I had an interesting question asked of me last Sunday in church. And no this time isn't wasn't from an inquisitive 5 year old! Someone asked if I thought there were more tornadoes and stuff this year and what I thought of all this "stuff" going on in nature. Of course I had an answer right on the tip of my tongue..."I don't really know I said."
I don't know if there have been more tornadoes this year compared to others, or if they are just hitting populated areas this time around. Of course when they hit populated areas the damage is much worse and we hear about them a lot more. And on the subject of the floods, don't get me started...for thousands of years the rivers flood and nothing happens, then the human race comes along, builds dams and levees and thinks it is control. We build on flood planes and then cry whoa is me when they flood?!?! I'm not trying to downplay the devastation this water will cause cities and especially family's, but the human race's arrogance is mainly to blame there.
I think an implied question, that wasn't overtly asked, was where is God in all of this? A question that comes up often when a disaster strikes. I wish I knew why God allowed suffering to happen at all. Wouldn't it be nicer if we lived in a perfect world where there was no suffering? I suppose we'd call that heaven. One thought is we can't know good if we don't know bad. We don't know joy if we haven't experienced suffering. Another thought says that God just set the world in motion and stays out of its affairs like a watchmaker after he/she finishes the watch. I suppose another thought would be that God is punishing the people somehow.
I'm not sure I like any of those ideas. It is intriguing to think about some of the theories out there, except the punishment one, I don't buy that at all. I think God is right there suffering with the people. I do believe God could stop any of this from happening, but for some reason, known only to God, God chooses not to intervene in that way. I see God in the volunteers that pour in to help strangers, in the stories of people giving until it hurts to help neighbors, and in the renewed sense of community that is felt during the rebuilding efforts. God is there...weeping along with families that have lost loved ones and everything. God is there...when people are reunited. God is there even when God's name is cursed for letting this happen. I can't answer why it happens, but I am confident that God has not deserted us and continues to work through us to let God's love shine through. The question as always...are we listening for the still small voice?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Did Jesus do it?
What a joy to listen to the questions of a 5 year old! Well, maybe not so much if it is the 100th time he's asked how fast a semi can go, but most of the time the questions are an amazing insight into what goes on in a kid's brain. The family was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition last night and the little boy on there had brittle bone disease. After explaining to Isaac what it meant to have brittle bones he asked why Jesus made the little boy like that. Come up with an answer to that one will ya!
Maybe a little background will help...Isaac has asked a lot about where God and Jesus live, and we've done our best to explain they are everywhere; including inside us. Well, a 5 year old takes the "inside" you part literally so we get questions like: Why did Jesus make me burp? Did Jesus push a button and make my tummy growl? Why doesn't Jesus stop me from being bad? See literally. Although the fact that he simply accepts the idea that Jesus is inside of him is pretty cool. Maybe there is something to that child like faith once talked about.
So back to his latest question, which is a darn good one if you ask me! Tracy and I simply said we don't know why Jesus made that little boy with bones that break so easily. And that's the truth. Could you explain why some people are born with handicaps and some are born without? We then explained that's why we are so thankful that Jesus has blessed us with health and everything we could possibly want. And we tried to explain a little that seeing people who aren't so lucky should make us thankful and push us to try and help those who aren't so lucky. He simply stared in wonder at the little boy and accepted the answers. Not sure what sunk in, but he was happy.
I'll tell you one thing though...it sure made me glad for all the blessings I have. I had just spoken Sunday morning about being in awe of God, and I was certainly awed at that time because I have so much! Let us all thank God for what we have and remember those who aren't as blessed.
Maybe a little background will help...Isaac has asked a lot about where God and Jesus live, and we've done our best to explain they are everywhere; including inside us. Well, a 5 year old takes the "inside" you part literally so we get questions like: Why did Jesus make me burp? Did Jesus push a button and make my tummy growl? Why doesn't Jesus stop me from being bad? See literally. Although the fact that he simply accepts the idea that Jesus is inside of him is pretty cool. Maybe there is something to that child like faith once talked about.
So back to his latest question, which is a darn good one if you ask me! Tracy and I simply said we don't know why Jesus made that little boy with bones that break so easily. And that's the truth. Could you explain why some people are born with handicaps and some are born without? We then explained that's why we are so thankful that Jesus has blessed us with health and everything we could possibly want. And we tried to explain a little that seeing people who aren't so lucky should make us thankful and push us to try and help those who aren't so lucky. He simply stared in wonder at the little boy and accepted the answers. Not sure what sunk in, but he was happy.
I'll tell you one thing though...it sure made me glad for all the blessings I have. I had just spoken Sunday morning about being in awe of God, and I was certainly awed at that time because I have so much! Let us all thank God for what we have and remember those who aren't as blessed.
Monday, May 2, 2011
2 months!
I have to apologize...it has been almost 2 months since I updated this blog. I could blame the hectic pace of the Lenten season and then Easter week and all that, but in the end it is just a lame excuse. So I guess the only blame should fall on me...I was too lazy or just plain forgot. Plus, today is quite a day to put my thoughts down on a blog.
Osama Bin Laden has finally been killed. I find my feelings being mixed. Don't get me wrong...I detested the man and what he stood for. The atrocities that he was accused of and had a hand in planning are horrible, and he deserved to be brought to justice. I've always been fascinated by this extreme group and how a lot of their attacks are on the people and religion they purport to defend. I want to stress this is an extreme group and in no way represents the Islamic religion. There have been a lot of terrible things done in the name of Christianity, and I certainly wouldn't want my faith defined by those extremists...would you?
It is hard to put into words why I seem to have mixed feelings. I do not feel sorry for Bin Laden or his family I guess. I believe it is a good thing he is gone...maybe I just feel a little put off by the outright joy we find in the death of another human being no matter how disgusting his/her actions might have been. I don't know...maybe I just ate some bad eggs for breakfast.
Maybe I just want us to be more aware that Jesus talked a lot more about love and forgiveness then revenge and justice. Again I'm not defending what-so-ever what Osama did, but I think I'm reacting to how easily we can find joy in violence. Oh well...that's what's rolling around in my head this morning, and things might change by the afternoon. You'll have to check out the post next week to see what's going on.
Osama Bin Laden has finally been killed. I find my feelings being mixed. Don't get me wrong...I detested the man and what he stood for. The atrocities that he was accused of and had a hand in planning are horrible, and he deserved to be brought to justice. I've always been fascinated by this extreme group and how a lot of their attacks are on the people and religion they purport to defend. I want to stress this is an extreme group and in no way represents the Islamic religion. There have been a lot of terrible things done in the name of Christianity, and I certainly wouldn't want my faith defined by those extremists...would you?
It is hard to put into words why I seem to have mixed feelings. I do not feel sorry for Bin Laden or his family I guess. I believe it is a good thing he is gone...maybe I just feel a little put off by the outright joy we find in the death of another human being no matter how disgusting his/her actions might have been. I don't know...maybe I just ate some bad eggs for breakfast.
Maybe I just want us to be more aware that Jesus talked a lot more about love and forgiveness then revenge and justice. Again I'm not defending what-so-ever what Osama did, but I think I'm reacting to how easily we can find joy in violence. Oh well...that's what's rolling around in my head this morning, and things might change by the afternoon. You'll have to check out the post next week to see what's going on.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Funny Article
I received this article from a church member and want to share it with ya'll. The article is from The Island Moon newspaper of Corpus Christi, TX.
Texas Beef Joint Sues Church Over Lightning Strike
Drummond's Bar in Mt. Vernon, Texas, began construction on expansion of their building to increase their business. In response, the local Baptist church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding with petitions and prayers. Work progressed right up until the week before the grand reopening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground! After the bar burning to the ground by a lightning strike, the church folks were rather smug in the outlook, bragging about the power of prayer, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church "was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means." In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise. The judge read through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply, and at the opening hearing he commented, "I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that does not."
A quick glance at snopes.com tells me this story isn't true, but the moral of the story is. Do we continue to stand up for our faith even when it becomes inconvenient or maybe even a little risky? In this fictional story the church members were all to glad to gloat about the power of prayer, but when they were faced with some risks/consequences they were very quick to deny that belief. How often do we believe, or act out our beliefs, only when it is convenient and safe to do so? Will we continue to hold those same beliefs and convictions even when it is easy to do so? Seems that is a true test of where our real strength and heart lies.
Texas Beef Joint Sues Church Over Lightning Strike
Drummond's Bar in Mt. Vernon, Texas, began construction on expansion of their building to increase their business. In response, the local Baptist church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding with petitions and prayers. Work progressed right up until the week before the grand reopening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground! After the bar burning to the ground by a lightning strike, the church folks were rather smug in the outlook, bragging about the power of prayer, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church "was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means." In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise. The judge read through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply, and at the opening hearing he commented, "I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that does not."
A quick glance at snopes.com tells me this story isn't true, but the moral of the story is. Do we continue to stand up for our faith even when it becomes inconvenient or maybe even a little risky? In this fictional story the church members were all to glad to gloat about the power of prayer, but when they were faced with some risks/consequences they were very quick to deny that belief. How often do we believe, or act out our beliefs, only when it is convenient and safe to do so? Will we continue to hold those same beliefs and convictions even when it is easy to do so? Seems that is a true test of where our real strength and heart lies.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Chicken Coma
Yesterday we had the world famous, or at least SW Iowa famous Staley Chicken dinner. There was an awesome turnout, and we had a large number of people helping put the dinner on. It is a lot of work to put the dinner on, but it is neat to see so many people working together to pull it off.
It warms a pastor's heart to see so many people working together, and to see so many faces come and enjoy some good greasy chicken. Now I'm not naive enough to believe that there isn't some tension in setting up and running the dinner...I suppose some friction is inevitable whenever a group of people work together. On the other hand, putting that tension aside and continuing to work together is the way things get done. As the Body of Christ there is going to be times of tension, and/or strain, the goal isn't to eliminate all tension, the trick is how we deal with it. Disagreements and stress/tension is not a sign of an unhealthy church (a lot of tension and stress could be). We are a group of people on a journey together...we are a family, and even "perfect" families have some disagreements and stress. The healthy families can deal openly with the tension and work towards a solution. Unhealthy families push that stress and tension to the back burner and don't deal with it. The trouble with not dealing with that tension is at some point it snaps. The back burner can only hold so much until it boils over and it all comes spilling out.
No read carefully, I'm not saying there is a lot of tension/stress/disagreements happening here at Minden UCC...what I am talking about is how we as a church, and we as families should deal with disagreements. Open communication is the best way to deal any disagreement. If one party doesn't know the other is unhappy then how can a resolution be worked out? If one party continues to put feelings aside in hopes it'll get better or they don't want to rock the boat, then when all that tension snaps and it comes spilling out the problem is usually a lot harder to deal with because there is so much hurt/stress built up. As the answer usually is...talking it out sooner rather than later is much more healthy than just keeping quiet and hoping it'll all get better. So I make a promise to you, if you'll make a promise to me...if there is a disagreement with what's happening here at church, or if there is some stress in your family, promise to talk about it. Talk to the person who you feel is responsible for the tension. DO NOT be confrontational, but just be honest and sincere. Use "I" statements and let it out. The solution might not be 100% to your liking, but I guarantee you'll be happier with the outcome if you know your voice has been heard and you've at least been a part in the decision instead of just burying your head in the sand. A wise pastor once said, "if you agree with me all of the time then you're not thinking." Truer words haven't been spoken.
It warms a pastor's heart to see so many people working together, and to see so many faces come and enjoy some good greasy chicken. Now I'm not naive enough to believe that there isn't some tension in setting up and running the dinner...I suppose some friction is inevitable whenever a group of people work together. On the other hand, putting that tension aside and continuing to work together is the way things get done. As the Body of Christ there is going to be times of tension, and/or strain, the goal isn't to eliminate all tension, the trick is how we deal with it. Disagreements and stress/tension is not a sign of an unhealthy church (a lot of tension and stress could be). We are a group of people on a journey together...we are a family, and even "perfect" families have some disagreements and stress. The healthy families can deal openly with the tension and work towards a solution. Unhealthy families push that stress and tension to the back burner and don't deal with it. The trouble with not dealing with that tension is at some point it snaps. The back burner can only hold so much until it boils over and it all comes spilling out.
No read carefully, I'm not saying there is a lot of tension/stress/disagreements happening here at Minden UCC...what I am talking about is how we as a church, and we as families should deal with disagreements. Open communication is the best way to deal any disagreement. If one party doesn't know the other is unhappy then how can a resolution be worked out? If one party continues to put feelings aside in hopes it'll get better or they don't want to rock the boat, then when all that tension snaps and it comes spilling out the problem is usually a lot harder to deal with because there is so much hurt/stress built up. As the answer usually is...talking it out sooner rather than later is much more healthy than just keeping quiet and hoping it'll all get better. So I make a promise to you, if you'll make a promise to me...if there is a disagreement with what's happening here at church, or if there is some stress in your family, promise to talk about it. Talk to the person who you feel is responsible for the tension. DO NOT be confrontational, but just be honest and sincere. Use "I" statements and let it out. The solution might not be 100% to your liking, but I guarantee you'll be happier with the outcome if you know your voice has been heard and you've at least been a part in the decision instead of just burying your head in the sand. A wise pastor once said, "if you agree with me all of the time then you're not thinking." Truer words haven't been spoken.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Vote is in!
A cool thing happened yesterday in church...I suppose a few cool things happened, but the vote to go ahead and pursue the sharing opportunity with Peace UCC in Walnut was a unanimous yes. I expected the vote to go well, but unanimous, that is most definitely a Spirit thing. Yesterday was a confirmation of sorts that we are following the Spirit and that God is leading Minden UCC.
It was also fun to have the Sunday school kids sing...they did an amazing job by the way! And the soup dinner to help raise some funds for the Deacon's Fund also went over well. Thank you all to the people who helped make that dinner a success.
If any of you are NASCAR fans the Daytona 500 was yesterday...if you aren't racing fans then I'm not going to bore you with details...and Trevor Bayne won the race. He's a 20 year old kid starting his second race and he pulled it off. Maybe the neatest thing was his responses when interviewed after the race. He seemed genuinely humbled, and he mentioned several times how good God was for giving him and his race team this opportunity. He didn't thank God for giving him the victory, which I hate because it assumes God favored him over everyone else, and he seemed very grounded. One question stuck out in particular. Trevor was asked what he was going to do with his share of the winnings, and he said he had some friends who were missionaries he'd like to support and he mentioned a particular mission. Pretty neat. He had no chance to prepare for the interviews because he never thought he'd have a chance to win, so the answers and the reactions were raw and real. Pretty neat if you ask me and I can be pretty jaded when it comes to athletes and how they talk about their faith. Something about him just captured my attention.
Nothing too exciting running through my head today, so I thought I'd just post some random thoughts. See you next week.
It was also fun to have the Sunday school kids sing...they did an amazing job by the way! And the soup dinner to help raise some funds for the Deacon's Fund also went over well. Thank you all to the people who helped make that dinner a success.
If any of you are NASCAR fans the Daytona 500 was yesterday...if you aren't racing fans then I'm not going to bore you with details...and Trevor Bayne won the race. He's a 20 year old kid starting his second race and he pulled it off. Maybe the neatest thing was his responses when interviewed after the race. He seemed genuinely humbled, and he mentioned several times how good God was for giving him and his race team this opportunity. He didn't thank God for giving him the victory, which I hate because it assumes God favored him over everyone else, and he seemed very grounded. One question stuck out in particular. Trevor was asked what he was going to do with his share of the winnings, and he said he had some friends who were missionaries he'd like to support and he mentioned a particular mission. Pretty neat. He had no chance to prepare for the interviews because he never thought he'd have a chance to win, so the answers and the reactions were raw and real. Pretty neat if you ask me and I can be pretty jaded when it comes to athletes and how they talk about their faith. Something about him just captured my attention.
Nothing too exciting running through my head today, so I thought I'd just post some random thoughts. See you next week.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Finding Happiness
I heard a story about a little puppy that noticed that whenever he was happy, his tail wagged, so he thought he had discovered the secret to happiness. One day he shared the secret of happiness with an older dog. He said, "I have learned that the best thing for a dog is to be happy, and that happiness is in my tail. So I am going to chase my tail; and when I catch it, I shall have happiness. The old dog replied, "I too believe that happiness is a marvelous thing for a dog, and that happiness is in my tail. But I have noticed that whenever I chase my tail, it keeps running away from me; but when I go about my business, it follows me wherever I go.
The Bible has a lot to say about being happy. It doesn't say, "Happy are they who have a lot of money" or "Happy are they who live in big houses and drive fancy cars." It doesn't even say, "Happy are they who only have good things happening to them." What the Bible does say is, "Happy are the merciful, happy are the peacemakers, happy are the pure in heart." The Bible also says, "Happy is he who trusts in the Lord." Many of us are like the little puppy chasing his tail - trying to find true happiness that is always just out of our reach. What we need to do is learn that if we will just go about our business and trust in the Lord, happiness will follow us where- ever we go.
I found that story while doing some research for a sermon, and I don't know who to give credit too, just know it isn't my story!
I love the message though. We spend so much time and energy trying to achieve happiness. Of course we usually equate happiness with more money and more stuff. The trouble is we are never satisfied with more money or more stuff because there is always more. We certainly don't think of happiness in terms of being poor in spirit, meek, insulted, and being persecuted. Yet that is what Jesus is telling us in the beatitudes. It is important to remember that the beatitudes aren't a prescription to happiness, they are simply a reflection God's character and the God's realm. God blesses differently then the world does. God also knows that only true happiness can be found in him. Happiness can only be truly attained if we stop trying so darn hard to prove ourselves and/or ear God's love and stop and realize that God already loves us just the way we are. Once we get out of our own way, and realize that the Spirit working threw us is the key to happiness will we finally feel whole. We need to stop relying so much on ourselves, and rely more on God. Not only will we make better decisions, but we'll begin to see fruits of that union in our own lives. Begin the day with a simple prayer: God I need your guidance and presence in my life today...spend a minute or two quiet and listening...then thank God for another day and be aware of opportunities to experience the Spirit!
The Bible has a lot to say about being happy. It doesn't say, "Happy are they who have a lot of money" or "Happy are they who live in big houses and drive fancy cars." It doesn't even say, "Happy are they who only have good things happening to them." What the Bible does say is, "Happy are the merciful, happy are the peacemakers, happy are the pure in heart." The Bible also says, "Happy is he who trusts in the Lord." Many of us are like the little puppy chasing his tail - trying to find true happiness that is always just out of our reach. What we need to do is learn that if we will just go about our business and trust in the Lord, happiness will follow us where- ever we go.
I found that story while doing some research for a sermon, and I don't know who to give credit too, just know it isn't my story!
I love the message though. We spend so much time and energy trying to achieve happiness. Of course we usually equate happiness with more money and more stuff. The trouble is we are never satisfied with more money or more stuff because there is always more. We certainly don't think of happiness in terms of being poor in spirit, meek, insulted, and being persecuted. Yet that is what Jesus is telling us in the beatitudes. It is important to remember that the beatitudes aren't a prescription to happiness, they are simply a reflection God's character and the God's realm. God blesses differently then the world does. God also knows that only true happiness can be found in him. Happiness can only be truly attained if we stop trying so darn hard to prove ourselves and/or ear God's love and stop and realize that God already loves us just the way we are. Once we get out of our own way, and realize that the Spirit working threw us is the key to happiness will we finally feel whole. We need to stop relying so much on ourselves, and rely more on God. Not only will we make better decisions, but we'll begin to see fruits of that union in our own lives. Begin the day with a simple prayer: God I need your guidance and presence in my life today...spend a minute or two quiet and listening...then thank God for another day and be aware of opportunities to experience the Spirit!
Monday, January 17, 2011
God in a Box
Rev. Nicole Havelka, or Cole, as Isaac kept calling her gave a very thought provoking sermon this past Sunday. She spoke about the ways in which we put God in a box. She talked about how we tend to really limit the ways in which we imagine God working in the world and working in our lives. In the limiting of the ways in which we view God or believe God is working in the world we keep God in a nice little box. She stated that most everyone can tell of a time when God helped them through a sad time, but what about the good times or the times that challenged us and made us grow. Do we see God in those times too?
I think I tend to put God in a box and pull God out when I want to. Sort of like my own personal Gennie(sp?). I will pull God out when I need some help with a situation and/or I want something. Is there something wrong with that? There certainly is, but it is safer to keep God in my little box. If I only see God as helping me with stuff I want then I don't have to listen for God challenging me in other parts of my life. If God stays in my nice little box then I can live the life I want. Opps, did you catch that...live the life that I want! Anyone else guilty of keeping God in the box so God doesn't mess up YOUR plans?! Sounds down right silly when you say it out loud.
We know, at least I hope most of us know, that God has the best plan for our life. I know that, but I also know that God's plans sometimes aren't my plans. God's plan may involve some risk, some moving outside of my comfort zone, and maybe some examining of my life. It is easier to just leave God alone inside the box isn't it? Well it might be easier in the short term, but I can almost guarentee that in the long run we're going to miss a lot of opportunities and blessings that God had intended for us. By trying to control everything ourselves we limit what God can do in our lives. Yes, God can break in and still do amazing things, but we miss so much by trying to keep ourselves comfortable and pain free. I know it is no fun to be stretched, challenged, or pushed outside our comfort zone, but if we don't then we never grow. We don't experience new things and we certainly don't mature very much as Christians.
God can't be put in any box. God will still do God's work in the world whether we open the box or not. If we don't expand our knowledge of God, and honestly let God guide our lives then we might do ok, but we will miss so many blessings and joys and chances to spread the Word of love and grace. Yes we might be challenged, but as my old high school coach used to say..."No pain no gain." And there is some truth in that. We need challenge to grow, and without growth there is death. Which side would you rather be on? Think about it...
I think I tend to put God in a box and pull God out when I want to. Sort of like my own personal Gennie(sp?). I will pull God out when I need some help with a situation and/or I want something. Is there something wrong with that? There certainly is, but it is safer to keep God in my little box. If I only see God as helping me with stuff I want then I don't have to listen for God challenging me in other parts of my life. If God stays in my nice little box then I can live the life I want. Opps, did you catch that...live the life that I want! Anyone else guilty of keeping God in the box so God doesn't mess up YOUR plans?! Sounds down right silly when you say it out loud.
We know, at least I hope most of us know, that God has the best plan for our life. I know that, but I also know that God's plans sometimes aren't my plans. God's plan may involve some risk, some moving outside of my comfort zone, and maybe some examining of my life. It is easier to just leave God alone inside the box isn't it? Well it might be easier in the short term, but I can almost guarentee that in the long run we're going to miss a lot of opportunities and blessings that God had intended for us. By trying to control everything ourselves we limit what God can do in our lives. Yes, God can break in and still do amazing things, but we miss so much by trying to keep ourselves comfortable and pain free. I know it is no fun to be stretched, challenged, or pushed outside our comfort zone, but if we don't then we never grow. We don't experience new things and we certainly don't mature very much as Christians.
God can't be put in any box. God will still do God's work in the world whether we open the box or not. If we don't expand our knowledge of God, and honestly let God guide our lives then we might do ok, but we will miss so many blessings and joys and chances to spread the Word of love and grace. Yes we might be challenged, but as my old high school coach used to say..."No pain no gain." And there is some truth in that. We need challenge to grow, and without growth there is death. Which side would you rather be on? Think about it...
Monday, January 10, 2011
The First Real Snow!
I made the treacherous commute to my office this morning...with the aid of my snow blower of course. I have to admit that I like the snow. I've always thought if it is going to be cold and dreary out a nice blanket of snow makes things look better. On the other hand, last year was a bit extreme. So this can the the first and last real snow storm of the winter and we should all be fairly happy.
I almost spit my coffee out this morning as I was watching the morning news. The topic of course was the shooting in Arizona and they were going to begin the debate concerning if the current political climate had anything to do with the shooting. I guess they were looking at the possibility of a link between the vitriol that comes out of Washington, and political commentators, giving this person a motive. My first reaction was you've got to be kidding me! But as I sit here and let my wonderer wonder a little bit maybe it is a healthy debate to have.
Before I go any further I place the blame for the shooting squarely on the shooter. I am sure the causes are complex and many, but there is no excuse for what he did and he chose to pull the trigger. What I'm interested in looking at is the power of words. People are lazy...we don't want to take the time to read both sides of a story and come up with our own opinion. We'd much rather listen to someone who we believe reflects our view points and let them do the thinking for us. What ends up happening is we just hear one distorted side of the story and that colors the way we think, talk and probably even act a little bit. Why think for ourselves when we can have someone else tell us what to believe. Do I need to explain the danger in that? Not only does this happen in the political world but it happens at church too. People would much rather be told what they should believe then be asked to think for themselves.
I can be guilty of this too. It takes a little work and energy to think for myself, and it takes a little bit of stretching the brain to read the other side of an argument with an open mind. The real scary part is you might find yourself agreeing with the other side or at least parts of it. The real shame is I believe 80% of people are fairly opening minded. The trouble is the voices we hear, political or religious, are from the 20% on the extreme ends of the spectrum. These voices then presume to speak for the rest of us, and the commentary isn't helpful at all because it comes from an extreme point of view with no regard for the other side. I guess what I'm saying, besides venting a little, is that we need to be mindful of what we say and where our info is coming from. We need to take the time to think for ourselves and decide what we truly believe. And, maybe most importantly, we need to take into account what our words and beliefs will do to others. Our Savior did remind us that we are to be caretakers of the world...and that means everyone in it...even those we're convinced are wrong.
I almost spit my coffee out this morning as I was watching the morning news. The topic of course was the shooting in Arizona and they were going to begin the debate concerning if the current political climate had anything to do with the shooting. I guess they were looking at the possibility of a link between the vitriol that comes out of Washington, and political commentators, giving this person a motive. My first reaction was you've got to be kidding me! But as I sit here and let my wonderer wonder a little bit maybe it is a healthy debate to have.
Before I go any further I place the blame for the shooting squarely on the shooter. I am sure the causes are complex and many, but there is no excuse for what he did and he chose to pull the trigger. What I'm interested in looking at is the power of words. People are lazy...we don't want to take the time to read both sides of a story and come up with our own opinion. We'd much rather listen to someone who we believe reflects our view points and let them do the thinking for us. What ends up happening is we just hear one distorted side of the story and that colors the way we think, talk and probably even act a little bit. Why think for ourselves when we can have someone else tell us what to believe. Do I need to explain the danger in that? Not only does this happen in the political world but it happens at church too. People would much rather be told what they should believe then be asked to think for themselves.
I can be guilty of this too. It takes a little work and energy to think for myself, and it takes a little bit of stretching the brain to read the other side of an argument with an open mind. The real scary part is you might find yourself agreeing with the other side or at least parts of it. The real shame is I believe 80% of people are fairly opening minded. The trouble is the voices we hear, political or religious, are from the 20% on the extreme ends of the spectrum. These voices then presume to speak for the rest of us, and the commentary isn't helpful at all because it comes from an extreme point of view with no regard for the other side. I guess what I'm saying, besides venting a little, is that we need to be mindful of what we say and where our info is coming from. We need to take the time to think for ourselves and decide what we truly believe. And, maybe most importantly, we need to take into account what our words and beliefs will do to others. Our Savior did remind us that we are to be caretakers of the world...and that means everyone in it...even those we're convinced are wrong.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Happy New Year!
It is 4 days into the new year...how many resolutions have been broken already? I don't believe in resolutions. Mainly because I don't stick to them, and I don't like them because they contribute to a sense of failure when you don't live up to them. Most of us are too hard on ourselves already, and adding pressure to keep some promise made half-heartily after too much bubbly isn't helpful either!
On a serious note I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I was walking through a Target store on the journey home Sunday and they had already started putting up Valentine's Day decorations on some of the end caps! I guess consumerism doesn't slow down for anything. I was doing my best to reflect on Christmas this year and I'm amazed at how fast it is all over and we're back into the "normal" groove of life. It is almost as if Christmas is something to be endured, when in fact Christmas should be life changing shouldn't it. We are celebrating the birth of our savior after all. Disclaimer alert: I'm not railing against Santa Clause and gift giving, just some thoughts about keeping the spirit of Christmas alive all year round.
This year our son Isaac really started to get into this whole Santa Claus thing. In fact he was mad at Santa because he didn't bring him the DSi that he wanted. I know, I know we're terrible parents for not giving him everything he wants. As Isaac was more and more into Santa I found myself wanting more and more to make sure he knew why Christmas even existed. We sang happy birthday to Jesus and had some cupcakes, which is a cute way to remind us of the event. But, more importantly we made sure to let him know, as much as a four year old can understand, how lucky he, we, all of us, are to be able to share gifts and family. By doing my best to stress this to Isaac I was reminded myself how lucky we are. As we were buying the gifts for the Christmas family the church adopted I was completely humbled and thankful for the blessings that abound.
My thought is that as the "normalcy" of life plods along we'll all do a better job of remembering the gifts and blessings that we have. My prayer is that we will remember we are all God's children, loved by God, and called by God to share that good news. If we can do that then the limits of what the Spirit will do in our lives is endless.
On a serious note I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I was walking through a Target store on the journey home Sunday and they had already started putting up Valentine's Day decorations on some of the end caps! I guess consumerism doesn't slow down for anything. I was doing my best to reflect on Christmas this year and I'm amazed at how fast it is all over and we're back into the "normal" groove of life. It is almost as if Christmas is something to be endured, when in fact Christmas should be life changing shouldn't it. We are celebrating the birth of our savior after all. Disclaimer alert: I'm not railing against Santa Clause and gift giving, just some thoughts about keeping the spirit of Christmas alive all year round.
This year our son Isaac really started to get into this whole Santa Claus thing. In fact he was mad at Santa because he didn't bring him the DSi that he wanted. I know, I know we're terrible parents for not giving him everything he wants. As Isaac was more and more into Santa I found myself wanting more and more to make sure he knew why Christmas even existed. We sang happy birthday to Jesus and had some cupcakes, which is a cute way to remind us of the event. But, more importantly we made sure to let him know, as much as a four year old can understand, how lucky he, we, all of us, are to be able to share gifts and family. By doing my best to stress this to Isaac I was reminded myself how lucky we are. As we were buying the gifts for the Christmas family the church adopted I was completely humbled and thankful for the blessings that abound.
My thought is that as the "normalcy" of life plods along we'll all do a better job of remembering the gifts and blessings that we have. My prayer is that we will remember we are all God's children, loved by God, and called by God to share that good news. If we can do that then the limits of what the Spirit will do in our lives is endless.
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