Dead American

Well, it has been an interesting week.  Obama was elected president, and we’re still talking about Sarah Palin.

Really?  I mean, come on.  Let’s think about the absurdity of a press who shrugs off any negative story on Obama (his support of domestic terrorists, rampant corruption in his state and federal positions) and they still report the most inane rumors they can find on Sarah Palin a week after she loses the election.

Really?

Some unknown source says she didn’t know that Africa is a continent … Hey, I’ve got an email with a video in it where Obama slips up and mentions his “Muslim faith.”  You gonna run with that, too?

No.  What we ask Obama is: what kind of dog will you get your daughter?  How do you feel about the BCS?

Hannity keeps saying 2008 is the year journalism died.  At first I suspected he was just being negative … I’m starting to believe him.

On a related front, the Obama campaign kicked off three newspapers from traveling with them, the only three who had backed McCain for the presidency.  I wonder what would have happened if McCain had kicked off all reporters associated with the major networks besides Fox News and the newspapers that backed Obama … hmnn.  By the way, Fox News, the only interview to really give Obama a tough time and tough questions, is also being frozen out by the Obama staff.

These are the actions of a despot, not the “leader of the FREE world.”

In the spirit of bipartisanship, promised by Obama himself on election night, Obama appointed one of the most partisan Democrats around, this according to the New York Times and the LA Times, as his Chief of Staff.  I must have a different definition of bipartisan in my dictionary …

Although Obama has spoken out about Reid trying to get rid of Lieberman as head of his Senate comittee, but who knows how sincere that is and what will happen.  Talk is if Lieberman is openly censored like this, he’ll switch parties.

One of the bright spots this week is the overwhelming kindness and graciousness shown by Bush and his administration.  It is rare for the sitting president of an opposing party to be so gracious so soon.  Good for G,W.

I’m sure Michael Moore is making a documentary on some diabolical conspiracy behind why Bush is being so nice.

Peace.

Dealing with students is a great way to learn about children.

One intersting observation incited this week was when a couple students, one a white girl and the other a black boy, were discussing the election last week.

The boy expressed his joy over the outcome.  The girl accused him openly of onl liking Obama because the president-elect is black.  They argued about this a while, freely and openly, even to the point where the young man admitted taht he thought Obama would do a better job because he is black, which was then challenged again by the girl.

While they were both passionate about their opinions, they allowed the expression of their opinions without a whole lot of tension or offense … and they still acted civily towards one another.

Some might have heard some tof the exchange and considered it racist to even mention such thoughts, but I saw only two young people unhibited enough to ignore modern notions of being politically correct.

This led me to meditate upon how children generally don’t have a lot of inhibitions we have as adults.  Micah points out my big belly, sticks his own out and says, “I have a belly like yours.”  He thanks God for his penis.  He comments on Saji’s dark skin.  He notices differences and makes comments that some would consider insensitive … but he’s just pointing out the obvious that we all notice but don’t feel the liberty to express.  Am I to hush and shame him out of some pseudo kindness we’ve created?  Of course we don’t with children, but why do we lose the innocence of honesty that can help us be real and open?

I guess what I’m wondering is (and I don’t necessarily have a full answer here) how much of our call to be “like a child” to enter the Kingdom includes losing culturally imposed inhibitions so we can be real, genuine and guileless?

Of course certain inhibitions are good.  But many about race and sex and gender and socio-economic status are counter-productive to being real, open, and genuine.  And those barriers keep us from community and discipleship.

We’re too easily offended by some things and then fine with things God is offended about (a whole ‘nuther post some day …).  And we’re afraid of being offensive, as well.  Truth sets you free.  These cultural mores cause us, Christians, to put up a facade with one another, something different on the outside than what’s really going on inside.  We’re afraid of being transparent - for a whole host of reasons - but that fear is the opposite of love.  It is a type of hypocrisy that we either accept or even encourage.  But God generally hates it.

Again, I’m not saying I have all the answers here, only that I’m meditating openly on the benefits of a Church willing to talk about and express things that our society might consider rude.

There are plenty of examples where Jesus and the original twelve did very socially unacceptable things.  Not that they sought them out, but He was willing, if the Lord so led or openedthe door, to break the sacred rules of man in the name of love and compassion.

Any thoughts?

Peace.

We’re getting close to 4,500 American troops killed in the war in Iraq over the last few years.  That’s almost as many babies as we kill in this country, legally, EVERY DAY.

If every person who voted for Obama had personally given $100 (average) to someone in need on November 4, we wouldn’t need the government to do anything for the poor.  That’s 6 billion dollars to those in need without government bureacracy, waste, raising taxes or campaigning for “change” or “hope.”  That’s not counting the McCain voters as well.  Rounding up for fun, that would have been 12 billion dollars of immediate compassion in one day.  That’s the kind of change we need.

Peace.