A Picture that is Irritating

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=52350

Go look at this picture.  Right now.  You have nothing better to do, just go.  Come back to me once you've taken a good hard look at it.  I'm not going anywhere; I'll be here when you get back.  Go on.

Did you see it?  I mean really see it?  Scary isn't it (and I don't mean the kid in the mask)?

First, let me just say that this picture does call out those luke-warm Christians  who have no cause to champion.  All Christians have been called by God, and while most have not been caused to lead the war on abortion rights, some have, and I appreciate them.  I do not believe that I personally am called to combat abortion rights.

Abortion does not continue because Christians don't care, it continues because humans have this wonderful thing called "free will."  This idea of "free will" is what allows us to love and act in compassion, but it also allows us to do other things, like stealing and indulging in chocolate.  It allows us to do things we want, like enjoying the beauty of an Appalachian sunrise or voting in an upcoming election.  Free will also allows people to get abortions, and carry signs condemning their fellow Christians for not throwing the country into chaos over what some women do with their lives.  Let's take a look into the Bible real quick.  The Bible is filled with prostitutes.  Prostitutes who were redeemed, FORGIVEN! even.  Jesus himself forgave a prostitute who would have been stoned otherwise.

You know, I think our emotions end up misplaced very easily.  We can do nothing after someone has an abortion.  Nothing we can do is going to bring that child back to life.  So what good does it do to condemn our brothers and sisters for something they have no control over?  Instead of holding up signs like these, how about we start holding ones that say: "Christians, Remember to love your neighbors!" or "Nothing can separate us from the love of God."?

This whole idea of people holding signs talking about how much "God hates YOU!" really pisses me off.  I know that there probably is a place for it, but does it seriously work?  Go look at Westboro Baptist Church, the "Christians" who protest soldiers' funerals, saying that they died to protect profanity and corruption.  How can people who have experienced the LOVE of CHRIST, condemn the world outright?  True we are called out of the law of the world, but we stay in the world to be the light.  Who in their right mind will run towards the light if all it does is condemn them.  These people tell the world that there is no loving God, there is no forgiveness, there is no abundant life, only judgment and death and condemnation.  Oh yes, that's what Christianity is ALL ABOUT!  (Please note the sarcasm.)

So, that's why these people piss me off.  Yes, they challenge us to examine our lives and consider our own apathy, which is good, but we are told to reproach our brothers in love, not judgment.

CWO to sent up Propoganda for the Pope

London, September 2010, Pope Benedict will share the streets with fifteen of London's famous red buses carrying signs that simply say "Pope Benedict - Ordain Women Now."  The CWO, or Catholic Women's Ordination, has paid a healthy sum to the city to use the buses as advertising space, and also plans to rally during one of the Pope's scheduled speeches. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100826/od_nm/us_britain_pope

So, what does this mean, for those Christians here in America?  Well, to Catholics worldwide, should the CWO succeed in their endeavor, female priests will finally become a reality.  Should the Pope decline to head the CWO'c demands, the possibility of further driving a wedge into the Catholic community would become imminent.  So here stands Catholicism, on the verge of change, no matter what the Pope decides. 

Now, I'm not Catholic, so at first, I have to ask myself: "What do I care?"  Well, not being Catholic doesn't mean that what happens with the Pope doesn't affect me at all.  Let's take a short trip down history lane.  Judaism gave way to Christianity, which evolved into Catholicism, which split and helped give rise to Protestantism, and subsequently, all the non-Catholic Christian denominations.  Ergo, just like what affects the Jewish nation affects us, what happens to Catholicism affects us. 

If the Pope allows the ordination of female priests, it will become easier for other denominations to allow women into positions of authority.  Currently, very few Christian denominations allow women into high positions, but that could change.

In all honest, I don't see the Pope ordaining women.  I think it's sad that he most likely won't, but I feel that he will most likely hold to tradition.  It seems like the Catholic thing to do.  (Please don't think I am necessarily stereotyping all Catholics; I am just basing that statement on the knowledge that Catholicism leans towards conservatism and traditionalism.)  So, odds are, in my opinion, the rift over sexism in the church will simply linger on. 

What do you think?

Reflections on Eden

Okay, so I am currently reading the book Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller. There is a chapter in there talking about the essentially of nakedness. He talked about the time that Adam spent in the garden, over 100 years, being naked and unashamed. In fact, in about 100 words, Moses mentions five times that Adam, and subsequently Eve, were naked before the full glory of God. They lacked nothing. They feared nothing. Nothing had ever gone wrong in their lives. They lived in paradise, and not the very limited view of Eden that modern church-goers imagine. So, I was inspired to try to illustrate a day in the life of Adam, before the Fall, even before Eve. Here we go:

He awoke to the morning sun, rising and lighting the endless fields before him. He yawned and surveyed the expanse of prairie grasses, greeted by the cry of a hawk overhead, flying free, without care or need. Many yards away, lumbering beasts picked at the tall grass as they walked towards the west. The man sat in awe of the creatures because he had never seen them before. He watched intently as each animal continued on in search of the ripest blades of grass.

As he sat, observing these great beasts, every bit as tall as himself, his mind began to wonder, if only for a moment. Quickly though, upon seeing the close family groups within the massive heard, he concluded that this beast was no more fit fill his loneliness than any previous animals he had seen.

After a few minutes of observation, the man stood and was about to begin walking after the herd, until the smallest, youngest animal among them began to edge it's way towards him. He stood frozen, watching a still unsteady child meander up the small incline on which he stood. He knelt down extending his hand to his soft-muzzled companion. His heart was filled with a simple yet overwhelming joy, as he ran his hands through the rough mane of the young beast. The man smiled and looked up to Heaven, and in a loud voice proclaimed: "Buffalo."

The little buffalo turned around and kicked up it's feet and ran back to his herd in jubilee. Assimilated back into the group, all was well with the world again, until the man would encounter yet another never-before-seen animal. He then, stood back up and began his westbound walk. As he began his journey, the glory of God descended to walk alongside the man.

"Another fine name, Adam: Buffalo," God smiled in approval. "I like it."

Adam's heart was filled with joy, yet again. For him, nothing was more satisfying than walking with his Father.


Okay, yeah, it was written fast, and I'm sure it can and will be improved. But, I just had to write that down. I mean, imagine for a moment how awesome it must be to be able to stand in the full glory of God with no insecurities, no fear, no sense of self. Wow!

Faith, by Jesus

I was told this story once. It begins with the common knowledge that sermons are often borrowed and reused, rather than a preacher always writing their own "new" material. One preacher in particular decided that he was just going to get a copy of a particular sermon and read it verbatim to his congregation. Now, during his sermon, one particular church member thought that this message sounded awfully familiar, but he could not place where he had heard it before. After the preacher finished and the service was concluded, the man asked the preacher where he got his material from that morning. The preacher opened his Bible and pointed to Jesus' sermon on the mount.

I think it is amazing how little "Christians" actually know about what Jesus taught while he was here on Earth. We all know about his miracles. I would be willing to bet that any regular church goer could list off at least three of Jesus' miracles without much thought. How many though, could tell you what Jesus thought about politics, history, people in general? What did Jesus say about the Law of Moses? Etc. Etc. Etc. . .

All this makes me wonder why when people claim to have a relationship with the living God, the God of the Universe, who walked through the pages of the Bible, they will not even take time out of their day to read what He actually said. In a way, it sickens me. I think that it is detestable to claim that you love God and have a relationship with Jesus Christ and have never once read for yourself what He, himself came all this way to teach us. I mean, really!

Breaking Down

So, I have a story okay? I'm sure some of you have heard it, but it bears recording, and also a close resemblance to my last post (the one about expectations). I was driving home from my grandparents' home this past Friday morning. While driving on a particularly long stretch of highway, my radio loses clears signal from all the local Christian radio stations. In fact, at this point in the journey, I have two options to listen to: talk radio or country. This particular day I was not interested in country and I've never been overly fond of talk radio. So, I made a decision, one that for me was quite odd at first.

I turned off the radio. Then, I tried to imagine that God was in the car with me, sitting right next to me, and we talked. It sounds weird, but it actually got rather comfortable. The reason that I wanted to sit down and talk with God had a lot to do with my plans for the future. I've been tossing around ideas about what I would like to do after graduation, which include things absolutely detested by my family. Specifically, I have been contemplating the idea of attempting to join the police force. My mother is against this because it is obviously dangerous, and I have yet to explain this to my grandparents, because the pay is barely over that of a beginning teacher. So, I determined that the person that I should really be talk to is not my mom, or my grandma, but my Father. We talked about earthly authorities, Paul's imprisonment, and worldly aspirations. It was indeed a most interesting conversation, in which I learned that I had no control over my own life.

Not that God had complete control of my life, but that I had freely given the reins to my family, whose intentions were good, but whose methods have caused me to lose my own identity in life. Now, I know that this sounds like an awfully big claim, but do realize that this is no exaggeration. God told me that I need to depend on Him for peace and rest, because I do continually run myself ragged. The past few weeks have been especially rough, and I have had little rest, little real rest. Because of all this running and so little soul rest, I found myself on the verge of a true breakdown just a few short hours later, on my way to work.

I felt the pang of knowledge that something in my life was most horribly wrong, yet I could not tell what is was nor how to solve it. I felt utterly powerless, and without time or place to turn to. Also, the need to dry my eyes before entering into my place of employment was eminent. So, as expertly as ever, I quickly and quietly stowed away my emotions and pain and went on in the world as if nothing we wrong.

The following day, I again found myself on the edge overlooking the cliffs losing everything that is myself and yet not myself. I was driving home from work, and off course, purposing passing my church. I needed a home, a sanctuary, a place that I knew I was wrapped in the arms of love. As a slap in the face, all eight doors into the church was locked from the inside. I sat in my Father's garden and wept at being a wounded prodigal denied peace. Somehow, though, in my tears it was made known to me that while I was suffering, there will eventually be peace, though I know not when.