Salt and Light

I finally watched Diane Sawyer's interview with Mel Gibson that aired monday night. It's available online here. I was fascinated, I laughed, I cried, and I learned more about a man that I never really put much thought to before.

If you have patience, and a good high-speed connection, I recommend watching it.

I really want to comment on the movie itself, but I will refrain from doing so until I have seen it. People have told me about it, and I know certain details (for example, Mel is actually not in the movie, despite what some people I have talked to originally thought, but his hand makes a cameo: his left hand holds the nail that is driven into Jesus' hand.) but I want to come with no expectations.

One part of the interview that deserves being repeated, especially since most of what I've heard about this movie has rumblings of anti-semitism, was Mel's response to the question: So who did kill Jesus? Mel: "The big answer is: we all did. I'll be first in the culpability stakes here (raises his hand) There's an argument that says Christians are more culpable in Christ's death than non-believers ... Jesus Christ was crucified for all man, of all creeds, for all time. And he died for all of us."

What a powerful testimony. Here is a man who has everything the secular world can offer: money, fame, power, adorings fans. And still, at the height of his career, he was at the depths in his spritual life. Start watching from 6:20 on, and you can hear it from the man himself.

God Bless you Mel, thank you for doing this.

Oh, and while searching for certain parts, I discovered how incredibly funny it is to listen to chipmunk-Mel and chipmunk-Diane discussing the meaning of life. lol!

I'm not sure what is more frustrating, the people who write these or the people that pass them on.

My mum found one of these hoaxes in her inbox, and called me to let me know I might have to clean the system when I get home. I got enough details the be able to write those magic words: *virus name* + hoax and voila! Trusted information from good ole' symantec.

Hmmm, training courses for people wanting to use the internet seem like such a good idea ... but I'm sure that's a bit too harsh.

To serve detention?

It's not objectifying women, it's free speech!

Oh, I'm so relieved! Thank you for the clarification. After all, if it's an 'underground thing', then OBVIOUSLY the thing to do is put it out for all to see!

</sarcasm>

Now I think I've seen (read) everything

I was reminded of Jim's advice to see the ice sculptures soon before people tried to break them when some friends and I went to see them last night. Unfortunately within 2 days many of the scuptures had been trashed. I was quite sad, really, it looked like so much work had gone into them, and I don't understand why people would want to ruin that for others.

A strange incident happened on the way into the park. There was a guy standing by the entrance talking to people as they walked by. As we approached him, the guy friend I was with walked closer to me, evidently not comfortable with my being so close to the guy. As we passed him, he said, "Jesus loves you". My guy friend stopped, smiled, and said thank you. After we walked on, we all agreed that, even as believing Christians, he kinda freaked us out. Maybe I would have felt better if he was holding up a nice sign or something ...

Afterwards we went skating and I was so very humbled. The ice was not in good condition and I am not a strong skater. The other two friends I was with are both very strong skaters, and at first I felt bad that I was holding them up. We skated up to the bridge, where I had a spectacular fall. I was pretty upset, knowing that I would have to ask them to turn back when I knew they would have gone further and faster had I not been with them. But my guy friend helped me up and assured me that my company was worth far more than being able to go faster or farther. Which I really appreciated hearing, since that was exactly what I was thinking.

A woman's choice

I saw a news story about this last night, where I heard a woman talking about how liberating this is for women, now that the are no longer compelled to wear the headscarf.

pardon?

They are not removing any sort of 'compulsion' for a Muslim woman to wear a headscarf, they are *forcing* them not to. How is that better? If a Muslim woman chooses to cover her head, who are they to tell her that's wrong?

It amazes me that people will stand up and fight for a woman's 'right' to end a life that is growing inside her, but (likely) those same women would deny a woman's right to dress as she chooses.

I want to download the Internet. Do I need a bigger hard disk?"

rotfl

Coffee, Tea or Jesus?

A friend pointed out this story to me, and I feel that it deserves some commentary. Mostly because I'm not really sure what to think.

Yes, it seems a little bizarre for me to have my airline pilot encourage me to discuss my faith with others. But threatening? I don't see how it would be threatening. But that's probably because I'm a Christian who enjoys sharing her faith, and I realize that not everyone is comfortable discussing religion.

As for the charge that the pilot called non-Christians 'crazy', well that depends on which news stories you read. An interview with the pilot (here and here) has him admitting that he called the Christians who raised their hands crazy (not the non-Christians), since they were not embarrassed to be open about their faith.

He said/she said details aside, the question remains: is this appropriate flight conversation? More importantly, is it appropriate for the pilot to broach the subject? Depends who's on the plane. I am reminded of a good friend of mine who actually got bumped to first class because she was brave enough to witness about the Christian understanding of chastity. I am reminded of flights I have been on with a large group of Christians, witnessing to anyone who would listen. If this pilot has been on one of those flights, he would have heard a resounding cheer in reponse to his question.

I believe that the pilot has the best intentions at heart. I think it's unfortunate that people would feel uncomfortable, but I cannot fault them for that. You feel how you feel.

I think the lesson here is this: missions are powerful, retreats are powerful. I have been on many retreats where I came back so on fire and wanting to share with everyone the incredible love that our God has for us. When you really think about it, how can you not share it? God so loves the world that he sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Is that not cool? Is that not something worth sharing?

So you have this fire of love in you, and you want to share it with others. But most of the other people you will talk to did not have this same experience. And they don't want to hear what you have to say. At all. After a while you learn this. Or maybe you'll learn it much more quickly, as this pilot did.

So what to do? Love them. Love the people that listen to you, love those that don't. Love the people that scorn you for your beliefs and would like to see you fired for sharing them. Love them anyways.

Maybe there is HOPE

Am I the only one that is frightened by this?

Repeat after me: You are only protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms if *we* agree with what you have to say.

In response to a comment from Eric (I was going to respond to the thread, but my rant response got a little long :) )

That's a valid point. Violence on TV is also very excessive. However, I don't agree that a little nudity is 'the least of our concerns'.

Before I start, I will say this: the human body is beautiful. Nudity is not 'disgusting' or wrong in itself, but (especially in our current culture) the human body, most often the female body, is being exploited, which I do not believe is right.

Women are not objects. When you look at a naked or scantily-clad woman, do you see her for the person that she is? She is more than a collection of body parts that are nice to look at. She has hopes, dreams, fears, and passions. She has a family. She deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.

Well, you might say, she chooses to dress (or dance, or strip, or whatever) that way, so I guess it's ok to view her as a sex object. Let me tell you this: no girl wants to be seen as a sex object. We desire attention, affection, and most of all love. Unfortunately, many girls seek this emotional gratification in ways where the opposite result will occur: she will likely be used, rather than loved.

What's worse is that this view of women as objects can lead to violence against women. A study found that "56 per cent of the rapists and 42 per cent of the child molesters in the sample said that pornography played a role in their offenses." That is scary.

We think that what we see won't affect how we act, but it can. I'm not saying that every guy that has looked at pornography will become a rapist, but I do believe that it has the power to change how they view women, and not for the better.

Also: I am talking about women because more often than not, women's bodies are being exploited. However, it can and does happen with men as well. That isn't right either. Both sexes need to respect each other and treat each other with dignity.

Even though a 3.5 second flash of a breast may not seem like much, the other point that I'm making is just that: since when is that "not much"? We are becoming desensitized to things that perhaps we should be more sensitive to.

I can watch violent movies, TV shows, and sports games and not bat an eyelash (one exception was 28 Days Later, which I could not sit through. And I'm thankful for that.) Is that right? I don't think so. I didn't used to be able to watch violent movies: they would give me nightmares. They don't any more. I have become desensitized to them.

So now it's a quick flash of a breast during a prime-time TV show. People talk about it, the hype dies down. You try it again, maybe get a similar reaction, but soon it becomes, "Yup, we've seen that before. What else is new?" Sooner or later, someone else will try something more risky. Some will applaud them for being 'daring', while others like me will (quietly, or perhaps more strenously) object for the same reasons. My question still remains: When does it stop?

"Shallow are the souls that have forgotten how to shudder" Leon Kass

Oh, and I prefer keiths to budweiser :)

I had my first training session for lifeteen CORE tonight, and I'm so excited! I was concerned for a while that I wouldn't be able to start my training until after Easter, but since we've got enought LITs, training starts now! It kinda reminds of the good ole days of Bible study at 105 Young ...

I woke up this morning in a really confused state. I usually listen to talk radio in the morning, ultimately because I'm tired of all the Ottawa radio stations (the exception being CHRI, but I can't get that signal on my clock radio). So the station I listen to often does this 'sound off' thing, where callers can phone in to give their opinion on a current topic.

So now the confusion: they were talking about morality and decency and the likes on TV today. Stuff I usually hear on CHRI. But I don't get CHRI on my clock radio, so in my half-asleep haze I was thoroughly confused. What station was I listening to? What had happened to bring about this sudden realization that our morals have taken a nose dive?

Allow me to explain; I did not watch the superbowl, nor did I read any newspaper headlines nor converse with anyone that had done the same and felt like sharing with me the recent fashion faux-pas of Ms. Jackson. I was in my happy world of oblivion where I was concerned with ministry, building friendships, prayer life and spiritual healing. And then I was suddenly brought back into the real world by my clock radio.

I hope that this incident may be a turning point of sorts where we really take a look at what we put on the airwaves and honestly ask ourselves if this is a good thing. We need this self-evaluation, because without it, I could see this as just another stunt that someone else will try to top later. Where does it end?

I had a blessed conversation tonight with a friend that I haven't talked to much recently. I've really missed him, and so am grateful that we could share that time.

It's so easy to turn inwards when things get difficult, which is rarely healthy. Often times I wish I could be a hermit when I want to withdraw from everything, but in the long run I know it wouldn't do me any good. We need each other, we're all on this journey together.

True friends tell you what you need to hear even when they know you don't want to hear it. Really don't want to hear it. But they tell you anyways because they care about you, even if it's hard to see a the time. And even more importantly, they're willing to tell you these things and risk your anger at their unpopular opinion. I'm so grateful that I have friends that will do that for me. To risk a friendship for the sake of the greater good of the friend, that takes a strong person.

I still have so much growing up to do. And so much healing. It's a long road, and I wish I could see the end of it, but maybe it's better this way.