This kind of nonsense really makes me angry. I have no problem with killing animals for food. However, torturing and abusing an animal is completely unacceptable.
Could God, who would not suffer an ox to be muzzled while treading grain, be pleased with this? I think not.
Last night, I went shopping for clothing at the mall (*barf*) with my roommate in Little Rock. This is no manly exercise, but shopping with another guy guarantees you won’t stay longer than you have to in one store. You will also successfully fend off shopping for at least another year, and leave ample time for stuffing your face afterward.
The mall maintains an inordinate number of clothing stores, and therefore an inordinate number of female shoppers. It would seem that around age 11 or 12, many mall-going girls begin to wear the shortest possible skirts and shorts, the tightest blouses, and the most revealing outfits in general. This trend continues until (and sometimes beyond) the point when the body is no longer flattered by that arrangement. We’ll come back to this topic shortly.
After I left the mall, I came home and checked my e-mail. Whenever I log out, it always brings me to Yahoo’s news page. Last night said page featured a story titled, “How to tell if He’s Cheating.” I thought it would be interesting to see a female perspective on this, so I clicked through. On the following page, I found a series of increasingly disturbing articles regarding manipulation, assumptions that men are only interested in sex, and shared frustration regarding how to tell whether you’re in a relationship with the guy who sleeps with you a few times a week. In my search to find out who was writing this nonsense, I was not shocked to find that the source was my favorite magazine (when I need something to induce vomiting), Cosmopolitan.
I decided to make a list of things I would include if I were describing my dream girl. Ladies (as if any girls actually read this), if you disagree, then that’s fine. You probably wouldn’t be interested in me anyway. : ) So, on with the list:
1) She wouldn’t read Cosmo. Ever. That magazine is a pile of garbage. It is like Maxim (also a pile of garbage), but geared for women. These types of publications attempt to solve problems rooted in the heart by using physical means. They sell sensuality and eschew spirituality. I don’t want them in my home, nor do I want them to feed the heart of my relationships.
2) She would dress in a way that respects herself and me. When a girl dresses provocatively, it seems to me that she wants attention from men and she feels she can get it through her body. Unfortunately, in many cases she will be right.
I won’t lie; a good looking girl who dresses like that can momentarily capture my attention. However, I choose not to harbor interest for those girls, and you can bet I won’t be asking them for their numbers. I don’t want a girl who feels the need to manipulate my interest through lust. A girl who dresses modestly is telling me that she is so confident, she doesn’t need to go with the pack. If you’re a girl, you know it’s tough to find shorts that don’t show off most of your legs, or tops that don’t aim to display cleavage. Making the effort to reject certain fashions in the name of modesty means a lot to me.
Will you miss out on some guys if you dress chastely? Absolutely. However, you will also distinguish yourself for those men who are looking for the diamond in the rough — a girl who respects God, respects men, and respects herself. If you have a nice body, great! Show it off to your husband, not me.
3) She would be willing to help me reach my dating goals. One of my ambitions for future relationships is to avoid kissing until we’re either married, or very close to it. (I’m not sure I want my first kiss with my wife to be in front of a crowd.) My best friend and his wife maintained this standard, and they tell me that it’s one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. They have now been married for over three years and feel like their love life post-marriage is better because they maintained such restrained physical contact while they were dating and engaged.
I confess that I am more experienced physically than I would like. There are some lines I have not crossed, but I haven’t left myself much. In my understanding I’ve definitely not been pure. I’ve made several rebellious decisions because I chose physical pleasure over spiritual obedience. If I had a time machine to go back and change that, I would do it without hesitation. Although I cannot change the past, I have power to make better choices now. I do not wish to return to my own vomit, as it were.
If God grants me a wife, I want her to help me reach my goals for purity. That will mean fighting everything the world says about how people act when they are attracted to one another. She will have to discern my affection in ways not typical of our contemporaries.
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I’m not going to say that if I find a girl with all of these traits, I’m going to marry her. I don’t even know if God desires for me to have a wife. (I really hope so.) These are only signs for which I am keeping my eyes open. I’ve also got to make sure I’m working to be the kind of man my dream girl would be able to love and respect.
Let me be clear here about something. I am flawed in so many ways, as are we all. Nonetheless, there is fantastic news. Jesus of Nazareth was crucified by men, and then resurrected by God three days later. These circumstances allow us to escape the sins of our past and assume a new identity in Him. If you’ve made poor choices in the past, then you are not trapped. This very day you can choose to change the course of your life, even if it’s speeding in the wrong direction. The anointed One invites us to do so daily. Who you were is not who you might be.
Robert Browning described it this way: “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp. Or what’s a heaven for?” Relationship with Jesus (and with those who serve Him) does not entail perfection, but the unending quest to become more and more like the one we serve. I do not seek a wife who has always been perfect, but rather one who seeks out the God who is able to perfect us all.
I’m sitting here at the Saturn dealership in Little Rock having my car checked out, listening to my man Dave Barnes (see I was movin’ forward, I thought I was fine), thinking about the events that have conspired to bring me to Arkansas on a rainy Tuesday morning.
In many ways, it feels like I’m picking up where I left off four and a half years ago. I left Searcy in December of 2003 with no clear idea of where I was headed or what I was doing. If you’d asked me whether I expected to spend 4 years in Pensacola, I’d have laughed. If you’d asked me whether I planned to return to Searcy, I might have laughed harder (He’s gonna meet me where the mountain beats me, and carry me through.)
In others, though, it feels like I’m starting a brand new chapter–despite the familiar scenery. When I left, I was still dating the girl I thought I would marry. Now I’m decidedly single. Four years ago my brother wasn’t married, and now I’m about to be an uncle! (I always thought that love was frightening, I always thought it’d be so rough.) Before, I had never worked at a “real job,” I certainly had never been responsible for the work of other people, and I had no clue about the world of finance. Now I have been a fence builder, a substitute teacher, and a supervisor at a bank call center. For all the failures, disappointments, and surprises the this time has offered, I feel more like a man and less like a boy than I did when I left. I have learned how to keep a more realistic perspective on my emotions, and how to do fulfilling things even when I’m in a holding pattern. I’ve also learned a lot about how not to do things. I’ve learned that I love my parents as individuals and not just as caretakers, and I learned that maybe I’m not as smart as I think.
I don’t know how long I’ll remain in Searcy this time around. I’d wager it won’t be much longer than it takes me to finish this program, but I’ve been wrong before. What I do know is that I’m thankful to the God who has brought me this far and who loves me despite my ignorance and my flaws. (I need you now and forever, just stay right here with me; don’t ever leave.) He is truly the great redeemer, physician, and teacher. Praise Him for all this and more!
In the meantime, looks like this repair is going to cost me (this is the sound that’s made when a heart breaks.) It’s still raining, and I’m still smiling. : )
gotta love wifi at saturn
Below is an essay I recently wrote for one of my classes regarding evangelism. I’m braving posting this before it’s been graded, but I welcome any feedback. : )
When we ponder the subject of evangelism, we are really pondering God’s overall purpose for the human race. For what reason were we created in the first place? In God’s ideal, what would we look like, and what roles would we play? Peter provides a framework for the ideal: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) In this view, we are all in danger of destruction, and this is not within God’s volition. His overarching plan is that we might avoid this destruction through repentance and obtain an alternate situation: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Jesus informs us that the good news with which we are immediately concerned pertains to our rescue from destruction. Our alternate (or perhaps original) destination is that of eternal life.
Such a message, it seems, would be universally embraced without our agency. In spite of this, Jesus rightly predicted that relatively few would accept His offer. Hence, before His departure, He commanded his trusted apostles to disperse among the population and spread the news. This command has been transmitted through the ages, even to the point of our current discussion. I submit that our own efforts to uphold this charge must focus on two questions. First, in what distinctive ways does contemporary, unbelieving culture find itself incongruent with the Christian faith? Second, and perhaps more vital to our success, in what specific ways does our modern community of believers find it difficult to display faithfulness to our mandate? I will argue that these issues are ultimately rooted in the same soil.
The world theater as we currently experience it is not bereft of conflict. Nations struggle for influence. World views clash in the Middle East on a daily basis. Even in our own developed government, political parties combat for values, resources, and power. Despite our heritage rich in conflict, post-modern man’s acceptance of spiritual conflict is not ubiquitous. The question no longer entails how we might be saved, or who might enact such a salvation, but rather whether salvation is an issue at all, and from what we might need saving. This scenario provides little impetus for unbelievers to inventory their theological beliefs. These issues are relegated to philosophy and personal meditation, where they pertain to personal issues only nominally, and to corporate matters not at all. This is the barrier before which evangelistic efforts now must stand.
It is fortunate, then (or perhaps God’s design), that the conflicts apparent in the physical world provide a bridge to spiritual struggles still invisible to our culture. In his Biblical Perspectives on Evangelism, Brueggemann argues that the first theme represented in an evangelistic trio of stories is Theological Conflict. He observes that Yahweh’s victories over Pharaoh and Babylon provide the necessary history to engage non-participants with the faith of Israel. At the time, these victories were apparent amid a contemporary struggle. Pharaoh and Babylon were very real powers over which no physical victory might be expected. Yahweh’s initiative to address and conquer them prompted an invitation to those previously under their employ.
The conflicts that immediately occupy our own culture are poverty, addiction, familial dysfunction, and depression, among others. Such concerns claim the same undeniable reality as did Pharaoh and Babylon. Victory seems unlikely. One may observe that all of these conflicts may stand on their own, outside the purview of faith or religion. If we now introduce an agent who seriously challenges and defeats these stalwarts, this agent gains immediate credibility among those previously in defeat. In many demonstrable ways, the manifest disciplines of spiritual living strike a death-blow to our most feared enemies. When we give our cloak to him who has none, we wound poverty. Self-control crushes addiction. The husband who gives his life for his wife trumps familial dysfunction. Loving one’s neighbor as one’s self abolishes depression. When the unbeliever witnesses such massive victories in the conflicts that characterize his world, he is open to the suggestion of alternative conflicts and a superior future. In this way we can see why Roy Fish predicted that 21st century evangelism would entail increased focus on societal needs, and how that focus may be illustrated.
Perhaps before we can overcome the difficulties of reaching our unbelieving culture, we must discover the causes of our own reticence. Brueggemann details three candidates for evangelism, one of which is the “forgetful insider”. Along with Brueggeman, I am convinced that it is this candidate with whom we can most readily identify in terms of our outreach efforts.
The Church in the United States has been increasingly placed in what we believe to be a delicate position. Our culture accepts fewer and fewer of our fundamental claims outright. Richard Dawkins is not the only person who believes Yahweh is a delusion. The jealous God of the Old Testament is increasingly “embarrassing,” as Brueggemann phrases it.
On the one hand, we are tempted to become staunch, to put up walls, and to protect what little assets remain within our control. Of course, this is counter productive as a method of engaging lost souls. Exclusion decidedly does not lead to growth. On the other hand, we are tempted to give up the sticking points that are judged to be foolishness by the world. Perhaps we can concede that Jesus is not the only way to God. Perhaps we can stop insisting that the Bible contains imperative moral claims. Unfortunately, neither of these options provides a serious solution. One promises asphyxiation. The other guarantees that we will lose our identity altogether. Are there any alternatives to this confining horizon?
The truth is that we have forgotten the victory God claims over our lives and the lives of the people around us. God’s triumph and our good news is His forgiveness despite what Brueggemann calls our “massive seduction and sellout.” The very barriers that we believe are so insurmountable become the spans by which we will arrive upon success. It is imperative that we recognize the darker times in which God has triumphed before, and the power He holds to claim victory again. Only by connecting to that power will we have the courage to press forward in seemingly dangerous circumstances. We should be encouraged to follow Peter out onto the water. Only then can we learn from his mistake and avoid sinking.
Our call is to expose the darkest places of fear in our society’s mind. We must show that the God who demolished Pharaoh and who humbled Babylon will also destroy these demanding enemies. In doing so we will ignite faith in those who have none, and prevent our own from being quenched.
I just watched the most horrible little commercial while waiting for Colbert to get started. It’s an ad campaign put out by our friends at amp energy drink. If you want to see the ad, it’s on their website under the “Ad” section, surprisingly enough. The premise is simple… many post college age young adults are waking up in bed. Their partner is, ostensibly, asleep. The lyrics to the catchy tune inform us that these people do not know one another, nor do they even remember what happened the night before. But, the refrain gives us hope: “We will not be ashamed!” These folks won’t be ashamed to be seen wearing the same clothes as yesterday, because who cares? Random one night stands are just fine. No need to be ashamed!
Seriously? At least the cigarette companies give health warnings. But amp doesn’t even throw out a “hey kids, don’t have random sex! It will harm your psyche and possibly your body as well!” No, the rousing chorus soothes us and gives us the comfort that we can do whatever we want without shame.
I don’t know if any of you have seen the movie, “The Devil’s Advocate” in which Keanu Reeves plays a conscience-laden lawyer pursuing success, and Al Pacino plays the role of Satan. It comes on TV (TBS, or something) on a fairly regular basis, so through half hour chunks here and there, I’ve seen the whole thing. In one of the closing scenes, Satan reveals that his overall plan is to use the United States legal system to abolish the concept of guilt altogether. He argues that the abundance of unworthy acquittals will be so odious to God and His servants that both He and they will be choked out of Heaven’s stronghold.
Ever since I heard that monologue, I’ve been impressed with the genius of the argument. Satan says he will fight God by giving everyone a verdict of innocence. On the one hand, you can take his side and say that God’s commands are burdensome and too judgmental. Satan wins a soul. On the other, you can say that all who sin must pay the penalty in full. Justice must be done! Again, Satan retains a soul. We must recognize that the will of God is that no one should perish… He, too, wants everyone to be pronounced innocent! The difference, of course, is in the method. Satan wants us to reject law altogether. Paul makes it clear that God does not support this method. Rather, He wants us to take on the righteousness of Christ so that He can present us truly blameless.
So back to our commercial, amp energy drink would have us throw off the shackles of shame… and trade them for those of a sinful lifestyle. Never mind that these people can’t even remember what ‘fun’ they had the night before. Never mind that they will regret these decisions when the time comes for them to commit to their true mate. We will not be ashamed, indeed.
May we all reach the point where we will not be ashamed. If we are in Jesus the messiah, there will be no condemnation for us at all.
