*This is a very short rough draft.
My dad and I went to this upholstery shop in town a couple days ago. There were several rides there that can be classified as special. This whole thing of auto restoration reminded me of something. Now that I think about it, going to the junkyard makes it pop up in my mind, too.
No matter our “make”, “model”, or “year”, we, as humans, need to constantly evaluate ourselves. We need to constantly evaluate our physical, mental, and spiritual condition. If we are little rusty or leaky in some spots, we need to (obviously) know this before any changes can be made. There are several ways that we can know about our problems and all of these warning systems have been given to us.
First, we have the Holy Spirit. Consider the Holy Spirit as the “idiot light” on your dashboard. Sometimes your car will tell you that you need your engine checked, even though everything seems fine to you. Other times you know something is different about your car but you think it’s fine. Then your idiot light comes on and tells you that the knocking sound underneath your hood is baaad. Those are the things the Holy Spirit will do. The light comes on for the most experienced driver and the first-timer as well.
Second, we have friends. Accountability is one of the most important bonds you can have with fellow Christians. Consider your accountability partner (or fellow Christians, for that matter), to be the mechanic or car nut that you turn to for questions or who’s word you trust in such matters. Someone who is going to say, “Dude that light means you need to check your brakes,”or, “That knocking sound means you need oil or else your engine is going to bite the dust.” You get the point. You need someone who is older and wiser than you in the things of the world and faith. It’s also nice to have friends who have been given the gift of mechanical aptitude, friends who know how to fix things.
Lastly, we have ourselves to check things out. We as humans can ponder our existence and condition and have the ability to adjust accordingly. We usually need help to fix the problem of course, but the very fact that we are willing to scope ourselves out and notice the things that shouldn’t be there is a step. What does this mean you have to do? Know Thyself.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The implications of Rev. Wright's words.
By now, everyone has heard a little snippet here or there about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s (now former) pastor and spiritual mentor. There are several issues that come to mind when discussing both the Rev. Wright and his church.
1) Concerning the sermons that have been called into question, they are, of course, disheartening and foolish to say the least. Some of the claims by Rev. Wright include:
“Jesus was a poor black man who lived in a country and who lived in a culture that was controlled by rich, white people.”
Hmm…considering the fact that Jesus was born and lived in the Middle East, I don’t see how that conclusion can be taken from the Scriptures. (Note: I am not debating Jesus skin color. That is a dumb issue. I am merely questioning the authority with which Rev. Wright is making these claims.) Also, what kind of Savior would we be serving if he was a rich black man who was not “oppressed”? Was Jesus supposed to be rich in an earthly context? If we are placing so much emphasis on how blacks should be rich and free from oppression, are we also saying that an ideal black Jesus should have been rich and free from oppression?
“He (Obama) doesn’t fit the model. He ain’t white, he ain’t rich, and he ain’t privileged.”
Whoa. Last time I looked, Obama was a privileged senator from the state of Illinois who lives in a large and has a huge following. Rev. Wright must not be doing too bad himself with a congregation of several thousand.
“Barack knows what it means to be a black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people!”
The fact that Barack Obama, as a black man, has succeeded as much as he has in America is an awesome testament against this statement.
“Oh! I am so glad that I got a God who knows what it is to be a poor black man in a country and in a culture that is controlled by and run by rich white people. He taught me, Jesus did, how to love my enemies. Jesus taught me how to love the hell out of my enemies and not be reduced to their level of hatred, bigotry, and small-mindedness.”
According to Rev. Wright, the rich white people that are controlling America are his enemies. The facts: Rev. Wright doesn’t like rich white people. Evidently, he equates money with power and white skin with hatred, bigotry, and small-mindedness. If those motivations aren’t of the world, I don’t know what is.
“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans and now we are indignant! Because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to the roost.”
This was a sermon on September 16, 2001. Obviously, Rev. Wright is blaming the US and its foreign policy for 9/11. The last sentence is a creepy reference to Malcolm X (surprise!). On the assassination of JFK, Malcolm X said, "It was, as I saw it, a case of 'the chickens coming home to roost.' I said that the hate in white men had not stopped with the killing of defenseless black people, but that hate, allowed to spread unchecked, had finally struck down this country's Chief Magistrate."
Take that and Rev. Wright’s reference for what you will.
“God**** America! That’s in the Bible!”
Oooookay. Just give me a Scripture reference and I’ll agree.
“The government lied bout Pearl Harbor; they knew the Japanese were going to attack.”
“The government lied about the Tuskegee experiment. They purposefully infected African American men with syphilis.”
“Fighting for peace is like raping for virginity.”
”We cannot see how what we are doing is the same thing Al Qaeda is doing under a different color flag.”
“Yes, 9-11-01 happened to us, and so did slavery happen to us. Yes, the World Trade Center happened to us, and so did white supremacy happen to us. Yes, the Pentagon happened to us, and so did the Tuskegee experiment happen to us.”
I believe I also heard a quote by Rev. Wright stating that America did not blink an eye when we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. That is not true. Also, if Rev. Wright really cared about his contentions, he would rather point out the firebombing of Tokyo instead of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This man conducted Obama’s wedding ceremony and he baptized Obama’s children. He has been the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ for over twenty years. If Obama is really for change in this country, he should have separated himself from this man years ago. Rev. Wright is a racist man filled with hatred. His facts are all wrong, his attitudes are all wrong, and his form of Christianity is all wrong.
2) I’ve been wondering what kind of effect Rev. Wright’s sermons will have on America’s outlook on the Church. Will unbelievers flock to churches? What will they think of Christianity? There seems to be some form of Christianity that is in the wrong: Rev. Wright’s or everyone else’s. How will that reflect upon unbelievers in our nation?
3) Race is the dumbest thing to ever separate a nation, let alone a faith. There is only one race: The human race. Those who fail to recognize that people are humans no matter their skin color deserve no respect from me. Also, those who think that their skin color allows them to have special privileges do not understand the issue at hand. If you want to succeed, if you want to end bigotry and racism from oppressing you, stand up! Do not rely upon the government! Do not let your skin color become a stereotype for low income and bad family situations! Do not use it as an excuse for your troubles! If you want to put an end to those things, you have to realize that you are the only one who can help yourself get out of the mold. Your attitudes and actions are the only things that can make you rise above those things with dignity and self respect.
1) Concerning the sermons that have been called into question, they are, of course, disheartening and foolish to say the least. Some of the claims by Rev. Wright include:
“Jesus was a poor black man who lived in a country and who lived in a culture that was controlled by rich, white people.”
Hmm…considering the fact that Jesus was born and lived in the Middle East, I don’t see how that conclusion can be taken from the Scriptures. (Note: I am not debating Jesus skin color. That is a dumb issue. I am merely questioning the authority with which Rev. Wright is making these claims.) Also, what kind of Savior would we be serving if he was a rich black man who was not “oppressed”? Was Jesus supposed to be rich in an earthly context? If we are placing so much emphasis on how blacks should be rich and free from oppression, are we also saying that an ideal black Jesus should have been rich and free from oppression?
“He (Obama) doesn’t fit the model. He ain’t white, he ain’t rich, and he ain’t privileged.”
Whoa. Last time I looked, Obama was a privileged senator from the state of Illinois who lives in a large and has a huge following. Rev. Wright must not be doing too bad himself with a congregation of several thousand.
“Barack knows what it means to be a black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people!”
The fact that Barack Obama, as a black man, has succeeded as much as he has in America is an awesome testament against this statement.
“Oh! I am so glad that I got a God who knows what it is to be a poor black man in a country and in a culture that is controlled by and run by rich white people. He taught me, Jesus did, how to love my enemies. Jesus taught me how to love the hell out of my enemies and not be reduced to their level of hatred, bigotry, and small-mindedness.”
According to Rev. Wright, the rich white people that are controlling America are his enemies. The facts: Rev. Wright doesn’t like rich white people. Evidently, he equates money with power and white skin with hatred, bigotry, and small-mindedness. If those motivations aren’t of the world, I don’t know what is.
“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans and now we are indignant! Because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to the roost.”
This was a sermon on September 16, 2001. Obviously, Rev. Wright is blaming the US and its foreign policy for 9/11. The last sentence is a creepy reference to Malcolm X (surprise!). On the assassination of JFK, Malcolm X said, "It was, as I saw it, a case of 'the chickens coming home to roost.' I said that the hate in white men had not stopped with the killing of defenseless black people, but that hate, allowed to spread unchecked, had finally struck down this country's Chief Magistrate."
Take that and Rev. Wright’s reference for what you will.
“God**** America! That’s in the Bible!”
Oooookay. Just give me a Scripture reference and I’ll agree.
“The government lied bout Pearl Harbor; they knew the Japanese were going to attack.”
“The government lied about the Tuskegee experiment. They purposefully infected African American men with syphilis.”
“Fighting for peace is like raping for virginity.”
”We cannot see how what we are doing is the same thing Al Qaeda is doing under a different color flag.”
“Yes, 9-11-01 happened to us, and so did slavery happen to us. Yes, the World Trade Center happened to us, and so did white supremacy happen to us. Yes, the Pentagon happened to us, and so did the Tuskegee experiment happen to us.”
I believe I also heard a quote by Rev. Wright stating that America did not blink an eye when we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. That is not true. Also, if Rev. Wright really cared about his contentions, he would rather point out the firebombing of Tokyo instead of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This man conducted Obama’s wedding ceremony and he baptized Obama’s children. He has been the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ for over twenty years. If Obama is really for change in this country, he should have separated himself from this man years ago. Rev. Wright is a racist man filled with hatred. His facts are all wrong, his attitudes are all wrong, and his form of Christianity is all wrong.
2) I’ve been wondering what kind of effect Rev. Wright’s sermons will have on America’s outlook on the Church. Will unbelievers flock to churches? What will they think of Christianity? There seems to be some form of Christianity that is in the wrong: Rev. Wright’s or everyone else’s. How will that reflect upon unbelievers in our nation?
3) Race is the dumbest thing to ever separate a nation, let alone a faith. There is only one race: The human race. Those who fail to recognize that people are humans no matter their skin color deserve no respect from me. Also, those who think that their skin color allows them to have special privileges do not understand the issue at hand. If you want to succeed, if you want to end bigotry and racism from oppressing you, stand up! Do not rely upon the government! Do not let your skin color become a stereotype for low income and bad family situations! Do not use it as an excuse for your troubles! If you want to put an end to those things, you have to realize that you are the only one who can help yourself get out of the mold. Your attitudes and actions are the only things that can make you rise above those things with dignity and self respect.
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