roe v. Wade, abortions were still popular, just illegal. Much like prohibition, making them illegal will really not change anything. We need to change our hearts and we need to make a difference in peoples lives. Legislation can only make minor changes at best, but the real change starts with us (have I said this before?) So why do I advocate interest in politics? Because it is a part of our world and it is a good place to start the discussion, and can even be helpful in raising awareness for some major injustices that are currently happening in our world. But the other day, Derek Webb said, and I completely agree, "I venture to say, that if you step out of your house and look at the 6 or 8 houses/apts./condos around you, and try to make a difference through love and service in those peoples lives, that it would make a thousand times more impact in our world than any politician ever could." Well played.
www.postsecret.com – have you been there? You need to go. Better yet, send one in. Its like a modern day confession. The idea behind confession is not bad – simply getting things off your chest is very cathartic. You were not meant to carry all that baggage.
I absolutely fear confrontation, but I love to debate.
I often wonder if anyone really gets me.
I used to want to be hospitalized to see who would show up, so I could see who really cared. Then I went to the hospital and I was pleasantly surprised by the people who visited.
Sometimes I am afraid I talk a better game than I really have.
I confess some things so I do not have to confess others. Maybe someday.
One of the hardest things about writing about social issues, pop culture, theology and the like is finding out how to best portray my opinion. You see, clearly I think my thoughts are better than some peoples because they would not be my opinions if I didn't. I also want people to know that I try to be open to new ideas and I certainly don't want people to take my thoughts as the final word on the matter, but at the same time, I do not want them completely dismissed either. I want people to know that I am just trying to be part of the discussion and that I am equally flawed. Its hard to make a harsh stand on certain topics because I am far from perfect and I am always afraid someone will look at my life and call me out. Sometimes we need to have thoughts before we can take action, but actions speak louder than words . . . how interesting.
Are you enjoying my foray into hyperlinks? I am trying.
There is a guy that sits near me that honestly thinks that Mountain Dew is the devil's tool. 1. Has he ever even had Mountain Dew? Yummy. 2. If he is a christian, I am definitely now calling myself awesome. 3. Isn't he fighting the wrong battles? 4. This is also the guy who thinks Barack Obama is the anti-christ.
I, on the other hand, think David Archuletais the anti-christ.
I am thinking about bringing the phrase "bomb-diggity" back – With the help of my friend Eric, we clearly made "your mom" jokes cool again. Any other suggestions?
"Today the minutes seemed like hours, the hours go so slowly . . . "
Albums you should be listening to (at least what is appealing to me right now, and clearly seems like a much better deal than Kenny G on MUZAK):
The National "Boxer"
Derek Webb "Mockingbird"
Jeff Buckley "Grace"
Arcade Fire "Neon Bible"
Neil Diamond "Hot August Night"
Under the Influence of Giants "Under the Influence of Giants"
Ray Lamontagne "'Til the Sun Turns Black"
A Perfect Circle "eMotive"
Beck "Guero"
Badly Drawn Boy "The Hour of Bewilderbeast"
Movies you should be watching:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Blood Diamond
No Country For Old Men
Juno
Sweeney Todd
Books you should be reading:
"Everything Must Change" by Brian McLaren
"Jesus For President" by Shane Claiborne
"Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
"Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
"Serve God, Save the Planet" by Matthew Sleeth
"The Great Awakening" by Jim Wallis
"Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk
"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski
"The Secret Lives of Men and Women" by Frank Warren
"Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell
"The World According to Garp" by John Irving
If you ever want to discuss any of the aforementioned titles (movies, music, books, etc.), please hit me up.
And you should not be watching TV because it steals your soul – but I have no room to talk. DVR has seriously ruined my life. I watch shows that no one watches, like "Monsterquest" – seriously, I have got issues.
Office Space
I am posting several blogs that I have written over the last few days. The gestapo at my work would not allow me access to the internet to post them
Does anyone really like going to the dentist? I understand that a person could possibly argue "Your teeth never feel cleaner," but to me, that is certainly not worth the agony and torture of visiting that hell hole known as the dentist's office. Now, you must know that I have horrible teeth. My dentist always said that I had really weak enamel, and when I was a child, I used to have to take extra trips to the dentist, just to get fluoride. Truth be told, I take better care of my teeth than most of the people I know. I floss, I waterpik (occasionally) and I brush twice a day, but the cavities still come, the root canals have happened and I am stuck with crowns that have no correlation to royalty. I typically dread the hell hole for several reasons. 1. The metal scraping against my teeth is not a warm and fuzzy feeling, in fact, its like a cold prickly (who remembers project Charlie?) 2. I hate the endless lectures and demos about proper flossing and brushing – I am not wanting to pay hundreds of dollars to get a guilt trip. I know how to brush . . . I learned it when I was 5 . . .3. The never give me enough Novocain. I always tell them that I am highly resistant, but they could care less. They think I am just some sort of drug junkie that gets off on a 6 hour numbness that causes perpetual drooling.
Why do I mention all of this? I am due for the dentist. I would ask for prayer, but lets face it, Jesus may have saved us from lots of things, but even he cannot stop the dentist.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
I once did a list of the top 9 worst movies, but I did them in haste and off the cuff. I cannot believe I forgot one of the worst – Cast Away. Outside of Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks has been playing the exact same actor in every movie for 20 years. Add to this Cast Away – a movie that simply tries to sell one thing, Tom Hanks. His acting is so non-existent that the movie falls flat on its face. Its indulgent in all the wrong ways, and when ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Wilson is your supporting character, you have problems. And spare me the responses about how I did not get the artistic expression of isolation in the film – I get that's what they are trying for, but sadly, I would rather be castaway than see that movie ever again.
Why does it take so long to process magazine subscriptions? In 6-8 weeks, my enthusiasm seriously wanes for what once seemed like a good subscription.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
I know something about you. You want to be heard. Oh its true. It oozes out of everything you do. You want to count, you want people to think you have something to offer, you want people to know you really are different. I am the same way – so I will be pot and you kettle. This behavior is evidenced day in and day out in business meeting after business meeting. Business meetings could get done in about 5 minutes if people were not trying to be noticed. Typically, the reason is presented for why the meeting was called then you spend 2 hours having everyone re-phrase the problem and the solution. So I was thinking, why does this occur? Its simple – you are a crappy friend – and what makes you crappy is that you think you are a good friend. A good friend listens more than they talk, but you don't, and its not ok. See, we approach everything in our life wanting to be heard, so we may listen for a moment, but that's only to make space for ourselves to talk. This is evidenced daily in relationships all around me. Men, how often have you brought up an issue with your lady, to only find yourself apologizing at the end for something you have done? Ladies, this works for you too. We go to tell people are problems, and then they make it about them. I know what you are thinking – this is not me and I am the exception. But I know you, and I am talking to you. You are no exception. You talk too damn much and you listen too darn little. Guess what? Me too. Until we listen, and I mean really listen, this world will still starve for attention. We will have silly business meetings, and we will have wars, all because YOU think you are a good friend. So you are thinking, "well that's great Jered, but when will I get to say what's on my mind?" - - - exactly my point.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
One thing that I need to learn is: people will never view my issues as urgently as I do. This may seem like a no-brainer, but this is a very good thing to realize. People have their own priorities, and yours will hardly ever be as important to them as theirs. I would save myself a lot of headache if I could truly internalize this thought.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
Aquafina water tastes greasy.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
Does anyone really like going to the dentist? I understand that a person could possibly argue "Your teeth never feel cleaner," but to me, that is certainly not worth the agony and torture of visiting that hell hole known as the dentist's office. Now, you must know that I have horrible teeth. My dentist always said that I had really weak enamel, and when I was a child, I used to have to take extra trips to the dentist, just to get fluoride. Truth be told, I take better care of my teeth than most of the people I know. I floss, I waterpik (occasionally) and I brush twice a day, but the cavities still come, the root canals have happened and I am stuck with crowns that have no correlation to royalty. I typically dread the hell hole for several reasons. 1. The metal scraping against my teeth is not a warm and fuzzy feeling, in fact, its like a cold prickly (who remembers project Charlie?) 2. I hate the endless lectures and demos about proper flossing and brushing – I am not wanting to pay hundreds of dollars to get a guilt trip. I know how to brush . . . I learned it when I was 5 . . .3. The never give me enough Novocain. I always tell them that I am highly resistant, but they could care less. They think I am just some sort of drug junkie that gets off on a 6 hour numbness that causes perpetual drooling.
Why do I mention all of this? I am due for the dentist. I would ask for prayer, but lets face it, Jesus may have saved us from lots of things, but even he cannot stop the dentist.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
I once did a list of the top 9 worst movies, but I did them in haste and off the cuff. I cannot believe I forgot one of the worst – Cast Away. Outside of Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks has been playing the exact same actor in every movie for 20 years. Add to this Cast Away – a movie that simply tries to sell one thing, Tom Hanks. His acting is so non-existent that the movie falls flat on its face. Its indulgent in all the wrong ways, and when ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Wilson is your supporting character, you have problems. And spare me the responses about how I did not get the artistic expression of isolation in the film – I get that's what they are trying for, but sadly, I would rather be castaway than see that movie ever again.
Why does it take so long to process magazine subscriptions? In 6-8 weeks, my enthusiasm seriously wanes for what once seemed like a good subscription.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
I know something about you. You want to be heard. Oh its true. It oozes out of everything you do. You want to count, you want people to think you have something to offer, you want people to know you really are different. I am the same way – so I will be pot and you kettle. This behavior is evidenced day in and day out in business meeting after business meeting. Business meetings could get done in about 5 minutes if people were not trying to be noticed. Typically, the reason is presented for why the meeting was called then you spend 2 hours having everyone re-phrase the problem and the solution. So I was thinking, why does this occur? Its simple – you are a crappy friend – and what makes you crappy is that you think you are a good friend. A good friend listens more than they talk, but you don't, and its not ok. See, we approach everything in our life wanting to be heard, so we may listen for a moment, but that's only to make space for ourselves to talk. This is evidenced daily in relationships all around me. Men, how often have you brought up an issue with your lady, to only find yourself apologizing at the end for something you have done? Ladies, this works for you too. We go to tell people are problems, and then they make it about them. I know what you are thinking – this is not me and I am the exception. But I know you, and I am talking to you. You are no exception. You talk too damn much and you listen too darn little. Guess what? Me too. Until we listen, and I mean really listen, this world will still starve for attention. We will have silly business meetings, and we will have wars, all because YOU think you are a good friend. So you are thinking, "well that's great Jered, but when will I get to say what's on my mind?" - - - exactly my point.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
One thing that I need to learn is: people will never view my issues as urgently as I do. This may seem like a no-brainer, but this is a very good thing to realize. People have their own priorities, and yours will hardly ever be as important to them as theirs. I would save myself a lot of headache if I could truly internalize this thought.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
Aquafina water tastes greasy.
Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment.
Always look on the bright side of life. . .
The grass is never greener on the other side.
Things are never as you left them.
These are things that I have been learning lately. It probably comes off as fatalistic, and at the moment, it feels that way. It probably helps to step back and take a long view.
I have always been a proponent of change – and why not? It keeps things exciting, fresh, clean . . . like a new car. But like a new car, the excitement wears off long before the payments do. There are consequences to every choice . . . so essentially we are choosing our consequences. We want the new car, but not the 72 months of payments. This is our disease. We like our new wheels but want it to turn and handle like our old car – we like the reaction our new ultra sweet detailing gets, but we miss those memories in the back seat of our tangerine dream. Thankfully, we never try to mash the old and new car together, but we certainly do this with our lives? And we all know what happens when 2 cars hit head on . . .
I take back the grass is never greener comment, or at the very least, I take back how it reads. There is a future for all of us . . . and I think things can get better in this world . . . its just that sometimes the choices you make will not yield the results you long to cherish. I don't know how we learn to embrace the adventure, but I think we need to.
Some confessions: (Written to humanity in general, never to 1 specific person)
Sometimes I look at people and get angry that they allow themselves to look so stupid.
I hate confrontation and I lie to avoid conflict. I am afraid if you knew what I was really thinking you could not handle it. But I am seriously trying to get better – I work at it every day.
I am terribly controlling, and sadly, I don't want to change because I believe I am smarter than you.
I hate to apologize first because I believe you are just apologizing to follow the trend, and then I cannot take your apology seriously.
I cannot live with myself when I am following trends, and I have been following them all of my life.
Forgive me.
Things are never as you left them.
These are things that I have been learning lately. It probably comes off as fatalistic, and at the moment, it feels that way. It probably helps to step back and take a long view.
I have always been a proponent of change – and why not? It keeps things exciting, fresh, clean . . . like a new car. But like a new car, the excitement wears off long before the payments do. There are consequences to every choice . . . so essentially we are choosing our consequences. We want the new car, but not the 72 months of payments. This is our disease. We like our new wheels but want it to turn and handle like our old car – we like the reaction our new ultra sweet detailing gets, but we miss those memories in the back seat of our tangerine dream. Thankfully, we never try to mash the old and new car together, but we certainly do this with our lives? And we all know what happens when 2 cars hit head on . . .
I take back the grass is never greener comment, or at the very least, I take back how it reads. There is a future for all of us . . . and I think things can get better in this world . . . its just that sometimes the choices you make will not yield the results you long to cherish. I don't know how we learn to embrace the adventure, but I think we need to.
Some confessions: (Written to humanity in general, never to 1 specific person)
Sometimes I look at people and get angry that they allow themselves to look so stupid.
I hate confrontation and I lie to avoid conflict. I am afraid if you knew what I was really thinking you could not handle it. But I am seriously trying to get better – I work at it every day.
I am terribly controlling, and sadly, I don't want to change because I believe I am smarter than you.
I hate to apologize first because I believe you are just apologizing to follow the trend, and then I cannot take your apology seriously.
I cannot live with myself when I am following trends, and I have been following them all of my life.
Forgive me.
Friday, April 25, 2008
If I had the time to sing another, I'd sing the types of songs you'd like to hear. . .
Why are people without jobs still glad its friday?
Even though they are probably considered the best band of all time, I still don't think the Beatles get enough credit for their song writing abilities.
Confession: I once went to a Friday's with my good friend Ken and we ordered Swirl Margaritas (Check that: I actually ordered them saying "We will each have a raspberry swirl margarita") and I am pretty sure everyone at the bar thought we were gay - and I am pretty sure we deserved that. (PS. I am not actually gay). This moment might only be eclipsed by the time my friends and I got a little tipsy in Montreal (maybe I mean drunk) and got in a circle under the guise that we were trying to impress 2 chicks, and sang "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias at the tops of our lungs. Because I want to incriminate, the culprits were me, Brian, John, Eric, Ken and Pat. Why do I mention all of this? All men have less than masculine moments. Sorry to burst your bubble. I had to get this out. I have no shame in it (well maybe a little, but thats mostly because its pathetic I knew the words to an Enrique Iglesias tune, one of the many things I will need to account myself to God for).
I went to see Derek Webb in concert last night. It took place in an old church building - the setting was beautiful. There were only about 150 people there, and the concert was so intimate. For those of you that don't know, Derek Webb is a singer/songwriter whose lyrics irritate a lot of people. He is frank, and he calls people change our world. He sings about God (and his struggle with belief) but he would scoff if you compared him to a christian. Nothing about this concert felt "christian:" No altar calls, hand raising or amens (THANK GOD!). He was witty, poignant, and he sounded great. Acoustic guitar and a voice. It doesn't get much better, and yet, only 150 people showed up. People would not know good music if it smacked them in the face. When we live in a world where Chingy sells more albums then Derek Webb, something is TERRIBLY wrong. Check him out. Noteworthy Tracks: A New Law, Nothing is Ever Enough, Wedding Dress, Mockingbird, Better than wine . . .
There are 27 million people living in SLAVERY around the world, more than during the Civil War - and YOU don't care enough - nor do I, but I am trying. But we are the problem. What we buy, how we respond, and our greed - thats what is causing it.
If you live in Cincinnati, are you with me on this one: The only thing that really makes Chad Johnson impressive now, is that he got a whole city to turn on him in less than a year - that simply outweighs his amazing talent on the field.
My job is ludicrous. Who schedules a 2 hour meeting starting at 3 on a Friday? I am feeling like one of the 27 million, but thats a whole different kind of slavery.
www.mentalfloss.com One of my favorite blogs
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/ Another amazing blog
Any feedback? Hit me up
Even though they are probably considered the best band of all time, I still don't think the Beatles get enough credit for their song writing abilities.
Confession: I once went to a Friday's with my good friend Ken and we ordered Swirl Margaritas (Check that: I actually ordered them saying "We will each have a raspberry swirl margarita") and I am pretty sure everyone at the bar thought we were gay - and I am pretty sure we deserved that. (PS. I am not actually gay). This moment might only be eclipsed by the time my friends and I got a little tipsy in Montreal (maybe I mean drunk) and got in a circle under the guise that we were trying to impress 2 chicks, and sang "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias at the tops of our lungs. Because I want to incriminate, the culprits were me, Brian, John, Eric, Ken and Pat. Why do I mention all of this? All men have less than masculine moments. Sorry to burst your bubble. I had to get this out. I have no shame in it (well maybe a little, but thats mostly because its pathetic I knew the words to an Enrique Iglesias tune, one of the many things I will need to account myself to God for).
I went to see Derek Webb in concert last night. It took place in an old church building - the setting was beautiful. There were only about 150 people there, and the concert was so intimate. For those of you that don't know, Derek Webb is a singer/songwriter whose lyrics irritate a lot of people. He is frank, and he calls people change our world. He sings about God (and his struggle with belief) but he would scoff if you compared him to a christian. Nothing about this concert felt "christian:" No altar calls, hand raising or amens (THANK GOD!). He was witty, poignant, and he sounded great. Acoustic guitar and a voice. It doesn't get much better, and yet, only 150 people showed up. People would not know good music if it smacked them in the face. When we live in a world where Chingy sells more albums then Derek Webb, something is TERRIBLY wrong. Check him out. Noteworthy Tracks: A New Law, Nothing is Ever Enough, Wedding Dress, Mockingbird, Better than wine . . .
There are 27 million people living in SLAVERY around the world, more than during the Civil War - and YOU don't care enough - nor do I, but I am trying. But we are the problem. What we buy, how we respond, and our greed - thats what is causing it.
If you live in Cincinnati, are you with me on this one: The only thing that really makes Chad Johnson impressive now, is that he got a whole city to turn on him in less than a year - that simply outweighs his amazing talent on the field.
My job is ludicrous. Who schedules a 2 hour meeting starting at 3 on a Friday? I am feeling like one of the 27 million, but thats a whole different kind of slavery.
www.mentalfloss.com One of my favorite blogs
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/ Another amazing blog
Any feedback? Hit me up
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A few thoughts
Some of these I have read somewhere, and some I think are somewhat original . . . either way, they are going through my mind.
Sorry if credit is not always given where credit is due
Oh and this will jump around a lot. . . mostly to prevent you from skimming (and clearly, me needing to organize)
I wonder if pastors are upset that Braveheart has probably inspired more men than their sermons have?
Why do some people find it necessary to have a lame sense of humor? Example:
Me: "Did you get a haircut?"
Them: "Actually I got all of them cut"
Wow, isn't that original and inspiring. Almost as good as, "what's up?" . . . "The ceiling"
If you are using these types of jokes, please stop.
Which lends me to - why has our conversation become so meaningless and mundane? Why do we ask "how you doin'?" when we don't really care? Why is the weather the only thing we can find to talk about with a stranger?
Speaking of, just to clear the air, I have heard the Subway and jewelry jokes a million times. You are not the first, second or one thousandth person to corralate my name to the ex-fat guy who pumps subway sandwiches. I no longer want to acknowledge this trivial little sentiment. Where has our creativity gone?
JESUS HAS RETURNED TO EARTH - in the form of a store called IKEA. Wouldn't it be interesting if people cared one one-hundreth as much about their spirituality and love as they did trendy furniture?
I applaud many people for adopting the whole idea of buying "green." Its nice to see people understanding Creation care, and even if you don't believe in God, its great to see us taking interest in protecting the planet, and saving resources, for future generations. But CONSUMERISM is a funny animal. We have just replaced buying eco-hazardous materials with buying "green" ones. Sorry to say it, but this is not going to stop our problem. All this buying still creates high volumes of production and packaging. This world will get better when we stop buying so much stinkin stuff. Green is cool, but we need to stop spending period. But alas, what are the odds of that happening? After all, I do really want that PS3. . .
Activia yogurt is supposed to regulate your digestive system . . . all it really does is up your flatulation index . . . write that down
David Archuleta (American Idol) might be the biggest sham ever. Ok, so he can sing a little. Can he remember words? No. Does he possess more than one facial expression? No. Does he use his right hand as a Raptor like claw that never gets above his solar plexus? Absolutely.
Would it kill Myspace to offer spellcheck?
Can we keep it up with the responding to my blogs? I dig the feedback, and if you can take time to take 1 million surveys a week that all ask the same questions, you can certainly hit me up here.
Every 4 years in America we get a sickness. . . its represents itself with one major symptom - we believe politics to be the solution to all of our world's problems, the nation's crises, and our own dilemmas. Can I tell you something? Its not. Go ahead, write me off as a silly "christian" but I am going to tell you this anyway. Christians and Atheists alike can say Jesus was probably the most influential person in history - and he lived in opposition to the government. He knew something we fail to grasp. Change begins with You (Me). I am the problem. When we fix ourselves and begin to love - that remedies problems. If Jesus ran today, he could never get the money together to be elected, and I am quite confident he would lose anyway. Am I saying not to vote? Of course not. But the government is not the plan. You are.
Renee Zellweger is neither talented or attractive. She can single-handedly destroy a movie. Case in point: Leatherheads.
Also, a really neat online test that Harvard put together can basically "show" that one is racist: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/index.jsp
You need to check it out above - thanks John - also test biases on sexuality etc.
If you are not listening to Ray Lamontagne, you should be. His music is pure joy.
thats all I have for right now. . .more for later hopefully
Sorry if credit is not always given where credit is due
Oh and this will jump around a lot. . . mostly to prevent you from skimming (and clearly, me needing to organize)
I wonder if pastors are upset that Braveheart has probably inspired more men than their sermons have?
Why do some people find it necessary to have a lame sense of humor? Example:
Me: "Did you get a haircut?"
Them: "Actually I got all of them cut"
Wow, isn't that original and inspiring. Almost as good as, "what's up?" . . . "The ceiling"
If you are using these types of jokes, please stop.
Which lends me to - why has our conversation become so meaningless and mundane? Why do we ask "how you doin'?" when we don't really care? Why is the weather the only thing we can find to talk about with a stranger?
Speaking of, just to clear the air, I have heard the Subway and jewelry jokes a million times. You are not the first, second or one thousandth person to corralate my name to the ex-fat guy who pumps subway sandwiches. I no longer want to acknowledge this trivial little sentiment. Where has our creativity gone?
JESUS HAS RETURNED TO EARTH - in the form of a store called IKEA. Wouldn't it be interesting if people cared one one-hundreth as much about their spirituality and love as they did trendy furniture?
I applaud many people for adopting the whole idea of buying "green." Its nice to see people understanding Creation care, and even if you don't believe in God, its great to see us taking interest in protecting the planet, and saving resources, for future generations. But CONSUMERISM is a funny animal. We have just replaced buying eco-hazardous materials with buying "green" ones. Sorry to say it, but this is not going to stop our problem. All this buying still creates high volumes of production and packaging. This world will get better when we stop buying so much stinkin stuff. Green is cool, but we need to stop spending period. But alas, what are the odds of that happening? After all, I do really want that PS3. . .
Activia yogurt is supposed to regulate your digestive system . . . all it really does is up your flatulation index . . . write that down
David Archuleta (American Idol) might be the biggest sham ever. Ok, so he can sing a little. Can he remember words? No. Does he possess more than one facial expression? No. Does he use his right hand as a Raptor like claw that never gets above his solar plexus? Absolutely.
Would it kill Myspace to offer spellcheck?
Can we keep it up with the responding to my blogs? I dig the feedback, and if you can take time to take 1 million surveys a week that all ask the same questions, you can certainly hit me up here.
Every 4 years in America we get a sickness. . . its represents itself with one major symptom - we believe politics to be the solution to all of our world's problems, the nation's crises, and our own dilemmas. Can I tell you something? Its not. Go ahead, write me off as a silly "christian" but I am going to tell you this anyway. Christians and Atheists alike can say Jesus was probably the most influential person in history - and he lived in opposition to the government. He knew something we fail to grasp. Change begins with You (Me). I am the problem. When we fix ourselves and begin to love - that remedies problems. If Jesus ran today, he could never get the money together to be elected, and I am quite confident he would lose anyway. Am I saying not to vote? Of course not. But the government is not the plan. You are.
Renee Zellweger is neither talented or attractive. She can single-handedly destroy a movie. Case in point: Leatherheads.
Also, a really neat online test that Harvard put together can basically "show" that one is racist: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/index.jsp
You need to check it out above - thanks John - also test biases on sexuality etc.
If you are not listening to Ray Lamontagne, you should be. His music is pure joy.
thats all I have for right now. . .more for later hopefully
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Iraq
There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I, and others, have been waging in America. A few years ago there was a shining moment in that struggle. It seemed as if there was a real promise of hope for the poor—both black and white—through the poverty program. There were experiments, hopes, new beginnings.
Then came the buildup in Vietnam and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such. –Martin Luther King Jr., April 4, 1967, Riverside Church
Then came the buildup in Vietnam and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such. –Martin Luther King Jr., April 4, 1967, Riverside Church
Thursday, March 27, 2008
War, what is it good for?
the war and the suffering go on. On Easter Sunday, four U.S. soldiers were killed in Baghdad, bringing the total to 4,000. Around the country of Iraq, more than 60 people were killed in attacks. The Iraq Body Count database has now documented 90,000 civilian deaths – other estimates go into the hundreds of thousands. And this week, new fighting is raging in several Iraqi cities, causing additional casualties.
How does this sit with you?
How does this sit with you?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
cannot say it better
so why try?
Jesus came with a job to do, to complete the work to which Israel was called. This work, from the call of Abraham onwards, was to put the human race to rights, and so to put the whole creation to rights. As the gospel writers tell the story, this task was to be accomplished by Jesus bringing about the sovereign healing rule of the creator God. Jesus was addressing the question, "What might it look like if God was running this show?" And answering, "This is what it looks like: just watch." And then, "just listen." In what he did, and in the stories he told, Jesus was announcing and inaugurating what he referred to as "the kingdom of God," the long-awaited hope that the creator God would run the whole show, on earth as in heaven.
But the problem was, and is, that other people are still running the show. Other kingdoms, other power structures, have usurped the rule of the world's wise creator, and the forces of evil are exceedingly powerful and destructive. Jesus' task of inaugurating God's kingdom therefore necessarily led him to meet those forces in direct combat, to draw upon himself their full, dark fury so as to exhaust their power and make a way through to launch the creator's project of new creation despite them. That is one clue at least to the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion, though that event, planting the sign of God's kingdom in the middle of space, time, and matter, remains inexhaustible. But let's be clear. As the gospels tell the story, Jesus' death was the culmination of several different strands: a political process, a religious clash, a spiritual war, all rushing together into one terrible day, one terrible death. And in the light of that, according to Jesus himself and his first followers, everything in the world looks different, is different, must be approached differently. With Jesus' death, the power structures of the world were called to account; with his resurrection, a new life, a new power, was unleashed upon the world. And the question is: How ought this to work out? What should we be doing as a result?
If we are to think Christianly, then we must think according to the pattern of Jesus Christ. And that means that the first place we should look for God in the "War on Terror" would be in the smoldering ruins of the Twin Towers, and then in the ruins of Baghdad and Basra, the shattered homes and lives of the tens of thousands who have through no fault of their own been in the wrong place at the wrong time, as the angry superpower, like a rogue elephant teased by a little dog, has gone on the rampage stamping on everything that moves in the hope of killing the dog by killing everything within reach. The presence of God within the world at a time of war must be calibrated according to what Paul says in Romans 8, that the Spirit groans within God's people as they groan with the pain of the world. The cross of Jesus Christ is the sign and the assurance that the God who made the world still loves the world and, in that love, groans and grieves.
But God wants his rebel world to be ordered, to be under authorities and governments, because otherwise the bullies and the arrogant will always prey on the weak and the helpless; but all authorities and governments face the temptation to become bullies and arrogant themselves. The New Testament writers, like other Jews at the time, saw this writ large in the Roman empire of their day. Those with eyes to see can see it in other subsequent empires, right down to our own day.
It is the task of the followers of Jesus to remind those called to authority that the God who made the world intends to put the world to rights at last, and to call those authorities to acts of justice and mercy which will anticipate, in the present time, the future, coming, final victory of God over all evil, all violence, all arrogant abuse of power. And where the world's rulers genuinely strive for that end, the Christian church declares as the ancient Jews did with the pagan king Cyrus, that God's Spirit is at work—whether the authorities know it or not.
Insofar as the last five years have constituted a wake-up call to sleepy western Christians to think urgently about issues of global justice and governance, we can see God, I believe, in that new stirring, warning us that we have a task and that we haven't been doing it too well. In particular, we must face the deeply ambiguous question of the present power and position of America. I am not anti-American when I criticise some policies of some American leaders, any more than I am anti-British when I criticise some of the policies of my own elected leaders. To suggest otherwise is simply a cheap way of avoiding the real questions. The creator God allows societies to rise and fall, empires to grow and wane. And though things are massively more complicated than this, we could see in the rise of America as the current sole superpower some great possibilities for bringing justice and mercy, genuine freedom and prosperity, to the whole world. Empires always carry that possibility. But empires also face the temptation to use their power for their own prestige and wealth. The challenge now is to provide a critique of American empire without implying that the world should collapse into anarchy, and a fresh sense of direction for that empire without colluding with massive abuses of power.
Where then is God in the war on terror? Grieving and groaning within the pain and horror of his battered but still beautiful world. Stirring in the hearts of human beings the desire for a more credible structure of global justice and mercy. Burning into the imagination of human beings a hope that peace and reconciliation might eventually win out over suspicion and hatred, that the world may be put to rights and that we may anticipate that in the present time. The Christian gospel, revealing the mysterious God we discover in Jesus and the Spirit, offers a framework for discerning where God is at work in the midst of the dangers and opportunities that confront us. All of us in our different callings are summoned to this task; some of you, perhaps, to make it your life's work. Jesus is Lord. The Spirit is powerful. God is doing a new thing. Let's get out there and join in.
Dr. N.T. Wright is a New Testament theologian and the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. He is the author of many books, including Surprised by Hope, and Evil and the Justice of God. This post is adapted from his lecture "Where is God in ‘The War on Terror?'" and is used with permission by the author.
Jesus came with a job to do, to complete the work to which Israel was called. This work, from the call of Abraham onwards, was to put the human race to rights, and so to put the whole creation to rights. As the gospel writers tell the story, this task was to be accomplished by Jesus bringing about the sovereign healing rule of the creator God. Jesus was addressing the question, "What might it look like if God was running this show?" And answering, "This is what it looks like: just watch." And then, "just listen." In what he did, and in the stories he told, Jesus was announcing and inaugurating what he referred to as "the kingdom of God," the long-awaited hope that the creator God would run the whole show, on earth as in heaven.
But the problem was, and is, that other people are still running the show. Other kingdoms, other power structures, have usurped the rule of the world's wise creator, and the forces of evil are exceedingly powerful and destructive. Jesus' task of inaugurating God's kingdom therefore necessarily led him to meet those forces in direct combat, to draw upon himself their full, dark fury so as to exhaust their power and make a way through to launch the creator's project of new creation despite them. That is one clue at least to the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion, though that event, planting the sign of God's kingdom in the middle of space, time, and matter, remains inexhaustible. But let's be clear. As the gospels tell the story, Jesus' death was the culmination of several different strands: a political process, a religious clash, a spiritual war, all rushing together into one terrible day, one terrible death. And in the light of that, according to Jesus himself and his first followers, everything in the world looks different, is different, must be approached differently. With Jesus' death, the power structures of the world were called to account; with his resurrection, a new life, a new power, was unleashed upon the world. And the question is: How ought this to work out? What should we be doing as a result?
If we are to think Christianly, then we must think according to the pattern of Jesus Christ. And that means that the first place we should look for God in the "War on Terror" would be in the smoldering ruins of the Twin Towers, and then in the ruins of Baghdad and Basra, the shattered homes and lives of the tens of thousands who have through no fault of their own been in the wrong place at the wrong time, as the angry superpower, like a rogue elephant teased by a little dog, has gone on the rampage stamping on everything that moves in the hope of killing the dog by killing everything within reach. The presence of God within the world at a time of war must be calibrated according to what Paul says in Romans 8, that the Spirit groans within God's people as they groan with the pain of the world. The cross of Jesus Christ is the sign and the assurance that the God who made the world still loves the world and, in that love, groans and grieves.
But God wants his rebel world to be ordered, to be under authorities and governments, because otherwise the bullies and the arrogant will always prey on the weak and the helpless; but all authorities and governments face the temptation to become bullies and arrogant themselves. The New Testament writers, like other Jews at the time, saw this writ large in the Roman empire of their day. Those with eyes to see can see it in other subsequent empires, right down to our own day.
It is the task of the followers of Jesus to remind those called to authority that the God who made the world intends to put the world to rights at last, and to call those authorities to acts of justice and mercy which will anticipate, in the present time, the future, coming, final victory of God over all evil, all violence, all arrogant abuse of power. And where the world's rulers genuinely strive for that end, the Christian church declares as the ancient Jews did with the pagan king Cyrus, that God's Spirit is at work—whether the authorities know it or not.
Insofar as the last five years have constituted a wake-up call to sleepy western Christians to think urgently about issues of global justice and governance, we can see God, I believe, in that new stirring, warning us that we have a task and that we haven't been doing it too well. In particular, we must face the deeply ambiguous question of the present power and position of America. I am not anti-American when I criticise some policies of some American leaders, any more than I am anti-British when I criticise some of the policies of my own elected leaders. To suggest otherwise is simply a cheap way of avoiding the real questions. The creator God allows societies to rise and fall, empires to grow and wane. And though things are massively more complicated than this, we could see in the rise of America as the current sole superpower some great possibilities for bringing justice and mercy, genuine freedom and prosperity, to the whole world. Empires always carry that possibility. But empires also face the temptation to use their power for their own prestige and wealth. The challenge now is to provide a critique of American empire without implying that the world should collapse into anarchy, and a fresh sense of direction for that empire without colluding with massive abuses of power.
Where then is God in the war on terror? Grieving and groaning within the pain and horror of his battered but still beautiful world. Stirring in the hearts of human beings the desire for a more credible structure of global justice and mercy. Burning into the imagination of human beings a hope that peace and reconciliation might eventually win out over suspicion and hatred, that the world may be put to rights and that we may anticipate that in the present time. The Christian gospel, revealing the mysterious God we discover in Jesus and the Spirit, offers a framework for discerning where God is at work in the midst of the dangers and opportunities that confront us. All of us in our different callings are summoned to this task; some of you, perhaps, to make it your life's work. Jesus is Lord. The Spirit is powerful. God is doing a new thing. Let's get out there and join in.
Dr. N.T. Wright is a New Testament theologian and the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. He is the author of many books, including Surprised by Hope, and Evil and the Justice of God. This post is adapted from his lecture "Where is God in ‘The War on Terror?'" and is used with permission by the author.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A Race issue thats not about 4 tires and fuel
Obama’s speech below - I don’t normally so this. And I probably disagree with this cat on too many substantive policy issues to have even this make a difference in November. But - I am 98% on board with this speech. It’s a formula for a salve for the political wounds this country is riddled with, and I have been dying for a real message, an intelligent dialogue, and a way to get us beyond our divisions. Eloquent, even in print, and probably more honest than any platform pimping blather to hit the national stage since... Reagan?
"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America’s improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.
The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation’s original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.
Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution – a Constitution that had at is very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.
And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part – through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time.
This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign – to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren.
This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story.
I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton’s Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I’ve gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners – an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
It’s a story that hasn’t made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts – that out of many, we are truly one.
Throughout the first year of this campaign, against all predictions to the contrary, we saw how hungry the American people were for this message of unity. Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. In South Carolina, where the Confederate Flag still flies, we built a powerful coalition of African Americans and white Americans.
This is not to say that race has not been an issue in the campaign. At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either "too black" or "not black enough." We saw racial tensions bubble to the surface during the week before the South Carolina primary. The press has scoured every exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well.
And yet, it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn.
On one end of the spectrum, we’ve heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it’s based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. On the other end, we’ve heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly offend white and black alike.
I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely – just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.
But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren’t simply controversial. They weren’t simply a religious leader’s effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems – two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.
Given my background, my politics, and my professed values and ideals, there will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. Why associate myself with Reverend Wright in the first place, they may ask? Why not join another church? And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way
But the truth is, that isn’t all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God’s work here on Earth – by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
In my first book, Dreams From My Father, I described the experience of my first service at Trinity:
"People began to shout, to rise from their seats and clap and cry out, a forceful wind carrying the reverend’s voice up into the rafters….And in that single note – hope! – I heard something else; at the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion’s den, Ezekiel’s field of dry bones. Those stories – of survival, and freedom, and hope – became our story, my story; the blood that had spilled was our blood, the tears our tears; until this black church, on this bright day, seemed once more a vessel carrying the story of a people into future generations and into a larger world. Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black; in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn’t need to feel shame about…memories that all people might study and cherish – and with which we could start to rebuild."
That has been my experience at Trinity. Like other predominantly black churches across the country, Trinity embodies the black community in its entirety – the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger. Like other black churches, Trinity’s services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor. They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America.
And this helps explain, perhaps, my relationship with Reverend Wright. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions – the good and the bad – of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.
I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.
These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.
Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not. I suppose the politically safe thing would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias.
But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America – to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality.
The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through – a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.
Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past." We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow.
Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven’t fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, and the inferior education they provided, then and now, helps explain the pervasive achievement gap between today’s black and white students.
Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments – meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. That history helps explain the wealth and income gap between black and white, and the concentrated pockets of poverty that persists in so many of today’s urban and rural communities.
A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one’s family, contributed to the erosion of black families – a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods – parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement – all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.
This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What’s remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them.
But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn’t make it – those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations – those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. For the men and women of Reverend Wright’s generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician’s own failings.
And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright’s sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.
In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don’t feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience – as far as they’re concerned, no one’s handed them anything, they’ve built it from scratch. They’ve worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they’re told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.
Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren’t always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends. Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism.
Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze – a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns – this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding.
This is where we are right now. It’s a racial stalemate we’ve been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy – particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.
But I have asserted a firm conviction – a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people – that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.
For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances – for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives – by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.
Ironically, this quintessentially American – and yes, conservative – notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright’s sermons. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change.
The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It’s that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country – a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen – is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope – the audacity to hope – for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds – by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.
In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world’s great religions demand – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother’s keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister’s keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.
For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. We can tackle race only as spectacle – as we did in the OJ trial – or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. We can play Reverend Wright’s sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she’s playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.
We can do that.
But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we’ll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.
That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, "Not this time." This time we want to talk about the crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children and Asian children and Hispanic children and Native American children. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can’t learn; that those kids who don’t look like us are somebody else’s problem. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. Not this time.
This time we want to talk about how the lines in the Emergency Room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care; who don’t have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together.
This time we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn’t look like you might take your job; it’s that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.
This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should’ve been authorized and never should’ve been waged, and we want to talk about how we’ll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned.
I would not be running for President if I didn’t believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation – the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election.
There is one story in particularly that I’d like to leave you with today – a story I told when I had the great honor of speaking on Dr. King’s birthday at his home church, Ebenezer Baptist, in Atlanta.
There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organized for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She had been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and one day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.
And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that’s when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.
She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.
She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.
Now Ashley might have made a different choice. Perhaps somebody told her along the way that the source of her mother’s problems were blacks who were on welfare and too lazy to work, or Hispanics who were coming into the country illegally. But she didn’t. She sought out allies in her fight against injustice.
Anyway, Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they’re supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who’s been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he’s there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley."
"I’m here because of Ashley." By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.
But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins.
"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America’s improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.
The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation’s original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.
Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution – a Constitution that had at is very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.
And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part – through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time.
This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign – to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren.
This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story.
I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton’s Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I’ve gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners – an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
It’s a story that hasn’t made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts – that out of many, we are truly one.
Throughout the first year of this campaign, against all predictions to the contrary, we saw how hungry the American people were for this message of unity. Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. In South Carolina, where the Confederate Flag still flies, we built a powerful coalition of African Americans and white Americans.
This is not to say that race has not been an issue in the campaign. At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either "too black" or "not black enough." We saw racial tensions bubble to the surface during the week before the South Carolina primary. The press has scoured every exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well.
And yet, it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn.
On one end of the spectrum, we’ve heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it’s based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. On the other end, we’ve heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly offend white and black alike.
I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely – just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.
But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren’t simply controversial. They weren’t simply a religious leader’s effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems – two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.
Given my background, my politics, and my professed values and ideals, there will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. Why associate myself with Reverend Wright in the first place, they may ask? Why not join another church? And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way
But the truth is, that isn’t all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God’s work here on Earth – by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
In my first book, Dreams From My Father, I described the experience of my first service at Trinity:
"People began to shout, to rise from their seats and clap and cry out, a forceful wind carrying the reverend’s voice up into the rafters….And in that single note – hope! – I heard something else; at the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion’s den, Ezekiel’s field of dry bones. Those stories – of survival, and freedom, and hope – became our story, my story; the blood that had spilled was our blood, the tears our tears; until this black church, on this bright day, seemed once more a vessel carrying the story of a people into future generations and into a larger world. Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black; in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn’t need to feel shame about…memories that all people might study and cherish – and with which we could start to rebuild."
That has been my experience at Trinity. Like other predominantly black churches across the country, Trinity embodies the black community in its entirety – the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger. Like other black churches, Trinity’s services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor. They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America.
And this helps explain, perhaps, my relationship with Reverend Wright. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions – the good and the bad – of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.
I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.
These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.
Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not. I suppose the politically safe thing would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias.
But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America – to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality.
The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through – a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.
Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past." We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow.
Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven’t fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, and the inferior education they provided, then and now, helps explain the pervasive achievement gap between today’s black and white students.
Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments – meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. That history helps explain the wealth and income gap between black and white, and the concentrated pockets of poverty that persists in so many of today’s urban and rural communities.
A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one’s family, contributed to the erosion of black families – a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods – parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement – all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.
This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What’s remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them.
But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn’t make it – those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations – those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. For the men and women of Reverend Wright’s generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician’s own failings.
And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright’s sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.
In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don’t feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience – as far as they’re concerned, no one’s handed them anything, they’ve built it from scratch. They’ve worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they’re told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.
Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren’t always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends. Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism.
Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze – a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns – this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding.
This is where we are right now. It’s a racial stalemate we’ve been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy – particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.
But I have asserted a firm conviction – a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people – that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.
For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances – for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives – by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.
Ironically, this quintessentially American – and yes, conservative – notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright’s sermons. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change.
The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It’s that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country – a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen – is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope – the audacity to hope – for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds – by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.
In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world’s great religions demand – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother’s keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister’s keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.
For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. We can tackle race only as spectacle – as we did in the OJ trial – or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. We can play Reverend Wright’s sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she’s playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.
We can do that.
But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we’ll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.
That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, "Not this time." This time we want to talk about the crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children and Asian children and Hispanic children and Native American children. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can’t learn; that those kids who don’t look like us are somebody else’s problem. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. Not this time.
This time we want to talk about how the lines in the Emergency Room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care; who don’t have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together.
This time we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn’t look like you might take your job; it’s that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.
This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should’ve been authorized and never should’ve been waged, and we want to talk about how we’ll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned.
I would not be running for President if I didn’t believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation – the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election.
There is one story in particularly that I’d like to leave you with today – a story I told when I had the great honor of speaking on Dr. King’s birthday at his home church, Ebenezer Baptist, in Atlanta.
There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organized for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She had been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and one day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.
And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that’s when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.
She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.
She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.
Now Ashley might have made a different choice. Perhaps somebody told her along the way that the source of her mother’s problems were blacks who were on welfare and too lazy to work, or Hispanics who were coming into the country illegally. But she didn’t. She sought out allies in her fight against injustice.
Anyway, Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they’re supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who’s been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he’s there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley."
"I’m here because of Ashley." By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.
But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
my dawg, Shane
Five years ago, I was in Iraq. It was as a member of the Iraq Peace Team, living in the middle of the "shock-and-awe" bombing of Baghdad -- some of the scariest days of my life. As Easter approached, we walked through the Lenten season with brothers and sisters in Iraq. One night I had a terrible dream, and I wrote about it in my journal. As I re-read it this season I found it as timely an image as five years back, and I decided not to doctor it up or try to polish it – but just to include the recollection of that dream as it is in my journal.
Sometimes it is hard to sleep -- so many thoughts. A bomber flew over. I looked up and could see, "U.S. Air Force" on it. I tried to think only of Jesus – the beautiful Lover of Nazareth. The other night I dreamed of Jesus. At first I could only see his back, somehow I knew it was him. His large, strong back was shirtless (and not as fair-skinned as I had once thought!). He was stooped over on all fours as if he were cradling something on the ground. I wondered what it was, so I tried to get a better glance.
A little head popped out from beneath his arm, giggling hysterically. Then another squirmed out from the other side. And another. How many were there?! Still kneeling on all fours with his arms spread wide, Jesus frantically tried to keep them gathered beneath him, as if he knew danger was looming. There were hundreds of little faces [Author's note: Jesus was gigantic, not to scale. I know it's weird; it's a dream.] So there was this huge Jesus, sprawled out above all the children. He looked like a kid frantically trying to keep a litter of young puppies from scattering.
And then there was a loud crack. Out of nowhere a whip struck Jesus on his back. He yelled in pain. Then again – the skin ripped open. And again. The children began to cry. A few young stragglers ducked safely under Jesus' chest with the others. As the whip continued to strike him, rocks began to fall from the sky like hailstones – pounding on his back and bouncing off. The children huddled beneath him, sobbing. His body convulsed in agony, but he never loosened his grip on the little ones below. As the rocks kept falling, something else started to drop from the sky. These objects looked similar to the rocks, but when they hit his back they did not bounce off like the rocks had. They sunk into his skin ... and then they exploded, tearing huge holes into his back, one after another. His bones became exposed, and soon his body stopped moving. Blood poured off his sides and rained down on the children.
STOP! STOP! In the name of God, stop. I could not wake up. The holes continued to tear into his flesh until the body barely resembled anything human. Then, at last, there was silence. Stillness. Slowly, the children began to stir. They crept timidly from beneath the rubble, covered with blood ... but alive. And I awoke ... sweating, panting, but alive.
After I had that dream, I remember going to a worship service, one of the most powerful services I've ever attended. There were thousands of Christians from all over the Middle East gathered just before Easter. We sang "Amazing Grace" in Arabic. We said the Lord's Prayer together in all kinds of different tongues. Then the bishops read a statement addressed to Muslims, which read: "We believe that you are created in the image of God and we love you." It was pregnant with hope. Afterward I confessed to one of the bishops that I was surprised to see so many Christians in Iraq. He looked at me blankly and said gently, "Yes, my friend. This is where Christianity began. You did not invent it in America. You have only domesticated it. Go back and tell the church in America that we are praying for them … to be the body of Christ, to embody the gospel of Jesus." His words still echo in my soul.
May we remember this Easter season -- that it may be Friday, but Sunday is coming. Death may be all around us, but in the end resurrection triumphs. Another little one clinging to Jesus.
Shane Claiborne is the author of Jesus for President, a Red Letter Christian, and a founding partner of The Simple Way community, a radical faith community that lives among and serves the homeless in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Sometimes it is hard to sleep -- so many thoughts. A bomber flew over. I looked up and could see, "U.S. Air Force" on it. I tried to think only of Jesus – the beautiful Lover of Nazareth. The other night I dreamed of Jesus. At first I could only see his back, somehow I knew it was him. His large, strong back was shirtless (and not as fair-skinned as I had once thought!). He was stooped over on all fours as if he were cradling something on the ground. I wondered what it was, so I tried to get a better glance.
A little head popped out from beneath his arm, giggling hysterically. Then another squirmed out from the other side. And another. How many were there?! Still kneeling on all fours with his arms spread wide, Jesus frantically tried to keep them gathered beneath him, as if he knew danger was looming. There were hundreds of little faces [Author's note: Jesus was gigantic, not to scale. I know it's weird; it's a dream.] So there was this huge Jesus, sprawled out above all the children. He looked like a kid frantically trying to keep a litter of young puppies from scattering.
And then there was a loud crack. Out of nowhere a whip struck Jesus on his back. He yelled in pain. Then again – the skin ripped open. And again. The children began to cry. A few young stragglers ducked safely under Jesus' chest with the others. As the whip continued to strike him, rocks began to fall from the sky like hailstones – pounding on his back and bouncing off. The children huddled beneath him, sobbing. His body convulsed in agony, but he never loosened his grip on the little ones below. As the rocks kept falling, something else started to drop from the sky. These objects looked similar to the rocks, but when they hit his back they did not bounce off like the rocks had. They sunk into his skin ... and then they exploded, tearing huge holes into his back, one after another. His bones became exposed, and soon his body stopped moving. Blood poured off his sides and rained down on the children.
STOP! STOP! In the name of God, stop. I could not wake up. The holes continued to tear into his flesh until the body barely resembled anything human. Then, at last, there was silence. Stillness. Slowly, the children began to stir. They crept timidly from beneath the rubble, covered with blood ... but alive. And I awoke ... sweating, panting, but alive.
After I had that dream, I remember going to a worship service, one of the most powerful services I've ever attended. There were thousands of Christians from all over the Middle East gathered just before Easter. We sang "Amazing Grace" in Arabic. We said the Lord's Prayer together in all kinds of different tongues. Then the bishops read a statement addressed to Muslims, which read: "We believe that you are created in the image of God and we love you." It was pregnant with hope. Afterward I confessed to one of the bishops that I was surprised to see so many Christians in Iraq. He looked at me blankly and said gently, "Yes, my friend. This is where Christianity began. You did not invent it in America. You have only domesticated it. Go back and tell the church in America that we are praying for them … to be the body of Christ, to embody the gospel of Jesus." His words still echo in my soul.
May we remember this Easter season -- that it may be Friday, but Sunday is coming. Death may be all around us, but in the end resurrection triumphs. Another little one clinging to Jesus.
Shane Claiborne is the author of Jesus for President, a Red Letter Christian, and a founding partner of The Simple Way community, a radical faith community that lives among and serves the homeless in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
American Idle?
How many of you heard that this was the best talent that American Idol has supposedly had?
Is it me, or was everyone awful? Maybe the dude with dreads was ok, and I can almost admit that the 17 year old boy that laughed uncontrollably was alright, but if you ask me, the whole evening was sub-par.
And, I may be imagining this, but I think American Idol has this new pedophelia thing going on. Not only is there a great deal of young boys, but many of them have somewhat effeminate qualities, whether it be mannerisms or hairstyles or whatever. I understand that this is the way style is going but I kind of almost felt guilty watching the show, as if it was slightly naughty to be watching so many young effeminate men. Or is it just me?
Either way, the show last night sucked. Period.
Is it me, or was everyone awful? Maybe the dude with dreads was ok, and I can almost admit that the 17 year old boy that laughed uncontrollably was alright, but if you ask me, the whole evening was sub-par.
And, I may be imagining this, but I think American Idol has this new pedophelia thing going on. Not only is there a great deal of young boys, but many of them have somewhat effeminate qualities, whether it be mannerisms or hairstyles or whatever. I understand that this is the way style is going but I kind of almost felt guilty watching the show, as if it was slightly naughty to be watching so many young effeminate men. Or is it just me?
Either way, the show last night sucked. Period.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Barack Obama
The day I knew would come at last has come at last
I predicted about a year ago that it would happen, and alas, sadly, it has. Someone I work with said, and with a straight face, that he thought Barack Obama was the Anti-Christ. Thats right. . . you heard me. . . good old Satan in the flesh - the one from all those Timothy Lahaye books (well to be fair, you could say it was in the Bible first, although Lahaye has conveniently layed out all that Jewish Apocolyptic Literature for you (sigh))
I bring this up not to boast about my prophetic prowess, rather to point out how sadly predictable and scary some "christians" can be.
Think about this, someone is calling Obama=Satan, and is seriously meaning it. That then implies that everyone who votes for him is assumingly one of the lost who will spend an eternity in hell.
I could discuss this theologically for hours, and I have more questions than answers, but I don't think I am going overboard by saying this is somewhat ludicrous and maybe a tad extreme.
Here are my questions:
Is this a fear of religion, or race, or just democrats?
Will more right wing christians adapt this attitude?
What are those of us that see christianity and politics as being a lot more complicated to do?
If he is the anti-christ, can I vote for him and still like God better?
What is more important, the leader of our country or the leader of our heart?
I predicted about a year ago that it would happen, and alas, sadly, it has. Someone I work with said, and with a straight face, that he thought Barack Obama was the Anti-Christ. Thats right. . . you heard me. . . good old Satan in the flesh - the one from all those Timothy Lahaye books (well to be fair, you could say it was in the Bible first, although Lahaye has conveniently layed out all that Jewish Apocolyptic Literature for you (sigh))
I bring this up not to boast about my prophetic prowess, rather to point out how sadly predictable and scary some "christians" can be.
Think about this, someone is calling Obama=Satan, and is seriously meaning it. That then implies that everyone who votes for him is assumingly one of the lost who will spend an eternity in hell.
I could discuss this theologically for hours, and I have more questions than answers, but I don't think I am going overboard by saying this is somewhat ludicrous and maybe a tad extreme.
Here are my questions:
Is this a fear of religion, or race, or just democrats?
Will more right wing christians adapt this attitude?
What are those of us that see christianity and politics as being a lot more complicated to do?
If he is the anti-christ, can I vote for him and still like God better?
What is more important, the leader of our country or the leader of our heart?
Monday, February 18, 2008
A Daily Prayer from jesusforpresident.org
Jesus For President Litany of Resistance
Created with the help of our friends Jim Loney (CPT Reservist) and Brian Walsh (activist theologian)
--------------------------
One: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All: Have mercy on us
One: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All: Free us from the bondage of sin and death
One: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All: Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.
One: For the victims of war
All: Have mercy
One: Women, men and children
All: Have mercy
One: The maimed and the crippled
All: Have mercy
One: The abandoned and the homeless
All: Have mercy
One: the imprisoned and the tortured
All: Have mercy
One: The widowed and the orphaned
All: Have mercy
One: The bleeding and the dying
All: Have mercy
One: The weary and the desperate
All: Have mercy
One: The lost and the forsaken
All: Have mercy
One: O God -- Have mercy on us sinners
All: Forgive us for we know not what we do
One: For our scorched and blackened earth
All: Forgive us
One: For the scandal of billions wasted in war
All: Forgive us
One: For our arms makers and arms dealers
All: Forgive us
One: For our Caesars and Herods
All: Forgive us
One: For the violence that is rooted in our hearts
All: Forgive us
One: For the times we turn others into enemies
All: Forgive us
One: Deliver us, O God
All: Guide our feet into the way of peace
One: Hear our prayer.
All: Grant us peace.
One: From the arrogance of power
All: Deliver us
One: From the myth of redemptive violence
All: Deliver us
One: From the tyranny of greed
All: Deliver us
One: From the ugliness of racism
All: Deliver us
One: From the cancer of hatred
All: Deliver us
One: From the seduction of wealth
All: Deliver us
One: From the addiction of control
All: Deliver us
One: From the idolatry of nationalism
All: Deliver us
One: From the paralysis of cynicism
All: Deliver us
One: From the violence of apathy
All: Deliver us
One: From the ghettos of poverty
All: Deliver us
One: From the ghettos of wealth
All: Deliver us
One: From a lack of imagination
All: Deliver us
One: Deliver us, O God
All: Guide our feet into the way of peace
One: We will not conform to the patterns of this world
All: Let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds
One: With the help of God’s grace
All: Let us resist evil wherever we find it
One: With the waging of war
All: We will not comply
One: With the legalization of murder
All: We will not comply
One: With the slaughter of innocents
All: We will not comply
One: With laws that betray human life
All: We will not comply
One: With the destruction of community
All: We will not comply
One: With the pointing finger and malicious talk
All: We will not comply
One: With the idea that happiness must be purchased
All: We will not comply
One: With the ravaging of the earth
All: We will not comply
One: With principalities and powers that oppress
All: We will not comply
One: With the destruction of peoples
All: We will not comply
One: With the raping of women
All: We will not comply
One: With governments that kill
All: We will not comply
One: With the theology of empire
All: We will not comply
One: With the business of militarism
All: We will not comply
One: With the hoarding of riches
All: We will not comply
One: With the dissemination of fear
All: We will not comply
One: Today we pledge our ultimate allegiance… to the Kingdom of God
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To a peace that is not like Rome’s
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the Gospel of enemy love
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the Kingdom of the poor and broken
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To a King that loves his enemies so much he died for them
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the least of these, with whom Christ dwells
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the transnational Church that transcends the artificial borders of nations
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the refugee of Nazareth
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the homeless rabbi who had no place to lay his head
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the cross rather than the sword
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the banner of love above any flag
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the one who rules with a towel rather than an iron fist
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the one who rides a donkey rather than a war-horse
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the revolution that sets both oppressed and oppressors free
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the Way that leads to life
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the Slaughtered Lamb
All: We pledge allegiance
One: And together we proclaim his praises, from the margins of the empire to the centers of wealth and power
All: Long Live the Slaughtered Lamb
One: Long Live the Slaughtered Lamb
All: Long Live the Slaughtered Lamb
Created with the help of our friends Jim Loney (CPT Reservist) and Brian Walsh (activist theologian)
--------------------------
One: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All: Have mercy on us
One: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All: Free us from the bondage of sin and death
One: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All: Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.
One: For the victims of war
All: Have mercy
One: Women, men and children
All: Have mercy
One: The maimed and the crippled
All: Have mercy
One: The abandoned and the homeless
All: Have mercy
One: the imprisoned and the tortured
All: Have mercy
One: The widowed and the orphaned
All: Have mercy
One: The bleeding and the dying
All: Have mercy
One: The weary and the desperate
All: Have mercy
One: The lost and the forsaken
All: Have mercy
One: O God -- Have mercy on us sinners
All: Forgive us for we know not what we do
One: For our scorched and blackened earth
All: Forgive us
One: For the scandal of billions wasted in war
All: Forgive us
One: For our arms makers and arms dealers
All: Forgive us
One: For our Caesars and Herods
All: Forgive us
One: For the violence that is rooted in our hearts
All: Forgive us
One: For the times we turn others into enemies
All: Forgive us
One: Deliver us, O God
All: Guide our feet into the way of peace
One: Hear our prayer.
All: Grant us peace.
One: From the arrogance of power
All: Deliver us
One: From the myth of redemptive violence
All: Deliver us
One: From the tyranny of greed
All: Deliver us
One: From the ugliness of racism
All: Deliver us
One: From the cancer of hatred
All: Deliver us
One: From the seduction of wealth
All: Deliver us
One: From the addiction of control
All: Deliver us
One: From the idolatry of nationalism
All: Deliver us
One: From the paralysis of cynicism
All: Deliver us
One: From the violence of apathy
All: Deliver us
One: From the ghettos of poverty
All: Deliver us
One: From the ghettos of wealth
All: Deliver us
One: From a lack of imagination
All: Deliver us
One: Deliver us, O God
All: Guide our feet into the way of peace
One: We will not conform to the patterns of this world
All: Let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds
One: With the help of God’s grace
All: Let us resist evil wherever we find it
One: With the waging of war
All: We will not comply
One: With the legalization of murder
All: We will not comply
One: With the slaughter of innocents
All: We will not comply
One: With laws that betray human life
All: We will not comply
One: With the destruction of community
All: We will not comply
One: With the pointing finger and malicious talk
All: We will not comply
One: With the idea that happiness must be purchased
All: We will not comply
One: With the ravaging of the earth
All: We will not comply
One: With principalities and powers that oppress
All: We will not comply
One: With the destruction of peoples
All: We will not comply
One: With the raping of women
All: We will not comply
One: With governments that kill
All: We will not comply
One: With the theology of empire
All: We will not comply
One: With the business of militarism
All: We will not comply
One: With the hoarding of riches
All: We will not comply
One: With the dissemination of fear
All: We will not comply
One: Today we pledge our ultimate allegiance… to the Kingdom of God
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To a peace that is not like Rome’s
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the Gospel of enemy love
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the Kingdom of the poor and broken
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To a King that loves his enemies so much he died for them
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the least of these, with whom Christ dwells
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the transnational Church that transcends the artificial borders of nations
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the refugee of Nazareth
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the homeless rabbi who had no place to lay his head
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the cross rather than the sword
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the banner of love above any flag
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the one who rules with a towel rather than an iron fist
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the one who rides a donkey rather than a war-horse
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the revolution that sets both oppressed and oppressors free
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the Way that leads to life
All: We pledge allegiance
One: To the Slaughtered Lamb
All: We pledge allegiance
One: And together we proclaim his praises, from the margins of the empire to the centers of wealth and power
All: Long Live the Slaughtered Lamb
One: Long Live the Slaughtered Lamb
All: Long Live the Slaughtered Lamb
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
If Burgess Meredith and Britney Spears had a love child . . . .
If Burgess Meredith and Britney Spears had a love child . . .
So I went to a "mega-church" this weekend, for the first time in quite a while and its got me thinking about all kinds of things. Having been way more involved in church politics than I would like to admit, I am still trying to repent of some of the awful things that I have done in my past when handling church business. With that said, I am always trying to chew over things more so I no longer make the same mistakes and sometimes I think pointing out positives and negatives can really create some good dialogue. So here it is – A review, or a good chewing over if you will. Feel free to chime in
The church was in Cincinnati – that's the only info that's relevant - some of you that know me might know which church it is, but for the purpose of this discussion, its not necessary
The good:
1.The music was excellent – as I would expect it to be when you can pull from such a big talent pool
2.The service featured creative sketches that were both funny and entertaining – Its great to keep people laughing and to not always be serious. I think this helps people stay focused. If the church needs anything, it needs to remember how to laugh
3.Multitude of programs and small groups – If you are willing to call someone or speak out, it would be easy to get involved. There is something for everyone – and for any focus you may want
4.The atmosphere – It was electric. It was Super Bowl Sunday. People were tailgating in the church parking lot. Free Hot Dogs, Free Coffee. A lot of young, good-looking professionals. Hipsters volunteering everywhere. People that look like me, or at least, look as hip as I want to feel (this truly is a compliment)
Rather than saying bad, or the bad, I am just going to ask questions. Questions I would ask of any church, for the most part, and questions that I believe should be asked. *No church is perfect – sorry to break that to ya, but considering its full of ruffians like me and you, what could we possibly expect?
Questions:
At one point should a church spend its money on itself rather than on the needs of its community, city, nation and world?
Are custom football jerseys at $300 a pop necessary for one Sunday?
Is it important to buy 10,000 people who come to your church a hot dog (presumably mostly from an affluent neighborhood) rather than buying 10,000 hotdogs for people who wouldn't otherwise eat today?
Could we set a better example in spending money on others than spending money on ourselves?
Are too many churches hiding behind the idea "that we are doing this to save souls" to justify spending money on themselves and their congregants?
Does the parable of the rich man and the widow have something to say about this (Mark 12:41-43), or does the multitude of deeds a large church can do put them in God's positive column, even if they are still spending lots on themselves?
Can we preach about the difference about knowing God's will and doing God's will and mention tithing to the church in the same message?
Can the cornerstone of a message's gimmick/theme revolve around the identity of a head pastor – or more simply stated, should we make a big deal about who the head pastor is at all times (or even more simply, can you lead a mega-church and not come off as arrogant)?
What is more important, the amount of money you take in, or the amount of people that attend? Or, how do we measure success?
Just because someone attends the "god-show" are we to assume they took anything from it?
Does spectacle equal experience?
Is it a mega-churches responsibility to lead the way in recycling by Serving God and Saving the Planet?
Does a large church have the responsibility to serve fair trade coffee so they can look the attendees in the eye and say "this cup of coffee did not oppress anybody" even if it means they have to spend a little more? Or is coffee unnecessary anyway?
Are gadgets God-approved spending, since after all, it gives people a better experience?
Do people attend because its God, or because its cool?
Is a mega-church a gateway, and can they only take you so far?
When you focus on toys and gadgets and gimmicks is it still possible to focus equally, or even more so, on God?
Is a mega-church like a Wal-mart to your local mom and pop shop?
I honestly don't have a lot of answers to these questions. I have heard stock answers to many of them and have spoken passionately about others, but either way, I think they are worth asking. I cannot condemn any church. I have my thoughts and opinions.
So I went to a "mega-church" this weekend, for the first time in quite a while and its got me thinking about all kinds of things. Having been way more involved in church politics than I would like to admit, I am still trying to repent of some of the awful things that I have done in my past when handling church business. With that said, I am always trying to chew over things more so I no longer make the same mistakes and sometimes I think pointing out positives and negatives can really create some good dialogue. So here it is – A review, or a good chewing over if you will. Feel free to chime in
The church was in Cincinnati – that's the only info that's relevant - some of you that know me might know which church it is, but for the purpose of this discussion, its not necessary
The good:
1.The music was excellent – as I would expect it to be when you can pull from such a big talent pool
2.The service featured creative sketches that were both funny and entertaining – Its great to keep people laughing and to not always be serious. I think this helps people stay focused. If the church needs anything, it needs to remember how to laugh
3.Multitude of programs and small groups – If you are willing to call someone or speak out, it would be easy to get involved. There is something for everyone – and for any focus you may want
4.The atmosphere – It was electric. It was Super Bowl Sunday. People were tailgating in the church parking lot. Free Hot Dogs, Free Coffee. A lot of young, good-looking professionals. Hipsters volunteering everywhere. People that look like me, or at least, look as hip as I want to feel (this truly is a compliment)
Rather than saying bad, or the bad, I am just going to ask questions. Questions I would ask of any church, for the most part, and questions that I believe should be asked. *No church is perfect – sorry to break that to ya, but considering its full of ruffians like me and you, what could we possibly expect?
Questions:
At one point should a church spend its money on itself rather than on the needs of its community, city, nation and world?
Are custom football jerseys at $300 a pop necessary for one Sunday?
Is it important to buy 10,000 people who come to your church a hot dog (presumably mostly from an affluent neighborhood) rather than buying 10,000 hotdogs for people who wouldn't otherwise eat today?
Could we set a better example in spending money on others than spending money on ourselves?
Are too many churches hiding behind the idea "that we are doing this to save souls" to justify spending money on themselves and their congregants?
Does the parable of the rich man and the widow have something to say about this (Mark 12:41-43), or does the multitude of deeds a large church can do put them in God's positive column, even if they are still spending lots on themselves?
Can we preach about the difference about knowing God's will and doing God's will and mention tithing to the church in the same message?
Can the cornerstone of a message's gimmick/theme revolve around the identity of a head pastor – or more simply stated, should we make a big deal about who the head pastor is at all times (or even more simply, can you lead a mega-church and not come off as arrogant)?
What is more important, the amount of money you take in, or the amount of people that attend? Or, how do we measure success?
Just because someone attends the "god-show" are we to assume they took anything from it?
Does spectacle equal experience?
Is it a mega-churches responsibility to lead the way in recycling by Serving God and Saving the Planet?
Does a large church have the responsibility to serve fair trade coffee so they can look the attendees in the eye and say "this cup of coffee did not oppress anybody" even if it means they have to spend a little more? Or is coffee unnecessary anyway?
Are gadgets God-approved spending, since after all, it gives people a better experience?
Do people attend because its God, or because its cool?
Is a mega-church a gateway, and can they only take you so far?
When you focus on toys and gadgets and gimmicks is it still possible to focus equally, or even more so, on God?
Is a mega-church like a Wal-mart to your local mom and pop shop?
I honestly don't have a lot of answers to these questions. I have heard stock answers to many of them and have spoken passionately about others, but either way, I think they are worth asking. I cannot condemn any church. I have my thoughts and opinions.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Just some thoughts
How can anyone say men and women aren't different? Other than the obvious genitalia issues, there are several proofs we are so different. What's the first one I can think of? Funnel Cake. Sure I like funnel cake, but would never stop and by one. On the other hand, women are genetically predisposed to buy funnel cake. When walking by a booth, or once the smell hits their nostrilsm its all over. She needs to have one. Period. If there was ever a true civil war between men and women. Men would not need to fight. We would just bake funnel cakes and poison them. The whole female race would be done in about 3 minutes.
Want to know how trapped by the consumer culture I am? I always buy the two-disc special edition of DVD's but I never ever watch the special features. But somehow, I feel I need to have them, you know, "just in case."
There is nothing you could say to convince me that Neil Diamond is not one of the best musical artists of our time. Sure he was not a great singer, and almost talks as much as he sings, but there is something about his music that just makes you happy. He is kind of like a white Bob Marley.
Want to know how trapped by the consumer culture I am? I always buy the two-disc special edition of DVD's but I never ever watch the special features. But somehow, I feel I need to have them, you know, "just in case."
There is nothing you could say to convince me that Neil Diamond is not one of the best musical artists of our time. Sure he was not a great singer, and almost talks as much as he sings, but there is something about his music that just makes you happy. He is kind of like a white Bob Marley.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck Palahniuk Quotes - But they are worth reading, and plus I made a few comments - Please indulge me and read. Or maybe even comment.
Rant quotes
My life may be little and boring, but at least its mine--not some assembly line, secondhanded,hand-me-down life. I think this captures the fear of my generation. We strive to be original, but that thought has already been taken, so we are not sure what to do
The future you have tomorrow won't be the future you had yesterday.
Fight Club quotes
It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. Or as also said in the movie "the things you own, end up owning you" which is very true of so many people I know, mainly me. We are so consumer driven. How many times do I need to say it before I get it? What do I need to give up to better understand?
If you could be God's worst enemy or nothing, which would you choose? I just don't think this question is that simple or that easily broken down. Philosophical questions should have a great deal more than 2 options, but maybe thats who we have become, a bunch of people who think and wish life could be that simple, and then are left empty when we realize its not. Our lives have a lot more than 2 options.
This is why I loved the support groups so much. If people thought you were dying, they gave you their full attention. If this might be the last time they saw you, they really saw you… People listened instead of just waiting for their turn to speak. And when they spoke, they weren’t telling you a story. When the two of you talked, you were building something, and afterward you were both different than before. I have said it before, and I will say it again, most of this worlds problems, and most of your problems would be fixed if we just shut the hell up and took time to listen to people. Sure this could seem like a paradox, but we just need to take turns, and make sure its not your turn first. You listen, then talk. Maybe if we lead with the listening example then people we know we learn to hear us. But then again, here I sit giving advice instead of listening. I am the problem.
A minute of perfection was worth the effort. A moment was the most you could ever expect from perfection.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken. Singing a praise tune, or owning a Bible, or memorizing a scripture or having a bake sale does not make you a follower of Jesus, but it probably does make you a "christian"
Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers failed, what does that tell you about God? There is a lot of truth to this. You view God like you view your father. Think about it. Is your father distant? than to you, so is God. Is your father mean, or unjust? So is God to you. Lets be thankful for good fathers (and mothers) and hope in a lot of cases we can do better.
Look up at the stars and you're gone. Not your luggage. Nothing matters. Not your bad breath. The windows are dark outside and the horns are blaring around you. The headlights are flashing high and low and high in your face, and you will never have to work again. You will never have to get another haircut. This is why I shaved my head. A haircut was just too stressful. Thank goodness modern marketing has told me to "Relax, Your at Great Clips"
This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time. SO why in the hell aren't you doing anything? But I guess I should talk
I just don't want to die without a few scars.
You know that saying about how you always kill the one you love? It works both ways.
If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person? How little redemption have I truly offered the world by the way I have lived?
You just had a near life experience.
We are selling women their fat asses back to them. I love the topic of consumerism. I could talk about it all day. Maybe I should put up a billboard about it to raise awareness. . .
Invisible Monsters quotes
If I can't be beautiful I want to be invisible. It was bad enough we made women feel this way, but now "metro" men are feeling this way too. This happened in Rome too, they started to value beauty over everything else. That went well.
When did the future switch from being a promise to a threat? When did I start waking up wishing I could go back to sleep? That stupid choral arrangement in the eighth grade told me that everyday was a promise. We have marketed a terrible life, which has sold a great deal of products. Most recently, I decided I needed an apoxy putty. I am not even handy
Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everybody I've ever known. I copy quotes from other authors and feed off their ideas . . . as evidenced here.
When we don't know who to hate, we hate ourselves. Too bad the next logical statement wouldn't be "When we don't know who to love, we love ourselves" It more likely goes "When we don't know who to love, we hate ourselves" Of course if we keep relying on someone to love us to validate our own self worth then we are going to go no where, but. . . maybe if the Creator of matter tells us we matter, than maybe we are going somewhere
Beauty is power like money is power like a gun is power.
Given the choice between grabbing a strange tongue and watching a monster poop into a giant snail shell, the face retreats and slams the door behind it. This is too deep for me, but I just had to include it
The one you love and the one who loves you are never, ever the same person. This comes across as cynical and terrible and awful, but may be more true than it should be
As soon as we become boring we die. Never ever become boring. Here's to creativity. But we will just keep taking the arts out of schools and keep mass-producing hip-hop albums until nothing is left. The average life expectancy may decline to 34
Survivor quotes
Today is the kind of day where the sun only comes up to humilate you. I think of that one anti-depressant commercial with the little blob thats walking around depressed. Have you seen that one? I heard on TV that 10% of adult women are on anti-depressants. What have we done to ourselves?
Reality means you live until you die...the real truth is nobody wants reality
The only difference between martyrdom and suicide really is press coverage.
It's only in drugs or death that we experience anything new and death is just too controling I am not condoning drugs, but isn't it strange how true that quote sounded to you for a second? And I have never even done a drug . . . .
Everybody thinks their whole life should be at least as much fun as masturbation Sorry to include this, but I think its poignant. I think of Kevin Spacey in American Beauty when he says masturbating is the highlight of his day. What should be the highlight of your day? And I am not going for a generic answer cause I don't have it, but if you even thought something cliched like, spending time with God, you are farther along than me.
The cultures that don't castrate you to make you a slave, they castrate your mind.
The joke is, we all have the same punch line.
Choke quotes
Art never comes from happiness. So please die Thomas Kinkade . . .I meant that metaphorically, or figuratively or whatever that was. It was not a death threat
'We don't live in the real world anymore,' she said. 'We live in a world of symbols.'
Until you find something to fight for, you settle for something to fight against. I fight people at Bengals games, and the ones I love, while people are dying in Africa and starving on the streets of Cincinnati. I have my priorities in line.
Lullaby quotes
Maybe we don't go to hell for the things we do, maybe we go to hell for the things we don't do. He may be on to something, and I am not talking about the Sinner's Prayer
The only biodeversity we're going to have left is Coke versus Pepsi.
Diary quotes
Just for the record, she still loves you. She wouldn't bother to torture you if she didn't.
We have no scar to show from happiness. We learn so little from peace.
That's the American Dream: to make your life into something you can sell.
Some stories, you use up. Others use you up.
Rant quotes
My life may be little and boring, but at least its mine--not some assembly line, secondhanded,hand-me-down life. I think this captures the fear of my generation. We strive to be original, but that thought has already been taken, so we are not sure what to do
The future you have tomorrow won't be the future you had yesterday.
Fight Club quotes
It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. Or as also said in the movie "the things you own, end up owning you" which is very true of so many people I know, mainly me. We are so consumer driven. How many times do I need to say it before I get it? What do I need to give up to better understand?
If you could be God's worst enemy or nothing, which would you choose? I just don't think this question is that simple or that easily broken down. Philosophical questions should have a great deal more than 2 options, but maybe thats who we have become, a bunch of people who think and wish life could be that simple, and then are left empty when we realize its not. Our lives have a lot more than 2 options.
This is why I loved the support groups so much. If people thought you were dying, they gave you their full attention. If this might be the last time they saw you, they really saw you… People listened instead of just waiting for their turn to speak. And when they spoke, they weren’t telling you a story. When the two of you talked, you were building something, and afterward you were both different than before. I have said it before, and I will say it again, most of this worlds problems, and most of your problems would be fixed if we just shut the hell up and took time to listen to people. Sure this could seem like a paradox, but we just need to take turns, and make sure its not your turn first. You listen, then talk. Maybe if we lead with the listening example then people we know we learn to hear us. But then again, here I sit giving advice instead of listening. I am the problem.
A minute of perfection was worth the effort. A moment was the most you could ever expect from perfection.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken. Singing a praise tune, or owning a Bible, or memorizing a scripture or having a bake sale does not make you a follower of Jesus, but it probably does make you a "christian"
Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers failed, what does that tell you about God? There is a lot of truth to this. You view God like you view your father. Think about it. Is your father distant? than to you, so is God. Is your father mean, or unjust? So is God to you. Lets be thankful for good fathers (and mothers) and hope in a lot of cases we can do better.
Look up at the stars and you're gone. Not your luggage. Nothing matters. Not your bad breath. The windows are dark outside and the horns are blaring around you. The headlights are flashing high and low and high in your face, and you will never have to work again. You will never have to get another haircut. This is why I shaved my head. A haircut was just too stressful. Thank goodness modern marketing has told me to "Relax, Your at Great Clips"
This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time. SO why in the hell aren't you doing anything? But I guess I should talk
I just don't want to die without a few scars.
You know that saying about how you always kill the one you love? It works both ways.
If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person? How little redemption have I truly offered the world by the way I have lived?
You just had a near life experience.
We are selling women their fat asses back to them. I love the topic of consumerism. I could talk about it all day. Maybe I should put up a billboard about it to raise awareness. . .
Invisible Monsters quotes
If I can't be beautiful I want to be invisible. It was bad enough we made women feel this way, but now "metro" men are feeling this way too. This happened in Rome too, they started to value beauty over everything else. That went well.
When did the future switch from being a promise to a threat? When did I start waking up wishing I could go back to sleep? That stupid choral arrangement in the eighth grade told me that everyday was a promise. We have marketed a terrible life, which has sold a great deal of products. Most recently, I decided I needed an apoxy putty. I am not even handy
Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everybody I've ever known. I copy quotes from other authors and feed off their ideas . . . as evidenced here.
When we don't know who to hate, we hate ourselves. Too bad the next logical statement wouldn't be "When we don't know who to love, we love ourselves" It more likely goes "When we don't know who to love, we hate ourselves" Of course if we keep relying on someone to love us to validate our own self worth then we are going to go no where, but. . . maybe if the Creator of matter tells us we matter, than maybe we are going somewhere
Beauty is power like money is power like a gun is power.
Given the choice between grabbing a strange tongue and watching a monster poop into a giant snail shell, the face retreats and slams the door behind it. This is too deep for me, but I just had to include it
The one you love and the one who loves you are never, ever the same person. This comes across as cynical and terrible and awful, but may be more true than it should be
As soon as we become boring we die. Never ever become boring. Here's to creativity. But we will just keep taking the arts out of schools and keep mass-producing hip-hop albums until nothing is left. The average life expectancy may decline to 34
Survivor quotes
Today is the kind of day where the sun only comes up to humilate you. I think of that one anti-depressant commercial with the little blob thats walking around depressed. Have you seen that one? I heard on TV that 10% of adult women are on anti-depressants. What have we done to ourselves?
Reality means you live until you die...the real truth is nobody wants reality
The only difference between martyrdom and suicide really is press coverage.
It's only in drugs or death that we experience anything new and death is just too controling I am not condoning drugs, but isn't it strange how true that quote sounded to you for a second? And I have never even done a drug . . . .
Everybody thinks their whole life should be at least as much fun as masturbation Sorry to include this, but I think its poignant. I think of Kevin Spacey in American Beauty when he says masturbating is the highlight of his day. What should be the highlight of your day? And I am not going for a generic answer cause I don't have it, but if you even thought something cliched like, spending time with God, you are farther along than me.
The cultures that don't castrate you to make you a slave, they castrate your mind.
The joke is, we all have the same punch line.
Choke quotes
Art never comes from happiness. So please die Thomas Kinkade . . .I meant that metaphorically, or figuratively or whatever that was. It was not a death threat
'We don't live in the real world anymore,' she said. 'We live in a world of symbols.'
Until you find something to fight for, you settle for something to fight against. I fight people at Bengals games, and the ones I love, while people are dying in Africa and starving on the streets of Cincinnati. I have my priorities in line.
Lullaby quotes
Maybe we don't go to hell for the things we do, maybe we go to hell for the things we don't do. He may be on to something, and I am not talking about the Sinner's Prayer
The only biodeversity we're going to have left is Coke versus Pepsi.
Diary quotes
Just for the record, she still loves you. She wouldn't bother to torture you if she didn't.
We have no scar to show from happiness. We learn so little from peace.
That's the American Dream: to make your life into something you can sell.
Some stories, you use up. Others use you up.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Movies
I am just going to do an off-the-cuff list of the nine best and worst movies of all time that I have seen. If you take issue with what I say here, let me know. It will be fun to argue about it. These are in no particular order and are numbered only to help me count. And again, I did this list in about ten minutes. And again, (again) when I say best, I take a movie within its genre, and artistic value is not the only thing I consider
WORST
1. Date Movie - Almost didn't include this because I can't believe anyone evere made this movie. Its offensive and never funny.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (Dead Man's Chest?) - After the first movie was so strong, this movie was awful. It was indulgent in all the wrong places, and the movie really has no plot.
3. Superman Returns - The worst lead actor ever - had the emotions of a monolith. Christopher Reeves was offended and who ever thought a Superman would be worse than number 3.
4. Batman and Robin - Thanks to my buddy Ken I have come to loathe the terrible dialogue in this movie. Cheesy one-liners has a whole new meaning
5. History of Violence - I have never walked out of a movie and not been able to remember anything about it - until this one. And there were even gratuitous sex scenes
6. Stealing Harvard - I love Jason Lee, but this comedy had no jokes. Tom Green is even more annoying than usual.
7. Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones - I was never a big Star Wars fan, but you have to be pretty into it to understand or care what happened here - not to mention the fact that Annakin's acting is painful. Chewbacca conveys more emotion
8. The Matrix Sequels - The first was amazing. I still have no idea what happened in the next two, nor did it make me want to know. Keanu is more lame than usual, and there are far too many side characters that really mean nothing
9. Catwoman - Bad acting, bad costume, no plot, not even good special effects
10.
BEST
1. Crash - Intriguing, made you actually consider your own behavior and is one of the few movies that actually may make a difference on how you view the world.
2. As Good As It Gets - An amazing love story about messy people
3. Black Snake Moan - Warped and demented in all the right ways. Two people bringing each other to redemption. Great look, dialogue and feel
4. 40 Year Old Virgin - Dirty humor that is also intelligent. Real characters that never seem inauthentic. These guys are just like your friends
5. Braveheart - So maybe Mel loses his accent, but every man wants to be William Wallace. I am almost started another Revolution because I was so inspired by his cry for "Freedom"
6. Breakfast Club - Authenticity. and a great glimpse of my early years. Captured my teen angst perfectly
7. 300 - Vicualy stunning - manly quotient - see Braveheart
8. Good Will Hunting - Such great speeches about love and life.
9. Clue - an old school favorite and I was running out of time. How can you not enjoy this movie?
10.
WORST
1. Date Movie - Almost didn't include this because I can't believe anyone evere made this movie. Its offensive and never funny.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (Dead Man's Chest?) - After the first movie was so strong, this movie was awful. It was indulgent in all the wrong places, and the movie really has no plot.
3. Superman Returns - The worst lead actor ever - had the emotions of a monolith. Christopher Reeves was offended and who ever thought a Superman would be worse than number 3.
4. Batman and Robin - Thanks to my buddy Ken I have come to loathe the terrible dialogue in this movie. Cheesy one-liners has a whole new meaning
5. History of Violence - I have never walked out of a movie and not been able to remember anything about it - until this one. And there were even gratuitous sex scenes
6. Stealing Harvard - I love Jason Lee, but this comedy had no jokes. Tom Green is even more annoying than usual.
7. Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones - I was never a big Star Wars fan, but you have to be pretty into it to understand or care what happened here - not to mention the fact that Annakin's acting is painful. Chewbacca conveys more emotion
8. The Matrix Sequels - The first was amazing. I still have no idea what happened in the next two, nor did it make me want to know. Keanu is more lame than usual, and there are far too many side characters that really mean nothing
9. Catwoman - Bad acting, bad costume, no plot, not even good special effects
10.
BEST
1. Crash - Intriguing, made you actually consider your own behavior and is one of the few movies that actually may make a difference on how you view the world.
2. As Good As It Gets - An amazing love story about messy people
3. Black Snake Moan - Warped and demented in all the right ways. Two people bringing each other to redemption. Great look, dialogue and feel
4. 40 Year Old Virgin - Dirty humor that is also intelligent. Real characters that never seem inauthentic. These guys are just like your friends
5. Braveheart - So maybe Mel loses his accent, but every man wants to be William Wallace. I am almost started another Revolution because I was so inspired by his cry for "Freedom"
6. Breakfast Club - Authenticity. and a great glimpse of my early years. Captured my teen angst perfectly
7. 300 - Vicualy stunning - manly quotient - see Braveheart
8. Good Will Hunting - Such great speeches about love and life.
9. Clue - an old school favorite and I was running out of time. How can you not enjoy this movie?
10.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
I am against picketing, I am just not sure how to show it
Its already time to be thinking about this next election. I would urge you really get involved in whats going on. True, Jesus came to establish his own kingdom, but we currently live in a world that is ruled by a government. It is our call to be a part of bringing God's kingdom into this world. Government, love it or hate it, affects our world. We need to think about these issues. Read, watch, learn. Do not just vote Republican because you think thats what "christians" do. Do not just vote Democrat because the Republicans are evil. Do not vote what will only benefit you, even if it means the oppression of millions. A lot of politicians are crooked, on both sides. Who has the greatest moral character? Who will do whats best for human rights and whats best for America? If these are different, how do we balance them? Should I vote for something that may not be great for me, but better for most people? I do not know, but I am trying to find out.
I recommend reading God's Poitics by Jim Wallis. You will probably love it or hate it, say its biased or fair, but either way, it makes a few good points.
And check out www.dehp.net/candidate It helps you determine which candidate best fits your beliefs. Do not just give gut reactions to the questions, think about the issues, read about the issues and ask, how does this relate to God's kingdom, if at all?
Interestingly enough, my two highest scoring candidates were split, one a republican and one a democrat. Interesting.
Just spitballin' here but how can someone be pro-life and pro-war? or pro-death penalty?
How can someone be pro-union and wear clothes made by sweatshop labor?
How can someone be anti-trade with eastern countries, anti-alasken drilling, yet drive a car that gets 2 miles to the gallon and oppose alternative energies?
How can I have fit into all of these categories at one stage of my life?
How can you even begin to simplify these issues into one stupid question?
I recommend reading God's Poitics by Jim Wallis. You will probably love it or hate it, say its biased or fair, but either way, it makes a few good points.
And check out www.dehp.net/candidate It helps you determine which candidate best fits your beliefs. Do not just give gut reactions to the questions, think about the issues, read about the issues and ask, how does this relate to God's kingdom, if at all?
Interestingly enough, my two highest scoring candidates were split, one a republican and one a democrat. Interesting.
Just spitballin' here but how can someone be pro-life and pro-war? or pro-death penalty?
How can someone be pro-union and wear clothes made by sweatshop labor?
How can someone be anti-trade with eastern countries, anti-alasken drilling, yet drive a car that gets 2 miles to the gallon and oppose alternative energies?
How can I have fit into all of these categories at one stage of my life?
How can you even begin to simplify these issues into one stupid question?
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