Can we answer the question, "Why, God?"

There's another good op-ed piece in the New York Times today entitled "Why, God?".  In it, a priest wrestles with the questions of suffering, why God allows bad things to happen, and what an appropriate response is.  Again, it doesn't answer all the questions, but offers a perspective based on compassion, faith, & life experience.

"One true thing is this: Faith is lived in family and community, and God is experienced in family and community. We need one another to be God’s presence."   

Story about a Christmas Prayer

I just read through a neat op-ed piece in the New York Times, by a woman who'd grown up in the Catholic church but had long since left it, but who nonetheless needed to say a prayer this Christmas.  It's a short but beautiful story of searching for a connection with God.  It certainly doesn't answer a lot of questions, and one wonders why she even wrote it, but it expresses a profound reality: "sometimes, out of nowhere, the spiritually confused can still come inside and kneel and feel their words might rise up and be heard."  

Gender issues in CT article

Yesterday, Christianity Today posted a great interview with Nicholas Kristof, an op-ed contributor to the NY Times and co-author of "Half the Sky", a book about injustice toward women & girls in many areas of the world.  Kristof is known as a fairly liberal, secular humanitarian, and yet his work on these issues has a lot of connection points with evangelicals.  The interview is really wonderful, and I encourage both of my blog readers to check it out!

Thanksgiving & Black Friday

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house again this year for the 2nd time.  I was thinking to myself as we were getting ready that Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the most spiritual holidays of the year.  By that I mean that celebrating it, in terms of actually taking stock of the things we're thankful for.  It's a distinctly inner-life, character building experience that's good for the soul.

Sometimes I think Thanksgiving in our culture seems to be crowded out on all sides.  We're still eating Halloween candy in our house, and Christmas lights have already been put up in our neighborhood.  Each year, stores have been starting their Black Friday shopping earlier & earlier, and this year it started on Thanksgiving Day in some places.  Walmart ran an ad campaign encouraging people to shop on Thanksgiving evening.  Waiting until Friday isn't even a necessity anymore; saving an entire day to give thanks consequently is also no longer necessary.  I'm a bit discouraged that we as a culture seem to keep pushing more and more toward consumerism and consumption.  Sometimes it seems like we as a society are saying "let's hurry up & get this thankfulness stuff out of the way so we can get to the shopping!".  A couple of weeks ago, @badbanana posted this bit of sarcastic funny: "CAN'T WAIT TO BUST OPEN SOME DOORS AND TRAMPLE THE SLOW & WEAK. #thankful #blessed".  I laughed pretty hard at that one.

Not that I judge anyone for going shopping on this day or any day.  I'm less concerned about what individuals do than I am about what our society as a whole says about its priorities.  Getting the best deal possible on the latest & greatest gadget is a great thing, but it isn't as great of a thing as a life of inner thankfulness for what one already has.  I generally avoid shopping on this day, and I won't on principle go shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself.  But that's me, and it's not everyone's choice.  I don't like Black Friday for what it says about us as a society, but at the same time I'm not going to go passing judgement on any one individual for buying stuff either.  The Huffington Post today has a piece today called "Black Friday vs. Jesus", which shows pictures of shoppers next to quotes from the New Testament that talk about the problems of materialism.  Although I generally agree with the sentiment, it's a bit over the top & judgmental   Jesus certainly wants us to live a life free from the trappings of too much stuff, but it's hard to not get the message from this piece that if you go shopping today that you're a materialistic person, and that's  a pretty simplistic and false message.  I know plenty of people who actually like Black Friday shopping (not something I personally can appreciate!) who aren't like that.

It is, on the other hand, disturbing that our culture places so much emphasis on stuff, and not nearly so much on living a life of gratitude.  The fact that our biggest consumption day of the year comes right after our biggest day of thanks of the year does seem to send a mixed message.  It's one thing to get a good deal and save some money, but it's another thing completely when we focus so much on the getting that we forget anything else - like the people around us or the things we already have.

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast

I love this quote from Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass".  Alice says at first that "There's no use trying, one can't believe in impossible things."  But the queen responds by saying "I daresay you haven't had much practice.  When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day.  Why, sometimes I believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

It is easy to get discouraged; sometimes people say something is impossible, there's no use trying.  Often it is ourselves - we come to believe that something is impossible and give up before we even try.  But Alice is a girl who comes to learn that she can believe in and do impossible things.  Tim Burton & Johnny Depp teamed up for a truly weird but wonderful retelling of the story in 2010.  Spoiler alert, here's a clip from the end, when Alice realizes her ability to believe in impossible things.



What impossible things will you do today?

"Six: I can slay the Jabberwocky."

Wonderful

I close my eyes when I get too sad
I think thoughts that I know are bad
Close my eyes and I count to ten
Hope it's over when I open them

I want the things that I had before
Like a Star Wars poster on my bedroom door
I wish I could count to ten
Make everything be wonderful again

Hope my mom and I hope my dad
Will figure out why they get so mad
Hear them scream, I hear them fight
They say bad words that make me wanna cry

Close my eyes when I go to bed
And I dream of angels who make me smile
I feel better when I hear them say
Everything will be wonderful someday

Promises mean everything when you're little
And the world's so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
Tell me everything is wonderful now

Please don't tell me everything is wonderful now

I go to school and I run and play
I tell the kids that it's all okay
I laugh aloud so my friends won't know
When the bell rings I just don't wanna go home

Go to my room and I close my eyes
I make believe that I have a new life
I don't believe you when you say
Everything will be wonderful someday

Promises mean everything when you're little
And the world is so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
When you tell me everything is wonderful now

No
No, I don't wanna hear you tell me everything is wonderful now
No
No, I don't wanna hear you tell me everything is wonderful now

I don't wanna hear you say
That I will understand someday
No, no, no, no
I don't wanna hear you say
You both have grown in a different way
No, no, no, no
I don't wanna meet your friends
And I don't wanna start over again
I just want my life to be the same
Just like it used to be
Some days I hate everything
I hate everything
Everyone and everything
Please don't tell me everything is wonderful now...

I don't wanna hear you tell me everything is wonderful now

Imagine what would happen if the roles were reversed...

Imagine with me if the NY Times had published a story with the following headline:
"Men are both necessary and sufficient for (something really important, you fill in the blank); women are neither."

Now suppose that the article that followed that line went on to discuss how important men are and how completely unimportant women are.  Imagine the most misogynistic language you dare to muster in your head.  Imagine if the NY Times basically said that technology has made women obsolete, and that we don't really need them anymore.

Imagine the public outcry that would ensue.  The scenario described above would generate billions of angry tweets & blog posts, letters from hundreds of elected officials and other societal leaders, news media outlets would cover the story with clear disdain.  There would be counter articles denouncing the author, the publisher, and who knows who else associated with it.  Others would put forth great words on the wonderful things about women.  Others would talk about the negative effects that an article like this has on the psyche of young women.  Discussions of lawsuits & boycotts would be heard.  Someone at the NY Times would get fired.  And all of this would be entirely appropriate; I myself would join the outraged chorus of voices denouncing such an article and demanding a retraction.

But what happens if the NY Times publishes a piece with the tagline "Women are both necessary and sufficient for reproduction; men are neither", followed up by an article that states that men are good for entertainment, but that's about it.  We're really not worth much.  We're not needed.  Life would go on just fine without us.

What would happen in such a scenario?  Probably not much.  Watch & see if this article makes any waves, and if it doesn't, think deeply about the message that this sends to young men in our society who are trying to find their way in life, figure out what they're good at, some contribution they might make, some importance they serve.

Reasonable Gun Laws

After the horrible tragedy in Aurora, CO this past week, the intertubes are astir with opinions about gun laws.  Here are two links I read today that I think are really reasonable and well thought out.

The first is from the NY Times op-ed, a column on the long, difficult road that those who push for stronger gun control laws face.

The second is from the actor Jason Alexander, best known for his role as George Costanza on Seinfeld.  His piece is so balanced, well-thought out, and reasonable that I was honestly surprised that it came from an actor.

I don't agree with every point these two have made, but I can't say it any better than they have.  We have completely unreasonable gun laws in this country.  We need to find some middle ground that respects constitutional rights and yet makes it considerably more difficult for kooks to obtain military weapons and mass kill innocent people at a movie theater.

book review link

Nothing really to add here, just want to point my reader(s?) to this book review "When sex Goes 'Grey'" in Relevant.  Her points about abuse toward women should have everyone concerned about this.

THIS GUY.

Incredible, inspiring guy.

Reblog: "Name-calling is rhetorical pornography" from CNN Belief blog

Today at the CNN Belief blog, three evangelical Christian leaders have written up a fantastic post on name-calling.  They begin with the old statement we've all probably heard as children "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me", and reject that completely.  Words matter.  Names do hurt.  They then go on to state very clearly that the name-calling that seems so prevalent in our popular culture these days is  inconsistent with the Christian message.  I like that at the end, they make the connection that not only must we find "nicer words", but we must find "a transformed perspective", which is based on "the innate humanity and dignity owed every individual".  It is not just words that must be kind, but attitude, our internal orientation toward others that we disagree with or don't like, that has to be fixed.

Christians and Political Parties

Amnesia, Denial, and The Family Research Council - News

The above its a blog post by Jonathan Merritt, an author and Baptist minister.  He says so much good stuff here, there really isn't much to add except "Amen!  Preach it, Preacher".

I Ain't Sugar Coatin'...

I'll let the legendary blue artist Mac Arnold spill the beans on this one:

"Young ladies don't make babies just 'cause you can

Every kid in the world needs to grow up with a man

Young men get busy, act like you care

Pull up your pants, stop showin' us your underwear.

I aint sugar coatin'
I aint sugar coatin'
I aint sugar coatin' 

just tellin' you like it is." 

The hardest thing about being a dad

Man do I love being a dad.  It's fun.  I'm so excited about my three smart, beautiful, kind little girls.

But being a good dad is tough.  It's hard.  Exhausting at times.  It's a balance of strength and gentleness, of fact and faith, of justice and mercy.

I have to let them know that I love them.  They need to feel it, deep in the subconscious brain where feelings grow & values form, way down in there.

Sometimes to give them what they want is to spoil them.  Sometimes to not give them what they want will crush their spirit.  I have to try to know when it's the one, and when it's the other.  Thankfully my wife helps me with that!

If when you get it wrong, you have to be aware of that and be able to adjust, be flexible, even apologize when you really fail.  At other times, you must not adjust to everything they say they want, but hold that ground and not give way.  At times you must be gentle, and other times you have to be very, very firm.

Sometimes I think there is a thing that feels like the loving thing to do, but if I really love them, I have to do the opposite.  Because what they want, and what they need, are at times worlds apart.  There are times I  want to pick them up - but sometimes I have to let them pick themselves up and cheer them on in doing it.  I may want to always hold their hand - but sometimes I have to let go.  Knowing when it's time to hold tight and when it's time to let go are tough; it seems that both can be mistakes and both can be the right thing, depending on the situation.

They have to learn to do things on their own, but they can't learn that without you.  Sometimes, though, their own personal experience is the only way they are going to really get it & learn the lessons they need for life.  And in those moments, your heart breaks.  Why didn't they just listen when I said that the first time?  Don't know, but sometimes we all have to learn things the hard way.

It can take everything you have to do what they need instead of what they want.  I think it is the balancing act, the tension between two truths, that is the hardest thing to get a handle on.  In a way though, it's freeing - the target continually moves, and you just move along with it.

The All Too Short Life of Rachael Scott

Last Wednesday, March 14, Darrell Scott, father of Rachael Scott who was killed in the Columbine, CO school shootings, spoke at ONU.  As a father of 3 little girls, I can't imagine losing one of them in this way.

"We must stop violence in our schools", he said.  Truth.  To stop violence, we must stop hatred & ignorance & apathy.  And we must realize that it begins in each of us.  It begins in me.  Cue the Michael Jackson "Man in the Mirror" music.

He spoke a lot about some things his daughter Rachael had written in a diary that they discovered under her bed after she was killed.  In it, she came up with a challenge - to start "a chain reaction of kindness and compassion", which she called her ethics and codes of life.  That is, she thought that by going out of her way to reach out to those around her with kindness, that this would change their hearts & minds, and in turn give them the ability to do the same.  That people would begin to believe in each other again.

The tone of attitudes and conversations that we hear, that surround us, that we bring, has such a tremendous effect on us.  It is as if our culture does much of our thinking for us.  If we're surrounded by ugly, we'll be ugly - unless we try really hard not to be.  And if we're surrounded by kindness, we'll react the same.  Of course, we can all choose our own posture within the tide, to swim with it or against it.  Rachael believed she could change the swimming direction of the whole school of fish by pointing it, one fish at a time, in the right direction.

I like it.  She was a beautiful soul.

It was heart-breaking to hear her Dad speak.  So much tragedy, so much pain in those senseless killings.  And yet, somehow in the half-hour I listened to him, somehow there was hope.  It was an amazing juxtaposition of sorrow and hope.  It reached down to your gut and twisted everything.

A few more gems:
"Give people three chances before judging them.  Don't rely on first, second, our even third impressions."
"Practice 'pre-acceptance' instead of prejudice."
"Look for the best in others."
"Look out for the the Disabled, new at school, picked on our put down by others.  One person can go out of their way to show kindness."
"Use words that heal, not words that hurt."
"Rachael refused to treat a bully with anything but kindness. She saw through the external meanness.  Don't look at a person, see through."

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Last night my family and I enjoyed the traditional Irish-American meal of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, & carrots.

Today just this traditional Irish blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields, and
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

First World Problems

It's easy to complain, isn't it?

That's why the First World Problems meme making its way across the intertubes is so brilliant.  It highlights the thousands and thousands of things people say & do that are "problems" for people who live in wealthy, developed countries.  Your cell phone battery died?  Your fast food order wasn't right?  The video below is fantastic, and if that's not enough for you there's the #firstworldproblems hashtag on Google+ or twitter that will supply you with millions more examples.  And obviously, if these are the worst things we have to worry about in life, then we really don't have much to worry about in life.  Compare these problems to, say, for example, I don't know, maybe, the people of the Nuba mountains in Sudan?  Time to stop complaining & do something good.  Like stop the killings in Syria & Sudan.

But it's too bad he forgot to mention Justin Bieber.

More on the man who stayed behind

A couple of weeks ago I posted on the man who stayed behind, a story from last October about Ryan Boyette, a guy from Florida who has been living in Sudan despite the constant fear of bombings from the Sudanese government.  The story was by NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, and since then Kristof has visited Sudan and has written several articles on the situation.  A couple of days ago he posted a must-read update, which includes a short video showing the atrocities.  Kristof visited Boyette to get a first hand account of the threats, the damage, and the need.  Children are hiding in caves to avoid being killed or brutally injured by bomb shrapnel.  A horrible injustice is being carried out, and I hope and pray that the rest of the world will awake to this issue and build the societal will necessary to do something to stop the bombings and get food to these people before serious starvation occurs.

This is way more important than whoever wore & won whatever at the Oscars tonight.

NYC Churches allowed back in NYC Schools... for now

Huff Post has an article today stating that Churches can have access to public schools in order to hold religious services.  Churches have long rented space in public schools, just like a number of other organizations including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, music groups, civic societies, and others.  New York City has singled out religious groups, however, and tried to state that they were not allowed because it violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government to endorse a particular religion.

The Judge ruled in favor of the Churches, stating "... losing one's right to exercise freely and fully his or her religious beliefs is a greater threat to our democratic society than a misperceived violation of the Establishment Clause."  In other words, this isn't a violation of the EC, and the City instead is unlawfully restricting the free and full exercise of religious freedom.

Well said, Judge.  It's not like the Churches are getting any favoritism over other groups, and it's not like only a single denomination or a single religion are the only ones able to use the schools for their activities.  The schools are clearly not endorsing any one particular group simply by renting the space to them on the weekend.

Of course, NYC has said they will appeal the decision.

More kids being born outside of marriage

An article today in the NY Times describes the changing social norm of children being born outside of marriage.  It states that for women under 30, more than half of the births now occur outside of marriage.  This contrasts sharply with data from just two decades ago.  Yet a deeper look at the numbers shows that college graduates still overwhelmingly marry before having children.  The divide in behavior therefore is significant between those who get a college degree and those who don't.

The risks to these children are considerable.  The article goes on to state that "Researchers have consistently found that children born outside marriage face elevated risks of falling into poverty, failing in school, or suffering emotional and behavioral problems."  Children need both fathers and mothers, together.

I don't know anyone who wants their children to fall into poverty, fail at school, or suffer emotional or behavioral problems.  We all want the best for our kids.  So waiting to have children until marriage is a good way to do what's best for your kids.

The Church and society need to really take a long hard look at why marriages and even marriage as an institution is failing among those who are poor and who are poorly educated.  One doesn't have to be rich or educated to get married, so what's the cause of this, and what needs to be done to help reverse the trend?  We must care for the poor, think carefully about their personal situations and the related societal issues, and act in ways that bring benefit.

And parents, make sure your little girls get a good education.

Great concept video

I'm not terribly familiar with this artist, but I saw this video today and had to share.  Song is called "The Same Love" by Paul Baloche, who though a quick google search is a pastor & musician who has written a number of popular Christian songs.

I love the imagery of the red cups, and the people on the street walking by who's ears are covered by headphones or earmuffs.  Life is like that - we can't hear the music because we have already filled our ears with something else.  We walk right on by and miss something wonderful.

In the creation story of Narnia, right before Aslan says "Love. Think. Speak." he first says "Awake!".  The main difference between being awake and being asleep is being aware of what is going on around you.  The people in the video walk right on by the hanging red cups, unaware that something wonderful is happening right there next to them. There are a number of times in life where I'm that person.  And so everyday I have to re-examine for just a moment, and make sure I'm awake and aware that people like Paul Baloche are calling from the roof tops and singing a message of hope.



Happy Valentine's Day!

The Man Who Stayed Behind

This news is a bit old, coming from last October, but it was new to me and so impressive I had to share.  The story is of a 30-year old guy, Ryan Boyette, who has been living in Sudan and trying desperately not to get killed in doing so.  NYTimes columnist Nicholas Kristoff wrote up a piece about him, The Man Who Stayed Behind, that is a must-read.  He started out working with the international aid agency Samaritan's Purse, but when they required that he leave, he resigned.  He had, by that point, been living there 8 years and had gotten married to a local woman named Jazira.  I found another article on him, including an interview at Pantheos that is also worth reading. His life is a story that all of us need to hear, and upon hearing, act.  But what to do?  I'll be honest - I don't know.  There certainly are aid organizations where money could be sent, such as those linked to above.  But also, share his story.

Sanctity of Life Week

This week, evangelical Christians in the United States and elsewhere have been celebrating Sanctity of Life week.  It is a time spent thinking about one of the most divisive issues in the U.S., the subject of abortion.  There is no doubt that, from a Judeo-Christian viewpoint, the unborn child is of immense value.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; ..."  Jeremiah 1:5.

I can remember, when my wife was pregnant with our first child, the first time we saw an ultrasound of the baby growing inside.  My first thought, as the picture came up, was "That's a spine!", and then "That's the head!".  It was easy to see.  The little lump inside my wife was a little person.  and she was beautiful.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13.

It is estimated that about 50 million unborn babies have been aborted in the U.S. over the past few decades.  That's an enormous number of individuals who never had a chance at life because their mothers and fathers didn't want them.  It is hard to imagine something as sad as an innocent baby who isn't wanted by his/her parents.

This morning in Church, a woman spoke about her daughter, a teen, who had become pregnant.  And she immediately thought that abortion was the answer.  But fortunately, they managed to find Living Alternatives pregnancy resource center.  There they met people who cared about them and their situation, and helped them find the love in their hearts that they needed for the child.  They ended up keeping the child, and the baby is a few months old now.  The grandmother kept saying "I can't believe I ever thought that (about abortion)".  Her heart was changed.  The mother is still an honor student!  I couldn't help but want to help them in their difficult journey that still lies ahead.  

"'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  Jeremiah 29:11

What bothered me most was the total lack of dads - neither the dad of the baby nor the dad of the teen mother were anywhere around.  MEN, MAN UP.  On a personal note, there has been nothing better happen to me in my entire life than being a dad to little children.  Their faces, smiles, quirks, habits, mannerisms, and little minds are amazing and inspiring and frustrating on a daily basis.  But there is something about being a father that really changes a man's heart & mind to something good.

But this issue, about the sanctity of life, is not just about unborn babies and U.S. politics.  This past week, I came across a blog post in the Independent titled: "It's a girl: The three deadliest words in the world".  This is about a documentary film, "It's a girl", that discusses the practice of killing unwanted baby girls, both in the womb and born, in south Asia.  And it is soul-crushing.  The practice of killing baby girls is due to a twisted view that boys are somehow more valuable, partly brought on by cultural factors of work & provision for the family.  But it isn't just cultural, this is a spiritual blackness of seeing children as something other than valued, beloved children of God.  The second sentence of the article states "The trailer's most chilling scene is one with an Indian woman who, unable to contain her laughter, confesses to having killed eight infant daughters."  A picture of a smiling woman is also captioned "I strangled it soon after it was born."  Pretty much sucks the life right out of your soul, doesn't it?  Tough to read.

This is evil, plain & simple.  There is nothing else to call it.

It is estimated that ~200 million girls in the world are "missing", presumably killed or sold into some sort of slavery.  What an enormous number, about 2/3 the population of the entire United States.  It is a sickening travesty against women, mainly performed by women.  And it is a crime against humanity itself.

So my fellow world travelers, I want to leave you with simply this: that life is precious, especially little ones.  Somehow, there are folks in our world who's mental patterns are so far gone from that one simple truth that they are able to kill these little ones multiple times and talk about it with a smirk on their face.  How have we gotten so far gone?  Humanity has probably been this far gone for thousands of years, somewhere.  But cultural change through education, humanitarian aid, and a change of heart toward valuing all life can and will make the difference, just like it did in the life of the women at my church this morning.  I encourage folks to find an organization like Living Alternatives and help out in any way you can.  These organizations always are in need - give a little, and you'll change a life.

neat pic!

About a week ago, I came across this image on Google+:

I don't know who created it.  I read through a number of comments on the photo, some positive, some negative, with different people interpreting it different ways.  I don't know what the original intent was.  But I know my reaction when I saw it, "Yes! Love it!".

We live in an increasingly interconnected world.  100 years ago, Americans would have typically lived on a farm, gaining most of their daily sustenance by their own hard work on their own land.  People all over the world, in fact, have lived this way for thousands of years.  Interaction with others was largely limited by geography.  And in these times and places, Christians all over the world would pause before a meal and say a word of thanks to their creator.  Prayer before a meal is still common among evangelical Christians, of course.  The act serves to remind us, daily, that all we have comes from God, and we take the opportunity to align our attitudes toward one of thankfulness.  In the Lord's prayer, Jesus Christ directed his disciples to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for their daily bread.  Gratitude is one of the more important attitudes to develop in life.

But today, our daily bread doesn't directly come from our own hard work on our own land.  Food comes from the store!  And that food is brought to us by thousands of others who are doing the direct work of planting & harvesting.  It is easy to forget that there are so many others who play a part in our meals.  And not only should our thankful attitude be extended to God, but also to those who've done the direct, hard work, who might even live in a different country and culture.  As a white, middle class American, I need to be grateful for those take part in growing & harvesting the food I eat, also because many of the folks doing this are probably less well off than I am.  And I need to let that attitude of thanks stew deep in my mind, allowing it to work its way into other thought patterns, and eventually come out in word & actions that I take.  The person who harvests my food might just be from a nation somewhere in Latin America, and might be named Jesus, a fairly common Spanish name.  Both Jesus the Christ and Jesus the hispanic worker deserve my gratitude for their part in proving me the meal I'm about to eat.

Why Last Saturday's Political Conclave of Evangelical Leaders Was Dangerous | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Christians, and especially evangelicals, are known for wanting to change culture. And I do to. There are many things in our culture that need redemption. Unfortunately, sometimes we miss the mark and attempt to change culture in the wrong way. This piece from Christianity Today spells out very clearly why some strategies with political groups are a mistake. A must read!

Why Last Saturday's Political Conclave of Evangelical Leaders Was Dangerous | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction:

'via Blog this'

MLK

I can't let this day go by without something to say on the day we remember the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  What an amazing message of hope that he gave.  The courage to stand up in the face of gross injustice and cry out for equality is truly inspiring.

I'll leave with some lyrics to a song by one of my favorite bands of all time:

"Did you hear the thunderous voice of Dr. King?
The Ghost of Hope still strikes its brilliant lightning!
Through the dark our hearts will scream
For a word we've only dreamed.
And the past it will decay, so sing goodbye to yesterday.

And I believe
That we will burn the starless night
The truth will ring through depths of twilight
Liberty, our hearts ignite
Let hope still ring through depths of twilight."

-"Through Depths of Twilight", Brave Saint Saturn

Quaff the Elixir & Tweeting in #ONUChapel

So yesterday here at ONU, Chapel took a very different turn.  Dr. Mark Quanstrom was on the docket to speak.  He gave his sermon in 3 words: Quaff the Elixir.

Most of the folks in chapel yesterday got a vocab lesson - "quaff" meaning "to drink copiously & heartily", and "elixir" referring to a drink that's good for you, healthy, stirring to the mind, soul, & body.  Dr. Q was referring to Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, where the phrase 'quaff the elixir' is known from the heyday of the bath houses in years gone by.  And not only good for bathing, but the water was touted as good to drink.  I doubt there are any medicinal properties to the water itself, but the park does monitor the water and it is safe to drink.

Dr. Q translated this to the spiritual life - to have a close connection with God, we must "quaff the elixir".  That is, drink copiously of the life giving water, letting it nourish our souls and feed us.  You can even buy the T-shirt.  We do this by observing Christian practices - prayer, reading scripture, attending church services, among other things.

But in addition to the message he delivered, Dr. Q also mentioned the fact that a number of students here at ONU live tweet the Chapel services, and he read some of the tweets from the previous day when Dr. Bowling had spoken.  He spoke positively of this and said he was going to try and follow along with the live tweets during his own sermon and respond to them.  This was a courageous way to try and integrate social media into the Chapel experience, and the students responded by MASS tweeting!  The live tweets in chapel are generally tagged with the hashtag #onuchapel, which for those who don't know, is used in twitter and google+ as a way to connect the posts of various users under a single, clickable search term.  That way, users who are all commenting on a common subject can connect with one another more easily.  Unfortunately, Dr. Q's phone wasn't downloading correctly and he wasn't able to interact, but I give him major points for the attempt!  (and for those new to twitter, the twitter account @ONUChapel is not at all the same thing as the hashtag #ONUChapel).

The official ONU twitter account (@OlivetNazareneU) frequently retweets a few of the live tweets from the students during Chapel, selecting those that give a short, simple, great quote that relates the message.  For the most part, the tweets were positive and encouraging from the students (see them here).  I know that some think that it is distracting during the Chapel service to do this.  It's true that a cell phone can be pretty distracting, but just like any tool it can be used for good.  It can be a way for listeners to find a gem from something they are listening to and share it with the world, and I think this should be encouraged.  When I travel to professional conferences, live tweeting is common.  I've done it several times myself, although I'm typically using Google+ rather than twitter.  It's a way to highlight the best stuff, the most interesting and/or relevant content of the message, and share it with a broader audience.  You can sift through the tweets from the last couple of days and get a decent idea of how students were responding.  Some of my favorites from yesterday:

"We only have life as long as we draw it from him."
"God is not a one time drink.  We are always thirsty for him."
"Good message today Dr. Q. It gives me a lot to think about."

A Fresh Start

So I've ignored this blog for a long time.  I've also ignored the twitter account associated with it.  But I've been thinking over the past couple of months that I should get back to it.

And so I am.  Both of these are going to get a bit of a fresh cover, and I plan to start posting regularly again.  The twitter account associated with this blog is going to become my personal account, where I'll post information intended for the Olivet Nazarene University community, as well as the broader Christian community.  Of course, anyone else interested is welcome to read & follow along as desired.