A Experiment in Compromise

"America is a great experiment in compromise." - President Barack Obama.

While watching TV from the comfort of my couch
My show was interrupted by a guy with a grouch
He scowled and frowned, blabbered and rambled
All together he was wee bit jambled
He spoke of important people with letters after their name
Of things that would change the world and who was to blame
There were tall buildings in the background and short people in front
There was hustle that bustled and a building with a dome like a bunt

Finally a hush came over the crowd and the reporter stopped his yacking
A man in a suit walked towards the camera and began his lip smacking
His words had power and his voice great command
He inspired the people with his magnificent plans
Sure he'd made mistakes, and his grammar sometimes was lacking
But he wasn't a grade school teacher, he was a city planner with a whole city backing
His words inspired a nation, why I can not explain
His words led people to cheer and never complain
Of course, people complained about his opponents
But that's normal, it's life, it's politics components

His speech went on, and on, and on, I though I would never end
Eventually he concluded his communication announcement (which was almost perfectly penned)
His last remarks fell on almost deaf ears
My ears were mute to the crowds cheers
All I could hear was the one last remark
The one that send my head spinning like a ride at the amusement part
"America is a great experience in compromise" say what now?
America did what, when, and oh really, than how?

If America is an experiment in compromise, in meeting in the middle
If a communist socialism is the obvious answer to freedom's puzzling riddle
America was no more built on compromise and on the middle ground
That it was built by fairies, trolls, giants, and large pink basset hounds
America is what she is, and isn't what she's not
Because those who came first stood firm and wouldn't take squat

America is strong, independent, confident and more
She has her rights, they will be protected, so the fathers swore
America is the one on top, not because she gave in to the peer pressure
But because she stood against all odds, like wheat before the thresher

Compromise is to America what an abacus is to a tech nerd
Unacceptable, gross, impossible, and simply unheard
Did the pilgrims exercise compromise when they stood for their beliefs
Did the colonists crumble when parliament offered them no financial relief?
An experiment in compromise... where both sides give in a little
America, the place who let it go, who failed to give a rebuttal?
She is not the country who gave in, who let go, who crumbled and caved
She's the country who never accepted no, and who saved the freedom we all crave

America is not an experiment in comprise
She's the country who stood firm, regardless of size
America does not give in, She does not meet half way
She fights for what she believes in, not offers a bouquet
An experiment in compromise, pshaw, as if
That's only what the other guys wish

America, don't listen to the guy with a grouch or the smooth talking politicians
Listen to the facts that history has time and time again proven,
Those that give in will crumble and those that ignore will be taught how to think
America might be pushed and pulled, or brough to the brink
But the America that made history books happy, and gave hope the oppressed
She will not give in, she will go find half way. She will fight and not rest
We are not a compromise, we are not a plan gone half wrong
We are the country that will last forever and more, all time long
Compromise? Never! Surrender? Unheard of!
Conviction! Courage! Victory for those we love

Experiment in compromise? No
A free democracy with equality for one and all (even the right wing crazies and left side quacks)?
Oh yes please

Dictators

I’ve been thinking about dictators a lot today.  About Hitler and his notorious mustache, about Stalin and his brooding personality, about Mussolini and any food critic inklings he might have. Was Napoleon’s temperament like that of a 4 year old? Did Mao ever eat a hot dog?

Strange contemplations I know.

I’ve been thinking about the men who have tried to take over the world. Thinking about the men who were brilliant (debatable?), stupid, slightly sarcastic, cynical, optimistic, fashion setters, and generation erasers. These men changed the world by creating a force to be reckoned with. A force that drafted young people by the thousands and a force that eliminated people by the millions. These men came up with plans that took the world by surprised. Surprised because no one would have expected so astounding, brilliant and complex a plan feasible, and surprised because no one could have expected anything to vicious and inhuman. These men changed the world. They saw the world as out to get them and as vastly not good enough, as well as ripe for the picking and as an open opportunity. Everyone wanted to dress like them. They were the fashion setters. They even had their own handshake of sorts. Nice. They influenced the young people, and took out entire people groups. Entire generations were erased. Not bad for a careers work right? Most people would be proud to have accomplished 1/4^th of what these men have done. Of course, most people wouldn’t take out whole countries of people to do it, but no means. Things happen right? As long as it’s all for the greater goal of climbing the business ladder, it’s acceptable right? Onward! Upward! Climb that ladder!

Do you think that any of the dictators were friendly? Were they nice people to be around or were they always paranoid and frantic? We know they were charismatic, and possibly charming (Hitler’s mustache… that mustache!) but were they nice to be around?  Were they a pain? People followed them seemingly mindlessly. Was that just at the beginning? It seems hard to believe that all the thousands upon thousands of followers that did the dictators bidding would continue to be blindly led.  After the orders came to kill millions and to destroy world artifacts, didn’t someone somewhere have some inklings of doubt? Did they ever second-guess themselves? Did they ever wonder “WHY IN THE WORLD AM I FOLLOWING THIS NUT CASE?!” I bet somewhere, at some time, some young kid with a swastika on his armband second-guessed himself. How was his doubt taken care of? Was he, uh…. removed from his position and relocated to a more permanent place… cough cough (cemetery) or was he given a lecture, a promotion, and a smack on the back? Was he maybe given first one, and than the other? You guess which one came first.

One of the things that puzzles me most about dictators is how in the world they managed to convince their followers to believe in a society with “pure equality”. In an ideal world where everyone was in control and other own fates, where the multitudes could control the government, and where everyone worked for a common good with no one person above another. Yet, of course (as we all know) this world also had one solid dictator who made all the decisions and who is absolute control of absolutely everyone’s life.  The dictator told the people how to live and what to say, what language to say it in, where to live, what to believe in and what to think. The rules dictated what was right and wrong, they determined what art was, which people were valuable and which were not, and of course, they had money with their faces on it. That’s sounds like a completely normal equal society to me. Go equality! I’m sure that’s just what you’ve always dreamed of right? Of course it is. Because we aren’t smart enough to think on our own right? That must be it. I obviously am not that smart. I couldn’t possibly know what to think if someone didn’t tell me. I NEED a dictator. I NEED someone to tell me what to think! Oh now I know just how those young people in Germany and Russia felt. I get it now. I am so glad to have thought out all this. I feel mush safer now.

Still… some of the young people in the world didn’t follow the leader. Crazy kids. Tiananmen square. Nuff said? Thousands of Chinese youth gunned down in broad daylight because they saw the lies through the smiles. They recognized the power hungry dictator for what he was and they were willing to stand strong against the man. Sticking it to the man. Oh yeah. That’s just what they had in mind. I know it. Of course “the man” ran them down with tanks and shot though them like they were made of tissue paper, but I mean it was their fault right? They didn’t listen. They refused to accept the change that was inevitable. Besides, it was better for everyone this way. I mean, a dictator can’t have little groups of insurgents running around. No one can oppose the dictator. It’s not how it works. Poor kids. It’s their fault for not lovingly accepting the brainwashing. Everyone loves a good brainwashing right? Just ask America or England, or maybe Cambodia. Brainwashing rocks man.

Mussolini sounds like it should be a flaming chocolate desert. Don’t laugh at me… it does. It should be. It will be. Someday, somewhere, there will be a desert called the “Mussolini”. It will be rich and chocolaty and so good it’s simply evil. It will be fabulously expensive and only made at the most exclusive of restaurants. Now thinking of dictators makes me hungry. Probably not the thought most of the dictators wanted to be first in people’s minds, but you know what, since most of the worlds dictators are dead (or at least the more famous ones are) I don’t think they’ll mind too much. Frankly, even if they did mind, what are they going to do about it? Nothing! MWAHAHHAHAHA! You know that deserved an evil laugh.

I remember the first time I saw Fiddler on the Roof. I love that movie. The songs, the dancing, the characters, the portrayal of life and people, I love every part of it. The characters are especially are just phenomenal. Do you remember Perchik? He’s the one who is in love with the second daughter Hodel.  He was the one who had ambition, and as Tevye (the papa) put it “A, wee bit crazy, but I like him!”. He seemed like the one who would do something with his life. I remember the scene where Perchik goes into the city, and joins a mob of people, standing on street corners, and yelling about changing the world. I remember when my mum told me that the particular scene I had in mind, was when Perchik joined Stalin. Oh my goodness! What?! The good guy joined a bad guy?! STALIN! What are musicals coming to… is nothing certain anymore? Why are the good ones so easily swayed by the evil ones? General rule of thumb: the more someone is a smooth talker, the more you should be afraid of them. Well, maybe not necessarily afraid, but if someone has the gift of people speak (where a person understands the power of words and knows how to wield his vocabulary like a master) they have power over those around them. Beware.

Did all the dictators have people speak or did some of them just have the power of a fully equipped army. Not quite the same thing, but sometimes just as effectual for getting what you want. Of course… one of the options requires skill and wit and the gradual take over of a person or country due to befriending and beguiling. The other requires tanks, and guns, and things going boom. Both very useful tools of the dictator I’m sure.

It’s probably very rude of me to assume that Napoleon was grouchy like a territorial toddler. He was short, and all though most short people are very temperamental, not ALL of them are. Maybe he wasn’t… but he probably was. What people lack in size they have to make up for in temperament and anger ability (the ability to get angry quickly and about any given subject ranging from food, and weather to troop movement and rug placement). I wonder… from what I can remember of world history, none of the dictators were particularly tall. Were they all seeking to gain the respect of the world, because they never got it on the playground at school? No one likes being picked last and no one likes being the smallest. Maybe short people are in danger of becoming dictators. Think about it… it’s always the small ones. In star wars, the Ewok’s were more ferocious (at least on a day to day basis) than Chewbaca. It’s normally the larger ones that have the heart of gold hidden beneath layers of muscle or fat. It’s always the short ones. George Washington vs. Benedict Arnold… who was taller? Yep, Washington. Lord Sith vs. Anakin. Yep, Lord Sith was worse. And shorter. Think about that one… sorry short people.

All in all, dictators are strange, confusing, powerful, power hungry, desperate, controlling, needy people. They were short, brilliant, wacky, and paranoid. Sounds like great leader material right? Of course it does. And if you don’t agree, your brainwashing just hasn’t been completed yet. Don’t worry. It will be soon enough. Soon enough… it all will be taken care of. That’s it. Relax. Sit back. Put the mask on your face, count those sheep, and wake up wearing a swastika.  One sheep… two sheep… three sheep…four…. Shes…. zzzzzzzzzz

Denominations

   There are about 2.5 billion Christians in the world. These Christians are divided into 38,000 thousand unique sub categories, known as denominations.

 Each denomination believes a unique variation of the Gospel. Some of these groups are radically different from others, while some are very similar. Some groups are sure that they are the one and only right way and others think that everyone is always right all the time. Some of these denominations have hundreds of thousands of people in their particular branch, and some have only hundreds. However different these groups may or may not be, there is one thing they all agree on. Jesus is God, and we need God to go to heaven.

Every single Christian that I have ever met has agreed on one thing. We need God. Even the Nazarenes who believe that we can become holy on earth, and the health and wealth people who think if we only have FAITH we can achieve the impossible, even they realize that we need God. If we don’t have Christ as a model for our holy behavior, what’s the point? If we don’t have a perfect God to put our faith in, why have faith?

The little things that set denominations apart matter. The little pieces that I believe in, and you don’t, are what make my personal relationship with God so intimate. It means that I have studied the scriptures, and I have earnestly prayed over my beliefs and I made my decision based on what I thought God was tell me. Of course, that’s what everyone does, and that’s why we have so many different denominations.

While representing my college at a fair in Northern MA, I was challenged by a mother of a high school aged student. She came up to my table and started firing questions at me about the school’s religious ties, beliefs on the inherency of the scriptures, Jesus's life on earth, and baptism. This mother had definitely thought out what she was going to say was quite prepared. I did my best to answer her questions as honestly as I could. When I was done responding to her outburst she said something along the lines of “Well, good. You know I choose (insert the denomination of her choice) because I think it’s closest to the scriptures. I don’t know what other people believe, but I’m relying on the Bible” When she walked away I could only stare in amazement. I was shocked by her frank assessment of her beliefs, and total dismissal of every single faith that didn’t completely agree with her own. Nothing to say about her being glad the school would accept her faith (vs. that of her child, whom I’m expecting would be the one to actually attend). Don’t we all choose a particular denomination because we think it follows most closely to the Bible? Who in the world would choose a certain set of beliefs because they thought it didn’t follow the Bible?  It just goes to show that we CANNOT dismiss others beliefs simply because they are different. We can engage in creative discussions where both parties honestly seek to learn about the other, and make decisions based off of reason and intelligent thought.

It seems to me that maybe denominations divide the body of Christ. Aren’t we all suppose to be the UNITED children of God, UNITED under one Father, UNITED we stand for his glory and the betterment of his eternal kingdom? Yes we all believe something a bit different from our neighbor, but we are ALL Christians. We ALL serve the perfect God. Don’t you think that maybe, just maybe…. God is sitting up in heaven looking down at us just shaking his head, laughing at our caterwauling and bickering, and trying to make things certain? Maybe things aren’t supposed to be certain on earth. Maybe sometimes we aren’t supposed to know. Maybe it’s enough that we try, we love, we serve, and we humble our selves before God. Maybe, all we need is love.

Infinity

Infinity is a very long time. It is a VERY VERY VERY long time. It’s a concept that I really cannot understand. I’ve tried. I really have. I’ve spent hours thinking about how long forever is. I’ve tried to think about what eternity would be like. I’ve made a serious effort to wrap my mind around a period of time, that isn’t really a time period because it has no beginning or end. How am I supposed to understand something that is infinite, when I am only finite?

It seems that by very definition of my humanness (FINITE/HAS A END) I can’t every understand God and his infinite-ness/never ever ever having any sort of an end. Never ending…. MIND BLOWING!

A few years ago I watched the movie Tuck Everlasting with some friends. It started fine, was intriguing in the middle, sad towards the end, and just plain depressing by the conclusion. A girl falls in love with a mysterious stranger who tells her that he is hundreds of years old, and that he can never die. She wants to be immortal talk like him, he says no, she says yes, he says no, she gets into trouble, he saves her and is almost found out… he has to go away, they stay in love, but she grows old and dies while he stays young. Depressing really.

The last scene of the movie shows Tuck visiting her grave. She had aged, and as time would have it grown old (something he could never do) and eventually died (also something he could never do). As a result, he was stuck as a wander on earth while his love moved on. What a depressing movie! Movies are our escape from reality, and what kind of a escape is it, if it’s a depressing one. Well not a very good one I’d say.

 Anyway… man is not meant to live forever. Somewhere in the old testament God said that man could no longer live past 120something years. I say maybe that’s god protecting the people he loves. Maybe we can’t handle seeing more than a century of years. I know that right now, even though I love life, and can’t wait to see more of it, come 70 years from now, I’m going to be ready to go home. No more for me Lord, take me home.

Infinity. As hard as infinity is to imagine, I think Infinity in Heaven is something I’ll like. I’d say I could wait forever if it mean getting to spend eternity with Christ in paradise, but... Do I really know what forever means?

blargnuf.

I didn't write yesterday, and i haven't finished the one for today. Blargnuf.

Destiny and Destination

 Do you remember those three slightly creepy sisters in the movie Hercules? What about Zeus? Have you ever heard of the Grim Reaper? Do you have your own belief about what controls life, death, and destiny?

Some people say destiny some say fate. Whatever it’s called the meaning is the same thing. Things are going to happen that are out of our control and we might as well accept the reality of an unknown future and man up and deal with whatever comes our way. No one really likes inevitable unchangeable events being thrown their way, but hey, it’s fate right?

Some say the universe decides what it wants and we are helpless to change the fact. That’s slightly frightening if you ask me. Having the “universe”, an inanimate knowledge less object, decide my fate seems like a problem to me. Yeah…. no possible way anything could go wrong there, right? J

In traditional Greek mythology the fate sisters were 3 witch-ish goddess sisters who controlled life and death of all mortals. They were extremely temperamental and very creepy. All it would take is one silly mistake by a simple minded human, and there went a few strings and the lives that they represented. These sisters wielded a pair of massive slightly frightening scissors with which they could clip a string, thus ending a life. They held the power of life and death. They decided when you had done enough damage on earth, and when you till had to stick it out.  They also could be bribed with small trinkets and special altars designed to honor them. What a horrible way to have your time on earth decided! By three witches who are fickle and prone to bribery. Nice.

What about the grim reaper? You know…. the skeleton swathed in a black cloak that visits when your time on earth is up. Supposedly he had shelves that contained a book for each human on earth, where the story records itself as it was lived out and the final chapter ends whenever he decided it was time. Not creepy or strange at all. It’s completely normal to believe that a skeleton is suppose to pass before me when he see’s that my story is getting a bit over done. Is relying on a personification of death, (whose only control is in the realm of death) that much more desirable than trusting that a God who is control of all?

What about all those roman gods, the ones who were inconsistent and mercurial? You know…  the ones who fought among them selves more than 3 year old twin boys and who randomly changed the seasons and blew things up just because they were having a bad day. Can you happily imagine a world where gods who are more concerned about their appearance and reputation than with their subjects, decide your time on earth? Yes, they did care (somewhat) and yes they did thing to help their earthly subjects (sometimes), but by in large, they enjoyed their own heavenly realm and left earth to it’s own demise. Would that explanation of life really satisfy you?

Is it really so hard to say “God did it” and “he’s in control of my life and even thought I might not know what’s going on, or understand why things happen, he’s got it under control”.  Are we that hesitant to give up control to someone who really knows better than we do?  It would seem to me that if we were going to give up control, it might as well be to someone who knows that their doing. Do the fate sisters, or grim reaper, or Apollo or even Zeus really know what’s going on? Can we really trust our life to “fate”? Can we honestly believe that destiny an acceptable answer to the unexplained parts of our lives?

If people through the ages have believed in all sorts of crazy figures who had the ability to control life and death, why is it so hard to believe in an all powerful, loving, omnipotent God?

Most ancient cultures divided their trust between multitudes of gods because they didn’t think it possible for one God to handle everything. There were sun gods, moon gods, gods for birth and gods for war, gods for harvest, winter, sailing, cooking, sleeping, and even bugs. It seemed impossible and beyond comprehension that there was one God who could do it all.

 Well guess what dear reader? That’s exactly what God is. He is beyond our wildest imagination and so much more than we could ever comprehend. He can control not only life and death, but happiness and prosperity, sailing, harvest, winter, cooking, and even bugs.  He can do it all cause “he da man”.

It seems to me tat most people only use the word “destiny” when they are trying to explain the potential good events that might befall them.

“You know… I really like that guy/job opportunity/school etc... I think it might be destiny”

“Fate” is normally used when people think bad things are coming and they can’t explain it.

“I don’t understand why this is happening to me! I guess it’s fate”.

Sometimes fate is used to represent good happenings, but destiny is rarely used when speaking of poor futuristic possibilities.

Do we really need fate and destiny? It seems to me that maybe we should be more concerned about the destination God has planned for us, than the unexplained inevitable series of events that may befall us while we get there. I know where I’m going. I know my final destination. I’m not so sure the stuff between now, and the end is all that important. Yes, how I live matters, and the events that I go through do affect me, but I don’t want to give “destiny” credit for God’s hand in my life. I think I’d rather have a loving God control my life than a fickle god, or three witchy sisters. Call me crazy but I’m focusing on the destination not the unexplained so called “destiny”.

Uncomprehendable Grace

We blame sin for a lot of things in our lives. Sin causes us to stumble in our walk with Christ. Sin causes us to lie, sin causes us to act like we are of the world or said things we later regret, but you know what? Sin is also the reason we need God. Sin is the reason we know the saving power of grace.

Have you ever experienced God’s grace? Do you know the feeling of grace and relief that washes over you, cleansing your being and washing away fear and doubt? Grace is something that is unique to humans. Even the angels don’t know what grace is. They have never experienced one of the more amazing features of God. We alone are blessed enough to know God’s grace. What a privilege!

Yes, sin is real. However, so is goodness and truth. God’s grace abounds more and more (thank goodness) and that grace is connected to God’s love. God’s love was expressed when he promised us that he would never give us more than we can bear. So, no matter what the sin is, or how much credit we want to give sin or Satan, God promised us that it would never be more than we can handle. So when we sin, it’s sort of a cop out on our part.

Sin is a result of finite man. Thus it’s hold is only so strong. It can only go about so far. Yes, sin multiplies and grows, but since it is a product of mortal man, sin has limits. God’s love however, is truly limitless. God’s love is an essential faucet of God’s very nature, and as such is everlasting, limitless, and more than we can ever imagine.

Try and comprehend a love that is infinite. A love that is boundless and truly more than you can ever possibly imagine. Not even a 6 year old with a over active imagination or a 50 year old theologian who puzzles over the worlds problems could ever even come close to fully understanding a limitless love. Such a concept is truly more than we can hope to fathom.

In some way, that is a bit scary because it proves the unpredictability of God. At the

same time… do we really want a God we can predict? I know what I’m capable of. I need a God who is capable of more than I can ever imagine. I need a God whose grace and love and mercy are incapable of being contained or described by human words.

God is God. God is by very definition, more than I can handle. And guess what, that’s why I love him. Thank you God for making your grace available to us. Shalom