Don't Forget the REAL Reason...

A couple days ago, our sweet, 9-year-old intellectual asked something akin to, "When did Christmas get hijacked by commercialization?" (my words, but I think it expresses the original gist of it). I told him I don't really know, but the above comic strip drives the point home....

We normally shy away from jokes that involve God or religion, because they are almost always irreverent of our Lord and Savior. However, in yesterday's Foxtrot (actually first printed 11 years ago; link only available for a couple weeks), the last two panels are a warning to us to keep CHRIST in Christmas, especially for the sake of our children. Presents are fun and all that, but if we make a bigger deal out of them than of the celebration of our Savior's birth, we do a serious disservice to our kids.

Another aspect is all the stress and running around that this time of year brings. At a time that's supposed to celebrate the arrival of "peace on earth and goodwill to men," isn't it ironic that we spend much of it stressed out about getting that perfect gift (while it's still on sale!!!) and trying to cram as much family time as possible, in as short a timespan as possible? Time with family and presents are great, but Satan is probably giddy with joy that those things distract from our Heavenly Father, who has given us the greatest Gift of all.

A song currently playing on Air1 asks how God's heart could not have broken on the day of Jesus' birth. For though the world celebrated the birth of a Savior, God was probably thinking of that coming day of the cross....

Some random thoughts. :) Merry Christmas, everyone! May God give you a renewed appreciation and admiration of His wonderful plan of salvation, for a world that deserves far worse. Let us spend another year celebrating Jesus' birth and gift, personifying to those around us the star that led the magi to the Savior! See you in 2010!

Faith Like Potatoes?

OK, so maybe this post has nothing to do with the recent movie... but it has EVERYTHING to do with those oddly shaped tubers that taste so good mashed, baked, or cut into strips and fried.

This post is part of a series on my childhood experiences. As I reminisce (is 34 considered old enough to reminisce???) about growing up, I start to see so many Biblical lessons, that we could all stand to learn.

Take my friend Wes, who learned not only that it's a stupid idea to impulsively throw a rock at a classic car, but also that God's forgiveness (and sometimes that of grumpy neighbors) knows no bounds. Well, his story reminded me of the time I threw potatoes at a little old lady....

Betcha' didn't think me capable of such mischief. Intrigued? Well, read on, then! Don't just sit there gawking!

I spent my first decade (if you count from conception) in a 4th-floor apartment, in Bucharest, Romania. Yes, we occasionally got out, but that's where we lived. The rear of the apartment had a balcony with a tall, cement guard-rail. You can see a little bit of it in the picture above, which features my dad and me, several years before the incident in question. The balcony did not overlook a street, but rather a park-like area, bordered by other nondescript block-apartment buildings like ours.

When I was about 8, an older friend came over and proceeded to get bored. We went out to the balcony, and he noticed a sack of potatoes in the corner. I don't know if my friend did this often, but he showed me how much fun it was to throw a potato at a passerby and promptly duck behind the guard-rail. Now, I really knew better, but it seemed fun AND safe (at least for ME!), so I did it, too. For some reason, it did not occur to me what might've happened if a potato, hurtling through the air from 4 stories up, were to clonk a person in the head, face, or other sensitive areas. It also did not occur to me what would happen to MY sensitive areas, if my strict mom were to interrogate me on why some potatoes were missing! We had our laughs and giggles, he eventually went home, and no one was any the wiser, except, of course, for the handful of poor passersby, who got pelted by our starch bombs.

Some time later, when I was at home, with nothing better to do, it got into my head to play "potato". Betcha' didn't know I was the original Mr. Potato Head! Well, along came this little old lady, carrying some grocery bags from the store. I took aim and let one fly. It hit her bag and took her entirely by surprise. I was ducking behind my wall, but I could hear her yelling, up toward the building. She said something to the effect of, "Shame on you! Your parents should have raised you better!"

Growing up, I was a very obedient kid, who could not stand being scolded. But this was worse. This lady, whom I didn't even know, was passing judgment on my own parents, whom I loved and respected very much. They DID raise me (mostly) right; it was my own decision, and mine alone, that brought them dishonor.

That same connection binds our own words and actions to our Savior's perceived image. As children of God, we are commissioned not only to live according to the faith that we have in Him, but also to make the Way attractive, so that those we come in contact with may desire the same salvation that He bought for everyone. But if through our words and actions, we misrepresent Jesus Christ, we push people away from Him. How can we claim to love our neighbor, if we push him away from the One who loves him the most?

Needless to say, her words cut me to the core, and I put down the potato forever (at least, as a WMD). And my bottom was very thankful that my mom never found out about this incident (and even if she did read blogs, I think the statute of limitation expired long ago). But remember that Jesus is watching your every move, as are those around you, who are inwardly yearning to be reconciled unto God.

Is the Bible Worth Studying?

A visitor reading my comment on a blog, replied back with a very derogatory remark about the fruitlessness of studying the Bible. I couldn't help myself and wrote a pretty long reply. I think it was rather inspired, so here it is:

I appreciate you putting this discussion in context. It did not occur to me, when I wrote my previous comment, that you would be of the opinion that the Bible has NEGATIVE (or detrimental) value. We tend to judge a group or an idea by observing the behavior of a small sampling of those who belong to it. I can develop a very negative view of gays, simply from their reaction to the passing of Prop. 8, in California. Likewise, I can use similar techniques to pass judgement on blacks, Muslims, truck drivers, etc….

I freely admit that there are very many obnoxious, rude, and overzealous people, who call themselves Christian, who very sorely misrepresent the teachings of the Bible, especially the New Testament. You said that Christianity today is nothing like the one that your grandparents professed. Could it be that the parents who you say drove your friend to suicide did not follow the Bible as well as your grandparents? Is a speed limit sign bad, if there are people who don’t obey it?

If I call myself a boxer and put on the whole gear (so that I also look like one), does that MAKE me a boxer? If you didn’t know anything at all about boxing, you might actually believe me to be one. But as soon as you see the REAL thing, especially one that proceeds to pummel me to the consistency of oatmeal, you would know who’s the real boxer and who’s the impostor. So you need a reference, by which to judge.

I came to a crossroads, when I was in college, and decided to go to the source for the answer: the Bible. I did not know whether there was ANY truth to be found in it, but realized that the only way was to read it for myself. I didn’t read ALL of it, at the time; not by a longshot. I started in the Book of John (4th book of the New Testament), but by the time I was half-way through, I was convinced and surrendered to Jesus. It hasn’t been all peaches and cream, but I do have that peace that you were talking about.

I don’t know the exact situation with your friend (and even you may not know all the reasons that drove him to take his own life), but I’ll tell you this: nagging and harrassment are the provinces of men, not Jesus. My dad is NOT a Christian, and yet he nags me about everything under the sun (including my beliefs). I know he didn’t get that from the Bible. The Bible actually teaches that if you see your brother sin, you are to approach him about it, in a humble way, up to three times. If after the third time, he does not want to change, drop it. Nowhere is it even implied that you are to harrass, nag, or hurt him. Dropping it doesn’t mean that you’re now OK with his problem, but the wisdom here is that you can only make things worse with your nagging.

We (especially as parents) tend to take it upon ourselves to “fix” the people around us. This is not restricted to Christians. EVERYBODY does this. And everybody has a belief system that they want to impose on others. You said that Christian groups want to influence public opinion and won’t let people enjoy their lives in peace. This is true of ALL activist groups (it’s in their definition). I invite you to name ONE activist group that does NOT try to impose its views on the population. Groups like the ACLU, ACORN, and GLADD want to change laws that restrict my freedom, while promoting views that I strongly disagree with. We’re in the middle of a war of worldviews.

I should add here that there is a fairly large subset of Christians who believe that we should totally stay out of politics and public policy.

Your assertion that every human life is sacred is so very true and can lead us down all sorts of fascinating paths, but that’s beside the point.

I was trying to answer the fundamental question: Is there intrinsic value in the Bible? If we can say that there is even ONE work of fiction that is worth studying (and there are plenty that are analyzed to death in literature classes), then the world’s all-time number one bestseller should be counted, EVEN AS A PURE WORK OF FICTION. But archaeology has independently validated many of the historical and cultural references found in the Bible, so I conclude that those aspects also add to its value and merit.

As a source of moral guidance, its value rests on a slippery slope, unless we accept that its author is our creator: God. As a spiritual guide, it falls flat on its face, without God’s authority behind it.
So I conclude that while the Bible HAS value that make it worthy of in-depth study and analysis, its value in the context talked about here (spiritual and moral) is entire reliant on one assertion, which I would phrase as follows: The Bible is an accurate representation of God’s will for us. You can debunk this assertion in two major ways: (1) prove there is no God, or (2) prove that God’s will for us is significantly different from what the Bible portrays.

It's often hard to talk to unbelievers who are so against Christianity. This particular person was very angry at his friend's parents, who professed to be Christians, and whom he claimed drove his gay friend to suicide. He never responded, but I hope the Lord opens his heart.

Frequently Asked Friday

What is ClearPlay?

In short, ClearPlay is a company that makes DVD players that automatically skip unwholesome scenes in movies and mute offensive language. My wife ran across this product about a year ago, and we eagerly bought a player. There are definitely some pros and cons to the experience, and we both thought it would be a good idea for me to write a review, in the hopes that some of you will consider purchasing the product (and service).

How does it work?

More details are available at the company's website, as well as this Wikipedia article, but the short of it is that ClearPlay's editors review dozens of new DVD movies each month and create filters that know where the questionable scenes and language are. You purchase a player and their monthly service, which gives you access to their continually changing filter library. Every so often, you download the new set of filters to a USB Flash drive (they call it a FilterStick), which you then insert into the player, when you want to watch a new movie. The player automatically finds the appropriate filter and gives you the option to watch the movie, with or without filtering.

Is it legal?

When it first came out, there were some lawsuits involving copyright protections. However, the courts ruled that since individuals have the right to fast-forward or mute the movies they watch in their own homes, ClearPlay was perfectly within its legal rights. After all, all it does is automate the process for you. Since it does not modify the DVD itself in any way (how could it???), the movie makers' original visions (oh, like I care!!!) remain intact.

How much does it cost?

The players are about $80, and you need to buy an $8 monthly subscription, to get continued access to their continually changing filter library. I suppose you could pay for one month, get the filters, and then cancel, but you would not have access to filters for new movies that come out. I think it's totally worth it.

What are the pros?

Obviously, being able to watch a movie with your kids, without worrying about an f-bomb (or even most slang) or seeing a couple in bed, is a huge benefit. We are very picky about content in movies (and video games), and this product opens up our otherwise limited selection.

ClearPlay doesn't usually skip entire chapters (as defined by the movie's menu). Instead, it skips individual scenes or moments that have gratuitious violence, sensuality, etc.... Most of the time, you hardly even notice it did it, especially if it's a movie that you never saw full-length. An R-rated movie like The Matrix becomes PG-ish. You still see people lying prone on the floor, but not the hail of bullets that tore into them. Nice.

ClearPlay mutes most bad language, including most euphemisms. We were pleasantly surprised how strict their editors usually are.

The players, though only available through their website, are pretty stylish, have all the common A/V connections, and produce clear, crisp images. They boast that they play all the common formats (NOT Blu-Ray, yet), although the only other type of disc I tried was DVDs created on our computer, which worked very well.

Their telephone support is very helpful and friendly, and they bend over backwards, if you have any problems.

What are the cons?

Right off the bat, I should say that you need internet access and familiarity with computers, before you decide to buy. There are several ways to get the filters for your players, and they all involve downloading them. They have a handy program that helps automate the process, but when it doesn't work, you need to know how to manually download the filters from their website.

The ClearPlay editors don't have a problem with the c-word that means "poop", but we do. They also sometimes miss some words or leave in scenes that we would have removed. But these missteps are few and far-between.

While the players are great when they work, they have a high failure rate. We've had the service for not even a year, and we're already on our third player. Our first one all of a sudden got finicky about the types of DVDs it would play: only the double-sided ones. And no, I didn't all of a sudden start putting them in up-side-down! We called for a replacement, and they promised to send one right away, along with a pre-paid shipping label, to send the other one back. But they lost the order TWICE, and it took us a MONTH to get the replacement! They were so sorry that they gave us a free year of service and a free player.

The extra free player came in handy, when our second player stopped receiving commands from the remote. And no, the batteries didn't just run out! And just before that happened, it literally fried our FilterStick, making it unusable. Ever since, I've been careful to remove it from the player, as soon as the filter is loaded.

I also discharge any static electricity I may have, before touching the player, because I have a hunch that's what caused our previous player to malfunction.

There is no Blu-Ray version yet, but the Wikipedia article says they're working on it. Until they have that (hopefully with higher reliality than their current players), we have no reason to buy an expensive Blu-Ray player or the HDTV that would have to accompany it.

Conclusion?

ClearPlay is a great idea, and I am a patient man, who's handy with computery thingies. Being able to watch clean movies is well worth the hassle we've gone through, with players breaking on us and the occasional hicups with the website. I am hoping that as the company matures, and the word gets out, reliability will improve. Who knows, maybe they would consider hiring me, to help out with that!

Frequently Asked Friday

Does God Exist?

What a weird question to ask, and on a Christian blog, no less! But it's one that I asked myself many times, before Jesus revealed Himself to me, through His Living Word. I also do not expect to adequately answer it in this, or even a million, posts. Philosophers, theologians, and lay-people smarter than myself have already debated this question, without reaching a unanimous conclusion. Besides, I've already answered it for myself, so the question is fairly rhetorical, from my perspective. But, for those of you who are either asking yourselves the same question or who seek to help lead others to its inevitable conclusion, please allow me to address this issue with an analogy.

Where Do Babies Come From?

Growing up, you probably had a mom and dad who claimed to be your parents. And you probably believed them, on faith. You didn't ask for your birth certificate, their Social Security cards, DNA evidence, or the testimony of witnesses under oath. It was enough that you resembled them, that they were part of your life for as long as you could remember, and that others also called them your parents.

But what made them your "parents?" You probably didn't think of it that way, but you probably asked instead, "Where did I come from?" or "Where do babies come from?" If your parents didn't think you were old enough to hear the exact truth, they probably gave you a watered-down version, the stork story, or avoided the question altogether.

At some point, you learned about "the birds and the bees," and you believed it, even though you had no real proof. In fact, if you think about it, the miracle of life is such a wonderful mystery, that even pictures and scientific evidence don't do it justice. You can't fully appreciate it until you get married and experience it for yourself. You feel the tiny kicks inside your wife's belly (or feel them yourself, if you happen to actually be the wife!). You witness the beautiful, precious, little life be brought forth into the world (and maybe get tired of being told to "breathe" and "push"). And then you understand. You've begun to experience parenthood yourself, and your blind faith, from so long ago, has reached its realization.

Back to God

Likewise, all the evidence in the world may not be enough (or necessary) to convince you that God is real. The evidence is certainly there, from the unlikely conditions that support life on this planet, to the complex structures and processes that make up a living thing, to the spiritual experiences that so many testify of.

Ultimately, that question is answered by faith and personal experience. And just as the new parent wants to show everyone their baby (or baby pictures), you will want to tell the world of your own rebirth in Christ.

Just as many doubted God, many will doubt you. But there will be some who will believe, and then experience the salvation of Jesus Christ and the rebirth, for themselves. And then they will want to tell the world!