Sharing

I was watching an 18 month old take a toy away from my one year old and the mom of the offending child was reprimanding the kid saying "remember, we need to share".

When was the last time as an adult was the last time we were reminded that we needed to share?

Why should I share? I live in a society where it is imperative that I don't share. The economy is based on not sharing. People might lose jobs if I shared.

Who would it be to tell me to share? The government? Which one, state?, local? Federal, All? What about the church? When was the last time you heard a sermon on sharing?

Who should I share with? What should I share.

Isn't it strange that the freedom that America offers people has an economic system that promotes greed? And that if Americans were less greedy it would damage our economy, yet greed is fundamentally against the way of God.

I am not suggesting that capitalism is inherently evil. I would argue that it is the best system to allow for the freedom for people to choose what and how they want to use their money both good and bad with out a ruling government to get in the way. I just think it is so interesting that so many Christians are so pro-capitalism, yet it has aspects that are at the very core are against Gods ways.

How would the year of Jubilee be seen by a capitalist?

July 4th

July 4Th is upon us and it reminds me that it is important to reflect on some things. I have been around the world, mostly when I was in the Navy. Had to opportunity to go to parts of Africa, the middle east, South East Asia and places like Australia. Some places were nice, like Singapore. Singapore was a like a really big and clean china town in San Fransisco. Some places were nothing like the states, like Eritrea Africa. Little grass huts and war town villages from border wars and civil wars. People were scared and distrusting there.

Its good to remember how blessed we have been in the U.S. How our freedoms have enabled us to live peacefully and comfortable. It is good to remember the people that have sacrificed to allow us to have these freedoms.

It is also good to remember that we haven't always done things the right way.However, one of the beautiful things about America is that we have the freedom to correct our wrongs and allow people that have been marginalized the opportunities to live free and successful lives. We can reinvent ourselves.

In remembering how blessed we have been in this country with our wealth, as a Christian its important to me to reflect on what I do with my wealth and resources. Am I wasting Gods blessing? What would it look like for a Church in America to be totally devoted to Gods ways? Does it look different from the Church now?

Decisions

Yesterday there was a man standing at an elevator in the hospital that I work at. He wasn't an ordinary man. This man was unique, different, special. He was about 5'7", roughly 220. Round in stature, with his abdomen large and protruding, almost as if he were pregnant, don't worry he wasn't. His face was non-descript with some scattered whiskers that needed to be shaved. He also had a few scattered tattoos on his forearm that were not as sharp as the used to be. But that wasn't what was most interesting about him. It was his behaviour at the elevator. He stood there in all his glory with his stained white T-shirt pulled up over his belly and was running his fingers over his naked abdomen as he patiently waited for an elevator.

It was strange.

In the middle of a busy part of a very nice public hospital, he thought it was appropriate to expose himself and scratch his belly.

Decision making. Every day, all day long we make decisions. Sometimes it can be tough to make the right decision. Maybe scratching my exposed abdomen in the middle of a busy hallway is the right decision. Or not. How can we make the best decision all the time? What would that even look like?

There is a verse in the bible that addresses this. This guy named Paul who was a leader in the early christian church who challenged people to make every thought captive to a different way of living. A way of living that is in rhythm with God and is in contrast to the dis-rhythm of ways of the world.

Sometimes I may look like the man scratching my obese belly in the hallway in the eyes of God. I would argue that he often looks at me with the same inquizitive look that I gave that guy. The look that just says "What could possibly be running through that little mind" I will continue to make God look at me this way untill I can shape my life look more like his.

Summer time

This time of year is by far the most agonizing time of year for me. I am an admitted sports addict and the only thing I have to look froward to until August is Baseball. Baseball is nice, and as a good addict I pay attention to it, however even baseball isn't very interesting until August. I wish there was a professional Cornhole league. I would watch it on TV. I would probably try to play. I would probably be an attractave player in any tournament with my unorthodox overhand throwing method. My wife makes fun of it, but when I am hot, there is no stopping me. I am a beast on the Cornhole field.

Mondern Day Superman

I present to you a modern day superman. This man seems to be in the midst of all the injustice in the world. He was in the midst of Katrina. He spoke up for in injustice of a youn man who was guned down by the police in new york city. He spoke up for and called out those terrible Duke university lacrose players who raped that innocent stripper. And now he has been reported to be helping the grieving Joe Jackson during the aftermath of the intimely passing of the king of pop. Yes I believe that the Rev. Al Sharpton is superman. It amazes me how fast he can appear!

May God continue to give the Rev. Al the speed to race to all the hurts in the world and make them better.

Me the Pharisee?

Ever thought you were right about some thing, truly convinced of your supreme rightness only to find out you were wrong. Early in my marriage my wife and I were talking about something and the word larynx came up. Somehow the spelling of the word became an issue as I knew that it was spelled L-A-R-N-Y-X. I was familiar with the word, and I knew how it was spelled. After all, I nearly always beat her in Scrabble, so I as confident in my spelling. My wife who is a speech and language pathologist (who would know the correct spelling) disagreed. We made a bet and consulted a medical dictionary. Needless to say I was incorrect. But I was sure I was right. Before going to the dictionary I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the word was spelled Larnyx. However it is not. It is spelled Larynx.

How often are we wrong about things that we are convinced about. How about with the Bible and our understanding of God's ways. How much of the Hebrew cultural references and nuance do we miss with our 21st century eyes?

I have a friend that was discussing biblical interpretation with another person. The other person was stating a point at how it was dangerous to accept new interpretations of the scripture as they may not be in line with Gods original intention, and then suggested that there was really only one correct way to interpret the scripture.

Really? One way to interpret the scripture? How is one persons interpretation less inspired by the Holy Spirit than another? I can understand someone suggesting that fundamental contradictions can not be accepted. For instance, if someone were to suggest that Jesus really was simply a 1st Century Buddhist monk, that he really didn't consider himself Deity. That would be a heresy, that would not be orthodox. However, how can a disagreement on the interpretation of something like drinking alcohol come to someone being completely uninspired and the other the sole holder of truth? Don't we become Pharisees? Did Jesus get really pissed at Pharisees?