Shower Theology

Eyewitness

2009-12-17T18:08:00.000-08:00

There’s this guy I listen to on my drive to work. His name is Charlie Clough. I don’t think he’s a preacher.

He’s a meteorologist. He wanted to develop a Biblical framework for life.

So he did. He had a class and went through the Bible, from event to event, starting with Creation. He met with some people, talked for an hour, and then answered questions.

They did this 224 times.

He recorded each lesson and put it online for anyone who wants to download the MP3s, Lesson Handouts, and transcripts from all the lessons.

Free.

I’ve been listening for several months. We just finished the flood and Noah’s covenant. He’s pretty thorough.

Anyway, he tells this story in Lesson 29 as he’s discussing pagan vs. Christian views of the origin and age of the earth. I thought you might like it too.

Now I’m going to tell you a little story about three observers. Let’s imagine a thought experiment. What we’re going to is take a trip back to the Garden of Eden. We want to go back to the sixth day of the universe, and we’re going to talk about the creation of Adam. So here’s Adam, and we have Observer A, Observer B, and Observer C.

Observer A is watching God create Adam and let’s just say for the sake of argument, God creates Adam at 10:00 o’clock on the 6th day, and between 10:00 and 10:05 God is working the earth, and He shapes the body, just like a sculpture, just like an artist, He shapes this body with His divine hands. Then He blows into the body and it becomes man, just as the Bible says. So Observer A is sitting there with a video camera and his video camera has a timer in it, and he’s clocking, making a video tape, and the clock at the bottom of the picture is clicking away, 10:01, 10:02, 10:03; 10:04, and he finishes his observation, 10:05. He’s got a film of five minutes of creation activity.
Now Observer B comes on the scene at 10:10. However, Observer B doesn’t see Observer A, Observer B doesn’t have any tools, Observer B has no idea, God’s disappeared, He’s not there anymore, but what Observer B observes, as he walks into the Garden he sees Adam. Observer B, we’ll imagine him taking a time machine from our own day, looks at Adam and sees he’s about 6’2”, weighs about 180 pounds, looks to be about 25. On what basis is Observer B concluding that Adam is 25 years old? Think about that observation. Out of his experience, Observer B, think back, we said experience comes out of the observation box, has Observer B in his box of observations ever observed a creation before? No. What he has observed again and again and again to the point that he’s convinced it’s natural law, babies being born and growing. So within his box he sees that Adam is 25 years old. Observer A’s answer to the question, “How old is Adam?” at 10:10 is: five minutes.

What are we going to do now about our dating systems? We’ve got two observers, neither of them are lying, can you say that Observer B is lying? Is he going on the basis of his experience and what he’s defined to be his natural law? Yes. Why are we getting two different clock answers here? Does Adam look different to Observer A than he looks to Observer B? Is the data any different? Do A and B share the same data set? Think about that. What did we say the qualification of Observer B was? When Observer B walked into the Garden, what didn’t he have? He came late, so he’s talking about the past, and he doesn’t have a video camera. What then in effect does he not have? He does not have observational data of what happened. He has to go on the basis of extrapolation.

Now let’s bring in the spiritual aspect to the conflict, just to show you this is not a mathematical scientific problem. At 10:10 from the other side of the Garden, Observer C enters. Observer C has also taken a time machine back, his box, he understands the same thing Observer B does, but Observer C has an additional quality. Observer C is buddy with Observer A, so Observer A walks over to him and says, “Hey, look what I got on my video cam, take a look at this, I was here, I saw it, look what I saw.” So now Observer C has to decide, does he trust Observer B or does he trust Observer A? What would you do and why? Put yourself in Observer C’s position, you walked in late, you can’t observe this, this is past time. So you’re dealing with a historical question. You’ve got a guy who claims to have photographed this stuff, with a clock on it, you check out the clock and it’s 10:10, and your watch reads the same as the clock in the video. Think about the process.

If you think about the simple little story of the three observers, you’ve got the chronology locked up. On what basis, if you are Observer C, do you decide the question? Why would you, for example, agree with Observer B; what would you be doing if you sided with Observer B against Observer A? What in effect would you be doing? To agree with B means you put higher confidence in extrapolated natural law than you do in eye witness evidence, witness that you can’t get at because by definition you weren’t there, but someone else was there and is giving you eye witness evidence. Is this a little bit of reflection about what you believe about the integrity of Observer A? If Observer A has come forth and told you, “I took this record, here’s my camera and I’m not lying to you, this is what I have.” Now if you side with Observer B, what else are you saying about the character of Observer A? He’s either deceitful or something happened in his camera.
http://bibleframework.com/

The Water Cycle Boogie

2009-10-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

We used to sing this song in like 6th grade called the Water Cycle Boogie: http://www.bananaslugstringband.com/sound/WaterCycle.mp3.

It was a blast. There are so many inappropriate words that can be substituted for the words in that song. Hey, I was in 6th grade. If we weren't being crude, we would have been insecure and self-conscious, right?

Anyway, the water cycle: water changes form and then changes form again and again. It doesn't ever go away, it just evaporates and condensates and precipitates. It's like a neverending... you know. By the way, if you're really smart about this stuff and I'm wrong, tell me so I don't go around claiming some really cool, but totally inaccurate idea.

So if it never goes away, doesn't it then follow that my water bottle has a little bit of the last month's relentless rain in it?

There's a little bit of the flood from Katrina.

There's some of the rain from Woodstock - both of them.

There's a little rainforest mist.

There's some glaciers.

There's a little bit of the Colorado River that forged the Grand Canyon.

There's some of the pool water where Olivia almost drowned - twice.

Let's think deeper.

In my water bottle, there's a little bit of the water that hovered over the earth before the flood of Genesis.

There's some of that flood.

There's some of the river water from the river that flowed through Eden.

There's a little bit of the sea that Moses split in half.

There's some of Bathsheba's bath water. Gross.

There's some of the cold rain from the night Ezra confronted the Jews.

There's a little bit of the Jordan River where Jesus himself was submerged.

There's some of the lakes where the disciples fished.

There is a little bit of the tears Mary cried when her baby boy was torn apart.

There's water at the beginning of time and water at the end, and it stays with us from the first point to the other, and beyond.

The Click

2009-10-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

The Click

This is not my idea. I mean, it’s not original to me. Charles Clough, C.S. Lewis, and others have discussed this before.

In the book of Revelation, John tells this story about how in Heaven God will give us new names. You’ll get a name that you have never heard before. No one has.

Not like this anyway.

God will call you by name. But not by the name that your parents gave you. Your parents named you before they knew you. They named you before you ever did anything. They gave you a name that perhaps described who they thought you could or might be, but they didn’t know.

I believe that when you hear your new name spoken by the voice that built the planet, it will click.

It will click.

I believe the name will make sense. You will understand, for once in your life what He had been doing this whole time.

“Oh, I get it. Now I see why You did this and that in my life. It made no sense at all then, but now that You put it that way…”

Someday the madness will make sense. Don’t try to figure it out now. You can’t.

You can’t figure God out.

Don’t try.

Just wait.

One day, He’ll explain it. One day He’ll speak your name and it will click.

sacred

2009-08-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, as a matter of fact, I am going to open that can of worms.

Next week, William P. Young, author of #1 New York Times Bestseller The Shack, will be in town.

Many people, many of my friends, have a problem with The Shack.

Let's first get out of the way that I welcome feedback from people who don't see things the same way I do. However, if you have not read the book, I encourage you to read it first, and then decide wheteher it is blasphemous.

I like the book. The title page says, "A novel by..." It is not an exegesis of the Bible or a theological essay. We went through this a few years ago with The Da Vinci Code. Remember?

Anyway, that's not what this blog is about. Not really. That was just an intro. I have another intro too. It's my list of favorite musicians.

Mars Ill
Johnny Cash
Jack Johnson
DJ Maj
Willie Nelson

TobyMac

Michael Jackson
4th Avenue Jones
Ingrid Michaelson
John Reuben
Beck

I like music. A lot. Some of it is completely God-exalting. Some of it is about shooting your wife (Delia's Gone). I like it all.

So my question is, where do we draw the line between sacred and secular?

My argument is that "secular" doesn't exist.

I know that there is sin in the world. I get that. But I don't believe sin can stand alone. I believe that sin is a twisting of beauty - a perversion of something that was originally beautiful and good.

God created and it was good. We twisted it all a little and the Enemy twisted it a lot and we both do our part every day. Sometimes we glorify and increase beauty. Sometimes we take away beauty, but we don't create evil... or beauty.

So, when I hear Kanye West be brilliant with music, but then he's cussing up a storm, what do I do? Trust me, I'm not clear on that. What I hear is a gifted man taking words and sounds and making something amazing out of it. But his words make my heart hurt.

What are we to do with U2? Ha! Wrestle with that one.

What are we to do with Robert Frost poems?

What are we to do with a beautiful woman who we know sleeps around? Is she still beautiful? Of course she is. God created her beautiful. But that beauty has been twisted up. And that beauty has to still be ingrained within her because she is redeemable.

So now I'm rambling without coming to a conclusion. Well, I guess I started with a conclusion: There is no secular. That's my perspective. What's yours?

How about you readers who have read people's thoughts on the issue?

Leave a comment. Let's discuss.

Impact

2009-06-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time.

The other day I was running. I get up at 5 and run three miles. You would think I would be totally skinny by now, but it seems that I'm eating enough to nullify the exercise. Now I'm afraid I'll miss a day of running and gain ten pounds. That was a joke. I'm working on the eating.

Anyway, I was running. I usually run about a mile and let my mind wake up, soak in the sounds and smells of the early morning. Then I pray. I follow a model when I pray because if I didn't, I would lose track of my prayer (there are a lot of distractions when you're running down the road). I can post sometime about the model I use - it's been really helpful to me for a long time.

Anyway, part of my prayer is for deliverance. I always pray that God would do two things. I ask him to orchestrate my life such that I am steered away from attacks by the enemy. I am well-aware that there are forces, armies, battling around me every minute of every day. I believe that there is an ongoing war between an army of light and an army of darkness, and that my soul is a ground to be conquered.

So, I ask God to enlist batallions, mighty warriors, to be posted around my home, my office, my car, our van, and each of the girls' hearts. I ask for protection.

But I also ask for deliverance. I understand that you get hurt when you walk on a battlefield. So I ask God to hold my hand and walk me around the landmines. I ask him to lead me out of the traps that I know will come.

But I know that won't always happen. Even if I ask nicely. Even if I ask in Jesus' name. I know that sometimes we have to brace for impact.

****************************************

When I was working in a clinic with babies with special medical needs, I had this one sweet little girl, Anniston. Anniston was a cute cute baby, but the problem was, Anniston was a two-year-old. She had a bulky monitor that was attached to a wire that was attached to a sensor that was attached to her foot. Someone had to carry that monitor around the room with her any time we moved her, had to string the wire through her clothes to change her diaper. Okay, you get it. She was adorable, and I was especially fond of her.

One day I was feeding Anniston her bottle while the other babies slept. I rocked quietly in the rocking chair while she sucked on the bottle. We sat in the dark, in the silence, while her monitor beeped every few seconds.

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the rocking chair collapsed. Just a loud SNAP and we were falling to the floor. I instinctively curled Anniston up in my arms football-style and braced for impact.

That's what I imagine God does for me. When life around me snaps, he tucks me into his chest and says, "Hold on. I've got you." The truth is, we're gonna hit the floor and it's gonna hurt and I'm gonna cry. But he's with me and he's got me.

Anniston was fine. She did cry and the other babies woke up. I sat there in the pile of broken wood calming her down while she finished her bottle - Another inspiring picture of God's love for his children. Later, I put the chair back together and someone is still using it today. Anniston's growing up and looking better and better every day.

Discontent

2009-05-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

My wife writes some pretty thought-provoking posts.

This one will coincide with hers from a few days ago. If you haven’t read it yet, do.

Lately I have been reading through lecture notes from Larry Crabb and Dan Allender, noted Christian counselors. In their discussion of discontentment, they seek to define goals and desires.
A goal is an objective that I want to see happen.

I must reach it. If I don’t reach it, joy is not an option.

I can reach it whether I have the cooperation of someone else or not.

A desire is also an objective that I want to see happen.

However, a desire is not necessary for me to experience joy.

I cannot reach a desire without the cooperation of someone else.

I work with kids with behavior problems. If I am working with a child and I make it my goal that he will become a better kid with better behaviors, I will be let down.

I will become discontent.

My goal must be to be the best man I can be for that child and to offer him the most help I can.

My desire is for him to get better. If he doesn’t, it’s ok. My joy is not dependent on him.

The point is, get it straight.

Goals or desires.

As a parent, your goal must be to be a godly parent. Your desire is to raise a godly child.

Make desires goals and you will lose contentment.

Best Man

2009-05-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

I was married in the fall of 2003 to a stunning bride.

To my left stood a man who had been my best friend since the sixth grade. He was the best man.

A few years later, my cousin asked me to be his best man for his wedding.

I was flattered and I took it seriously. I tried to get things together ahead of time, whatever I could do. The night before the wedding, I think we went bowling... we had a blast. I gave him a bag full of gag gifts to wish him well. You know, underwear with the cheeks cut out - stuff like that.

Once there was a guy named John. He was a little crazy. He ate bugs and stuff.

But the things he said grabbed people's attention.

At the market, shoppers were intrigued by his stories.

Soon he acquired a following, an entourage.

John was the man.

Then this new guy shows up in town and starts stealing John's crowd. John's closest followers and friends started to get frustrated.

John's ratings were falling. And with it, their popularity.

It was becoming less impressive for them to say, "I'm with John."

But then the day came when John silenced them.

"You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase but I must decrease."

You idiots. I've told you a million times. You've heard it from my own lips.

I am not the man.

I am not the one who needs a crowd.

Those people following him are the bride. The bride is not for me.

The bride belongs to the bridegroom.

I am the best man.

My job is to arrange the preliminaries of the wedding, to manage the wedding, and to preside at the wedding feast.

When my job is over, it is my job to get out of the way.

My joy comes from seeing the bride come to the groom, not to me. That's just being a crappy friend.

*********************

Amazingly enough, no matter how clearly John spoke to his followers, there were still devout Johnians many years later in Ephesus, about a thousand miles away. (Don't believe how stubborn people can be? Check out Acts 19)

Work

2009-05-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

"He's worked here for thirty years and has yet to take a day off."

I will never be that guy.

I respect that man.

My father-in-law is one of those men.

But I'm not.

I understand that as a man, work is life for me. And it is, I find vitality in work, in tangible achievement.

Most men do.

But I have discovered that I am just not that committed to my job, any job.

I love what I do, and I work with great people, but I will take a day off or a few hours off if I need dto keep the girls while Leslie goes to the doctor, or if Olivia is taking a field trip to a local farm.

God has blessed me with a job that will go on if I take a day off and I understand that not everyone has that luxury.

I have no desire to climb the ladder to the point that I'm essential, necessary for business to continue. I'm satisfied with being one of the employees.

Last week I took my first overnight trip for work.

I take frequent trips around the state, some to clinics 3 or 4 hours away. But since the day I interviewed, I have made it clear that I would rather leave before sunrise and get back at midnight to sleep with my wife, in my home.

Then it was an ideal, a standard that I had set, a good idea, the right thing to do.

But last week I realized that it was more than just a value that I held.

I am truly a family man.

I am a homebody.

There are two places I love to be.

Hotels and hospitals.

I know. Leslie thinks I'm crazy too.

I think it's the free TV and easy meals.

Whatever the reason is, I get excited about staying in either.

So last week when I got to eat a free (reimbursed, actually) meal from any restaurant I wanted and stay for free in a hotel, it should have been euphoric.

But eating dinner with work people is just weird, and uncomfortable.

Being outside of work with work people made it clear to me that I am not like them.

Without the work hats on, we are all free to be ourselves. My self is very different from their selves.

I realize I'm not explaining this very well. I'm peculiar. My thoughts, beliefs, values, are different from a lot of people, especially work people.

Anyway, after dinner, I'm sitting in my hotel room reading.

I miss my kids.

I miss my wife.

It's quiet.

I could turn the TV on and stare at it for a few hours as I watch 130 channels for about a second each, debating whether "Trick My Truck" is more worthy of my precious viewing time than "How It's Made".

But for some reason that doesn't appeal to me.

So I read until I'm tired and then go to sleep.

The night made it undeniably evident that I am truly a family man. No longer is it a standard that I set to be a good dad or husband.

I desire my girls.

I desire my wife.

I live for them and draw strength and worth from them, not work.

A scattered post, I know, but if it made enough sense to make you think or form an opinion, please share.

I

2009-04-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

Because I have a long commute to work, I sometimes like to listen to audiobooks.

A couple of weeks ago I picked one up by John Ortberg, aguy I like, and a couple of days into I was bored out of my mind.

I was actually nodding off while driving - not good.

But he did quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer a lot and I liked what he had to say, so last week I picked up a Bonhoeffer book.

I didn't realize until I started listening to it that it was not an audiobook after all.

It was "radio theatre"

Let me just say, get yourself an audio theatre CD set. It's like a movie without the screen.

Seriously. I know it's cheesy, but seriously.

Anyway, it's the story of this guy who struggled between patriotism and Christianity in Nazi Germany.

He ultimately decides to follow Christ and that path leads him into a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler.

He gets caught.

He's cool with it, because it's his cross to carry. He chose it. He chose to follow Christ to death.

So there he is, sitting in prison.

Everything has been taken away.

His sister and her husband.

His parents.

His students.

His work.

His Bible.

Everything that made him who he was is gone.

So he asks himself, "Who am I now?"

"What does it mean to be a Christian when all this stuff is gone?"

I know it's an elementary Sunday School question, but it made me think.

I am a good father because of my kids.

I am a decent husband because of the relationship with my wife.

I am a son because I have parents.

I am a worker because I have a job.

etc. etc. etc.

What if it was all gone?

Am I really that good a person?

Who would I be without anyone to be for?

If there are any men reading this, imagine if you lost work.

Not lost your job, but lost work.

You're on house arrest and cannot work.

No fixing things. No mowing. No cleaning. Only sitting, eating, and sleeping.

How many of us men could survive without work.

Now, think about no relationships.

None.

In the psychology world, it is well-known that the one thing that is guaranteed to cause psychosis is isolation.

If your brain goes long enough without relationships, it will stop working.

God made us that way.

So now the question is, if all my relationships were gone, would my relationship with Christ be enough to sustain me?

Is my brain sure enough that my relationship with Christ is real, that it would continue functioning on that and only that relationship?

I don't think that's a rhetorical question.

I think it has an answer.

I think the answer is no.

I think my brain fits God/Christ into the "beliefs/faith" box.

There is another box called "fact" with sub-boxes like "relationships".

I know some of you are thinking that you're not like that, that your relationship with Christ is real. But honestly?

Think about it.

Do you believe in Christ, or do you have a relationship, a real relationship with him?

I know now that I'm more on the belief side, and I'm working on it.

I hope you do too.

Just think about it. Let me know how it goes.

Death

2009-04-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

So Leslie wants to hear about death.

"So... death, huh?" I said.

"Yeah, like the death penalty. I like to hear you talk about how you feel about the death penalty."

Ok.

A few years ago, I realized that my idea of "Sanctity of Life" stretches far beyond the womb.

When I consider how precious life is, I imagine the fetus with peach fuzz, but I also imagine the twisted middle-aged man on death row for child abuse.

They were both created in the image of God.

So, where do we get the idea that we can sort out who deserves to die and who deserves to live?

That idea is called justice.

But justice depends wholly on wisdom.

Justice without wisdom is not justice.

It's revenge.

Revenge is a bad idea.

Ask ancient civilizations.

Oh, yeah. You can't. They all killed each other.

So do we have wisdom?

I mean, enough wisdom to determine whether a life should be ended?

I think there is one God who has that kind of wisdom, and we have access to it, but by no means do I think we hold enough wisdom to execute justice.

Our justice depends on an understanding of right and wrong.

If you do wrong, you get punished.

So what determines wrong?

Do I?

I think you wronged me. How did I decide that? I hurt.

But why does my hurt indicate right and wrong?

What if you benefit from the "wrongdoing"?

My point is, justice depends on absolute wisdom and sovereignty, neither of which exist in this atmosphere.

Let me pause here and let you know that I have read the Book.

I know the scriptures. Trust me, I studied it for like two months when I realized I hadn't formulated a stance on the issue.

With that in mind, I explored the next idea.

So I determine something is wrong, but you think it was right (because you benefitted).

Who wins?

Whoever has the authority.

If I disagree with Olivia, I'm right. Why?

"Because I'm the daddy. That's why."

I have the authority.

So, then I was faced with the scriptures that say that God has given rulers that authority.

Is ultimate wisdom involved?

I don't think it matters. I think the point is that God knows we need hierarchy. We need a chain of command. Without one, we go crazy.

So, the husband leads the family, Adam was created first, Angels are a little higher than men, and there are authorities that can determine right and wrong.

So now I'm faced with a conflict. Two opposing ideas.

Is that a contradiction? Does the Bible contradict itself? (side note)

I don't know. I didn't write it. Again, it comes down to who has more wisdom.

For example, when I watch LOST, and things go completely against what they should, I don't focus on contradiction, I trust the writers because I know that they have more knowledge about the situation, a better perspective, and at some point, they'll reveal that to me.

Get it?

So I don't even consider contradiction.

But I'm still stuck without a position on the issue.

Then one day I got one.

On the cross, Jesus is about to finally let go.

Bloody, bruised, and beaten.

He says, "Forgive them."

The only person with the right to execute justice, executed grace.

So, the ultimate question came from Leslie.

"So, you're telling me that if someone came into our house and killed me and the girls, you wouldn't want to kill him? You wouldn't want him to die?"

"Yeah, of course I would.

But that doesn't mean it's right."

Where do you stand?

Momentum

2009-03-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

I titled this blog Shower Theology because I do a lot of my deepest thinking in the shower. The reason for that is because it's a trance moment. A moment of trance is a time where your body is on auto pilot while your brain is elsewhere.

You read a paragraph or two and realize you need to go to the previous page.

You get to work and don't remember the drive.

You're washing your hair and it hits you, "Did I wash my face? I don't remember."

Anyway, another one of those times is when I run.

I run - well I shouldn't call it running. I jog - two miles each morning - well, actually it's really just each weekday morning. I don't run on the weekends.

I didn't decide that I would run two miles, I just started running and then I finally measured it in my car. It's a little over two miles.

To the point, I do a lot of thinking then too. I actually think, "Hey, I should write a blog about that." So now I have several topics I want to write about.

Momentum.

Guns.

Medication.

Control.

So, tonight I want to talk about momentum. This morning I got up at 5 to run. I got dressed as quietly as possible (which apparently isn't very quietly) and stepped out into the street.

I usually wear a jacket but I decided not to today.

As I started into a jog, I suddenly noticed how windy it was.

You know how it's hard to drive in a heavy wind, how you're car kinda rocks as you fly down the interstate?

Then you get behind an eighteen-wheeler. Geez. That makes me nervous.

So I'm running, and I can feel the wind rocking me, shaking my balance. It hurts more than usual because I'm trying so hard to keep my balance as I run.

On top of that, all of my clothes are too big for me, and since I left my tighter-fitting jacket in the driveway, my shirt is flapping in the wind, adding to the wind resistance.

All I can hear is the steady roar of wind. I don't take an MP3 player (primarily because mine is broken. It's tragic), so I can usually hear the beautiful little things that go on before anybody's up.

Frogs.

Bugs.

The buzz of the power lines. Yeah, they buzz.

Dogs. Mad dogs.

But this morning it was just wind.

Every once in a while I would hear a leaf blow across the pavement behind me, and I would instinctively tense up. My fist would clench around my keys. I would glance over my shoulder.

I realized as I ran that I was nervous, a little scared. Everything that was familiar to me was different today.

But I keep going.

As I approach the turnaround point, the end of mile 1, I am tired, more than usual.

There's a moment that's about five strides long at the end of mile 1. In this moment doubt flashes in my mind.

I'm tired.

My knee hurts.

I need to rest.

I could walk back.

I'll run 4 other days this week.

Doubt.

But then an amazing thing happens. I pivot on my foot and in one motion turn completely around.

Suddenly the roar of the wind is gone.

See, wind usually only blows one direction at a time. Now it's gone.

I can hear the frogs and dogs again.

My brain says stop, but my legs won't. I'm sure there's a whole blog here about the body of Christ, but I'm not going there...tonight.

So I'm headed back. It's crazy how things change at the halfway point. Now I'm heading home instead of running farther and farther away from comfort.

The uphill slopes (they're slopes, not at all hills) are now downhill slopes.

The truth is, nothing changed at all.

Except my perspective.

The wind is still blowing.

My shirt is still too big.

I'm still tired.

But my perspective changed, and I passed the turnaround point.

I don't really know what all the implications are, it just awes me to realize that our thinking, the way we see things and where we are in the things we go through, can completely change how we experience life.

Let me know what you think about this idea. Momentum, perspective, God's providence and wisdom in crisis, etc.

Also, let me know if you have an idea for what I should blog about next.

War

2009-03-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'll start this blog off with a big one.

"War. Huh! What is it good for? Absolutely nothin'" - Edwin Starr

Seriously, let's take war at its simplest understanding. Break it down for what it is.

Let's pretend we're looking at a civilization that has never before been discovered, and what we find is war. So we ask ourselves, "What is this war thing and how does it work?"

I'm a nation.

You're a nation.

I believe that the best letter in the alphabet is O. I mean, it has no beginning and no end. It's a symbol of all that is good in life. If you don't believe me, go to a wedding and you'll hear about how a ring is eternal, like love. Anyway, not only is O the best letter, but there are certain ways to discuss the letter O and use it in words and sentences. You don't say "hell-n", you say, "hello".

You disagree.

Your nation believes that I is the best letter in the alphabet. It's a straight line up and down, connecting Heaven and Earth, even Heaven and Hell. It pierces our reality, transcending all that we know, bringing both good and evil through and into our lives. Your nation is a bit more spiritually minded than mine.

So I notice that you are an idiot. Who admires I? I is boring. It's the complete opposite of O. I is the epitome of beginning and end. It starts and stops abruptly. How could you believe such a stupid thing. Not only that, but you fools use the letter O completely inappropriately. Your people have no understanding or respect for O.

This is where it gets interesting.

I decide that I will convince you to believe the way I do. You will repect O and forget about I. Not because I'm a bully, but because O is right and I is wrong. It's a fact. So I come over to I land and tell you to believe in O.

How do I get away with this? I am prepared.

I have built up an arsenal of ogres. Big ogres. I have a lot of them. Since I have a lot of them, I have made regulations that say that you are not allowed to have ogres - at least not as many or as big as mine.

So when I approach you, I have the advantage.

But let's say you still disagree. You have some difficulty dropping I and adopting O. Perhaps it's because I is all you know, all you've ever known.

Here's my next move. I set my ogres loose on you with two possibilities in mind.

Either you will get scared enough to change your mind, and believe like I do,

or I will murder enough I believers with my ogres that there aren't any I believers left.

That's what it comes down to. I believe O and you believe I, so I come over and kill you.

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I work with preschoolers who have behavioral issues. I tell parents and teachers that a child does not come equipped with the social skills to handle conflict. Until, they are taught differently, if a child gets upset, they will hit or kick or bite.

It's a simple idea. I'm upset, so I will make you upset. Then we're even.

We have two different ideas about how something should go, so I hit you.

But we teach children to use their words, to work it out. That's what my salary is based on. That's how I put food on the table and diapers on booties, teaching children how to get through frustrations and conflict.

I can't help but see the similarity between the two pictures.

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Before I stop, I should make it clear that I have nothing but utmost respect for those who serve in the armed forces. You have a devotion and commitment to the nation that allows you the freedoms you and your family and me and my family enjoy. I honor and admire you for that. I believe that being willing to fight and put your life in extremely dangerous territory for the sake of what you believe is awe-inspiring.

It's not the service that I disagree with, it's the big-picture concept of handling conflict that I disagree with.

Think about it and let me hear what you have to say.