God called one of His angels, Phil, to come before Him.
“Phil,” said the Lord, “I have a very special task for you. Take this list, go down to Earth, and follow My instructions.”
A list appeared in Phil’s hand, and he said, “I will do anything You ask, Lord!”
The Lord smiled. “Good luck, Phil.”
“Luck?” thought Phil as he headed down to earth. “Why would my Lord wish me luck? How hard could this task be?”
It was dark on the side of the planet where Phil arrived at the bedroom of John Hagee. The pastor was asleep in his bed; after filling the room with heavenly light, Phil shook Hagee awake and said, “Pastor Hagee, I bring you greetings from the throne room of God! He has sent me this night to bring you up to Heaven, to forever be with the Lord!”
Hagee stared at the angel.
“What is this?” he said. “How did you get in here? I’m calling Security, so you better get out of here right now!” Hagee hit the panic button next to his bed, and sirens sounded all through his ten million dollar mansion.
Phil looked again at his instructions, nodded, and disappeared.
It was still dark when Phil entered the boardroom of Rick Warren. Pastor Warren was going over plans for his African Mission Hospitals, and barely looked up when Phil approached his desk.
“Pastor Warren, I am an angel. I bring you greetings from the throne room of God! He has sent me this night to bring you up to Heaven, to forever be with the Lord!”
Rick Warren stared at Phil for a moment, then pounded the papers on his desk.
“Are you CRAZY? I don’t have time for that! I have to be about the Lord’s business in Africa! You tell Him I’m busy!”
The sun was just coming up when Phil knocked on the door of the Joyce Meyer Ministry in Tennessee. After requesting an audience with Mrs. Meyer, Phil, following his instructions, sat and waited the eight hours before moving on to the last name on his list.
“Doug,” said Phil, “I am an angel. I bring you greetings from the throne room of God! He has sent me to bring you up to Heaven, to forever be with the Lord!”
Doug didn’t even shut down his computer.
“Let’s roll!”
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Background: Where I’m At
A couple of long time agos I discovered the stinker masquerading as Sean Hannity-before you start cheering my sanity, I think he’s too middle of the road, too too accommodating of Liberal ideas and idealists. He may have to pander to his buddies like Bob Beckel, but I don’t. I don’t have to make nice with the opposing party to fill broadcast hours and, though I admire Capitalism, I think Hannity is only driven by greed. Both for money and *stardom*.I like Mark Levin; he’s the vociferous in your face thinker/broadcaster that Hannity wishes he were.
But I can only take Levin in small doses.
I had a subscription to Rush Limbaigh’s pod cast which I let run out. I like Rush just fine, but even he tires out my ears-I found that the pod casts were filling up my iPod unlistened to.
So, where am I? I have no great affection for or loyalty to the Republican Party, as they stuck us with the worst possible candidate last time, and probably the next few times ahead.
Washington D.C. corrupts absolutely. Without term limits, there is no whip in the hand of Americans to make the Beast behave. How many innocent do-gooders have come to Washington broke as churchmouses but now are as rich as Popes?
Here is my HOPE: when Christ returns, (and may it be soonerer than laterer!) He will cast all liars into the outer darkness. I daresay that Washington D. C. is going to be a ghost town, tumbleweeds rolling up Pennsylvania Avenue. Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Some Ifs Belong To Us
I stated in my last post, concerning what will happen in our lives, that “Those Ifs belong to God”.
But we do indeed have our own Ifs.
If I were lazy, quit working but continually have my hand out begging money to survive, expecting God to drop daily manna for me…hmmm
It might be better if (there’s another one!) I put it this way:
We are not helpless babes in cradles. We are adults, and there is much work to do. God sets me to work, and I wouldn’t expect, in this life, to live like a Prince.
God never promised me a rose garden.
Paul was a tentmaker-his very important work of proclaiming the Gospel to the Gentiles was subsidized by his day job.
I am skilled in a few different areas, and can do most anything. The work I do is a blessing from God, as it is how He sustains me, takes care of me. But it is up to me to do the work, to earn the pay, to plan (asking His Providence) for the short bit of future I have ahead of me before Jesus returns or I go to meet Him.
That ‘short bit of future’ may be another 40 years, or eternity might sneak up on me this morning as I go to town to walk a puppy (another task I’m happy to have been tasked with).
“By the sweat of your brow you shall earn your bread.” still applies, though, in my present job it’s hard to work up a sweat, sitting at a computer.
Many of the parables which Jesus used to teach can be summarized thusly: “Be ready, work hard, be a good steward of what God has given you.” Amen! Make good use of your Ifs!
But we do indeed have our own Ifs.
If I were lazy, quit working but continually have my hand out begging money to survive, expecting God to drop daily manna for me…hmmm
It might be better if (there’s another one!) I put it this way:
We are not helpless babes in cradles. We are adults, and there is much work to do. God sets me to work, and I wouldn’t expect, in this life, to live like a Prince.
God never promised me a rose garden.
Paul was a tentmaker-his very important work of proclaiming the Gospel to the Gentiles was subsidized by his day job.
I am skilled in a few different areas, and can do most anything. The work I do is a blessing from God, as it is how He sustains me, takes care of me. But it is up to me to do the work, to earn the pay, to plan (asking His Providence) for the short bit of future I have ahead of me before Jesus returns or I go to meet Him.
That ‘short bit of future’ may be another 40 years, or eternity might sneak up on me this morning as I go to town to walk a puppy (another task I’m happy to have been tasked with).
“By the sweat of your brow you shall earn your bread.” still applies, though, in my present job it’s hard to work up a sweat, sitting at a computer.
Many of the parables which Jesus used to teach can be summarized thusly: “Be ready, work hard, be a good steward of what God has given you.” Amen! Make good use of your Ifs!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Avoid Capture by IF
I’ve been here before, covered this ground, but a refresher/reminder/rekindler can be good. Anyone can spout psychological babble (babel), but there is a point to some of what I do.
“IF” is the enemy for a balanced, well reasoned person. “If” can tear you up with might-have-beens…which never will be.
“If I had only done things differently
If I had given her/him another chance
If I had said yes instead of no
No instead of yes… “
I once had a friend tormented by an IF which happened when she was six or so years old-her family moved to another state, and she never got over the experience. We would visit the house where she had been a child, sit outside in a car, while she relived those days, telling me about the neighbors who had lived in nearby houses. Sad doesn’t cover it.
Unbalanced by an IF.
I don’t worry about the future, and I don’t exert an ounce of mind-sweat being troubled by the past; my actual past or various possible pasts invented by “IF”. I make my plans, take care of myself, but I entrust my present and future to God.
A cod-swallop theology which I rejected as soon as I heard it had to do with IF. I was once told: “Every man should be married, as there is a woman meant for him to have as his wife, and if a man remains unmarried, he is selfishly keeping that woman from having the husband she was meant to have.”
Who told me this? A church lady. I don’t even remember which church, as I’ve moved around a lot, but it was back in my Pentecostal days. Pentecostals are generally strong on emotion, very weak on theology.
It was inevitable- whenever I would start to visit at a church: “My goodness! Here’s Nancy! She’s not married either!” “My goodness! Doug, have you met Thea? She’s single too!” “Doug, meet Pam-she’s not…” you get the idea.
I believe that if God wanted me to be married, I would be. If he want’s me to meet the woman of my future and get married, it will happen. If I am to remain single throughout my life, then that is what will happen. Those Ifs belong to God.
Don’t give in, never surrender to the shifting sands of IF.
“IF” is the enemy for a balanced, well reasoned person. “If” can tear you up with might-have-beens…which never will be.
“If I had only done things differently
If I had given her/him another chance
If I had said yes instead of no
No instead of yes… “
I once had a friend tormented by an IF which happened when she was six or so years old-her family moved to another state, and she never got over the experience. We would visit the house where she had been a child, sit outside in a car, while she relived those days, telling me about the neighbors who had lived in nearby houses. Sad doesn’t cover it.
Unbalanced by an IF.
I don’t worry about the future, and I don’t exert an ounce of mind-sweat being troubled by the past; my actual past or various possible pasts invented by “IF”. I make my plans, take care of myself, but I entrust my present and future to God.
A cod-swallop theology which I rejected as soon as I heard it had to do with IF. I was once told: “Every man should be married, as there is a woman meant for him to have as his wife, and if a man remains unmarried, he is selfishly keeping that woman from having the husband she was meant to have.”
Who told me this? A church lady. I don’t even remember which church, as I’ve moved around a lot, but it was back in my Pentecostal days. Pentecostals are generally strong on emotion, very weak on theology.
It was inevitable- whenever I would start to visit at a church: “My goodness! Here’s Nancy! She’s not married either!” “My goodness! Doug, have you met Thea? She’s single too!” “Doug, meet Pam-she’s not…” you get the idea.
I believe that if God wanted me to be married, I would be. If he want’s me to meet the woman of my future and get married, it will happen. If I am to remain single throughout my life, then that is what will happen. Those Ifs belong to God.
Don’t give in, never surrender to the shifting sands of IF.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Looking For The Onion Label
The Incred is ulous. When I read that President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, I thought that “The Onion” was getting off another Beau Geste at his expense-something along the lines of: “President Obama stops fight between daughters over toy, wins Nobel prize.”
So, in the tenth month of his presidency…without ending any wars…without achieving peace even in his own country…without gaining a single international agreement among a coalition of the willing or unwilling…Obama gets a Peace Prize.
President Bush led a coalition of countries which toppled two despotic regimes- through his leadership WE established and protected human rights, including the right of self determination, democracy, for millions of souls.
But President Bush doesn’t need a gold badge from a private foundation. His accomplishments are honor enough.
I know that others are treading this same ground, so I’ll leave off with this: President Obama can be honored by every yayhoo outfit from here to Alpha Centauri. I don’t care. He’s been a failure since before he even took office, and he is not leading this country into anything but chaos. We are in much worse shape as a nation because of his bungling of both the economy and international diplomacy.
But this country is greater than any one man or political party-we survived Clinton, we’ll get through this one term failure.
So, in the tenth month of his presidency…without ending any wars…without achieving peace even in his own country…without gaining a single international agreement among a coalition of the willing or unwilling…Obama gets a Peace Prize.
President Bush led a coalition of countries which toppled two despotic regimes- through his leadership WE established and protected human rights, including the right of self determination, democracy, for millions of souls.
But President Bush doesn’t need a gold badge from a private foundation. His accomplishments are honor enough.
I know that others are treading this same ground, so I’ll leave off with this: President Obama can be honored by every yayhoo outfit from here to Alpha Centauri. I don’t care. He’s been a failure since before he even took office, and he is not leading this country into anything but chaos. We are in much worse shape as a nation because of his bungling of both the economy and international diplomacy.
But this country is greater than any one man or political party-we survived Clinton, we’ll get through this one term failure.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Ripping On Preachers Is Fun!
RIPPING ON PREACHERS IS FUNdamentally wrong, but that doesn’t stop both saints and dirty unwashed heathen paganists from joining in.Those on the outside of the church-well, you would expect THEM to buffet Pastor Piñatas about the heads, shoulders and backsides. An unbeliever has nothing good to say about ANY Christian. Church leaders are just an advanced form of Hypocrite.
I wish I could say that Christians don’t rip up Pastors, Preachers or church leaders. But, being human beings still stuck in sinful bodies, sometimes we do. To our shame.
What did God have to say on this subject?
“12But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13.
So, dear Christian brethren and sistren, when it says in Philippians to ‘do all things without complaining or disputing’ that means within the church as well as without. Love your Pastor to death. Or, when you get to Heaven, God may assign YOU a pastorate, and then we’ll see how you like it!
Monday, October 05, 2009
Just For Fun
Sunday nights at church we usually have a Bible quiz-I came up with last night's quiz; I thought, "Why not post it and let the guessers guess?" So have at it:
Bible quiz 10-4-09
1. Who made the golden calf?
2. How did Absalom die?
3. Philip, Andrew and Peter lived in?
4. 10th NT book?
5. The daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod?
6. Who paid Delilah to entice Samson?
7. How much did they pay her?
8. Who said, " “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."?
9. In the OT, which prophet was also a priest?
10. Finish the verse- 7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and...
11. 7th OT book?
12. Who said, "“Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”?
13. Of the 7 churches mentioned in Revelation 2-3, which ones receive no rebuke?
14. Book two books before Psalms?
Bible quiz 10-4-09
1. Who made the golden calf?
2. How did Absalom die?
3. Philip, Andrew and Peter lived in?
4. 10th NT book?
5. The daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod?
6. Who paid Delilah to entice Samson?
7. How much did they pay her?
8. Who said, " “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."?
9. In the OT, which prophet was also a priest?
10. Finish the verse- 7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and...
11. 7th OT book?
12. Who said, "“Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”?
13. Of the 7 churches mentioned in Revelation 2-3, which ones receive no rebuke?
14. Book two books before Psalms?
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Constancy And Thee
"6“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed."
Malachi 3:6
"8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Hebrews 13:8
The other night I found a passage in Psalms which sounded quite familiar. I'm sure that many, many Christians have made this connection over the years-bear with me as I mix it up a little:
Words in Red are from Psalm 107:23-30
Words in Blue are from Luke 8:22-25
Black words are mine, commenting.
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters;
At least a third of the disciples were sailors: Peter and Andrew, James and John. They worked daily, fishing on the Sea of Galilee.
22Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out.
24 They have seen the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
Which lifted up the waves of the sea.
23But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.
26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths;
Their soul melted away in their misery.
27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken man,
And were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
24They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
And He brought them out of their distresses.
And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.
29 He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He guided them to their desired haven.
25And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”
New Testament or Old Testament, man gets in trouble, calls out to God, and God answers him, saves him.
Praise God for never changing!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Bumpersnarkers
This morning I had to turn around and drive by the car again, the one with the bumperstickers. Sometimes you see something so wrong-headed, wrong hearted- just plain wrong- that you have to look twice.
I imagine it was intended to be humorous, insightful, sharp. Fail fail fail.
“I PRAY THAT GOD ISN’T TOO PICKY”.
Sorry, sister. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. Sin is sin is sin. Sin is the trouble you are in in in. No Christian would put that slogan on their car, so I assume you are of the camp of ‘Ain’tasaint’.
Evidence to support such assumption? The other bumblesticker:
“HATE IS NOT A FAMILY VALUE”.
No, it isn’t a family value. Hate is to Satan as Love is to God. Lets see-who is known for promoting ‘Family Values’? Hmmmm...oh yeah-”Christians”. Do they get smeared with the Hate appellation? Is Bret Farve a Viking?
Here’s the thing-a lot of self-righteous moralists who assume that they are RIGHT...would never set foot in a church to save their lives. They think so highly of themselves that they sneer at the idea that they are sinners. They have successfully thrown off the religious gunk their families had tried to instill in them. They are too good for God.
What bumpersticker would I put on my car to answer that other driver?
“I PRAY THAT GOD WILL HAVE MERCY”. Hateful enough?
I imagine it was intended to be humorous, insightful, sharp. Fail fail fail.
“I PRAY THAT GOD ISN’T TOO PICKY”.
Sorry, sister. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. Sin is sin is sin. Sin is the trouble you are in in in. No Christian would put that slogan on their car, so I assume you are of the camp of ‘Ain’tasaint’.
Evidence to support such assumption? The other bumblesticker:
“HATE IS NOT A FAMILY VALUE”.
No, it isn’t a family value. Hate is to Satan as Love is to God. Lets see-who is known for promoting ‘Family Values’? Hmmmm...oh yeah-”Christians”. Do they get smeared with the Hate appellation? Is Bret Farve a Viking?
Here’s the thing-a lot of self-righteous moralists who assume that they are RIGHT...would never set foot in a church to save their lives. They think so highly of themselves that they sneer at the idea that they are sinners. They have successfully thrown off the religious gunk their families had tried to instill in them. They are too good for God.
What bumpersticker would I put on my car to answer that other driver?
“I PRAY THAT GOD WILL HAVE MERCY”. Hateful enough?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
End Times Began The Day Adam Fell
9then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority"
2 Peter 2:9-10a
Lord, preserve us.
I do a fair amount of looking towards the future when Christ returns and sets up His Kingdom on Earth, but not that much about the 'End Times' which captivate many.
Things are bad-Man messes up, makes things all the worse before Christ's return.
That's all I need to know about the 'End Times'.
'the Lord knows how...to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment'.
You can stubbornly cling to your ideas about God, reject His existence for the duration of your life on earth...futile.
God IS...and your opinion doesn't matter. Neither does mine. God IS.
Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters." Luke 11:23
If you are not with Christ, you are against Him. Not good. Deadly. Consider yourself one of the unrighteous kept under punishment for the day of judgment.
But Christ also said, "
2 Peter 2:9-10a
Lord, preserve us.
I do a fair amount of looking towards the future when Christ returns and sets up His Kingdom on Earth, but not that much about the 'End Times' which captivate many.
Things are bad-Man messes up, makes things all the worse before Christ's return.
That's all I need to know about the 'End Times'.
'the Lord knows how...to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment'.
You can stubbornly cling to your ideas about God, reject His existence for the duration of your life on earth...futile.
God IS...and your opinion doesn't matter. Neither does mine. God IS.
Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters." Luke 11:23
If you are not with Christ, you are against Him. Not good. Deadly. Consider yourself one of the unrighteous kept under punishment for the day of judgment.
But Christ also said, "
28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Seek the Lord while He may be found.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Would You Like To Know Your Future?
Here you go, un-Happy Campers:
"7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” Psalm 2:7-9
The very Messiah, Jesus Christ, whom you have rejected, ignored throughout your life...if you survive His return, you, your nation, everything you know and love will be ruled by Him with a rod of iron.
Iron. While His people enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, enjoying His Mercy and Grace...you get iron.
"9And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.
10All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. 11People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.
17And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths."
Zechariah 14:9-11,17-18
Actually, all of Zechariah 14 is a good image of what your future looks like. The plague of no rain for those who do not worship God is part of His ruling with a rod of iron.
In Psalm 66:3 we find mention of: "3 Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!
Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You."
This shows the blackness of the human heart filled with sin. Even with the Lord ruling the entire world from His throne in Jerusalem, there will be hardened peoples who would rather endure famine than obey Him. Or, they will pretend obedience, as if He cannot see what is in their hearts.
What's in your heart?
"7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” Psalm 2:7-9
The very Messiah, Jesus Christ, whom you have rejected, ignored throughout your life...if you survive His return, you, your nation, everything you know and love will be ruled by Him with a rod of iron.
Iron. While His people enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, enjoying His Mercy and Grace...you get iron.
"9And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.
10All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. 11People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.
17And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths."
Zechariah 14:9-11,17-18
Actually, all of Zechariah 14 is a good image of what your future looks like. The plague of no rain for those who do not worship God is part of His ruling with a rod of iron.
In Psalm 66:3 we find mention of: "3 Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!
Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You."
This shows the blackness of the human heart filled with sin. Even with the Lord ruling the entire world from His throne in Jerusalem, there will be hardened peoples who would rather endure famine than obey Him. Or, they will pretend obedience, as if He cannot see what is in their hearts.
What's in your heart?
Friday, September 18, 2009
Alexander Supertramp, My Left Foot
I think that there is a lot of nonsense dressed up as 'nobility' and 'morality' which actually, when you get down to the dirt of it, is nothing more than Ego on a grand tour.
Ego, as in egregious. Ego, as in look at how wonderful I am. (God looks at the heart.)
I just finished (if that is the word) watching "Into The Wild", a movie by Sean Penn starring Emile Hirsh as Chris McCandless, a young man who dropped out of 'Civilization' and died alone in the Alaskan wilderness.
McCandless was all of 24 years old when he died, and I am in no way disparaging him, his life, or death.
I would say that he didn’t seem to be comfortable in his own skin, something which usually takes more than 24 years to accomplish.
That he was an idealist is evidenced by his giving away or burning all of his money before heading to Alaska. He was an idealist, fine. God love him.
But I think that McCandless would be troubled that millions of dollars have been made off of his story. The ego which is *Sean Penn* made “Into The Wild” a noble and moral tribute...a memorial making good bank for Penn. You won’t see him burning all of his money (as a capitalist, that would offend me).
But Penn’s money is safe from becoming tinder instead of legal tender (please forgive).
I’m reminded of Leo Durocher who, in his autobiography gushed on and on about what an honest and noble soul Leo Durocher is. Handsome, too! Why, he had no idea(!) why that darned old Baseball Commissioner would kick him out of the league for a few seasons. Everybody gambles and lifts drinks in the company of underworld mobster gentlemen, don’t they?
Durocher (how can I say this?) kinda sorta fibricated a bit in his book.
Penn does the same in his movie, making McCandless into an angel bound on earth, one disgusted with the world he wanted so much to leave behind him.
Well, eventually he did.
I have a feeling that, had McCandless lived a few more years, he would have matured into a different human being. In the movie (and in life?) his parents, especially his father, are monsters-hateful, cold, members of a greedy older generation.
One of the steps to adulthood is when we stop blaming our parents for everything, accept them as they are, and rid ourselves of resentment.
A 24 year old McCandless might not yet have arrived at that step. So Penn made the parents hateful caricatures. His younger sister, played by Jena Malone, is a saint angel loving giving angel saint. Of course.
Some of the Alaskan scenery was magnificent. But my intolerance for saints being saintly (noble, moral...) kept my finger on the fast forward button. I missed the hippie stuff entirely. well, maybe missed isn’t the right word, but it will do.
Right at the end is a picture of the real Chris McCandless, smiling into eternity. Looked like a nice guy.
Tell you what-listen to Sigur Ros, and thank me later.
Ego, as in egregious. Ego, as in look at how wonderful I am. (God looks at the heart.)
I just finished (if that is the word) watching "Into The Wild", a movie by Sean Penn starring Emile Hirsh as Chris McCandless, a young man who dropped out of 'Civilization' and died alone in the Alaskan wilderness.
McCandless was all of 24 years old when he died, and I am in no way disparaging him, his life, or death.
I would say that he didn’t seem to be comfortable in his own skin, something which usually takes more than 24 years to accomplish.
That he was an idealist is evidenced by his giving away or burning all of his money before heading to Alaska. He was an idealist, fine. God love him.
But I think that McCandless would be troubled that millions of dollars have been made off of his story. The ego which is *Sean Penn* made “Into The Wild” a noble and moral tribute...a memorial making good bank for Penn. You won’t see him burning all of his money (as a capitalist, that would offend me).
But Penn’s money is safe from becoming tinder instead of legal tender (please forgive).
I’m reminded of Leo Durocher who, in his autobiography gushed on and on about what an honest and noble soul Leo Durocher is. Handsome, too! Why, he had no idea(!) why that darned old Baseball Commissioner would kick him out of the league for a few seasons. Everybody gambles and lifts drinks in the company of underworld mobster gentlemen, don’t they?
Durocher (how can I say this?) kinda sorta fibricated a bit in his book.
Penn does the same in his movie, making McCandless into an angel bound on earth, one disgusted with the world he wanted so much to leave behind him.
Well, eventually he did.
I have a feeling that, had McCandless lived a few more years, he would have matured into a different human being. In the movie (and in life?) his parents, especially his father, are monsters-hateful, cold, members of a greedy older generation.
One of the steps to adulthood is when we stop blaming our parents for everything, accept them as they are, and rid ourselves of resentment.
A 24 year old McCandless might not yet have arrived at that step. So Penn made the parents hateful caricatures. His younger sister, played by Jena Malone, is a saint angel loving giving angel saint. Of course.
Some of the Alaskan scenery was magnificent. But my intolerance for saints being saintly (noble, moral...) kept my finger on the fast forward button. I missed the hippie stuff entirely. well, maybe missed isn’t the right word, but it will do.
Right at the end is a picture of the real Chris McCandless, smiling into eternity. Looked like a nice guy.
Tell you what-listen to Sigur Ros, and thank me later.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
...But You Disappoint More
If it seems as if this world is going to Hell, its not because of God, or Christians. It's because of EVERYONE ELSE, possibly including yourself. Nice job.
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