My family is hanging out at the Vineyard Westside every Sunday at 11:00, and the message today revolved around “passing the torch” to the next generation. Wow and Yikes, yeah?
Our pastor, Tim, asked that we think about the person in our life that has passed the torch onto us. Two names came to mind immediately: Evan Griffin and Steven Fuller. These two men have been very participative in my coming into Jesus, and in a connected way, my wife coming back to Jesus, and my son learning about Jesus. This idea was very clear at the time we left church.
But, I am a Bengal fan, and we went home to watch the game. As the game started, I quickly posted something on this blog about how Steve and Evan have been so instrumental in my spiritual journey. The game was starting, however, and I had quickly donned my Brooks #21 jersey, then rapidly posted my stuff, and sat down to watch the Bengals, …knowing that my stunt about Evan and Steve sucked. I thought, maybe I’ll go back later and fix it or something.
Then the power went out. I had time to think about posting such as crappy post that should have meant so much more. (For the writers out there, you know when you write something that’s crap.)
The lights went out, …trees on lines, …madness and mayhem for e-phonics, …and now I have time to go back and say what needs to be said, without distraction.
Evan is an inspiration. He and Kim epitomize what “following Jesus” looks like. Several years ago, Evan took the time out of his life to invite me for coffee. He wanted to hear my story. Since then, he has heard it many times, in all its evolutions, and he has been constant in his giving of solid advice and clear listening within a created void due to self-loathing and lack of discipline. This man, …who invested in me, has gone through stuff that might break other peoples’ necks, but he and his wife have stood strong in faith, knowing that Jesus would see them through. Thank you, Evan, for your time and mentorship.
Steve is also inspiring, but for somewhat different reasons. That he questions what he follows, looking for ways to become more authentic in his beliefs and thus actions, …this has helped me be more keenly aware of my own beliefs and actions. His courage, often in the face of ridicule and second-guessing, is inspiring. He has made decisions that some of his best friends consider wrong, …but he is carrying on God-stuff in a way that is fearless, …and his actions sing the tune most overlooked. So, thank you, Steve, for your courage. You are a trail-blazer for sticking to your guns and carrying what God puts on you. Thank you for working toward becoming the man you talk about.
These two have built into me a sense of looking past the cards we’re dealt and getting at what’s most important.
How life works is often crazy. The wind not only spared me one more miserable Bengal-Sunday but it also allowed me to think about stuff with nothing but a candle to distract me. The electric should go out more often.
Tim from Cincinnati asked: "Who loved on you enough to love another."
Get a piece of Peace.
4 comments:
The pop element to politics does chap my ass, but so does pop culture in general...and I've attempted to renounce my identity as such several times and Im getting there. All in all, mainstream society bores me with its self ignorant hokiness.
The real is embedded in fragments of info/disinfo...that if you have the time and the scars, you can realize much, and the longer the time and deeper the scars the more your potential.
Off to Pusan, SK~!
What do you make of the American tax payers bailout of the Reaganomics meltdown...again?
To summarize, the American people are being forced to bailout corporate America, and the ideology that has bought its way deep into the fed. Because if we don't, the parasite that is deregulated neo-liberalism will pull us over the cliff with it for we are so entangled, but alas, are not one and the same.
I say F the bailout, lets shake the corporate parasite off the hardworking back of America, reign them back in under control of the American people and gain some peace of mind.
However, we don't really have a choice in the matter. As I write this congress is being forced to push through Paulson's plan to use taxpayer money to buy up all those bull shit mortgages that companies exploited people with, and vice versa. The Rich stay rich....the poor get poorer, and the neo-cons gain power.
What do you make of the American tax payers bailout of the Reaganomics meltdown...again?
To summarize, the American people are being forced to bailout corporate America, and the ideology that has bought its way deep into the fed. Because if we don't, the parasite that is deregulated neo-liberalism will pull us over the cliff with it for we are so entangled, but alas, are not one and the same.
I say F the bailout, lets shake the corporate parasite off the hardworking back of America, reign them back in under control of the American people and gain some peace of mind.
However, we don't really have a choice in the matter. As I write this congress is being forced to push through Paulson's plan to use taxpayer money to buy up all those bull shit mortgages that companies exploited people with, and vice versa. The Rich stay rich....the poor get poorer, and the neo-cons gain power.
Thanks, George, for posting. I believe that corporate bailouts, especially when the govt. takes over major banking institutions, will take us one more step down the road toward "Totalitarianism."
Scary, scary times.
We need to scale back govt., not give them more control.
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