Opus 2012-100, Pentecost Changes Perspective

Pentecost is coming May 27, 2012.  We are between it and Easter.  Pentecost is the day the church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit described in Acts 2.  Before that day God’s Spirit was available for selected individuals.  After that day He was available for all believers. 

Picture the difference in point of view.  At the Resurrection the women were met by the angel who said, “He is not here.  He is risen.”  That was true and complete statement for that day, but now we have something better.  Because of Pentecost we would now say, “He is here.  He is risen.” 

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost fulfilled a promise of Jesus.  Because of that He is where we are.  He is here in the church.  He is here in our hearts.  He is here.  It doesn’t invalidate any of what was said then but it makes it more complete.

Think about it.  Seek the fullness of the Spirit.  Rejoice.

He is risen!

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-99,  On the Street:  Crosswalk Insights

Recently as was waiting to turn left in front of my school, I observed a Latina and her three children crossing the street.  They were strolling like they had not a care in the world.  It was a happy picture of a mother, surrounded by her brood as she shepherded them to their days.  Little things like this make me grateful I live in America.

She was a Latina.  I have no clue as to what country she or her ancestors were from.  It did not matter, she was in the United States and she was walking without fear.  I don’t think that would have happened in Mexico, or Nicaragua or ___________.  You fill in the blank of a Spanish speaking country.  We have our problems but they are mild and gentle compared to what it is like to live other places.

Think about it.  Think about the things they were not worried about, things that are every day occurrences in other countries.  They were not worried about:

    being run down
    being shot
    being arrested
    being kidnapped
    being ______________

At the speed they were moving, they were not even worried about being late for school.

This is the USA.  Things happen, but they are not the norm like they are where these people come from.  Rejoice that you were born here.  Rejoice in the heritage we have.  Assume that these people are legal.  They are welcome to enjoy the fruit and add the nutrients they bring to the soil of liberty.  If they are illegal, that just speaks well of the culture we have.  The world wants to come here.

We are blessed.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-98, New Terms: Idiot, Imbecile, Moron

Have you ever called anyone an idiot?  We have a lot of labels for people who seem to lack a direct connection to the mental internet.  They seem to be running on wireless during a power outage.  You know the type.  I thought maybe you should know what accusation you are actually making.

Idiots are the lowest level.  They have an I.Q. of 0-25.  Next you have imbeciles at 26-50 and morons at 51-70.  I think that above 70 is considered in the normal range. 

Some words are totally relative.  Retarded simply means slow or turned backward.  Ignorant does not mean stupid, it means uninformed.  Space cadet can mean anything you want it to mean.

Currently I don’t know of any commonly accepted understanding for the words, liberal, administrator, lawyer, blogger, or politician.  Remember that Wikipedia can be edited by the contributors. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-97,  Should-a-Beens:  Obama Confession

There is another headlines I would like to see.  I don’t expect to see it but it would go like this:

    Obama confesses he is not all that smart

There are two reasons I won’t see it.  First, he would never admit it.

Second, the press would never print it if he did admit it.  One of the articles of faith of the Progressive Church of Humanity is that Barak Obama is very smart.  It goes right along with __________ is stupid.  You may fill in the blank with any person of conservative opinion with special attention to women and minorities.

In a perfect world....  But we don’t have a perfect world.  At present we have a Progressive world.  Remember that our clocks are right two times a day.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-96, On the Street: Does It Have Blue Lights?

I saw him coming up behind me.  I wasn’t really worried because I was well below the speed limit, all my lights were working, I wasn’t drinking and I wasn’t on my cell phone.  He had a white helmet, a black uniform and a distinctive motorcycle.  It was obvious that everyone saw the cop coming up behind us.  As he roared past he looked the part but I noticed something:  His motorcycle did not have blue lights on the back.

I was out of state.  I don’t know the rules in other places.  In the People’s Republik of Kalifornia the police motorcycles have blue lights on the back so you can identify them.  I thought that was universal.  Maybe not.  Was he a policeman, an imposter or a wannabe?

For me at that time it did not matter.  At another time it might.

Think of the people you come into on a daily basis.  How many of them see themselves in a role?  Some think of themselves as caring and sensitive.  They have the expressions and phrases to prove it. 

Think of the people that have influence.  We listen to campaign speeches.  We listen to experts in education and science.  Are they for real or are they just tooting their own horns?  They have certificates on the wall and offices that show they are important.

Think of yourself.  What kind of facades do you have in your own life?  Do you try to fool people into thinking you are what you are not?  Do you drive a car you can’t really afford?  Do you wear design labels to impress?  Are you a name dropper?

This morning I had a conversation with a man about the need for character education in our schools.  I told him that character education for the students needed to start at the top, the superintendent of schools.  It needed to then move to school administrators and teachers.  I can’t really teach someone to play the piano if I can’t play the piano.  I may explain it and teach the theory but until they see it done, time is wasted.

Society has problems.  They will not be solved unless we start with ourselves.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-95, On the Street: What Is Your Favorite Book?

I was checking out of the library recently and they had a PR sign up saying, “What is your favorite book?”  They had a wed site which I assume I could go to and enter-to-win. 

What is my favorite book?  Asking me to decide on my favorite book is like asking which bite in a meal was my favorite.  I have a corner lined with books.  I have a house full of books.  I have a life saturated with books.  I have a couple of shelves of books waiting to be read.  I have a list of books I hope to find in the library or a used book sale.  I have a shelf of books I want to read again.

What is my favorite book?  The easy and obvious answer is the Bible.  That is one of those answers that is so simple it is not the answer they are asking for.  After that, what would I choose?  This is on the level of being asked which is your favorite child or having your wife ask you, “If you had it to do over again, would you marry me?”

So, what is my favorite book?  The answer is, “Yes!  Now get out of my light.  Can’t you see I am trying to read here?”

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-94, Who Are the Orthodox?

I constantly deal with a point of confusion in my students.  One of the questions that gets asked is “Are you Catholic or Christian?”  My standard reply is “Catholics are Christian.”  What they really are asking is “Are you Catholic or born-again Protestant?” 

Christianity has many branches.  There are certain beliefs that tie all of us together regardless of the name on the sign.  There are certain lack of beliefs that will keep some out of heaven no matter what it says on the sign. 

Most of us are familiar with the many denominations of the Protestant world:  Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.  We are aware of the Roman Catholic church.  A growing part of the mix in the United States is a group that falls under the generic label of Orthodox.  Often they have a nationalistic adjective in front of the title, such as Greek Orthodox or Armenian Orthodox.

Who are these Orthodox?

A little church history is in order.  The Christian church emerged and grew as a pariah in the Roman Empire.  Christians were fair game.  They had no rights and were persecuted in various ways, but the church grew anyway.  That changed in 313 when Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which made Christianity legal.  As the churches came out of the closet and began to include increasing numbers of people who had not risked their lives to believe, politics and cultural influences had a growing influence in the church.  As the Eastern Roman Empire began to differ from the Western Roman Empire the local churches went along.  The Eastern Church became more Greek, the Western Church more Latin.

At the birth of Mohammed, 670, there were a number of cities that boasted a strong Christian presence.  Rome was one.  It was also the traditional center of the Roman Empire which gave it extra prestige.  Roman Catholics seem to believe that it was always the center of the church but the Bishop of Rome was really one of several influential Bishops.  Others were found in cities like Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria.  Islam began to change the map in 630 when Mohammed conquered Mecca and the armies of Islam began to spread the faith.  The areas overwhelmed first contained some of the strongest Christian centers.  This decimated the churches.  Consider this:

“The author talks about how tolerant the early Muslims were but gives facts that contradict:  About Algeria and Tunisia, ‘In the sixth century, some five hundred bishops operated in this region; by the eighth century, it was hard to find any.’  What happened in the 7th century?  The Muslim conquest.”  (Jenkins, Philip.  The Lost History of Christianity, New York:  Harper One, 2008, p. 34)

One by one the Christian centers were eliminated until only Rome and Constantinople remained.  They both claimed to be the one true church.  In 1054 the leaders of the two branches, the Orthodox Patriarch and the Roman Catholic Pope, excommunicated each other.  They have been separated ever since.  They are in constant talks but so far nothing has come of it.  In 1453 the Muslims conquered Constantinople and the Pope was the last man standing.

The Orthodox have survived but the last hundred years have seen an increase in these Christians fleeing Muslim countries because of increased persecution.  Christians are fair game in countries from Egypt to Indonesia. 

So embrace them as part of the family of God.  They have some differences but they are with us on the basics.  If Baptists and Wesleyans can get along, so can the Orthodox.

While you are at it, work on the Baptists and the Wesleyans getting along.  Set a good example.

homo unius libri