More Pressing Issues?

With the vote on a gay marriage ban in the senate now concluded, and defeated, we can get on with the more pressing issues. That seems to be the mood of opposers of the amendment. I guess I should apologize for caring about a moral issue. Poverty of all kinds wreak havoc on the fabric of our society. Finanacial poverty is a problem, environmental poverty is a problem, but so is moral poverty. Homosexualty is an issue of moral poverty.

The problem, however, is complex. We (the United States Government, churches, etc) have lowered the bar on marriage so far that any justification for banning same-sex marriage rings hollow. Adultery is winked at, divorce is epidemic, and the grwoth of cohabitation is outpacing every other kind of family construction.

We microwave outselves into marriage, consume it, and dispose of it. We treat our marriages in the same manner as we treat a frozen dinner. On what grounds do we have the moral credibility to do this?

I believe it is a moral issue, but who can stand for preserving marriage as between a man and a woman in a convincing way? Mother Teresa, where are you?

This is the Second Civil War.

Storms

When the sun sets during a storm, sometimes its rays bend through the sky shining one last glimpse of light, brilliant pink and purple, blue and green, off the towering thunderheads, in original tints and shades. Sometimes the sun invents new colors, used only once in all of time, to paint the clouds of the fierce storm before giving way to the horizon's cover. Then lightning dances its web through the colored cotton clouds; here, then there, every time a surprise, every time a wonder. The clouds are washed down to the earth like the wisp of a child's watercolor smear. Beauty and danger dance like lovers. The fearsome and wonderful thunder gives rhythm to the dance.

Court

I was made to go to court yesterday as a witness. Hated it. I imagine life is like court. You get asked trick questions. You get bullied into positions you don't want to be in. You get cross-examined. Accused, discredited, manipulated, blamed, and on and on. Satan is a tough prosecutor.

However, thank God for a gifted defense attorney, Jesus. No matter how the accusations come, Jesus turns them back around in order to get to his own agenda. He does it every time. The harder Satan presses, the more empowered Jesus is because he uses Satan's energy against him. Amazing.

At the same time, I imagine Hell to be much like life, with all of the accusation, blaming and so on, but with no defense attorney. There is the slick and malevolent prosecutor and you gotta defend yourself. Pack-peck-puck, the charges against you snipe away at your confidence and you realize you've got no defense...because some of them are true, even though most of them are false.

And the thing you can't do for yourself that Jesus can is take your place. Not only is Jesus the defense attorney in life, but he is the judge. Not a bad position to be in whe Jesus is going to bat for you. The judge is likely to side with the defense attorney if they are the same person.

Finally, I imagine Heaven to be the day after court. Relief. Finally, it is over and we won! No more anxiety. No more tight stomach. No more wondering what will hurt me next. All that is over. A victory celebration is the next order of business. What a terrific joy.

I can't wait for that day.

A little escape

I like to escape for a while. When everyone else is asleep, I can escape into my own little world. Thinking, pondering, drinking diet Dr. Pepper...the good things in life. I think it helps me get to the real thoughts in my mind. You know, the things that go beyond automatic pilot. I get to have a little unrestricted creativity. And I like it.

I am grateful for a little escape.