Testing the spirits (1 John 4:1-3)

     Did you see the movie “Miracles from Heaven” with Jennifer Garner that came out earlier this year?  It was actually a really good movie (despite what the critics try to say), however there is a scene from the movie where some of the church women try to tell Jennifer’s character that her daughter’s afflictions must have been from some untold sin that she or her daughter is committing.  The pastor does nothing to rebuke their behavior.  Not only does this propel the heroine not to go to that church anymore, but it is contrary to what Jesus said in the Bible regarding the blind man (John 9:1-3), when the disciples asked Jesus who’s sin caused the man to be born blind.  

     Now more than ever we need to ‘test the spirit’ to see if it is from God (1 John 4:1-3) if we are believers in Christ and someone approaches us in this manner.  And if we ourselves moved to reach out to someone, we need to take caution.  Using the phrase “God told me to tell you...” can be very dangerous if the Holy Spirit is not in the interaction.  However, if the Holy Spirit does move you, you can be confident in engaging that person or persons, because God is doing it for a reason that you may not understand at the time, but will actually work toward His glory.  

Half-life

     Once again I am awake for over an hour on a Saturday morning somewhere between the hours of 2AM and 5AM.  

     I live a half-life.  By which I mean that a quarter of my life is wasted on pursuing fleeting and worthless things and another quarter is spent on thinking about pursuing fleeting and worthless things.  All thrown in with a bit of paralyzing despair, not a full blown depression mind you, but enough to realize that once you emerge from it, you’re a day/week older and no progress has been made.  

     I’m tired of living a half life.  I was meant to shine, not for my own glory, but for the glory of God and for the betterment of my fellow man.  And my light was not meant for my own self-promotion, but to serve those less fortunate than myself, to raise up those who have been rejected, those who are maimed and crippled, those who have been unable to lift themselves off the ground as a result of tragedy.       
     I know what I’m meant to do; I can see the results in my head.   I just don’t know how to do it.  How to get from here to there.  

     I have bitten my tongue so much over the last few years that it has become numb to the point that I don’t know when to release it or if the words that come out will be words of wisdom or of folly.  I want to lash out against the pompous, against the oppressors, but where my pride says “do it,” Humility says “no.”  

     Humility reads: “to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  

     Perhaps it is because of impurity of the half-life that true wisdom is not obtained.  Gentleness, not bitter jealousy and selfishness, is what I crave.  And above all else, love.  Pure, undefiled, whole love.  

Author's note:  

As exhaustion begins to overtake me, I can feel a sense of hopelessness lifted off of me.  Thank you, God.  You’re already turned my day around.  

The Case for Unwanted Records

     About a month ago one of the Facebook pages I am following (Vinyl Lovers United) posted an article about an artist in Seattle who uses old records and carves silhouettes of city skylines and other designs into them. http://www.geekwire.com/2016/seattle-artist-hopes-kickstarter-moves-needle-vinyl-record-cutouts-go-high-tech/ According to the article, the artist was always in the market for finding excess and unwanted records that he could use to create his unique artwork.  The artist oftentimes went into record stores and asked the owners if they had any excess and/or unwanted records that they would be willing to sell, and would use those acquisitions for his craft.  It is the topic of unwanted records that I wanted to talk about today.  

     First and foremost, I think that it is important to clarify my definitions of unwanted records, because they basically fall into three different categories.  There are the broken and unusable records which are no longer playable on a turntable.  There are the records that were unilaterally panned by critics and so obtain the moniker “unwanted.”  And then finally there are the records that would never have had the chance to be hit-makers or fall into such a narrow niche genre that over time they may never be heard from again.  It is the final category that I wanted to discuss on this blog.

     I think the deliberate use of records as art started to bother me when I was a teenager in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  And by art in this instance, I am referring to the music created by DJ’s who scratched records directly on a modified turntable to make a particular sound designed to complement other voices and instruments.  

     Even as a young teenager, whenever I would think about DJ’s I would think about which vinyl record was meeting its untimely demise this time.  Did some DJ’s always use records that were already damaged beyond playability?  Did some DJ’s look for specific artists, albums and/or genres in which to make an example of when they went to their station?  Did some DJ’s just pick up large quantities of ‘unwanted’ records from Tower Records, and let the chips fall as they may? (More recently I also have issues with the new Red Robin cassette and eight-track wall art, but I digress)  

     I want to tell you the story about one particular record that I picked up while browsing through the bargain bin at a record show at the Seattle Center last spring. My genre of choice is Jesus Music, and while that may be a narrow genre in itself, it is amazing how my collection has expanded by simply browsing the thrift stores and record stores in just the Seattle area alone.  As many vinyl music lovers know when they browse for records, there are always albums on one’s ‘list,’ however there also albums that fall under the “I wasn’t looking for it until I found it” category.   

     The album is titled:  “Songs of Faith From the Heart of Cameroon, Africa.”  It was recorded in the fall of 1969 and features hymns and spiritual songs sung in Douala, German and English.  I had already made some good finds on this record show visit with Randy Stonehill, Love Song and the Pat Terry Group.  However again, there are simply some albums that do not fall into a category of interest for a seeking vinyl music lover.  I figured that if I put this particular album back into the crate that it would never be heard from again.  I remind myself that somewhere in the past, someone somewhere felt that they had created music worthy enough to be made into vinyl and released as art (and ministry, if you are into Jesus and Jesus Music like I am).  

     “Songs of Faith...” could quite easily be categorized as an “unwanted” album.  It could easily have made it onto a DJ’s turntable or an artist’s cutting room workbench.  Out there are similar veins of vinyl gold that Itunes or Spotify simply aren’t going make digital recordings of.  Which is why when this type of unwanted album is created into art in one form another form of art dies at the same time.  

     Not to oversimplify the solution, but I believe in response to the vinyl art carver, there are enough ruined vinyl records out there to fill a small country.  Here’s how I know:  

     As a child born in the 1970’s I grew up in a home with a record turntable.  My parents listened to the music of Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Arlo Guthrie, Linda Ronstandt, ABBA, and a slew of others on a healthy sized record collection of 33’s and 45’s.  I was also a child who tended to dance around the living room and jump off of furniture while an upbeat vinyl single such as “Super Trouper” was being played ten feet away.  So when a record started to skip or repeat itself, generally there was not much you can do about it, unless you didn’t mind walking over to the player every minute or so to move the needle.  If records can be damaged by something as simple as a child leaping off of a couch, or by simply being too close to a window on a sunny day, think of all the other thousands of ways a record could be damaged. There is a mountain of unusable records out there, over decades of vinyl music creation, that are quite suitable for the purpose of framed art.  

     For those remaining playable records lost in the vastness of back room clearance bins I say to people:  who is to say what records are wanted and which records are not?  Because that is one of the joys of being a vinyl lover:  Serendipitously discovering the music that time and man have forgotten and taking it for a spin again.  

An Emblem of the Land I Love

     With the final countdown in motion for the 2016 election and the talk and actions of many in regards to America’s anthem and colors, I just wanted to reach out and say that I am blessed to be an American citizen.  I love living in America.  The freedoms that were given to me by sacrifices of my forefather’s are acknowledged and appreciated.  Over the past couple of decades I have had the unique opportunity to visit and enjoy so much of what this country has to offer.  I took a moment last night to go through my many photo CD’s and find images of the stars and stripes.  I wanted to share them with you, because no matter where my family went in this beautiful country, there was always a constant, a tangible symbol of what our forefathers created here.

Las Vegas, NV 2004

JFK Library; Boston MA 2005

Easton, PA 2005

Hershey, PA 2005

Washington DC 2005

Washington DC 2005

Cheyenne, WY 2006

Colorado/Kansas Border 2006

Pierre, SD 2006

Webb, MO 2005

Bentonville, AR 2006

Deadwood, SD 2012

Darwin, MN 2012

Boise, ID 2013

Capitol Reef National Park, UT 2013

Fairfield, CA 2013

Seabrook, WA 2015

Hoover Dam; Boulder City, CO 2016

The Remnant

As free thought yields to groupthink, 

As creativity surrenders to assimilation, 

As reckless optimism submits to pious indoctrination, 

And the hour hand bends its knee to distracting bureaucracy, 

There was always be a remnant of resistance, 

A small group of individuals who will not bow

to groupthink, assimilation, indoctrination or bureaucracy.  

A rehabilitation for others who awaken from their nightmares

Generating tears among their desert eyes,  

Forgotten laughter from their parched lips,

Precious love unspoken for in decades.  

God's gifts will not be squandered among the remnant.  

Their efforts will not be in vain. 

A robotic genius will not lord over them.  

Intermission drugs will not enter their bloodstream.  

They will not don the oculus of deception

Nor chase the monsters over the cliff.  

The threat of drones will meet the bat of their conscience.

The very threat of political repercussion will meet its own demise

In the simple negatory answer uttered by the assured. 

The remnant will applaud their stage sibling 

Salute the trail seeker in passing, 

Shield the outcast while unearthing her treasures

Allowing Love’s beauty to unearth their own. 

In falling, in crashing down, 

Man cannot carry a hardened heart.  

Its shell has been shattered

Its flesh exposed forever.  

The remnant fall together

And light up the darkness awaiting a hibernating world to arrive.

My Top 20 favorite David Meece Songs of all time

1. Every Little step (1993) - I gave my life to Jesus at a David Meece Concert in the fall of 1994, and this song carried me through so many evenings of doubt and fear of not instantaneously having it all together after my conversion.  “Lord, I pray to You/ But sometimes I doubt You’re there/Lord I wait for You/But Your silence seems unfair.”  David Meece was one of the few voices on Christian radio at the time who seemed to understand what I was going through and didn’t sugarcoat the Gospel.  Even 23 years later I always come back to this song as my favorite in the David Meece anthology.  
2. The Rest of My Life (1989) - The chorus of this song hooks you from the very beginning, and even though I’m not really into children's choirs, this song is one of the exceptions as it fits right in with David’s soaring 3-octave vocals and displays the innocence of simply wanting to devote the remainders of our lives to our Heavenly Father.  
3. We are the Reason (1980) - This is arguably David Meece’s signature song, and for good reason.  A touching ballad of Jesus’ love for us and His sacrifice so that we may live.  
4. Jesus (1982) - This song actually debuts on David’s 1976 debut album “David”, but sounds even better on his live “Front Row” album. It still comes with that 70’s vibe, but is crisper and tempered over several years of albums and touring.   
5. Rattle Me, Shake Me (1982) - Borrowing from the classic song by Honeytree, David masterfully respins the lyrics to his unique brand of music and humor.  Also found on his live “Front Row” album.  
6. Gloria (1983) - This song explores David’s vocal range from the lower-range optimistic verses to the high-end chorus.  This song is one of David’s best when heard live at one of his concerts.  
7. Satan Just Leave Me Alone (1980) - “You did it to Judas/you did it to Samson/you did it to Adam and Eve/you did it to Balaam/And you did it Cain/ But you're never gonna do it to me no, no...”  This song is an example of what I like to call “naive confidence,” a term I like to use when a singer believes what they are singing about, with confidence, but perhaps still has a couple of life chapters that have yet to be written.  Probably not a song you would sing in your church, but still a bold addition “Are You Ready,” arguably David’s best album.  
8. Gospel Train (1980) - You know when people run up to the front during intermissions   and place little slips of paper on the stage with song requests for the singer?  I got to hear “Gospel Train” live when someone brought an “Are You Ready” songbook to the stage with the enclosed message “you have no excuse” to the 1994 concert I attended.  The third verse is especially powerful.  
9. Just Have a Little Talk (1980) - Tracks from the “Are You Ready” album are specifically plentiful in my favorites list, as it is my favorite of the David Meece albums, but each track has its own unique qualities in this collection.  This upbeat song could have easily been taken from a BeeGees album with most of the song in David’s higher vocal range.  
10. God’s Promises/Rainbows in the Night (2005) - The only new track from David’s “Odyssey” (greatest hits) album, this 6 minute song focused heavily on the classic piano that David was know for.  
11. My Father’s Chair (1993) - An important testimonial from David’s broken childhood, this song moves from heartbreak to earthly fatherly love to praise to our Heavenly father.  
12. Some People They Never Believe (1983) - Taking the role of story teller, David lays out Biblical examples of Godly men doing great things and still the people around them still do not turn from their ways and believe in God.  Going from nearly a whisper, this song crescendos into Jesus’ mission to save us from our sin and even then so many people refused to believe.  
13. Are You Ready?  (1980) - The chorus is catchy and you can’t help but echo David’s lyrical inflections:  “When he comes in the night...”  To me David always came away successful in his message without being overly pious or preachy, even with his role as evangelist with songs such as this.  
14. Everybody Needs a Little Help (1978) - The title track from David’s 3rd album.  The album cover itself is worth the price of admission, but this slower track in the heart of David’s ‘disco’ years is friendship to friendship, an offer of hope during a tumultuous time.  
15. Never Gonna Serve Anyone Else (1978) - “Well they can keep their champagne/And their smoky rooms/I don’t want their fame/And I don’t need their food...”  Another tour de force in David’s full 3 octave vocal range with the chorus once again focusing on the high end.”  
16. Early in the Morning (1993) - The quiet verses suddenly explode into the chorus of ‘Hallelujahs’ for the risen King.  A great resurrection day song which is also a great reminder anytime of year that our Good King has conquered death and the grave.  
17. You Can Go (1985) - From the album ‘7’, David put together quite a few radios hits from this album, the strongest being his opening track also a good song heard live.  
18. The Man With the Nail Scars (1989) - A deeply worshipful song, David leads his audience through the ‘sha-na-na’s’ of the chorus, pointing to Jesus and the hands that bore our sin.  
19. Going Home (1993) - A song of our Blessed Hope and journey’s end.  You can almost hear the weariness of the singer, longing to be in the arms of Creator God bathed in light and love.  
20. Mother, Muffler, Mozart and the Beatles (1982) - So this is less of a song and more of a comedy sketch, but it is a perfect example of David’s great sense of humor and great portrayal of humor in how it can relate to our walk with God.  

Everyday is a Blessing from God.

 Live this day to your fullest.  Give praise to God who gives oxygen to our lungs and love through the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus.  Share His love with others on this earth this day.  Love in Christ, Christopher.  

Lord Hill

           I enjoy hiking.  Even if it is only for a short distance and within ear shot of the hustle and bustle of the corporate world.
          Yesterday my family and I took a small hike on Lord Hill near Snohomish.  The ground was still a bit damp, and the grade was a bit steep, but I really enjoyed it.
           I love the time shared with my family and the memories we form.
           I love the smell of being in the woods.  It invigorates all of my senses.
           I love the sounds of the birds who don't chance outside these forested walls and greet me with their song.
          I love the sights from the smallest of ferns to the tallest of trees which form the canopy I walk under.  These are God's handiworks.
          I love how the muscles in my body work in harmony as I ascend the hills.  I love how it feels as I alternate my weight from one foot to the other and can feel the full range of muscular motion from my toes to my abdomen with each step as I gain elevation.  
          I enjoy crossing paths with others who share these enjoyments, saying our salutations and then continuing our lives' journeys.
          I wish these times weren't as short as they are, and that the invigoration ignited within me could carry me so much further into my everyday.

Welcome, readers from Russia and France...and from around the world....

          Good morning, from Lake Stevens Washington.  

          This will probably be a short post as it is 8 in the morning and my family will probably be waking up at any moment.  My blog has reached over 100 views, a grain of sand in the blog world, but really exciting to me.  20 views have come from Russia, and 4 have come from France.  Welcome friends and thank you for reading my blogs.  

          I'm thinking about using the book of James in the Bible in direct reference to today's social media.  Along with it originally being an amazing letter to a scattered group of believers, I think that it has some amazing parallels to aspects of life today.  I just keep coming back to this one book in my reading of God's Word and seeing so many of the things that James is talking about.  I still need to get my thoughts processes together to show people the parallels; pray that I do not let this opportunity to communicate with people fall by the wayside.  

          Aquafest (our town's yearly festival) is next weekend.  I hope to make my way down to Main street and enjoy the festivities.  

          My son just woke up, so I will wrap up for now.  Thank you again, those who have found my blog, be blessed.  

          In Christ, Christopher.  

One of the most prophetic songs that I have ever heard: PFR's "Them"

"And the media mediates between the masses and the myth it creates
But it never knows the damage grows the more it bends the truth
They tell us want they want us to hear
They patronize our aching ears."  (from "Them" by PFR)

          Twenty years ago this month, the band PFR put out the first of their "last" albums (different story altogether) which included the title track "Them."  I was immediately drawn to this song and its straight up lyrics (this was during CCM's 'golden age' but even then, and even more so now, using the phrase 'sexual perversion' in a lyric was cutting edge for that genre) because it so aptly described, what I believe, to be a commentary on the media at large and the power and effect that it has on people.

"We don't have to watch what they want us to see
Yet we let them bind our hands and feet."

          Twenty years later, this song is more relevant than ever in describing this topic.  It doesn't even require blog elaboration, it is that good.   You just have to listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90g2b4s0HrI

Am I Alone?

          Social media doesn't take kindly to dissenting opinions.
          I finally responded to the apologetic tone of yet another response to Bono's take on the Christian Music Industry and his claim of it being "dishonest," stating that I didn't believe that 'dishonest' was the right adjective to be using.  I actually got a personal response from the Facebook author about why they thought it was dishonest, and the reasoning points behind that opinion.  While I still don't agree, I did appreciate the insider look at the industry in general.
          What really bothers me though is the push-back of minority opinions on social media.  I know that I am not the only one who doesn't 'get' U2 music nor treats Bono like he is some sort of god.  Or am I?  Am I a fringe lunatic who is alone in certain opinions or beliefs?
          Let's take another topic that seems to be close to everyone's heart right now:  The 2016 presidential race.
          The majority opinion on social media right now basically favors two frontrunners for president:  Trump or Clinton.  Many of my Facebook friends who have already decided that they are going to vote for one of these candidates, back up their decision with meme's, news articles, links, etc, which back their candidate or deride the other one.
          A minority opinion (one which I side with) is that we don't to vote for either candidate.  Although I personally have not made this proclamation public on social media, I have made it known verbally to some people.  The response I have gotten is either:  That voting for neither is a vote for Trump, or that voting for neither is a wasted vote.  I simply do not agree, and come November, neither one of these candidates is getting my vote.  This appears to be a fringe opinion; no one is saying this publicly on social media.
          Why don't people freely share unpopular opinions on social media?  Is it because not one other single person shares it?  Or is it because of the fear of public repercussion of a minority opinion?
          If the former, that would remind me of "1984" (the book, not the year) mentality, in which it is only a matter of time before I'm forcibly indoctrinated.  If the latter, I suppose it depends on the topic and the timing.  Even though we don't 'owe' social media any involvement whatsoever, sometimes not speaking out is just as harmful as speaking out, in spite of the fear of repercussion.   Some people in their rebuttals simply don't care that they are playing all their cards on a public forum, in fact they oftentimes do so proudly, having not been offered this platform even 10-15 years ago.  So if you are passionate about something, share it.  Just be prepared to defend yourself.  I learned that the hard way and at great cost.
          At the risk of making this blog sound like a pity party, I just want to know that I am not alone and that there are still free thinkers in this country and this planet who live according to the portion that God has given them;  I seek people who freely love, freely live, and who don't seek the mob mentality as their own.

The Dark Side of Social Media and SMO

     Today I read a very offensive political link-post which was shared by a Facebook friend.  I won't get into the vulgarities throughout the offensive blog; basically the premise was directed at the readers of her very own political party telling them that if you didn't vote her way (or vote at all) that you were a waste of oxygen (I'm paraphrasing here).  The blog was belittling, it was vulgar, it was demeaning, it was intolerant.  I'm not sure what made me angrier:  that someone could be filled with this much bitterness, intolerance and hatred; or the disappointment I felt in my friend who posted the link.
     Does that blogger have the right to post this vitriol?  Yes, that is the very definition of tolerance.  Is her hatred and intolerance the best way to win converts and promote positivity and change in other people's lives?  Not in my opinion.
     I've made enough mistakes on Facebook to tell you that when you post a overtly negative post on social media, one of three things, or a combination of the three things, happens:  1)  You get 'likes' or comments from people who agree with you.  2). You get no comments and/or responses (sometimes this can be the worst), or 3) You get opposed.  Social Media Opposition or SMO can take anywhere from an hour to a couple of years (or longer) depending on the severity, timing of the post and the number of people involved.
     Quite frankly, I don't have the time or the stress level to consciously go off on somebody or something publicly on social media.  The moments, minutes and hours after I submit such a post leave me with a huge knot in my stomach, second-guessing, loss of sleep and, in many cases, SMO.
     So what is the answer?  At first I thought it was to severely limit my intake of social media, but I was wrong.  There is a still a time and place for face-to-face social interaction, but I must confess that I have been deliberately complacent in respect to social media over the past couple of years in lieu of the "old ways." I need to avoid the stagnant waters of my own complacency and indifference against social media and reach out to those who seek Facebook or Twitter as their primary source of interaction.
     While there is a dark side to social media, there is also a light side best laid out by the Biblical fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  Our desire should be to love rather than hate, uplift, rather than tear down, bear another's burdens rather than seeking self promotion.
     Moreover, it is a far better thing that my life be a living testimony of the love that is inside of me, rather than engaging in bitter public quarrels with whose values or morals are opposed to mine.  One loving word can make more of a difference than a thousand bitter ones.  As darkness tries to stake its claim in our hearts and on our keyboards, let us voice our own SMO:  against those who wish to embitters our spirits and extinguish our love.  And may the greatest thing that remains be love.
   

Spontaneous Bellevue, WA Panoramics

      I don't normally drive to the Eastside of King County on a weekday.  But Kristin wanted to attend an evening conference in Redmond and asked that I leave work early so that she could make it on time.
     Bellevue, like Seattle is in the midst of a huge building boom.  I dropped Kristin off in Redmond and took the short trip down the 520 to Bellevue to go to the book store and the mall.  I soon discovered that most of downtown Bellevue's 106th St NE was pay parking (including Barnes and Nobles), so rather than paying for parking, I parked five blocks south at the 'free' parking lot where the old Christian bookstore used to be.  Walking back north with Asher, I noticed the old and new high rises coming together.   I was a beautiful and mild Wednesday evening with the sun still bright in the sky, but angling quickly out of view.  I pulled out my iPhone and tried my hand at panoramics.
    What a beautiful evening!  The panoramics turned out great, Asher did an impromptu run through the fancy fountain puddles on 106th St.  NE and NE 6th (I let down my guard and did the same), and we had a good time at the Bellevue Square mall later.
     The takeaway of this blog is:  when you put your mind to something and come together and do it, you can make beautiful things, be it skyscrapers or memories.

U2, and Bono and Eugene Peterson The Psalms

     I have a confession:  I’ve never connected with the music of U2.  

     I love music.  I love all kinds of music styles and love seeking out old and new treasures whenever I am able.  I love sharing music with my friends and family when a song or album inspires me.  However just like one song or album inspires one person and is met with indifference with another person, so are my feelings with this mega-popular band from Ireland.  It’s just personal preference.    

Before and after I became a Christian, time and time again, over and over, I’ve seen and read articles telling me how great and profound singer/songwriter Bono and the band U2 is.  Music artists and writers of all kinds list keep coming back to this one particular band as one that has greatly influenced them.  As a fellow music lover and musician, I can empathize with these people and attest to music and musicians that has stirred my soul and influenced my thinking.  

     But I also remember switching the radio station as a teenager any time the song “Desire” came on the airwaves.  I remember being put off when I watched the music video “Numb.”  

     And more recently, I removed the album “Songs of Innocence” from my itunes collection after Bono had the audacity to violate privacy protocol by simply dumping his album into hundreds of thousands of iphones.  It is one thing to disagree with one’s musical preference, even to the point of trying to get someone to change their mind.  It is quite another to forcibly and deceitfully import your music into my playlist because you are convinced that I need you.    

                                                                                 ***

     There is a 2016 viral You-tube video out there right now called “Bono and Eugene Peterson/ THE PSALMS.”  It is about the Psalm section of Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible which is basically the Bible translated into modern terms.  The body of the video is an interview with Bono and Peterson and how this version of the Bible inspired Bono in much of his more recent song writing and lifestyle. It has come up a half dozen times on my Facebook feed, and I finally decided recently to watch it.   

     The 21-minute video has the “Sunday Morning” program flow and interview style that I quite enjoy, albeit the pre-interview filler was unimpressive.  There was the obviously ‘planted’ stack of U2 CD’s in Peterson’s living room.  And then there was an old clip of a TV host interviewing Peterson and asking him the question:  “How COULD you decline an audience with the great and powerful Bono?”  I’m paraphrasing here.  

     The interview itself starts out alright and ends alright.  Bono mentions how Peterson’s interpretation, especially the Psalms, inspired him and his more recent music.  He mentioned a concert closing song with was inspired by Psalm 40 and even sang an impromptu version of “Psalm 23” at the kitchen table where they were being interviewed.  The best part of the whole movie was the last scene where the interview was concluded and Bono was departing, jogging up the outside steps of the Peterson’s home.  “Don’t run,” implored Mrs. Peterson, and Bono, with a big smile on his face, slowed his pace to a deliberate walk.  

     However during the body of the interview, Bono said something that has caused waves on social media:  “I’m talking about dishonesty that I find a lot in Christian art.  A lot of dishonesty.  And I think it’s a shame because these are people who are vulnerable to God - in a good way - vulnerable.  I mean porous open.  I would love if this conversation would inspire people who are writing [with] these beautiful voices, these beautiful gospel songs [to] write a song about their bad marriage.  Write a song about how they’re pissed off at the government.  Because that’s what God wants from you...Why I’m suspicious of Christians is because of this lack of realism.  And I’d like to see more of that in life and in art and in music.”  

     Most of the replies have been apologetic to Bono:  “Bono obviously hasn’t heard about [insert musician/band].”  My reaction is a bit different:  Maybe it’s none of Bono’s business.  

     Let’s take the bad marriage bit.  Airing your dirty laundry might make you a rock star but it also makes you a gossip.  And it won’t help your marriage in the slightest.  Both the husband and wife who are experience a bad marriage are obviously hurting; what is needed in these times are the prayer closet conversations with God, conversations with each other and perhaps conversations with a tight-knit group of close friends.  Again, unless Bono is personally involved with one of these hurting couples, it really is none of his business.  

     I don’t think “dishonesty” is the right word for Bono to use.  We live in an era where we have practically unlimited access, through social media, to connect with each other. Even if a song glorifies God but doesn’t reveal the human traits of the author, don’t the majority of these individuals include their own personal testimonies on their social media pages?  And for those who don’t, or don’t use social media at all, isn’t it still their freedom and right to open up as they see fit?  Just because something is kept private doesn’t mean that it is therefore publicly dishonest.  

     In closing, maybe the biggest eye opening revelation in the entire video was about Bono himself.  Bono tells a story that when we was a youth, there was a day where he had to ride his bicycle to and from work because of a bus strike; It was the day where a bombing had occurred and had he been on the bus he would have been in the area where the bombs had gone off and could have been killed.  This one incident shaped an entire U2 song and possibly, in my mind, the entire U2 anthology:  Faith mixed with doubt mixed with anger mixed with hope and perhaps a little fear.  Perhaps these traits are why so many people connect with Bono and U2.  I just hope that people watching this video are inspired by the beauty and mystery of God’s poetry and not inclined to try and appease man rather than God instead. 

Gettysburg and the Modern Day

     

[Written 10/11/15, finalized 5/13/16]

     Ten years ago, I was in Gettysburg Pennsylvania while doing a road trip of the East coast.  Kristin and I went to a few sites and museums about the Civil War, one of our nations darkest periods.  

Of the hundreds of displays, images and models that I viewed, one image still stands out in my mind today.  It was a large painting of two members of Congress literally having a physical altercation in the aisle of the Congressional floor during session in the years just prior to the Civil War.  It indicated to me just how divided this country was at that time, so much so that our even our nations’ top leaders had been reduced to waging fist fights at those who did not agree with them.  

     Fast forward over 150 years, it seems we are in the midst of yet another civil war of sorts with Facebook posts as fists and top US leaders portraying an ‘us versus them’ approach to dealing with the two primary political parties.  Even the Office of the Presidency, a position that I once admired with respect and honor, has dug in its heels, taking countless jabs at ‘the other side’ in speeches and demeanor.  

     So why must we pick a side at all?  Why must we pledge our complete and undying allegiance to one of two flawed political parties when we live in a country where we have the freedom to associate various admirable qualities from each side into our personal beliefs?  

     And why is it so important for someone who has pledged themselves to such a party feel like it is their mission to disband the other party?  I have seen many posts on Facebook of people hoping for a day when they can look back and tell the next generation about the folly of the then-deposed ‘opposing’ political party. 

     Do you not realize that that is not a democracy?   

     I do not pretend to be an expert on politics, on the contrary, I consider myself to be quite naive on the subject.  But I can report on what I see and observe.  And what I observe is that this country is ill.  I have been seeing that as individuals we do what we can:  love and cherish and interact with the families and friends around us.  But there is this foreshadowing, this lingering in the back of our minds that all is not well.  

     Some people believe that a change of government will make everything right.  Some want an individual or group of individuals to fight our battles, say the right words, sign the right literature and all will be well.  Some believe our current government is the best they’ve had in their lifetime.  Some believe it is the worst.  Whatever the belief, we simply put too much emphasis on who’s in charge and not enough emphasis on what we as individuals can do to make this world a better place.  

As we arrive at the one-year mark before the 2016 elections, I believe there is going to be a flood of negativity over the airwaves that is going to be unparalleled to anything we have seen in our lifetime.      Friends, we should strive to love one another as we love ourselves.    We cannot hand our lives over to the words and actions of another and allow the winds of bitterness, cynicism and slander to seep into our hearts.  There is only one Lord, only one God.  And the God of Love is our true Providence, our true Blessed Hope and our true Deliverer.  It is He whom he should love with our whole heart, mind and spirit.  

Social Media Psalm
(Inspired by Psalm 141)

O Lord I cry out to you, may you always be first in my life over any other wind of doctrine!  Accept my words as I choose to seek first the Kingdom of God.  And on the platform that has been given to me, set a guardsman over my emotions and my typing fingers; let the words that I choose to let the world see be choice words that bring glory to your name!   And let me not seek harm over another human being or be swayed by provocative posts, links or memes that appear in my social media feeds; Let me not partake in those enticements.  Let love prevail.  If I become pompous and arrogant in what I post, may a godly man or woman rebuke me publicly.  It would be a kindness, a balm to my wayward heart.  May posts made in good conscious witness against another man's posts which spew hatred and vitriol, delight in the death of another human being or rail against you God.  May their own acquaintances argue against them in lengthy threads and endless debates as when string is loosed from a spool.  And may they turn to pleasing and edifying words that glorify your name, Lord. Someday this collective public forum of words, images and videos will be nothing more than a digital graveyard, scattered across terabytes of distant memories.  Surely God I must first look to you my Sanctuary, and my Providence.  If future social media archeologists were to study my profile may they see God working in me and through me.  As for the now Lord, protect me and my brothers and sisters who freely worship You from the cleverly laid trap posts which invite verbal ensnarement.  May the authors of those word snares fall into their own traps, or be met with deafening silence, while we pass through on the other side.

I am 141st

      "O Lord, I cry out to you.  Come quickly to me!  Pay attention to me when I cry out to you!  May you accept my prayer like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering!  O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!  Protect the opening of my lips!  (Psalm 141:1-3)"

      A sixty-year old man stood in front of a panel of some of the very students that that he taught years before in high school.  Frustrated and angry that they could did not get the point of his message, he spoke in no uncertain terms about the long-lasting effects of what they were about to do, and implored them to look at their options gain, just as he had taught them in high school.
     "Well that was a different time,"  the panelist replied smugly.
      The teacher responded that he didn't think times had changed that much, it was just people who had changed for the worse.
     "Fifteen seconds," someone chimed at the corner of the room.
      Taking the teacher's comments personally, the panelist became bitter and resentful, exclaiming that the teacher didn't have a clue about the bureaucratic hardships they had to face.  "Oh, please," snapped the teacher, who made one final observation about raising the next generation without given them the proper tools to equip them as they entered adulthood.  "Time," blurted out the man again in the corner of the room.
      "We've done the best we can do," concluded the panelist.
      "Your best is not good enough," replied the teacher.
       I could almost see the toastmaster's green/yellow/red light device off camera in the movie "Mr. Hollands Opus."  When I took toastmasters in 4th-6th grade, we were given a specific amount of time to present our cases on whatever subject we were working on.   When we were nearly the end of our allotted time, the green light came on.  If we persisted in our arguments, the green light flicked off and the yellow light came on.  If we couldn't come to a timely conclusion, off went the yellow light and on came the red light.
       "Time, Mr. Holland."
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        Now while we may not be faced with a constant colored light device right in our faces as we go throughout our day, we inexplicably have accepted these 'devices' as part of our everyday lives.  What I mean is, over the course of the last ten years or so, we have been given social platforms that allow us to communicate with practically everybody on the planet.  Friends.  Celebrities.  Politicians.  But it only goes so far.
       The app Twitter, as many people know, is an extremely popular online social media application which connects people through hashtags:  words or phrases that connect a certain train of thought on a particular online conversation,  Usually someone or a group of someones initiates a conversation online invoking a hashtag, and whomever has an opinion or statement about that subject can reply, including the hashtag in their post.  The posts are called 'tweets.'   All of the replies are then collected based on hashtag and displayed publicly for anyone to view.  Sometimes the collective could extend well into the millions of posts.  But for your own personal post they only give you 140 characters.
      140 characters to post something that you feel passionate about, that deep down inside you need 14,000 characters to convey.  But somebody with a light device is telling you that you only have fifteen more seconds.  So you abbreviate.  You water down.  You compromise.  Your message gets lost in a sea of both agreeable and dissenting opinions to yours.  Time is called, and they move on to the next tweet on the list.
      And they don't even give you the hashtag for free.
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      I am 141st.  The number '141' is the first number that comes after '140,' the maximum characters that you can use in a Twitter post.  To me it is symbolic.  It represents freedom of unlimited conversation.  Moreover it represents freedom FROM conversations confined only within social media confines which have so severely limited us as human beings.   #Iam141st is a lure on a fishing pole, dipped into the waters of Facebook and Twitter hoping for a bite.  I hope that you are willing to climb into the boat and explore a brighter, bigger world together with me.  --Christopher