Personal Items

-- While today, New Year's Eve, is a frequently taken holiday, Piedmont College was closed for example, it was not much of a "holiday" for us. The day began early as Vicki and I took Joshua to the airport in Atlanta for his trip back to Kansas. We left home around 7 a.m. (what a way to start a day off). Joshua was flying Delta, which has a straight flight to KC, where Adam picked him up from the airport. It turns out that the plane was an hour late in taking off because there was no pilot. I am sure that has something to do with required rest time for pilots, which is a good thing, but that just sounds wierd. The plane was there; the company - Delta - expected the plane to take off; the passengers were there. Only the pilot was missing. Couldn't someone have anticipated this and prepared better?

-- At some point in this process, I hope we can add pictures to this endeavor. To do so will mean we will have to get a digital camera, which we have wanted to have for a while. As an avid fan of Consumer Report's, I have had my eye on a little point and shoot Canon digital camera. Then, I will have to figure out how to do it.

-- The middle part of the afternoon was spent in a doctor's office. This was a first visit to an ob/gyn in Toccoa who has a lot of experience working with cancer patients. Both Vicki and I feel good about this new member to her medical team.

-- Now, this being New Year's Eve evening, I am starting to gear up for Sunday services. With the offices at Piedmont being closed today and tomorrow, I will have 3 days to cover sermon preparation and bulletin production and worship planning instead of the typical 5 days.

Beyond The Gates

As part of holiday time off, the Chittum family in Georgia -- Michael, Vicki, and Joshua (who is on temporary relocation assignment from Bethel College in Newton, Kansas) -- decided to rent some movies to fill the idle days. This has proven to be an outstanding decision. We rented three -- none of which I had heard of before -- and watched two so far.

The first one was an odd sci fi type of movie, The Fountain, starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. It is set in three different time eras - during the Conquistadors, present day, and in the 26th century, and the action switches from one to another. Jackman's character is on a quest to defeat death. Darren Aronofsky, who did Pi and Requiem for a Dream, was the director. If you have nothing else to do on a Saturday night, it might be worth a watch.

The second movie we watched, Beyond The Gates, however, is worth finding and watching. It is a BBC production based on an incident during the Rwandan massacre in 1994. It stars John Hurt as a Catholic priest who runs a school in Kilgali. His school becomes a refuge for Tutsi who are fleeing the death mobs. The school is a safe place because a contigent of UN peace monitors were stationed there. I do not not want to spoil the dramatic impact of the film, but the squad of Belgian soldiers are given orders to abandon the school and go to the airport. The mob of Hutus waiting beyond the gates of the school move in to "begin the work."

This movie is a must see. It is far better done than Hotel Rwanda and wrestles with the issues of the evil that men do and the choices that men make. The movie opens by quoting a Buddhist proverb, "Each man is given the key to open the gates of heaven. The same key also opens the gates of hell."

"The Evil That Men Do" in the Name of Religion

Most often, these days, people in the West, particularly Christians, identify egregiously bad or offensive behavior motivated by religion as the province of Islam. Over the last several weeks, we have read news stories about the rape victim in Saudi Arabia sentenced to 200 lashes because she was found guilty of being in public with a man who was not her husband or her relative and then dared to appeal her sentence. And, we have read about the British teacher who was condemned for allowing her elementary class to name a Teddy Bear "Muhammad." These stories are in addition to how the phrases "Islamo-terrorist" and "Islamo-fascist" have come to be accepted as part of our national discourse on the impact of religion on politics and proper US foreign policy.

Two stories from this morning's news caught my eye as examples of how human beings do wrong things in the name of religion. One is absurd; the other tragic. Neither concerns Islam.

From the BBC comes the report that the Palestinian Police had to break up a broom fight at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem between Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic priests. Due to long standing disputes over what branch of the Christian Church ought to have primary responsibility for caring for sacred sites in the Holy Land, the Bethlehem church was sub-divided into three areas: Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic. Each group is responsible for maintenance and clean-up for its third. After the crush of tourists at Christmas, the groups were sweeping up when the dispute erupted. Accounts of the precise trigger are fuzzy, but one account indicated that one group wanted to put up a ladder that would touch the other group's space. Pushing and shoving broke out, and then the groups started hitting each other with their brooms. Absurd. I can imagine that things could have gotten out of hand if guns had been available and if the Palestinian Police had not been there to quell the riot.

An AP report carried in the Washington Post told of violence in India. Christian churches and houses owned by Christians were ransacked and burned by ardent Hindus who were upset over a Christmas Eve program held in one of the Christian churches. This took place in the State of Orissa. In the violence, at least one person was killed and 25 were wounded. The Hindus object to the evangelization efforts of the Christian churches and, at least in Orissa, have passed a law requiring any person who wants to change religious affiliation to obtain police permission. Tragic. This follows the reports of election victories by the BJP, another strongly nationalistic Hindu based political party in another part of India.

It seems that we humans can use, and mis-use, anything, including religion, to advance our agendas. All religous faiths can be used in this way. When will we ever learn?

The Mythos of Peace

According to the text of Luke’s gospel, when the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem, that celestial chorus proclaimed, “Peace on earth and good will to men.” Peace on earth … Those words have such a hopeful sound, but, in the face of the reality of how the world is and has always been, it seems that peace on earth is mythic, at best.

Consider the evidence. On this Christmas Day, 2007, as people around the world celebrate the birth of the one Christians call “The Prince of Peace,” there are wars and rumors of war, as there always has. Turkey has sent troops and has bombed numerous sites in northern Iraq in search of Kurdish rebels. Suicide bombers in Iraq have killed scores, including children. The government of Israel has announced that they will add to the settlements in disputed territories despite the impact this decision may have on projected peace talks with the Palestinians. In Gaza, there are reports of Christians, squeezed between the Hamas authority and the Israeli sanctions, are fleeing, with no thought of ever returning to their homes. This litany of conflict does not address those areas of the world where people are being killed and the world does not really notice – like Afghanistan and Darfur.

In The Battle For God: A History of Fundamentalism written by Karen Armstrong, which I am reading, she distinguishes between mythos and logos as two competing ways of thinking, speaking, and acquiring knowledge. We are well familiar with logos, that rational, pragmatic, and scientific thought – centered on facts – that helps people function in the day to day world.

It is mythos, though, that may be more valuable to human kind. Myth focuses on what is timeless, on what provides significance for life, and on what gave meaning to the internal life. Without myth, we are, of all people, without hope. So, the proclamation of peace on earth by the angels in that familiar story was an announcement of the mythos of faith of what could be, if only humanity could appropriate a spark of the transcendent. Would that this would happen.

Finding a Voice

I have often heard it said that prospective writers should "find their own voice." That seems so logical that it ought to be unnecessary advice. It also seems so easy to do -- I mean what other voice do you have but your own -- as to seem triply unnecessary. Some things, though, become oft given advice because of value.

I find that I face this very issue with the blog. It is not so much capturing "my own voice," but deciding what to include. Many blogs focus on the personal. I have never been a diarist. Frankly, I do not like the absolute transparency seen as life intersects with technology. There are some things I do not want to know about people, nor do I want them to know some things about me.

Or, should I do an issues only blog? If this is my choice, I have to decide what issues to address. Ah, well, this will likely be an on-going internal debate.

Over the River?

Holidays, in general, are times when we think about being with family and friends. Popular bits of holiday culture, like the song alluded to in the title of this blog and various movies -- including the perennial favorite White Christmas, present the warmth and joy that come from being with those we love.

Plans in our household were made to make that happen this year. That would make this year a banner year. As a minister who is involved with services all year, including holiday times, it can be difficult to get away to make the trip to visit family and friends who live elsewhere. This year, though, was going to be different. Leave after service on Sunday; return on Christmas night. Everything was working out perfectly.

AND THEN ... , Friday, the curse of the horseless carriage hit. My advice to all is not to have car trouble on Friday afternoon on the weekend before Christmas. You do not have many options available.

Our alternator died a horrible death. Vicki and I were actually on our way to a repair shop to get it checked before the planned for trip to Tennessee. We had made it about 6 miles down the highway when the engine started to cut out. A wait for the tow truck, a trip to the repair shop, a wait for confirmation of the problem, and then the sticker shock of the repair -- $547. After I started breathing normally again, I realized that this repair blew the budget for the trip.

So, for everyone who is with extended family on Christmas Day, blessings upon you. For those, like us, who are not, blessings upon you too. You probably would have eaten too much anyway.

Reflections for Christmas

Just days before Christmas, it seems appropriate to post something about the holiday. It is tempting for me to join in the clamor over the so-called "War on Christmas," but I shall not. Instead, I would like to share a piece I came across while searching for something for my sermon on December 23.

Chesterton wrote this piece in the early 20th century. That was a time of great transition and, for many, a time of failed hopes. To me, the most poignant lines of the poem are in the third stanza and speak of how we have lost our hearts, despite all that we have gained.

As you celebrate Christmas with your family and friends, Chesterton may provide some material for reflection for you.

The House of Christmas -- G. K. Chesterton

There fared a mother driven forth
Out of an inn to roam;
In the place where she was homeless
All men are at home.
The crazy stable close at hand,
With shaking timber and shifting sand,
Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand
Than the square stones of Rome.

For men are homesick in their homes,
And strangers under the sun,
And they lay on their heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is done.
Here we have battle and blazing eyes,
And chance and honour and high surprise,
But our homes are under miraculous skies
Where the yule tale was begun.

A Child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost - how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky's dome.

This world is wild as an old wives' tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
But our rest is as far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put in impossible things
Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.

To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home

Found at: http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/spring.html

Doing Good at Christmas and beyond

Christmas is the time of year when we think of others. Always, it seems, we think of our family and friends and what we could give them for Christmas. Often, we are more open to helping various charitable endeavors. Charitable groups know this and flood our mail boxes with pleas for help during this season of peace and good will to all people.

Let me suggest two ways that you could do good this year with very little effort or cost. Check out http://freerice.com and www.thehungersite.com.

Free rice presents a challenging word game. With each word for which you select the correct definition, the various advertisers will donate 20 grains of rice to those in hunger.

The hunger site is the first of a series of cause oriented sites that: provide food for the hungry, help pay for mammograms for women in need, help fund health care for children in need, help provide books to children, help protect the rain forest, and give food to pets in animal shelters.

Neither site requires much time. Neither site makes any demands of you beyond visiting and clicking. How much easier could it be?

Both sites can become a way for you to give at Christmas and beyond.

Shallow Analysis and Quick Comments

Last night, I went to the Fitness center on campus. I was planning on a quick work-out on the elliptical machines. As normal, the TV was tuned to FOX News. I will confess that I try to change channels when that happens, but there were others on the machines watching the television, so I refrained.

One of the segments involved a 5th grade girl in Florida who had been suspended -- and taken away by the police -- for using a knife to cut her lunch. It was reported that the girl made no threatening gestures with the knife. The shallow analysis and quick comments by the reporters led to much indignation on how horrible this was and what is our country becoming. A former high-powered judge was brought in to lend the proper amount of gravitas to the discussion. All those involved were in agreement. This should never have happened.

I, obviously, do not know all the details of the case. I am not even certain of the specifics of all that was said by the guests. I do have a couple of observations, though.

I have had enough experience with school rules to know that they are covered at the beginning of the school year or as soon as they become effective. Typically, both the student and parents have to sign a form indicating they have reviewed the rules and understand them. So, I wondered -- Did this happen with this student and her parents? If so, why wasn't this mentioned? Did anyone reporting the story think of this, or were they just trying to make some kind of political noise?

Then, I thought about the difficulties in enforcing any rule or law. For a rule to be effective, it must be enforceable. For a rule to be enforceable, it must be unambiguous.

At one point in my life, I taught chemistry in a high school in Tennessee. The school had a rule that there was to be no gum chewing in class. As a conscientious teacher, I tried to enforce that rule. I spent most of my time chasing after students who were chewing paper or an eraser or just chewing. Eventually, my rule became "NO CHEWING OF ANYTHING OR CHEWING MOTIONS WILL BE ALLOWED." Unambiguous. Stupid, perhaps, but enforceable.

The reason why schools have had to implement rules about knives or other potentially dangerous objects is because students have used such things on other students, on faculty, or on themselves. If the rule states that knives can be brought to school as long as no threatening gestures are made, the debate becomes then centers on when a gesture becomes threatening. How can anyone enforce this?

If someone wants to argue the inherent silliness of such rules, they have that right. It would be nice, if too idealistic, to think that a more thoughtful analysis would be employed.

In the Beginning

After being inspired by my daughter-in-law, Jill, who has had a blog for many months now, I have decided to attempt a blog. If nothing else, this should provide me with an outlet that I do not currently have for sharing my observations.

My interests are widely divergent, and I suspect this forum will reflect that. I might reflect on something philosophical and theological or something scientific. I may reminisce or expound on current news.

My cultural DNA is southern. I grew up in Knoxville Tennessee and have lived in Virginia, Kentucky, and Alabama, and presently reside in Georgia, though I have also lived in Columbus, Ohio and Wichita, Kansas. I have a Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, but I currently am the minister of a Congregational church, that is associated with Piedmont College in Demorest Georgia, where I teach some religion classes.Formerly, I was quick to dismiss bloogers with a disdainful, "Why do they think anyone will be interested in what they have to say?" But, I guess, the same could be said of anyone who writes anything or anyone who preaches on a regular basis.

So, on with the project.