Thursday, January 29, 2009

Of future's Author and Perfecter

Let's read a bit of my past. It truly does speak on its own. I'm grateful it doesn't speak this way any longer:

to future's concrete Propaganda

a friend of mine doesn't buy this heavy output of future's importance. right now there's things to do, people to help, lives to save and/or hearts to mend. to bereave time and the hearts of people i love seems to be what i fall into. i'm either too caught up in my world or looking too hard to future's propaganda of utmost importance. there's no future, at least not yet, so maybe i should let my heart and the Word determine it. and let my past speak on its own. use the present to reveal my love. its a hard look to delve into my actions and see how they speak about my heart. i think i'll do that. if i believe my friend's heart and life and death, then shouldn't my feet and hands sing louder than my guitar?

I find that my punctuation has adapted mostly to using capital letters at the beginning of my sentences. That's one thing... um.. I would still defend that there are things to do, people to help and hearts to heal. Yep, that I retain. Let's see... oh yeah, ok here it is: "there's no future, at least not yet, so maybe I should let my heart and the Word determine it." I repent and shutter to think that I would say my heart determines the future. I might be able to fandangle an explanation of how that fits theologically, but I'll not waste the brain power and say that the Lord has made it exceedingly clear that this world, including the past, present and future, are in His hands alone. Jesus upholds the universe itself by the word of his power. This is the truth.

I would still posit that my life, death, hands and feet should sing lounder than my 60 watt tube amp. (Believe me, that's loud.)

Tasty Theology with ZeFronk

As my encouraging baseball coach told me when I hit my first and only home run, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut." Disney has presented its young viewers, probably unintentionally, with an age old philosophical dilemma and point of thought for the ordination of evil.

ZeFronk, a french wiener-dog with an affinity for cooking on a 3 year-old level, is constantly protecting his culinary masterpieces such as Ze Ants on a Log (celery, peanut butter and rains - you get it) from his adversary, Dom. Dom is, of course, a lazy cat that waits for these tasty treats to come to fruition only to steal them.

In one episode, Dom tried a bit of reverse psychology. He decided that he'd no longer pursue ZeFronk's tasty treats. As ZeFronk began making his ZeFronksicles, he and his sidekick, Sue, (a lovely bird) were constantly looking out for Dom. When they notice that he is no longer pursuing their treats, the whole process breaks done as ZeFronk proclaims that he could not make ze tasty treats if Dom is not trying to steal them.

Like the smelling of burnt popcorn*, the theological/philosophical dilemma that the episode was based on wafted to my attention: dualism. ZeFronk has found his purpose in opposing Dom. If he no longer needs to oppose Dom, he losses his purpose or meaning. (*You know how it goes - at first all excited about the smell of popcorn, then... dangit. It's burnt popcorn. No thanks. )

This dualism is not the reality the Bible presents (see Job)There are not two equal forces of ZeFronk (the forces of good) and Dom (the forces of evil) that are in battle; a scenario where sometimes Dom wins and sometimes ZeFronk. Our purpose is not found in this struggle. The purposes and effects of all things good and holy is not dependent on the forces of evil to exist or continue. But as the Lord would show in Christ, the suffering servant, evil is ordained to accomplish the purposes of God the Father for our benefit and His Glory. The God we serve is creator, sustainer and ruler over all. He is as strong as Shakespeare was over McBeth and more loving than any human father to his child.

So, ZeFronk, keep making those ZeFronksicles, ZePancakes and ZeBanana Dogs. The fruit of your life is more than opposing Dom.

Friday, January 23, 2009

He Had a Dream

I took some time this week to actually read Dr. King's speech. He had an amazing context for suffering and justice. I thank our Lord for the providence of sending him to be a catylist for such things. There's more to say, but I'll just link his speech here and come back later.