Let’s make sure this is stated first. Â I love Va. Tech. Â Not just love it, I LOVE it! Â I am an alumnus, and I have served God here for the past 16 years.
Love Va. Tech, love Blacksburg, love Montgomery County. Â The whole bit.
But I have really struggled with the Victoria’s Secret Pink Party that was held last night on the Drillfield. Â Possibly for some reasons you think, and maybe for others that you don’t.
Remember, I went here. Â I get it. Â A huge concert/party/Va. Tech community event like this? Â I like some of the stuff from Gym Class Heroes, and the chance to hit up a free concert and likely have a blast? Â I really do get it.
I certainly don’t object to students being able to decide whether or not they can attend the show.
What concerns me is how this impacts an already typically unhealthy sexual ethic. Â Please stick with me a bit here and try to ignore how poorly the last sentence was constructed. Â The healthiest development of our sexuality I believe is stated in the scriptures. Â Not arguing for prudishness (although some will undoubtedly disagree) here, just more reflection and restraint than I think we typically see. Â Allowing God to show us how to express our sexuality in the manner that he engineered it.
One final word, friends. We ask you – urge is more like it – that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life. Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity. Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body,not abusing it… Â 1 Thess 4
Please keep in mind that Jesus spent most of his time removing the extra rules that had been added by his religious compatriots. Â He seemed to want to free the pursuit of God from many of the restrictions that were squeezing the life out of that very pursuit. Â But in the Sermon on the Mount, probably in my opinion the most clarified teaching that he gave and the one that most helps me to understand the heart of God towards us, he actually tightens up the understanding of what sexual purity meant. Â He said it was not just about what you did, but about what was in your heart in the first place.
Now if Jesus was the prude that I thought he was up through my last year a Tech, that wouldn’t surprise me a bit. Â But he wasn’t. Â He was accused by the religious elite of being a drunk. Â Of hanging out too much with prostitutes, the untouchables of his day.
So, I guess my concern is that his concern just isn’t getting much play in our culture today. Â I don’t say this because I want to be seen as right or in the majority. Â More and more I wonder if followers of Jesus do better when we are the minority. Â I say this because I talk to hundreds of people each year and many have been hurt greatly by the sexually free culture we experience. Â That in our freedom we actually lose access to a part of who we were created to be.
As I am reading a bit of Socrates recently I will use his preferred method… Â Likely poorly 🙂
That is why I have struggled so much with this one…
Peace, Jim
I am a fan of something that is loosely referred to as an “orthogonal approach” applied to intensely debated social and religious issues.
So I was excited when I saw that Adam Frank, an astrophysicist from the University of Rochester invoked it in a . And while Frank, who would consider himself a “strident atheist” and myself, a convinced follower of Jesus, have a number of key points of disagreement, I liked the overall trajectory of his article.
At least at first. His take was that we need to try to not fall into the same “us versus them” pattern that can so often derail the discussion. That by thinking “orthogonally” we can put a right angle in the discussion and come up with something that is entirely new.
Then I ran across what I run across all to often in discussions with those who would consider themselves commited scientists and atheists. The issue that  is seemingly not even noticed is the baseline belief that those with religious belief are more opposed to this discussion than those without religious belief. That the religious, with my experience being obviously as a follower of Jesus, have behaved more poorly in the discussion than our counterparts.
Yes, I liked how Frank mentioned Einstein’s concern about fanatical atheists who were as intolerant as their religious counterparts. And yes I liked how he talked about our need to approach a discussion that can often be conducted on one axis (only my side has value) more orthogonally. Not just shoot for a middle position, but take a right angle on the axis and create something different. Adam, I was with you.
Remember, this isn’t about what the conclusion is, Â Frank and I would clearly disagree on that, but rather how we can engage in this discussion seeking to be listeners and not just winners.
But, then it happened. And it was going so well.
Of course the point must always be made that in domains of politics and policy strident atheists are infinitely more tolerent and less damaging than the gang hanging out at other end of the spectrum.
It isn’t even that I am bothered by his opinion on the matter. It is the “Of course” that starts that opinion off. That “of course” approach is what is so frustrating for me.
Much more often than not, when I enter into a discussion with a scientifically oriented atheist, the presumption is that I am likely a knuckle-dragging holdover from an earlier evolutionary stage. Â My experience is that in the significant majority of conversations, Â rarely is time taken to investigate whether their hypotheses about me are true.
I recognize the look of disbelief mixed with frustration, disdain and occasionally even pity.
I am not saying that there aren’t many from among those that follow Jesus that haven’t been equally offensive. I remember a Christian I knew that had a bumper sticker that read “April 1st – National Atheists’ Day” and I remember those that cheered his “bravery” in proudly driving around with it on his bumper.
So I am not saying the faith community has handled itself well all the time. And I am not asking people to feel sorry for me as I know very well that many followers of Jesus around the world suffer much more than disparaging looks.
My issue is that it must at least be acknowledged that, for at least a portion of the atheist/scientific community; this thought is so automatic that it could even find its way into a posting urging its readers to not do that very thing.
Sometimes it would seem we have a very long way to go.
Peace, Jim
I have to say this may be the best one. Â To Mike (for flawlessly mixing a song that I bet you find an affront to music), Robbie (for the awesome videography and syncing), Adriana (for being willing to express such raw emotion on camera), Kristal (for the great choreography and taking an info card hit to the face), and of course Karin (for rocking the nasal tone and for likely pulling a smile muscle). – Â So well done! Â Funny, creative, and technically so well done.
To those who haven’t seen it yet. Â Enjoy. Â And Happy Labor Day!
No need to add any thoughts.
from a man I have had the privilege of seeing live those words out. Â The fact that he is so well known and so widely read seems to have not caused him to love the acclaim. Â Thanks to for the post.
A wonderful example… Â Peace, Jim
I haven’t joined in the jokes about Kim Jong Il’s death. Â By all accounts he was a terrible leader-according to many accounts truly awful-but I don’t relish the death of anyone.
But, I read about his mythical athletic prowess, and it is of course laughable. Many North Koreans cite these stats! Â Certainly it is impossible to know if they truly believe his monikers are accurate – “Best Leader Who Realized Human Wisdom,” “Master of Literature, Arts, and Architecture,” “Humankind’s Greatest Musical Genius,” “World’s Greatest Writer,” and “Greatest Man Who Ever Lived.” – or they were just coerced. Â Few really know, as informational transfer is so restricted.
We at least know that the Humankind’s Greatest Musical Genius is wrong. Â Nickleback gets that one.
No? Â Who then, Creed?
Sorry, back on track here… It is so easy to look into another culture and see how they misconstrue reality…how they miss the point. Â It made me stop and reflect a bit about how we do the same. Â Things that seem self-evident to us can be very easily seen through by others. Â Cultural nuances that we are blind to. Â It makes me want to be very deeply rooted and carefully reflective. Â It makes me want to be sure that I am among people who will help me to make sure I see myself and the world the way that God would have me.
Sure, I would never say I shot 5 (or 11) holes in one in a single day. Â But what other lies might I be very willing to tell myself? Makes me think of a Proverb that says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Â
Let’s pray, for the sake of the South Korean people, that Kim Jong Un will do better.
I have am blessed to have very wise friends who have a variety of takes on any number of issues. Â One that is coming up right now is the issue around the phrase, “Merry Christmas!” Â Should we be allowed / encouraged to use that particular term at the expense of the more generic greeting, “Happy Holidays!” Â What do each of those phrases represent and what is the larger issue that is bubbling just under the surface? Â It is a very meaningful discussion, no?
This is an by Elizabeth Hunter, from .
While I don’t resonate with all of her thoughts, my question is… Â Â Â What are your thoughts on her thoughts?
This will likely be the last posting for the year as I am taking a few days off and then will be going to !
In the name of our Messiah whose birth I celebrate,
Jim
So, the inevitable piece of news. Â Westboro Baptist Church is coming to Blacksburg
today to protest in front of Cassell Coliseum today just before the of Officer Deriek Crouse. Â Notice no hotlink to Westboro’s site?
A bully in middle school taught me why.
There was a kid who lived near me (I won’t name a name as I am always surprised to see who reads this) Â who loved to mess with me. Â It kind of became his thing. Â I was a small kid with… ladies prepare yourselves… Â a bad haircut, bifocals, braces with headgear… Â That’s right. Â Add to that an almost complete lack of coordination, and a very smart mouth that often moved a bit faster than my brain.
Needless to say, I talked myself into a lot of situations.
This guy, who was much bigger, decided I would be his bullying muse for the year. Â I tried to fight back – verbally, physically. I tried being nice. Â Nothing would work.
Then I decided to simply render his insults irrelevant. Â He would make a comment and I’d say “not bad.” Â He would shove me when he walked by and I would say “nice form.” Â The first thing that did is it calmed me down. Â The next thing it did was it removed the audience he loved to get by messing with me.
I took his audience away.
In Proverbs 16 we are told that a wise persons’s heart makes their speech wise and more persuasive. Â I have learned over the years to tame my mouth -most of the time. Â Sometimes that means overlooking a wrong, other times to speak against it. Â Both of those pieces of wisdom are given to us in Proverbs and both are right.
But I think of this response as neither overlooking or speaking against.
I think Proverbs 26.4,5 shares the tension we walk in…
4 When arguing with fools, don’t answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. 5 When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.
Both are true. Â When you understand the proverbial wisdom nature of, well, Proverbs, then you see these aren’t in contradiction. They are both right. Â Wisdom therefore, needs to guide us into which one we invoke. Â I think, today, verse four.
People have tried for years to speak wisdom and truth into these folks’ lives. Â I tried when they last came to Tech. Â I spoke with Shirley Phelps-Roper, unsurprisingly to no avail. Â They want the audience, they are somehow energized by the counter-protests. Â Their revenue stream is dependent on getting big numbers of web-hits, drawing big crowds. Â So, now, like my middle school bully, let’s move past them.
Let them come.
Ignore them.
With the prayer-filled hope that they will just fade away.
Yesterday was a swirl of emotions. A sinking feeling when I got the text about a shooting on campus. Growing fear as we heard about the possibility of another victim. Relief that more weren’t killed. Sadness as I reflected on the lives that ended. left a wife and five kids. Five kids! A friend of mine had to deliver the news to the brand new widow.
So we walk today in the tension of relief and sadness. The awareness that things aren’t as bad as they could be and still not as good we wish.
Jesus told us this was the case. That the reality of God’s presence in our world doesn’t mean that evil isn’t also here. And the fact that evil remains (for now) doesn’t mean God is sitting idly by. He is active and reminds us to be active as well.
Peter said it like this, “God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost.” 2 Peter 3.9 The Message
And it is Jesus’ example of unfair suffering that inspires me to action. He died for a purpose, for the Kingdom. For us. Now he calls on me to lay down my life as he did.
Yesterday reminds me this life isn’t a game.
I am conflicted about the Occupy Wall Street movement.
I can understand the frustration that many feel when they think about our current political system. Â I feel that pursuit of power and lack of willingness to serve is not connected with any political party. Â It is a part of who we are as people. Â So, I get the idea that “Just vote them out,” only replaces one problem with another. Â We are almost always in campaign mode and the problems of our country and world require more focus than they receive.
I can also understand the frustration of those who look at the ways the OWS movement is getting in the way of the commerce of the regular working class people they are claiming to represent. Â The excesses, the question of whether it will ever really amount to anything. Â Who are the 99%, do they really represent me, and what is it that they would suggest that is better?
This certainly isn’t the first to handle that dilemma, but I like it and wanted to pass it along. Â Thoughts?
Jesus Ween. Â Let it sink in. Â Jesus Ween. Â 
Here is the from Tamara Gignac of the . Â Please know, it isn’t the heart of what Paul Ade is doing that is the problem as much as the cheese factor of the naming.
CALGARY — Tiny ghosts and goblins hoping for sugary snacks may find something odd in their loot bags this Halloween: a bible.
A Calgary pastor is promoting Jesus Ween, a faith-based alternative to the traditional holiday fare of candy and spooky garb.
Instead of chocolate bars and gummy bears, he’s asking people to shun demonic costumes and instead dole out pocket-sized bibles or other “Christian gifts.”
The idea has caught on in communities across North America, according to Jesus Ween creator Paul Ade. He’s hoping it will bring a new perspective to an otherwise pagan festival, he said.
“I do not associate myself with ghosts, demons, Satan and witches. These are things I want to get rid of,” he said.
“If it’s OK for a child to know about demons, it should also be OK for a child to know about Jesus.”
Jesus Ween has attracted international attention, with media reports circulating as far away as Britain.
The Calgary man’s efforts to reinvent Halloween even prompted parody south of the border, with recent gags from U.S. pop culture satirist Stephen Colbert and late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel.
