Looking for Stevie Wonder

Every year around the fourth of July Chicago has an event called "The Taste of Chicago". There is basically food and music. Usually I avoid it because I hate crowds (no, really I HATE crowds), but this year Stevie Wonder was playing. Stevie Wonder! For free! For that I would endure traffic and crowds.
My mother was visiting so she, my baby, and I loaded into the mini-van and headed for Chicago. The traffic and crowds were as expected, but we plowed our way through to the concert area. It took us about half an hour to walk three blocks, but we persevered. We were even early. Unfortunately, we were also at the wrong place. By the time we got to the right place the concert was in full swing and it was packed. Disappointing, yes, but I thought, we can still enjoy it.
So we set about to find someplace to enjoy the concert. All we could see of Stevie was the top of his head displayed on a big screen up front. That wasn't too bad, what was bad is that we couldn't hear him. The music was not loud enough and people were talking. Talking instead of listening to Stevie! Why, I thought, do people come to a concert and talk? If you want to talk, stay home or go to some other part of the taste. After a while we gave up and left. Faint traces of, "Don't you worry 'bout a thing . . ." teasing us as we walked away.
That Sunday I was at church. The music in my church is always loud enough, or more accurately, "Ouch! My ears are bleeding, please turn it down!" And I could see the people on stage clearly on our screens. The problem is, the music is not what I came to hear. The people on stage are not who I came to see. I came to hear God, to meet with Jesus. I found myself thinking about the Stevie Wonder concert and how frustrated I was that I couldn't hear him because of the other noises around. I felt the same frustrations as I stood in the church. I wanted everyone to just stop talking and singing and playing for just a little while so I could hear the one I came to hear.
Why have we become so afraid of silence? We can't even seem to endure ten minutes of no one talking or singing during worship. I think we are missing something by our constant need for noise. How can we expect people to grow and mature if we do not allow them time to learn how to hear God? Maybe once or twice a month we should do church like the early Quakers did and just sit still and be quiet until God moves.

Jesus for President and Abortion

I was recently reading the book Jesus for President and was startled to see the authors make a statement I often hear from abortion supporters. The statement is basically, "If you are not willing to adopt, you shouldn't speak out against abortion." I think I understand their intent in making this statement. We who are pro-life should be compassionate toward women in difficult situations, and we should be part of the solution. If this is what is meant by the statement, I agree. However, I find the statement itself to be rather, well . . . stupid.
I mean no disrespect to the authors, who seem very intelligent, or to anyone else who has uttered this phrase. But having a lack of people willing to adopt newborn children is not a problem. So, even if a pro-lifer is unwilling to adopt, it is likely they know someone who is willing.
But there is a greater problem with this statement than just not knowing the current U.S. adoption scene. This statement also also seeks to silence those who can't adopt either because of age or for financial or for other reasons. Inability to solve, or help solve a problem shouldn't preclude one from speaking out about it. Everyone should be free to speak out about injustice, whether five or fifty, whether rich or poor.
And finally, the statement does nothing to address the real problems of abortion, for the unborn child, or for the mother.

Logic, what logic?

I recently wrote a post that mentioned the movie Expelled. I have since seen the movie and highly recommend it. I have also been reading some comments made by others about the movie. There are the "Ben Stein is a loser" comments, the "Intelligent Design (ID) is not a science" comments, and the "let me explain basic science to you" comments, the sad thing is none of these comments comment intelligently on the movie. Why? The main reason is that most of the commentators have not even seen the movie, some even refuse to go to see it. The irony is that in doing this they help to prove the movie's point.
I found a similar problem on an atheist website I encountered. The atheist claimed to have studied the Bible which led him to become an atheist. After just a casual perusal of his comments it was painfully obvious that not only had he not studied the Bible, he'd barely managed to read it. When I suggested he look at different versions, or read some commentaries he refused.
What has happened to logic? What has happened to the spirit of inquiry? The same people that accuse Christians of being deluded and afraid of the truth, refuse to even hear an argument that might prove their beliefs wrong. This isn't pursuit of truth or scientific. It's stupid. As in lacking any form of intelligence.
Don't get me wrong there are intelligent people who are atheists and/or evolutionists. I do not agree with them, or their conclusions, but at least they have taken the time to look at the evidence. But these types seem to be becoming increasingly rare.
So, here is a challenge. If you believe in evolution, go see Expelled or read Bones of Contention by Lubenow. Actually try to know about and understand something before you claim to know it is wrong.

My Little Activist

I am a reluctant activist. I'd much rather hole up in my room and pray for change than actually take any actions to see it come to pass, especially if that action = confrontation. But as I have mentioned in other posts, God won't let me. (An English major aside: how did we get won't from will not? And does anybody ever say Cannot you? We say, "can't you" all the time, so why not "cannot you"? Sorry, back to the point). And now neither will my son.

It started out innocently enough. We were reading a book about Puerto Rico. Among other things it mentioned how Puerto Ricans can vote in the primary, but not the national presidential election. So, we talked about the difference between the two. Which led to talking about the candidates. Which led Toby to ask me who I am going to vote for. Which led me to say, "I don't know yet, because I agree with the candidates on some issues and not on others." Which led Toby to ask, "What issues?" I gave him some examples, one of which was abortion. Which led him to ask (repeatedly) "Why don't we write them a letter?"

Sigh. I hate writing politicians. But Toby's logic prevailed and so I let him write a letter. He decided to write a letter to the mayor of our city about his recent decision to allow an abortion clinic in. He wrote a two sentence letter complete with an illustration to emphasize his point. We have yet to hear back from the Mayor.

But God has used Toby, and often uses Toby to get at my apathy, my cynicism. I drag my feet when it comes to being more proactive in politics and other areas because I do not think it will make a difference. But then I am confronted by Toby and God with, "why not try?"

In Brian McLaren's book Everything Must Change he relates a story about two women who helped to build a school. He says something that I need to take to heart, "As this mother and daughter told me their story . . . I realized that the simple action of one family, not a big NGO, not a huge government program, but a simple family project of neighborliness and humanity -- illustrated the kind of subversive faith and action that can stop the suicide machine and build, in its place, a better world." (McLaren p.279)

Cannot you see it? You, me, we can change the world. The Kingdom of God is here, Jesus is with us. "If God is with us, who can be against us?"

Stupid Faith

As I was flipping through the channels last night I came across Larry King interviewing Lewis Black. Larry asked Lewis about his reaction to the comments made by Rev. Wright. One of the things that Lewis said in his reply was that he thought there were equally insane things being said in other churches, like the earth was created in six days. I found myself agreeing with him. From the prospective of most people saying the earth was created, let alone in six days, sounds insane. In fact a lot of what Christ taught sounds insane.

I do not like that. I like sounding sane and rational. I like being thought of as intelligent and reasonable. I have tried to "reason away" some of what Jesus said, "He didn't really mean..." but God's words have a way of burrowing into my heart and refusing to die no matter how I try to ignore them. So, I find myself believing insane things like the earth being created in six days.

Worse I find myself confronting war veterans with "Jesus told us to love our enemies" (have I mentioned I hate confrontation?), businessmen with, "Jesus does not like how some companies treat their employees." These teachings do not make sense. They leave us vulnerable, unsure, unsafe. Not in control (have I mentioned how I love being in control? I've only been drunk once in my life. I never got drunk again because I did not like being out of control).

They leave us right where God wants us, reliant on him. I barely have enough in me to love my friends, let alone my enemies. I like chocolate as much as the next guy and buy things without regard as to where they came from or who slaved to make them. I am perfectly content to plot revenge, to hold onto bitterness, to not forgive. It feels good.

But then there's Jesus. Standing there with that knowing look on his face. Suddenly I am reminded of something he said. That little crumb of a word starts irritating my heart. I try to ignore it, but it itches, it hurts. I try to scratch it away, but it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger, until I cannot ignore it any longer and I find myself capitulating to it. To Him.

One of my heroes, Eberhard Arnold, said, "To hear and read the words of Jesus is dangerous". He was right. Hearing Jesus words, actually hearing them and grasping the implications, is dangerous. It makes you believe and do stupid things.You might believe that God still speaks today. You might believe that he still answers prayer, that he still does miracles. You might find your friends and family saying, "He is out of his mind". You might believe that you should give up your life of wealth and privilege to live amongst the poor. You might believe people should not be made slaves and try to free them. You might believe killing your enemy will only plant the seeds of more hatred and violence. You might find yourself changing the world.

Stupid faith.

New Ben Stein Movie and Thoughts on Science

I just saw a trailer for a documentary Ben Stein Expelled. The movie looks at the way scientist who question Darwinism are treated. It looks like it should be good, and hopefully it will get people thinking.

Imagine what could be accomplished if, instead of trying to throw God out of science, scientists in every field were tuned into what God was willing to show them about their area of study. Look at the accomplishments of one such man, George Washington Carver. He is quoted as saying, "When I was young, I said to God, God, tell me the mystery of the universe. But God answered, that knowledge is for me alone. So I said, God, tell me the mystery of the peanut. Then God said, well, George, that's more nearly your size."

He went on to discover 300 uses for the peanut, 118 from sweet potatoes, and several other discoveries from other plants. His work and research continues to influence work in botany today.

What might happen if scientists asked God similar questions today about renewable fuel or cures for diseases? Instead it seems some are more concerned with keeping God out of science because allowing him in would go against the theories they hold. This seems contrary to the very nature of what it means to be a scientist. One of the reasons science is important and exciting is because it encourages us to look closely at the world and think and rethink about what we see. If we start censoring this based on what someone concludes from looking, eventually we may stop looking and discovering.

Expand Your Vocabulary; Change the World

Logophiles have a fun new way to help give rice to the poor. FreeRice.com donates rice to the needy around the world with every vocabulary question you get correct. My current high score is 42, but I'm working on reaching 50. What level can you get to? Click on the bowl of rice and find out. (see the sidebar).
Speaking of the sidebar, there is a new banner there that says "know love act". Clicking this will take you to blood:water mission. This organization works to "tangibly reduce the impact of the African HIV/AIDS pandemic, to promote clean blood and clean water in Africa, and to build equitable, sustainable and personal community links." Click on the link, learn more about them; hey maybe even donate some money.