Bombs Over People

Israeli planes are dropping bombs on the Gaza strip as I write this. Pakistan is moving troops toward the Indian border, a sign of imminent war between two nuclear powers. And little children like those pictured above are living through it.

I am so tired of it all.

I do not know who is at fault in the Israeli/Hamas conflict. I do know that Israel's airstrikes will not solve the problem. Here's a quote from the CNN story:

Hamas, however, vowed to retaliate, saying Israel had violated an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire intended to stem violence in the region.
"We will stand up, we will defend our own people, we will defend our land and we will not give up," senior spokesman Osama Hamdan said.

All that has been accomplished is a new generation of scars, a new wave of children that will grow up without parents and with friends who are missing limbs because of bombs dropped by Israeli planes. It is the same for Israeli children, who are constantly living under the shadow of death and terror. Where will it end? Who will have the courage to understand that violence is not working?

I am tired of the blood soaked soil of Palestine.

Every casuality is a person. A father not coming home, a mother burned to death, a teenager's life cut short. It is foolish to think that the children pictured above will live a normal life, and not carry the burden of hurt and hate in their hearts.

I am in awe of the patience of God, because I can take no more. We are not worthy to save. We do not value ourselves, or others.

Thank God for grace.

Book Review: Nine Great American Myths by Pat Apel

Nine Great American Myths explores the confusion of the American dream with the Christian faith. Pat Apel is a Presbyterian minister in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, and is a former lawyer. The book is divided into two parts, "An American Vision," and "A Christian Vision." The first part defines the American dream and its origins, then discusses the myths that perpetuate that dream. The second part describes Christian responses and practices that dispell said myths.

Apel discusses our Puritan origins, which led to all the myths that prop up the American dream. He describes the hijacking by early Americans of the Israelite conquest of Cannan, and its use to excuse behavior that would otherwise be condemned. The myth of sacrifice and dissent is shown to be self-defeating and backwards. Political equality, relativism, and individualism are also exposed.

What makes this book special is that Apel doesn't just complain about the distortion of American Christianity, but offers solutions as well. Apel's remedy is simple, only involving a return to simple spiritual practices such as prayer and Bible study. There is an extensive discourse on the Christian faith, and what separates the American version from true faith.

Apel is able to weave together myths, facts, faith, and heart, making sure to point toward truth at all times. This book examines American culture objectively, causing the reader to take a closer look at the world around them.

I Am Second

On my morning commute I pass a small circular billboard. For the past three months a picture of Mick Foley(aka Mankind) was on the south side which catches my eye at the stop light I always seem to catch going to work.

It changed this week.

And the billboard worked, I went and checked out the site because the simplicity of the artwork and the message intrigued me enough.

It's called I am second.

Check it out here:

I Am Second

It's a pretty cool site, and it seems that it started somewhere around the metroplex. As most of the "celebrities" are associated with this area. It was rather encouraging for me to see the statement of the site and hear stories from all sorts of people struggling to figure out what it means to be human, both celebrities and normal people like me.

Plus, there is something soothing to the soul when we begin to realize the beauty of selfless living, and are prompted along by those we are bound with in the community of the church.