Who died and made us Judge?

During my youth class the other night most of the kids were in a very vocal state about the Trayvon shooting. Here are some of my thoughts about it.
1. Definitely a sad/bad situation.
2. Absolute truth - is it irrelevant?
3. Lemmings - any of various small, mouselike rodents of the genera Lemmus, Myopus, and Dicrostonyx, of far northern regions, as L. lemmus, of Norway, Sweden, etc., noted for periodic mass migrations that sometimes result in mass drownings.
4. S and s

The loss of life, the confusion, the apparent injustice in so many ways. But, why is this instance so special? I mean, I don't want to take away from the alleged heinousness of it. But, it seems to me that injustice occurs like this daily. Why are my students in an uproar. What about the mom who put her 2 year old in the dryer because the child wouldn't stop crying...then, turned it on and killed the child? What about the white cop that kicked the white lady in the head and knocked her out? A simple search on youtube reveals a plethora of injustices caught on tape. Why has this one been singled out?

Throughout the discussion it has already been decided that the man that shot Trayvon is guilty. Peoples opinions have already been tainted by the news and gossip around schools, offices, etc. There are groups gathering resources to "ensure" justice is served. Celebrities are twittering out the alleged murderers address so that folks can send him hate mail. Unfortunately, they sent out the address of an old couple instead (accidentally apparently) that cannot even return to their home now thanks to death threats...(what about the injustice to them?!!?!?!) The truth is almost unattainable and if the truth is revealed would probably not be accepted by most if it doesn't conform to what people already believe. Does truth matter here? Has the momentum grown too much for an innocent verdict to be decided without a revolt? It reminds me of "Crucify Him!, Crucify Him!". Where the influential opinion would coerce the masses to release a murderer and kill the Savior of the world. I am definitely not saying that the man that killed Trayvon is innocent and the Savior, I am just saying that people are easily influenced to demand the blood of someone in an apparently controversial situation without full understanding of the situation just because the masses are shouting "Crucify him" so to speak.

That leads me to lemmings. Lemmings are a form of rodent. They became the subject of a popular misconception that they commit mass suicide when they migrate. Actually, it is not a mass suicide but the result of their migratory behavior. Driven by strong biological urges, some species of lemmings may migrate in large groups when population density becomes too great. Lemmings can swim and may choose to cross a body of water in search of a new habitat. In such cases, many may drown if the body of water is so wide as to stretch their physical capability to the limit. This misconception gave rise to the metaphor of those who follow aimlessly, even to their own peril. When people are referred to as lemmings, that same metaphor is a reference to people that go along unquestioningly with popular opinion, with potentially dangerous or fatal consequences. (information from wikipedia on Lemmings)...In the same fashion, while I don't think there is a collaborative effort among media executives, we tend to follow the news as fact. And even more absurdly, tend to make important in our lives what they say is important. Let's be honest, the news companies are not in their line of business to benefit mankind, they are in business to make money. It's good business sense to focus on the sensational, controversial and absurd to raise their marketing value to attract companies that want put their advertisements in front of the most viewers eyes'. Yet, as they focus on most crazy issues that accomplish this ... the lemmings follow. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily think the news is evil or attempting to lead the world astray or anything like that...they are just trying to make money. I think the crux of the issue is our inability to discern with wisdom how we should respond to the fantastic...are we lemmings, lead by popular opinion, or are we believers in a sovereign God? Yep, I think those 2 are polar opposites contrary to the lemmings, er, rather, popular opinion. ;-)

Sin vs sin. That's a capital "S" sin vs. a lowercase "s" sin... you know...like MURDER vs. looking down your nose at someone. I mean, really...can we even compare the 2? This is where I think a lot of the issue lies with the Trayvon murder and the uproar that comes with it. It's an apparently easy thing to point at the alleged murderer and say GUILTY without even knowing the facts. Add the fact that in every paper, on every web page, in every classroom the lemmings are repeating what they "learn"...casting official judgment on what they think should happen. The alleged is now condemned without even going to trial. Here's my warning on that...to GOD, there is no difference in Sin and sin. There is no difference in MURDER and having an evil thought. That's right, have you stolen a paper clip? Talked back to your parents? Really wanted what someone else had? Thought about the opposite sex in hormonal ways? All that is sin...all of that separates us from a HOLY GOD. He hates all sin, not just the sins that in human minds are bad...ALL OF IT. So, the question I have is this: How do we, as guilty sinners ourselves, feel comfortable in pointing, talking about, casting judgment on ANYONE else? God is the ultimate judge. God has put/allowed the governments to be established for this type of thing on earth. The best advice is from Jesus on the matter - in Matthew 7:2 "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."

So, if we believe in a sovereign God how should we respond to this travesty? In my opinion and in following the example of Jesus, mercy should rule our thoughts. If you are a believer in Jesus, you are the recipients of mercy, grace and love in immeasurable amounts. We need to remember that and heed the advice of our savior in Matthew 7:2. As we make ourselves judges we could be condemning ourselves. Let's be careful how we proceed...remember LUV4-1ANOTHER

Concert issues

Tonight we went to the Redvolution tour featuring 5 bands. It was a great time. But something that happened (besides 140 decibels) that bothered me. I had my monster lens out taking photos. I did it at the last Red concert and didn't have any issues. But, this time a guy asks me if I have a photo pass...a what?!?! So I yell, "no!" and he starts telling me something and I can't hear a word he's saying...the band that was playing was loud. Finally, I understand that I have to get my camera off the premises. Oh well...I take it to the van.

But that wasn't the end of it. Thoughts brewed in my head of whether certain taekwondo techniques would work if I would have just ignored his oversized demand. He'd reach I'd get him in an arm bar and pin his face to a metal pole or something. Why can't u just let things like that go?

Well he was wearing a thousand Foot Krutch shirt...so even as they played, I decided if he's with them, I don't like them either. And it just brewed like that for a while.

So now I let you know that it bugged me, and everythyng's better..

But I had a lot of fun and my ears are still ringing an hour after the music is over.

Here are some of the kiddos that went with me:

Challenged

I am definitely challenged by being in charge of a ministry. While I have a lot of challenges, I would say that there's one area that probably makes things a little more interesting than at most churches. In most, from my limited experience, usually have youth that come since their parent(s) come. The youth that come to my church come because they get picked up. The advantage of this is that they want to be there...the disadvantage is that no one is "encouraging" them to come. It makes it tough to develop any type of consistency.

Last night we must have gone through the story of Abram about 15 times....however, the kids seemed resilient and it was encouraging to see them grasp something that they were not familiar with. I kept them late accidentally...

How do I develop consistency with this group? I am definitely challenged...

Whiney dawg..

My whole family and 2 dawgs are at the park, everyone went geocaching 'cept me and this whiney dawg. I am about to kill it....

Breakfast with the birthday boy!

Lunch with 2 bee-u-ties

Lucky me!!

Dancing bezekers!

Watch out dancing with the stars!

Habits

I read an article since I was curious to know how long it took to form a habit. It referenced the myth of 21 days that a plastic surgeon surmised when he observed how long it took an amputee to learn to do without a limb as true if you've lost a limb. But, for things like drinking a glass of water everyday or hard things like sit ups before breakfast, that number may not work. The article referenced at term - automaticity. As you can guess, as did I, it appears to refer to that which becomes automatic in your life. Things which you no longer have to put out energy to decide if youre going to do something...but just do it. Automatically.

The psychologist drew a chart of his findings and the average was 66 days. Now, I don't put a lot of stock in psychobabble, but I thought that this might be a great thing to challenge us with. 66 days.

66 days to form a habit? Well, I know when it comes to forming a bad habit that number is more like 66 seconds. But, to paraphrase a great quote, anything worth having is worth working hard for. Wow, I butchered that and to top it off I ended my sentence with a preposition. Definitely a bad habit that took 66 seconds and living in Arkansas to burn in my brain.

Now, 66 days...to what?

Hooray for me

Got to have lunch with this young pretty lady!!

Hard times for folks

We know these folks that have lost their baby less than a month from the due date. S.A.D. I can't fathom the loss and while we've lost babies by way of miscarriage, this seems miles different. It was the Saturday before the horrible news, they were at church with more than 50 giddy, giggly, oogling women celebrating this baby. Monday...my wife and I are about to leave for birthday shopping and we get a call from the pastor of our church telling us that the doctors couldn't find our friends baby's heart beat. What?!!?

Things and news like this that hits close to home hurts. It's times like this when you understand a little better what it means by "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another" ..

But, the question I have is why is it so much easier to get closer to someone and have perspectives become so clear when it is mourning instead of rejoicing? At least, it seems that way to me. Here's a little of my research for what it's worth.

Ecclesiastes says, "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart."

The reformation Bible says it this way - "A funeral provides an indispensable perspective on the universally terminal condition."

Matthew Henry further comments on the Ecclesiastical passage - "It will do us more good, and make better impressions upon us. We may lawfully go to both, as there is occasion. Our Saviour both feasted at the wedding of his friend in Cana and wept at the grave of his friend in Bethany; and we may possibly glorify God, and do good, and get good, in the house of feasting; but, considering how apt we are to be vain and frothy, proud and secure, and indulgent of the flesh, it is better for us to go to the house of mourning, not to see the pomp of the funeral, but to share in the sorrow of it, and to learn good lessons, both from the dead, who is going thence to his long home, and from the mourners, who go about the streets."

Ecclesiastes also has this to say -
"Sorrow is better than laughter,
for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth."

Why is it that the hard things are what's best? Why can't we be in better physical condition from sitting on the couch watching football than playing it? Why do the foods that taste the "worst" typically offer more nutritional value? Why is it that working hard at something is more rewarding than if something falls in your lap? Why is sorrow better than laughter?

Booker T. Washington said, “Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.”

Being sad is hard work..