[Sigh of Relief]

I'm very grateful to my wife and friends for their help keeping me sane this past semester; it paid off:

Praise God!

Sociology is this coming week, followed by a week of nothing, which I'm really looking foward to. I've got a few ideas bouncing around in my head for topics to write about, and a brand-spankin'-new keyboard to write with (my daughter killed the other one with a glass of orange juice), so hopefully I'll be able to write soon. Thanks all for your patience!

Great Video

In The Know: Are Politicians Failing Our Lobbyists?

For Anyone that Cares

I have one more paper to turn in and then I'll be done with the semester. Hopefully I'll be able to start writing again after that. Briefly though, my summer is thusly:

Sociology in June

Church History in July

Storytelling in August

Old Testament Overview on the Web over the whole summer

Family trip to Switzerland in August after class lets out

Yeah. So busy summer ahead, but also playing in a local Jazz ensemble on alto sax and playing electric guitar (and sometimes acoustic) at Church on a worship team.

Incidentally: I found this picture and decided it was a must-share. Cheers.

A Cry for Help

It has not been a particularly unusual day, but already I have begun to feel lost in my studies. The day started by my inability to pull myself out of bed, but once that happened, Liz and I went for a speed-walk before she left for her meeting. I took care of Rori (trying to fit in some work, but failing miserably - Rori loves her Daddy's attention) until she got back, and then delved deep into the theology of justification in my systematic theology books. On a break, I checked my email to discover several comments from some guy on my YouTube site (on a video by Mark Driscoll, which never fails to produce entertaining comments), and an email from one of my best friends in Thailand asking for help. I'll get to her in a minute.

What hasn't ceased to amaze is the sheer variety of thinking in the Christian world. On the one hand, the systematic theologians spend hours to produce carefully nuanced interlocking theologies that are - in theory - perfectly undeniable; if you get rid of one part, so they say, you rid the Christian faith of something so horribly needed that the whole faith makes no sense without it (I still think that Systematic theologians wildly overestimate the usefulness of their trade). On the other hand, I see the comments I get from people on the web who seem to have nothing better to do than police the thought-world of heretics like me, people not part of the "catholic church" who have the gall to suggest that institutions aren't the end-all to the faith, who suggest that maybe the life of a Christian is more about a community and not an institution, more about being a servant in the world and less like a soldier, more like a missionary and less like a clergyman. But they have taken it on their plate to rid the world of the heretics through argument.

And then I get an email from Ruth asking if some of us might be willing to help them out with basic necessities.

The second I got the email I started to feel like crying - the whole rest of it seems so useless in the face of the injustices we see in our world today. Why bother all this study? I know that sometimes systematic theology is useful, but only sometimes. I know that argument is helpful, sometimes - but most of the time people can just ignore you (like I continue to do with most of the comments I get on that video). But the cry of the needy from the wilderness is hard to ignore.

Ruth and Colin and the kids need help in Thailand. They have encountered a fairly large financial obstacle that was not expected; in order to continue their work, they could use some cash, and soon. Liz and I will be contributing, but I want to extend the opportunity to everybody else to help; you can use a credit card and every penny will go directly into the project. It's not really for Ruth and Colin, it's for the Karen who they serve. The idea is to build a compound with a school and housing to serve the basic needs that have not been met by the Thai government - you can read about it here. I highly recommend you do. I'll vouch for them, the Harrisons are amazing people with huge hearts for the poor and the needy. If you have any questions, leave them in my comment section and I'll do my best to answer them.

"What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." [Micah 6:8]