being relevant

when i was serving as a missionary in palestine back in 2000 and 2001 i made some comment about how it was hard to fathom how some people spend time worrying about whether their socks match. at the time, i was watching neighbors being terrorized by israeli shelling and helicopters, and was appropriately angry about what i was seeing.

but now i live in alabama, i have a stable job, and a great family, and it's been more than a year since i've contacted my representatives to advocate for justice for my friends in palestine, or my poorer neighbors down the street. i'm pretty sure i've gotten soft, and i'm ashamed by it. i've prioritized being liked over doing or saying what is right.

i know i can justify all of this easily if i want to, but i'm not interested in my own justifications. i know i ought to speak up when confronted by a bigot. and just because the majority of the people i see every day buy the crap they're sold on fox news doesn't mean i have to honor it by listening. enough's enough! time to throw the money changers back out, and it looks like i'll need to be the first to go! a little repentence is good for the soul.

who cares about being relevant when the conversation going on isn't worth having?

getting things backwards

Being a United Methodist minister I've gotten pretty used to hearing old people's opinions. I do a lot of listening... it's just part of the work. I'm not often given an opportunity to share my opinions (except in sermons, where I share liberally).

A few months back, I saw an old guy in the church roll his eyes when a mother began to breastfeed her child during the worship service. The mother noticed too. And we wonder why young people aren't interested in being around much?

Since the weather has gotten pretty, I've been taking Lily to the park, and every day, there is at least one parent or grandparent smoking next to the playground. Why is it considered acceptable in Alabama to poison children with smoke (or infant formula), but unacceptable for a kid to eat what a kid is designed to eat?

I'm not humble enough to think I've got it backwards this time. Maybe this preacher just feels like preaching!