Brokenness

Posted on February 15th, 2008

Last night, my wife and I sat on the couch enjoying a relaxing evening in front of the TV, watching some of our favorite shows that we had recorded in the last week. We finished the last one we were going to watch for the night, and the TV switched over to the regular TV stations. It happened to be tuned into CNN, which was showing Anderson Cooper 360. And, rather than the obligatory coverage of the tight Democratic primary race, or the changes in New Orleans since the show’s last visit to the city (Anderson Cooper was on site in N.O.), the show was showing breaking news coverage on the shooting spree that happened inside a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University yesterday.

The two of us just sat numbed, in shock. It can’t be good when such stories have become routine, when the images of people fleeing for their lives is as normal in real life as it is inside the suspended disbelief of a movie theater. What is it that has happened in the last ten or fifteen years that has brought us to the point of wondering whether colleges could ever be safe, whether a trip to a mall for a day out could ever be relaxing again, whether any public place is really safe again. I know many places in the world deal with this, and have dealt with this for long years. But it’s new here, to me.

I wonder what we can do for my generation and the one after (those born post 1975) to curb the pain, the frustration, the loss of grounding that is spinning us out of control. It’s not for want of the knowledge of the message those of us who follow Christ know we need to share. There’s something else missing. Whether it is what we are saying, how we are saying it, or some other thing, I don’t know. Publishing houses make money off of those arguing to figure it out. But something has to change. Our ministry as a church must change and meet the needs of those who are hurting and broken. We aren’t doing it now.

Tags: Current Events, Generations, Ministry
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Education then and now

Posted on October 26th, 2007

This is a portion of a piece I found here. The whole entry is a commentary on the current state of the educational system in America. This portion quoted here I found incredibly funny and incredibly sad at the same time.

Judy Warner has sent round this fine satirical piece on the differences between school fifty years ago and school nowadays:

SCHOOL – 1957 vs. 2007
Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957 – Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack’s shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 – School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957 – Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 – Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario: Jeffrey won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957 – Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 – Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 – Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 – Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy’s mom has affair with psychologist.

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school .
1957 – Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 – Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1957 – Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2007 – Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1957 – Ants die.
2007 – BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny’s Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 – Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Tags: Current Affairs, Ethics
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Of books

Posted on October 10th, 2007

I love books. I’m a collector. Collector, mind you, not reader. Well, other than the first few pages – or a few chapters, if I’m really into something. I rarely ever finish them. But I do love crowding my bookshelves with them. There are just so many of them out there, and so much valuable information in them, to boot! What does it matter that said information never transfers from the ink on the page to a neuron in my brain…I have the information. It’s even somewhat readily available. It’s just not there instantly.

And for now I’m only reading thirteen books. Thirteen books that I have started and intend to finish. Some day. When my princess comes. Wait, that happened three years ago….

Anyone need some books?

Tags: Book Discussions, Life
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Home

Posted on October 7th, 2007

After a chaotic week, such as the one we have just had, it is so nice to be home. But I must admit that it is weird that home is different from the place where family is. We spent a lot of time with my Dad’s family, and we spent a short amount of time with my Mom’s family – so I saw both. At one point, while driving, I pondered how nice it would be to be within reasonable driving distance of family.

Then we boarded the plane this morning and arrived at our local airport. A couple from church picked us up, even parking in the lot ($7.00 for 45 minutes) and waiting for us inside the terminal. They offered to take us out to eat, which we gladly accepted, not having a clue what we had food-wise in the house. We had a good visit. And then just being in our house with the familiar surroundings – so many things we left in the middle during our rush out to the airport earlier this week.

It’s just so nice to have a home, and to be here at it. To be in the familiar. The comfortable. To return to normal after the extremely abnormal.

It is my prayer that you, too, have a place that is home for you.

Tags: Life
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What to pray?

Posted on October 1st, 2007

My Dad’s sister is in the hospital.

A week and a half ago, she drove hours to a larger metropolitan area with a good hospital system to be vetted for a possible liver transplant. Just this past week, she found out that she made the cut; her name is on the list for a new liver. She went back to work, tried to learn how to use a cell phone so she could be contacted when the organ became available.

Friday she couldn’t go to work.

Saturday she couldn’t move at all.

Sunday she went into the hospital. With a stomach infection. And kidney failure. The kidneys, not the liver. Quickly, unexpectedly, out of the blue. They called the family. She stabilized some. We’re still waiting.

Through it all, I’m wondering what I should pray. I feel desperately that I should know what to pray, that it is my responsibility to know what to pray. It’s not how – I understand that part. It’s the what. What do I come to God asking for? For her to live? She knows Christ and what He has done for her. Certainly the other side of death is better. Do I pray for comfort? For peace? For energy? For strength? For assurance? For health? For wisdom? For ……………..
In James, we’re told that the sick were to seek out leaders of congregations, righteous men, so that that they could pray over the sick and the sick could be made well. In Ecclesiastes, we’re told that to everything there is a season – to be born, and to die.

I come to the “closet” and silence confronts me. I have no doubt that it is full silence. That the Holy Spirit is working and groaning where words fail me.

What to pray? I don’t have the faintest clue. All I know is that I am to pray.

Tags: Church & Theology, Life
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