UGH!

There was no school today for students but not so for teachers and staff. Therefore my wife and I did some child care for the day. I took my three grandsons to the pool. They were hanging around the steps into the pool when an older gentleman (surely older than me) started down the steps. "I'm just going to sneak by the kids," he said. I replied, "Don't 'sneak,' hold your head up high as you enter." "Not easy for a conservative to do," he pouted, "but it looks like next year will be different."

Give me a break! What's wrong with the people of this country? Is politics the only thing they breathe and eat? God help us all. God help us to have a sense of humor, whatever our politics. God help us to take ourselves a little less seriously.

Maturity

My wife and I attended our 50th year High School Reunion last Saturday. Fortunately, we were both in the same class so neither one of us will have to go to another one. We also went to our 20th but don't remember having a good time. This time, for whatever reason, we enjoyed ourselves. I told one of our classmates who was on the organizing committee. "I didn't like our 20th," I said, "but tonight is very different." He replied, "That's because when you're only 20 years out of high school, you have to impress everybody with all your accomplishments. When you get to your 50th, those accomplishments don't count for much. You are much freer to be yourself."

His comment made a lot of sense to me. "Free to be yourself." That's a good definition of what it means to be a mature person.

Campaign Ads

I'm currently on a 3500 mile jaunt around the eastern half of the U.S. I've seen many campaign ads on TV while passing time in a hotel room. No matter where you go in this fair land of ours, the ads are all negative. UGH! No wonder we seem to be so messed up (using nice language, that is).

Anger

The cover story on this week's edition of Newsweek suggests that the only politicians who gain attention and response from the people are those who show anger. There is no shortage of politicians who show anger these days. The President is criticized from all directions for not expressing anger. Apparently careful, reflective thought is not in vogue. What has our nation come to? The Bible says that if we are angry, we should not sin and we should not let the sun go down on our anger (Ephesians 4:26), but the anger expressed in today's politics never ends at the end of the day. You hear the same thing from the same people day after day.

Yes, Jesus did show anger on occasion (driving the money changers out of the temple, for example), but it was not his primary emotion. If he were running for office today, he no doubt would not be elected. He just wasn't angry enough! He would, however, have more than 100% chance of being crucified.

David M. Bailey

Since I've shared a couple of resources lately, let me share a most powerful one. David M. Bailey was a folk singer and son of Presbyterian missionary and Biblical scholar, Kenneth Bailey. He fought a malignant brain tumor for over 13 years -- long beyond the time that doctors originally gave him. He died on October 2 after several weeks in hospice care. The way he fought was a wonderful witness to the power of "faith and hope and love." I've read many of his poems and have some of his music on my iPod. If you want to listen to music that is both deep and uplifting, I encourage you to check out davidmbailey.com.

Another Great Resource

"30 Good Minutes" is another great resource that I stumbled onto a while ago. Here's a brief description taken from the web site: 30goodminutes.org:

Our mission is to enrich spiritual life by communicating stories and ideas that engage people of many faiths, and to foster compassion, reconciliation and peace.

We know it's an unusual name. It dates to 1908, when our founders were looking for something to call the weekly ecumenical service they sponsored in Chicago's Orchestra Hall. It was in Chicago, it was on a Sunday Evening and they didn't want it to sound "churchy," so they called it a Club. But there were no memberships or dues. Everyone was included—all you had to do was show up!

Today, the Chicago Sunday Evening Club produces 30 Good Minutes, a television broadcast and web site that features some of the leading voices in religion, as well as the stories of everyday people whose lives reflect the rich tapestry of religious life in America.

30 Good Minutes is an award-winning weekly broadcast on WTTW Channel 11 (PBS Chicago) and in syndication in other U.S. cities. It features many of America’s great religious thinkers, selected from a broad range of denominations and faith traditions. The program explores topics of faith through short meditations (sermons), documentaries, interviews and commentaries.

In a day when religion gets a lot of bad raps (some deservedly so), here's a program that helps to bring some sanity into the discussion. The web site has all the programs cross-referenced by speaker, Biblical text, or topic. Check it out!

The Character Issue

In both times Bill Clinton was elected President, George H. W. Bush and Bob Dole often referred to the importance of "character" in guiding how people should vote. Admittedly Bill Clinton had some flaws, but they were nothing compared to the character of some of today's candidates. Without naming names, I wonder what Mr. Bush and Mr. Dole say about some who are running for office today -- who lie about their educational history, who send pornographic messages "to just a few friends," who threaten reporters, etc. Characters, indeed. God save us from ourselves.