Arizona Veto

Some will call me a defeatist with this post. I think the veto of Arizona's attempt to protect religious freedom in our country reveals that Christians need to let go of the concept of "rights." The morality or immorality of our country, states, counties, towns and homes will not be won or lost by a battle for rights.

The ship has left port and is a dot on the horizon. At this point so many  groups exist and each clamor for rights. The few groups will the most influence or who appear the most cutting edge will receive rights. The groups with waning influence or who appear the most dated will lose theirs. This is the downside of democracy, the rule of the majority. The United States will never be a theocracy and never really was one. Judeo Christian principles, or those masquerading as them, have exerted greater influence than now, yet other principles: pragmatism, free markets and sexual liberty have existed with them.

Jesus never worried about rights, he cared for people. Jesus never demanded his voice be heard, he forgave and encouraged the forgiven to sin no more.

Should a photographer be sued because she doesn't want to take pictures of a same sex couple wedding? No. Did it happen? Yes. Should followers of Jesus who taught love and forgiveness been burned at the stake? No. Did it happen? Yes. In the character revealing moments of their execution the love and power of Jesus grew so clear that those who came to see a show left having seen God.

As has happened down through history, our country moves away from the pure love of God toward something else. Clambering for our rights doesn't reveal his love. Laying down our rights does.

The Ability to Change

I have worked at pastor duties at several churches. My first experience moved me across the border to the North Shore of Lake Huron. For almost five years tried to teach and learn to live with fellow Christians in Canada in the last decade of the 20th century. I learned cribbage and knitting and cross country skiing. I changed the way I said certain words and was welcomed into the homes of many great people. Five years represented 20% of my life. 

I married at 30 and moved to the UP of Michigan into a college town. I worked with teens and kids born in the 80s.  I learned to eat pasties, cross the Mackinac Bridge, swim in Lake Superior  and shovel lots of snow. We also became homeowners and parents in the UP. Christians with young kids made up our network.   I lost two jobs in Sault Ste. Marie. I resigned one and was laid off from another. Unemployment checks entered my vocabulary. 

At the edge of the 21st century, we moved to the LP of Michigan. I morphed to Mr. Mom, volunteered at a church in the Elk Capitol of Michigan and started distance education to deepen computer skills. Three years later God reeled me back in. I grew to love the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. I learned about dog sledding, skijouring, school boards, substitute teaching, Christian Drama and Camp Barakel. By the time we moved on, 15 years of my life had been invested in MI, 33% of my life.

Does there come a point when the bumps, morphs and  of life render one brittle and challenged when trying to fit in to a new reality? For the last three years I have lived in upstate NY, trying to love my native Michigan wife and children, trying to become my father's son again, trying to walk as my younger brother's friend after 21 years away, almost 50% of my life. I'm also trying to understand, love and guide a Wesleyan group of believers in the Finger Lakes region. Most all are farther down the road in life experience. Can I make these changes and earn a living and keep up with my DNA matched teens? Not without help. 

Take the Choke label off Mr. Manning

I feel for Peyton Manning. He didn't talk big, everyone else did for him. He played  below his potential for all but one or two drives. Yes, the Seattle defensive secondary was ready for their game, but so were many other teams that lost to the Broncos and Manning this year. Many act like this one loss on a giant stage negates his regular season hard work, others accuse him of choking. 

I feel for the guy because our society has made such a personality crippling deal over this one game. At the very outside he may be able to play for 5 more years, and then he will have to live with himself outside of football  accolades and condemnation. For your own sake, "Take the 'choke' label off Mr. Manning. I would love to see you make the next few years showing us how you can mentor a young quarterback into a player." To me that would demonstrate your character and knowledge of the game more than a Super Bowl ring.

Catastrophic Effects

As the area began to warm the ice hidden in our radiator pipe vaporized through a new crack and converted the back of our church into a steam room for who knows how long. The hole in the copper pipe was a bit smaller than the end of my pinky. At our final count we slurped up and carried out around 100 gallons of water from the church basement.

It's tempting to run off about how little trouble left hidden can cause lots of damage. That came to mind until I considered the bucket. Dirt and spider webs and half melted crayons, sawdust and black grit hung in suspension in each and every bucket. Decades of crud had been washed clean out and carried out.

Perhaps that is a reason these events come our way, grab our attention, fix it for hours, weeks and longer. Through catastrophe God removes crud. Catastrophe demands our full attention. The steam room where it shouldn't be shakes us to the timbers. Lakes and ponds in the cellar drowns forgotten spiders and works loose hidden splinters.

I hate catastrophes. My back hurts. My knees grow tired. I just want it to be done and back the way it's supposed to be. Yet without a flood some waste never gets dealt with. So thank God for the catastrophes.