Confessions of a Shiftless Mind

A friend of mine had this link in his facebook. I went over and had a boo. The bloggers are trying to tackle the problem of the wealth disparity. It is a problem, don’t get me wrong. Their thoughts are very socialistic - almost communist. However, they speak from a Christian point of view, which makes for interesting reading watching these two different trains of thought intersect and pass one another.

I found myself to be more in disagreement than agreement with their thoughts. I think they jump to conclusions occasionally and haven’t really thought out the full ramifications of what they propose.

On the other hand, I can see where they are coming from. I wrestled with this a few years ago (though not as fully as they seem intent on), and my thinking is this: Communism works great if everyone is a Christian. If everyone truly thought of others before themselves even most of the time, it really could work. However, without that precondition, the system is doomed to be exploited by those who are greedy and/or without scruples. But the same can be said for any system, including economics. Capitalism works great if everyone is informed by a Christian ethic. Without it, capitalism can be exploited to make money for those without scruples. There is nothing that can be done about this - nothing but spreading the Gospel. When Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” He is right. None of our world’s problems can be solved without Him at the front. As long as we think we can figure this mess out without Him, it’s just going to get worse. Convincing everyone to live cleanly, live green, live with as small a footprint as possible will only salve the conscience of the person doing it. It does nothing to help the poor. It does nothing to stop the rich from exploiting the poor.

I tend to think that as Christians we might well be more effective in ministering to the world’s needs by making as much money as we can (ethically), so that we can give it away to the poor, wisely. Governments have proven unwise at charity, we must do it ourselves. Jesus told the parable of the talents - who was praised the most: the ones who made money, or the one who tried to proceed on a “break even” basis? Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean we should sin to make money so that we can help more. It means we should do our best with what we have got, and try to live to see the most good done with what we have been given.

Random thoughts upon second viewing:

• Dang that was good!
• Leo was so badass he’s like a kid Rambo, but slightly more likely.
• Jennifer Connelly is one of my top 5 Hollywood actresses. Hard to believe she got her start in “Labyrinth“.
• Come to think of it, my top 5 Hollywood Actresses are: Jennifer Connelly, Naomi Watts, Kate Beckinsale (except she smokes like a chimney which I find annoying in an actress), Reese Witherspoon, and Frances O’Connor.
• This is probably the most gripping and realistic movie about Africa I have seen since Hotel Rwanda.
• I couldn’t believe how it actually dealt with 3 major themes of Africa in one story. Raising awareness of the problems the continent faced (and continues to face) is admirable.
• Cool action too.

And yeah, I bought it.

4 Working days left until vacation time. Time to start the weather watch.

I vapourized there for a few days, because I am working on yet another blogging project. Yeah, what the heck eh? I thought long and hard about adding yet another blog to my growing list of places to rant and rave about inconsequence and quixocity. I thought to myself, “How many blog posts do I have in me per day?”

A blogging friend of mine has been chatting with me about how to actually get something out of this besides vanity and the hopes that someone, somewhere, finds meaning in what I write and is blessed by it. Not by going hog wild with advertising, but by using it tastefully and appropriately, and letting my work be rewarded. Some bloggers out there use things like tip jars (paypal accounts people can spontaneously give money to, in support of the blog) but I think that is simply unrealistic, and I have never heard of anyone actually getting anything out of that. Others will have a booklist or wishlist that people can buy for them stuff they want. Another vanity I think. I have never read a blog I thought was so magnificent, so über, that I simply had to lavish money and gifts upon the one so gifted with profundity. I don’t think many others have either. Hence, it is back to ads. Continue Reading »

I do. I know I needed one. I think people in our mobile culture lack people with experience and respect speaking into their lives. I think at the same time, societal attitudes towards privacy have isolated us from people speaking into our lives. The result is a lot of people turning in a lot of directions for advice, when the answer is all around them - there are people everyone knows who are good at things, or perhaps have lived longer and learned more than they.

There are all kinds of them out there. There are career mentors, lifecoaches, fitness mentors, the list goes on. I can’t believe that some people actually pay for this type of service - although I guess the better you want to be the higher quality a mentor you need.

Anyways, if you don’t have one, I’d think about it. Do you enjoy making mistakes? Would you rather learn from someone else’s mistakes than make your own? Would you simply like to grow in wisdom? Get a mentor.

(This advertisement paid for by more mistakes that I’d like to have made.)

Which, as all of you knows, is the international sign to initiate Monty Python fawnings.

Relapsed Catholic broke out the geekery, linking with this in-depth analysis about why Terry Jones was really just a Python hanger-on. Myself, I thought his screechy drag bits were passably funny, and Python wouldn’t have been the same without him. I also liked the bit from “Meaning of Life” where he is a performer, playing “Three Blind Mice” by pounding a series of mice with mallets. Morbid, but funny.

I particularly enjoyed the first comment on the article (at the end) -

24 hours of Monty Python lines will commence……now.

Right! I’ll do you for that!

We are going to be getting away… just in time I think. I am starting to feel a little stressed with the load from upcoming courses in June, the church plant, leading a new small group, plus the ongoing burden of work. My wife could use the break too… it has been a long time coming and a long winter for us.

We have booked into the Snug Harbour Inn, at Ucluelet. I don’t know what it is about that coast that keeps drawing me back… perhaps its remote beauty, its windy tempermentality, its cozy fireplaces and dashing breakers. I don’t know, but something about it soothes my soul.

If I had $1 000 000… well maybe not that one.

Finally! Casting Crowns‘ new studio album, entitled “‘The Altar and The Door” is launching August 28!

These guys are my absolute most favorite band, regardless of genre. It has been a long time since I have found a band that produces albums that consistently produce 10 tracks of listenable music. I have bought maybe 5 CDs in the last 5 years, because of this.

But more than that, this band more than just about any other I have listened to, produces high quality, catchy music accompanied by challenging, worshipful lyrics. Other artists may pull off one or two songs that are either challenging or worshipful. These guys do it 5 or 6 times per release. It’s nuts, but hey. I’ll enjoy it.

The title makes this sound like a treatise, but in fact this post will be much more personal. It is an account of a war, and a victory. A War that I wish wouldn’t happen, but yet every time it does, I find my strength improving funny how that works.

A friend of mine at work, he updated his facebook with a couple websites. I like him, he became a Christian relatively recently, and he’s been on fire for God.

I surfed on over in a spare moment, and read about some of the stuff he is up to. I became even more impressed. The guy is all over the place, doing great stuff to reach out to his friends and family, and dealing with real stuff. His upcoming wedding is a real testimony to the power of God in his and his bride’s lives.

Then I started getting jealous. Can you believe it? I started feeling jealous that another people knew God and was doing His will. Why should I be jealous? I should be rejoicing at the Kingdom of God on this earth, growing and thriving! I should be excited at other people seeking wholeness and peace in Jesus! But I found myself getting introspective, and asking myself why wasn’t I doing more.

It’s at moments like these I am immensely grateful for Paul’s writings. Romans 7 and 8 in particular, illustrating in no uncertain terms, that this is the human condition. We think things we have no business thinking. On this earth we will fight a long running battle in our minds against our own thoughts. Continue Reading »

Nothing in particular set this off other than a thought to chime in on a very pertinent issue to Christians these days. A quote from Pyromaniacs on feminine modesty:

“But — but they won’t look good on me! The shoulders will be wrong!”

I’m not sure that’s necessarily true, but let’s accept it and pose a counter-question. You tell me. Which is worse: your shoulders hanging a half-inch too low? Or a blouse/shirt that simply (shifting into turbo-delicate) provides need-to-know information to those with a need-to-not-know?

If you haven’t previously, please read the whole thing.

…the whole thing being his previous post on feminine modesty.

I just wanted to add one more note to counter the idea that a woman will not be satisfactorily trendy/hot/good looking should she forego the latest revealing fashions. Matthew 5:27-30 speaks of what causes adultery. Appropriately, it then moves to some seemingly over-the-top statements about cutting off body parts that cause you to sin. However, I ask you: if Jesus says to pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin, how much more should you throw away inappropriately immodest clothing if it causes you or others to sin?