Trying to follow

Okay, this will be a terribly undeep discussion. Aaron sent me a link to WorldNetDaily the other day and I read the article, commented and then browsed a couple of the links. From what I gather, WorldNetDaily is a christian news website (I think it used to be a magazine?), so one of it’s article titles struck me: “Obama aide says he didn’t mean to blaspheme Jesus”

The title doesn’t strike me because it has anything to do with politics, but that it seems to imply that they think this guy blasphemed Jesus. I clicked the article to see what they considered blasphemy; wouldn’t want to show up in one of their articles myself. Here’s what they said:

(Subtitle of article) Stopped using ‘gay’ video piece after Christian confronted him

[Larry Lessig] denies he had blasphemous intent by including in his lectures a video of a ‘gay’ Jesus Christ sashaying nearly naked down a city street to the tune of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” only to get run over by a bus.”

From what I gather what’s blasphemous is:

1. The writer at WorldNet finds the way Jesus is depicted in the video as ‘gay’.
2. Lessig’s showed the video (not made by him) to others.

But, here’s what’s crazy about this to me:

1. From what I can see in the video and the article, the only person insisting Jesus is ‘gay’ is the WorldNet author. The character in the video is certainly expressive, but it is quite simply reinforcing a stereotype to say that his personality in the video is ‘gay’.
2. WorldNet news actually shows the video on their website article! They have a concise youtube video embedded in the article, available for you to see the whole thing. If Lessig’s blaspheme was in showing the video to others, then WorldNet is just as blasphemous.

So, I guess the decision is up to you. Is the video blasphemous? And if so, are Lessig’s and WorldNet news both guilty? (And I guess I might be guilty as well in suggesting you should go watch the video)

My brother is standing next to me. He wants me to say something “awesome” about him.

It’s funny that I’m trying to do daily blog post and I’ve spent the last few Sunday posts saying go spend time with friends and family, but, well, maybe that’s a good idea. We are going to go watch my sister play some Ultimate Frisbee. Family is awesome. Go spend some time with them. Or call them. But let them know they are loved.

Caring for the poor is not some unique passion of mine. My awareness of my need to care for the poor came during some of the more spiritual dark times of my life, when I picked up my Bible and starting reading the words of Jesus…

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” (Luke 14:13)

‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

And then this one:

Luke 10:27-37
He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

The wife and I were reading some Deutoronomy today and I was curious what your take might be on the following passages. To they say anything about our society today, or how we should be living?

In no particular order.

1 If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him. 2 If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him. 3 Do the same if you find your brother’s donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it.

15 If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand him over to his master. 16 Let him live among you wherever he likes and in whatever town he chooses. Do not oppress him.

6 If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. 7 You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.

(this is the same ‘promise’ that children receive for honoring their parents. Don’t know which is more difficult…)

19 Do not charge your brother interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. 20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a brother Israelite, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.

and this last one was pretty interesting…

1 If a man is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, 2 your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. 3 Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke 4 and lead her down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck. 5 The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. 6 Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. 8 Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man.” And the bloodshed will be atoned for. 9 So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

There is something profoundly spiritual about spending time with close friends.
That’s why I’m concluding this blog post to go spend time with them.

Go find your friends to and tell them their loved.