There’s the row of gray people

walking in gray coats

step by step by step

row after row after row

with long gray coats

 

and

 

big gray hats

hiding their long gray faces

 

shades of gray

a dull rainbow of un-promise

arching to horizons ahead

 

and…

 

you want to move quick

don’t look

 

don’t

get

infected

 

and…

 

we do…we pass by the gray shades

with thin gray skin

none of our business

they are what they appear

 

what a loss…

not taking time to see

the life in their eyes

the light

eden is not gone

it steams inside

these gray people

these inside out people

 

surely a word from us –

and their mouths open

spilling newness and beauty

and a new world

 

just a word…

 

life can (tick) move

along (tock) at a (tick) pace

that we (tock) dislike

we (tick) wait and

(tock) wait for brilliance

(tick) to happen

no (tock) action

no (tick) momentum

just a long (tock) pause

asking (tick) when IT

(tock) will happen

we (tick) forget

we (tock) are creatures in motion

everything (tick) moves

and beats (tock)

sweats and (tick) bleeds

cries and (tock) falls

grows and (tick) speaks

life (tock) wants the great stretch

the deep (tick) breath  before

trigger is (tock) squeezed and

(tick) bullet flies forth

no more asking (tock)

“when will life (tick) do?!?”

but simply (tock) do

move (tick) move (tock) move (tick)

away from (tick) where you are

(tock) toward who you (tick)

were created (tick) to be

life (tick) acts

 

death stops and the clock winds down to a quiet, empty place where there isn’t even the strain of the held breath and the anticipation of the great exhale…just a bland, staring nothing…

 

then (tick) life

(tock) returns

and the (tick) great

movement (tock) to the

(tick) great Mover

Who (tock) will ask –

“Did (tick) you move

Toward Me (tock)

Or die (tick) before

(tock) the end?”

 

I was in Pastor D’s office sharing the news that I had unearthed a box of my poetry from nearly 20 years ago (ack) and joking about the potential quality of it. D suggested it might be a box of limericks which triggered a humourous title for an Autobiography:

hmmmmm…There once was a man from Guelph…

I’d better quit while I’m ahead.

I want to read this book by Al Gore and see the documentary (about Global Warming). Apparently both are very good. The science is supposed to be accurate (according to the scientists who have reviewed them). I saw Gore interviewed on The Daily Show (the world’s funniest program) and it was a great dialogue.

 

 

Obama to Democrats: Woo evangelicals

Senator chatises party for failing to understand power of faith

WASHINGTON — Sen. Barack Obama chastised fellow Democrats Wednesday for failing to "acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people" and said the party must compete for the support of evangelicals and other churchgoing Americans.

"Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation. Context matters," the Illinois Democrat said in remarks to a conference of Call to Renewal, a faith-based movement to overcome poverty.

"It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase `under God,"’ he said. "Having voluntary student prayer groups using school property to meet should not be a threat any more than its use by the High School Republicans should threaten Democrats."

Obama, the only black in the Senate, drew national notice even before arriving in Congress last year, and has occasionally used his visibility to scold members of his own party. Widely sought as a fundraiser for other Democrats, Obama responded with a noncommittal laugh this spring when asked whether he wants a spot on the national ticket in 2008.

His speech included unusually personal references to religion, the type of remarks that usually come more readily from Republicans than Democrats.

"Kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt I heard God’s spirit beckoning me," he said of his walk down the aisle of the Trinity United Church of Christ. "I submitted myself to his will and dedicated myself to discovering his truth."

Obama said millions of Christians, Muslims and Jews have traveled similar religious paths, and that is why "we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse. … In other words, if we don’t reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for, Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons will continue to hold sway."

Obama coupled his advice with a warning. "Nothing is more transparent than inauthentic expressions of faith: the politician who shows up at a black church around election time and claps — off rhythm — to the gospel choir."

At the same time, he said, "Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering the public square."

As a result, "I think we make a mistake when we fail to acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people and join a serious debate about how to reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy."

Obama mentioned leaders of the religious right briefly, saying they must "accept some ground rules for collaboration" and recognize the importance of the separation of church and state.

Here is a creed that Breena sent out by e-mail which I really like. Some of you know that I am a big fan of creeds because they are there to remind us of what we believe (sometimes we need reminders).

 

I believe-

That we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

 

I believe-

That no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive  them for that.

 

I believe-

That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

 

I believe-

That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache  for life.

 

I believe-

That it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

 

I believe-

That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.It may be the last time you see them.

 

I believe-

That you can keep going long after you can’t.

 

I believe-

That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

 

I believe-

That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

 

I believe-

That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

 

I believe-

That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

 

I believe-

That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

 

I believe-

That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

 

I believe-

That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

 

I believe-

That sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

 

I believe-

That just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

 

I believe-

That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

 

I believe-

That it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

 

I believe-

That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

 

I believe-

That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

 

I believe-

That just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

 

I believe-

That you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

 

I believe-

That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

 

I believe-

That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

 

I believe-

That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

 

I believe-

That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

 

I believe-

That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

 

I believe-

That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in.

I am reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and thought I would throw some quotes out there. The premise of the book is that it is a collection of letters from a senior demon (Screwtape) to his nephew, Wormwood advising him on how best to tempt humans away from God.

 

"It increases the patient’s (human) reluctance to thing about the enemy (God). All humans at nearly all times have some such reluctance; but when thinking of Him involves facing and intensifying a whole vague cloud of half-conscious guilt, this reluctance is increased ten-fold. They hate every idea that suggests Him, just as men in fincancial embarrassment hate the sight of a pass-book."

 

"Habit renders the pleasures of vanity and excitement and flippancy at once less pleasant and harder to forgo (for that is what habit fortunately does to pleasure)."

 

"Nothing – is very strong: strong enough to steal away a man’s best years not in sweet sins but in dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why, in the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, in drumming of fingers and in kicking of heels, in whistling tunes that hedoes not like, or in the long, dim labyrinth of reveries that have not even lust or ambition to give them relish, but which, once chance association has started them, the creature is too weak and fuddled to shake off."

 

"It does not matter how small the sins are provided that there cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts…"

Dearest friends,

 

Greetings to you in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord and in the name of believers everywhere. Praise be to God for you and for His ministry through you.

 

It occurs to me that although I have written and spoken to many of you about our Lord and your walk with Him I have never taken the time to visit you in this place, a place where you spend an increasing amount of time. I can see by the way you speak and by your actions that you strive to follow our Lord’s example in every way. Still, imagine my surprise when I heard rumour that when you visited Internet you became an entirely different person…completely unrecognizable as a follower of Jesus seeking to glorify Him through your lives.

 

My first response was "this cannot be!" and "surely you are speaking of some other person, one who has not yet come to understand the saving work of Christ?" but with the reports came a desire to see for myself and so without notice I packed what little I needed and journeyed to Internet with the sole desire to prove your naysayers wrong.

 

I am sorry to say I have found little to bring back with me in the way of evidence of a fruitful journey on your part. I saddened to the depths of my heart but this is nothing in comparison to the pain our Father has as He journeys with you through this place.

In many ways you are worse than you once were (and you know I can say this because I too have walked a darker path in a sunless land and have come out into the bright saving grace of Jesus). There is a myth of freedom here in Internet that covers a more hideous lie which is bondage to darkness and depravity the likes of which the outer world has yet to see.

 

Where once the sin was in thought it has become action in Internet. Where once lust reigned in the heart it has become the secret ruler in pornography, webcams, illicit and hurtful chat in the small hours of the morning when the world sleeps and you forget who walks with you and what Spirit aches within you.

 

You have created idols in webpages dedicated to celebrating the the shadow realm. Your sites play music that seeks to tear down God and unleash chaos. Your pictures speak of a hidden desire.

 

MSN handles that speak of a different person who desires to tempt and be tempted. Where you are clean amongst flesh you are filthy in Internet as though you could create an alternate persona. As though you could separate yourself from your shadow and send it to thrive in cyberspace.

 

I know you and have seen you confess that you would NEVER walk into a store and steal a box of software, a DVD or a CD but in Internet the rules seem to be changed and all is available to the cunning.

 

This is a test by which we are measured – who are we when we think no one is watching? What do we do when we think we are alone?

 

You cannot separate yourself into two. You are one being – body, mind and spirit. God is not absent in Internet but He stands ready to redeem wherever you go. His grace is there as much as here. Do not seek to replace flesh and flesh community and fellowship with the cold touch of electrons – seek only to supplement.

 

Internet is God’s realm as much as the town. Your life there and here are the same. God’s desire remains the same no matter where you roam. This place can be beautiful and you, first and foremost, should shed God’s light in all things. Be bright for Him in this place. See, He sets a standard for you which is beyond the world’s but for the sake of the world and you are called to be its bearers.

 

So I close with my hope for you which is God’s hope too – that you be Christ in all places, world and net,  but know that you cannot serve two masters (as you have heard). I will pray for you always and in all things and pray for me as well in the same way, as I journey to Internet from the world and back.

 

The blessing of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you always and in all ways.

 

His Servant.

Ok – after Eric Eeeee. told me about the new Windows Vista beta program I signed up to download it (because I like to try to blow up my computer with half-tested software). Anyhow – after about four hours I downloaded all 3.5 GIGS of it!!!!!!! Then it took a great deal of time to figure out how to unpack the iso and burn it to a DVD. All in all it was about 3 minutes to quitting time when I decided to START loading the software. Unwise. After about 15 minutes I decided to pack the laptop into my backpack briefcase and race home on my bike before the whole thing overheated and burst into flames.

 

Clearly since I am here typing this blog things worked out.

 

Chris G. pointed out that I may be the only person on the planet to have loaded Vista (oer any program) on a laptop strapped to my back while riding my bike. A new first to be proud of.

 

So – it’s a pretty good OS. A few issues in terms of drivers (the beta pretty much doesn’t come with any). I still have to get my 5-way card reader working…but other than that (and the fact that it seems to be a memory pig) all is well.

 

It goes well with the Office 2007 beta I just d/l’d.

Try to write –

 

bright white space

stares back…

 

and maybe

that’s just as well

 

it is purity

 

no black letters

no creation…

 

just a long cool page

 

possibilities can be better

                              than realities –

 

sometimes.

sometimes.