I decided this past winter that I would revive my softball career; not that there is anything much to revive. My softball abilities consist of my being able to catch fly-balls and trying really, really hard to get on base; nevertheless, I play on. Additionally, I just recently configured my phone to be able to update my twitter status, which updates my facebook profile, and I thought it would be fun to tweet live from the games on Tuesday nights–maybe this is why I am only mediocre at softball. I started this last week with our first game in which I was 1-4 with an RBI and which we won 15-9. Tonight I will be playing at 9:00, so follow me on Twitter or on Facebook to keep up with my probably pathetic softball stats, and hopefully, championship winning team.
Hate at Its Worst
I am going to provide a video here, but I want to preface it with a couple of statements.
First, I will be the first that many conservative talk show hosts are over the top. Many times they use hyperbole to stir their following nearly into a panic. Whenever I listen to them, I listen with a bit of skepticism, knowing that most of what they say has a small bit of truth but is never as bad as they say. That said about conservative sensationalism; the liberal hate in this video is blatant and sickening.
Second, this video contains some of the most obvious examples of logical fallacies that I can possibly imagine. At one point the discussion focuses on the fact that because the object of their jeers has had cosmetic surgery she is stupid. While I am definitely not endorsing that cosmetic surgery displays some sort of immense wisdom, I can also state with confidence that it does not diminish one’s knowledge. Clearly, this is a straw man.
Anyway, take it for what its worth, but it will probably be extremely frustrating for most of you to watch. And, by the way, stay tuned this weekend for some good stuff that I hope to have time to post, and while your at it subscribe to the rss feed so you can keep up with my ever unpredictable posts.
Spring Is Cruel
Spring taunts us; it peeks its head around the corner giggling and laughing about how clever it think its is, and we all buy in. We put our coats away, move our snowblowers to the back of the garage, move our bikes to the front of the garage, get our lawnmowers tuned up, and start planning our gardening, but Spring is cruel. It returns to hiding, and Winter shows up again. A blast of cold, inches of snow, and the internal debate about whether or not to clear it return. Spring is cruel especially tonight.
An astute observation concerning our present economic times:
During the last two years, some of the most notable commercial reputations have been hopelessly destroyed. Men in the great world of trade, who were trusted, around whose characters there hovered no cloud of suspicion, nor even the shade of doubt, have proved themselves reckless of honesty and devoid of principle.
The fiery trial has been too much for the wood, hay, and stubble of many a gigantic firm. Houses of business which seemed to be founded upon a rock, and to stand as fast as [the United States]* itself, have been shaken to their foundations and have caved in with a tremendous crash. On all sides we see the wrecks of great reputations and colossal fortunes. There is wailing in the palaces of sham, and desolation in the halls of pretense. Bubbles are bursting, windbags are collapsing, paint is cracking, gilt is peeling off.
This quote is not from anyone living through the current economic “crisis.” Rather, this is from a sermon preached in 1869 by C.H. Spurgeon. It seems as though economic crises are not rare and should only trouble those whose faith lies in the economy. What should trouble us is what Spurgeon goes on to convey:
My brethren, these noises of falling towers on the right, theses sounds of crumbling battlements on the left, these cries of the shipwrecked everywhere along the coasts of trade, have not only awakened with me many thoughts relative to themselves and the rottenness of modern society, but they have made me muse upon similar catastrophes evermore occurring in the spiritual world. Unrecorded in the journals and unmourned by unregenerate men, there are failures and frauds, and bankruptcies of soul, most horrible to think upon. There is a spiritual trading just as pretentious, and apparently just as successful, as your vaunted limited liability juggle, but really just as rotten and as sure to end in hopeless overthrow. . . . We should see at this moment colossal religious fortunes melting into abject spiritual poverty. We should see high professors, much revereced and held in esteem, brought into shame and everlasting contempt. We should see the wealthy in divine matters, whom men have unwisely trusted as their guides and counsellors as to their souls’ best interests, unmasked and proved to be deceitful through and through.
May God protect us from such a spiritual crisis.
*note that Spurgeon referenced “the commonwealth of England”
News & Notes Around the Web
I need to post more frequently, and I always appreciate blogs with interesting links so that I don’t have to follow a million RSS feeds; therefore, here is what’s interesting in my RSS feed reader. I hope to make this a weekly feature.
- Bob Bixby has some interesting thoughts on titles and fundamentalism
- Mark Driscoll discusses our preparedness as churches in light of Sunday’s fatal shooting in Illinois
- John Piper discusses why he would never let his son wrestle a girl (something many may never have thought would be a problem)
- Jamie Munson provides some practical advice on keeping a budget
How to Know When Spring Is Near
I got the opportunity to spend some quality time with a couple of friends this afternoon; I hadn’t heard from these friends in about five months, and the last time we were together proved to be a very sad, disappointing parting. The friends I speak of are Pat Hughes and Ron Santo, on the voice of the Cubs, WGN; these two men take me from the gray winter of February to a place where the grass is green, the sun is shining, and men play a boy’s game. They are in Arizona, and today is the Cubs’ first spring training game; hope springs eternal for us sorry Cubs’ fans. What else can I say?
I just listened to Bobby Jindal’s response to President Obama’s speech last night, and I must admit that I am gaining more and more respect for Jindal and his stand for conservatism. However, as I read and listen to the democratic reaction to Jindal’s speech, I am shocked; apparently the liberals in the media still think that they are fighting George W. Bush and his ideas. One cable news station attacked Jindal for bringing up Katrina relief and condemning big government spending by saying that Republicans were responsible for both, but apparently they didn’t listen to the whole speech because Jindal gave an honest critique of the out-of-control spending the republicans were responsible for six of the last eight years:
“In all these areas, Republicans want to work with President Obama. We appreciate his message of hope – but sometimes it seems we look for hope in different places. Democratic leaders in Washington place their hope in the federal government. We place our hope in you – the American people. In the end, it comes down to an honest and fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government. We oppose the National Democrats’ view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government. We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, and empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs.
In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear – because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust – and rightly so.“
I appreciate this type of honesty, and I can only hope that Jindal will keep this conservative, honest mindset as he continues his climb up the ranks of the Republican party.
Logos Bible Study Magazine
For those of you interested in something that I can’t afford, Logos is launching Bible Study Magazine to supplement their Bible Study Software. More info here
Obama Optimism
One thing that has been somewhat underplayed by those in conservative camps concerning Barrack Obama’s presidency is the overwhelming sense of optimism that he is bringing to our country, an optimism I am thankful for. Optimism can only carry us so far, but the optimism that people are feeling about Obama’s presidency will do our country good in the months to come. Our country has faced many hardships in the last year, and the media has been feeding the frenzy of pessimism; however, today optimism overflows, and I believe the momentum it brings could start to swing people’s views of the current financial and world crises.
I have clearly expressed on this blog the fact that I possess a different political ideology than Barrack Obama and other democrats; however, I am thankful for the optimism and hope he is bringing to millions of Americans on this inauguration day.
How would you be different?
How would you be if you believed that everyone loves God, they just haven’t found out about Him yet?
I was listening to Benjamin Zander, the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and he mentioned that the entire classical music community agrees on one thing: only 3% of the population loves classical music, but if only they could move it to 4% all of their problems would be solved. However, he has a differing opinion; he believes that everyone loves classical music but that they just haven’t found out about it yet.
What a difference that attitude could make, but what is even more thought provoking is to think about those two attitudes in evangelical Christianity. Many Christians, not spreading the gospel, walk around thinking only 3% of the population loves God; if only we could move it to 4%, all of our problems would be solved, but truly evangelical Christians ought to have the attitude that EVERYONE loves God; they just haven’t found out about Him yet. How differently we would walk, talk, and be if we embraced that idea.
Remember how passionate you were about God when you first experience the joy and peace that only He can offer; what is hindering you from sharing that joy and peace with others–fear that they may not love God? Everyone who truly knows and experiences God will love Him; what are you doing to passionately spread the news?
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Rom 10:14-17 (ESV)
