A Fool among Fools

The gospel is foolishness to the world. But when trying to fight the gospel the world shows its foolishness. At the opening of the American Society for Microbiology conference, the first talk was about a battle for evolution in today's schools. My lovely esposita eagerly attended to find out what they would say hoping for a chance for open discussion. Disappointingly it had nothing to do with science. The talk was only hate speach toward creation and intelligent design. It was a rally cry for war to do everything possible to plug evolution and prevent the other side from making their plugs. Who is the real fool? Where is the open democracy with those fighting hardest for it trying to prevent it from happening?

The gospel is foolishness to the world. Is this the foolishness that Christians are called to live out, when they begin to fight each other over tertiary details instead of fighting the world with love through the gospel? Or is the foolishness we are called to live out the standing up for God's word and proclaiming it to a dying world.

I pray for a voice crying in the wilderness to point the world to Christ. I pray that fool will be a fool because of Christ instead of a fool because of foolishness.

Orlando, Florida

I am graduated from seminary and now chilling in Orlando at this beautiful hotel while my wife attends a nerd fest. More to come later.

Cool Tree

On one of our recent excursions, Meg and I came across this tree. How do you think it got twisted like this? Could it have been a mini, concentrated tornado? There was no damage surrounding it.

Decisions

It is funny how things always seem so clear when I look backwards, but not so clear before I go through them.

brings back memories

Oh Wow... I had almost forgotten about that phrase. I had almost forgotten about that time in my life, when I was in college at MSU. Sitting outside on the porch with Jo and Marc and Andy, chillin' out at the house in the country, pickin-n-grinnin, walking down the train tracks, going to frat parties, but never pledging, the crawfish boil where we burned everybodies lips (when Chip and Scott came up from cajunland), grilling meat, eating pop-tarts for breakfast and mac-n-chesse for dinner, pipes busting in that cold march freeze, being cold with pitiful heaters that only warm about 1 foot radius, burning pennies in the fireplace. That was a fun time.
Thanks for the reminder Jo.

Interesting Biography on E. Stanley Jones

I have been reading this guy and really enjoying it. Here is a taste of his thoughts on sharing Christ with India;

Then the dawning came - and what a dawning! I saw that everything they brought up was the Word become word, and what the gospel presented was the Word become flesh. 'Be like the sandalwood tree' - that is an exhortation, the word of forgiveness become word. But Jesus hanging on a cross and praying 'Father forgive them' was not the word of forgiveness become word: it was the word of forgiveness become flesh. Prajapati, the Lord of Creatures, giving himself in sacrifice for them is a stray verse in the Rig-Veda, with no historical basis that Prajapati ever gave himself in sacrifice. It is the word of sacrifice become word. But Jesus dying on the cross for us is not the word of sacrifice become word: it is the Word of Sacrifice become flesh. As for Shiva drinking the poison, Shiva himself is legendary and his drinking the poison is also legendary. But Jesus dying on a cross between two thieves as one of them and crying the cry of dereliction, 'My God, why hast thou forsaken me?' - the cry we cry when we sin - is not the Word of identification with our sins become word: it is the Word become flesh
This Word become word and this Word become flesh - here is the profound and decisive difference between the Christian faith and all others. It separates them not in degree but in kind. All other faiths are philosophies or moralisms - man's search upward. The gospel is God's search downward. Religions are man's search for God; the gospel is God's search for man. There are many religions, but one gospel.
Therefore, the method of comparative religions, studying which idea is in which religion, is beside the point. It is comparing incomparable things - the Word become word and the Word become flesh. Therefore it is all beside the point and hence pointless.
E. Stanley Jones, "A Song of Ascents"

Travels

My friend John pointed this site out for the States. I realize, I need to do some more travelling in the States, though I have pretty much covered the Southeast. I like the world map. I used to think I had travelled much in the world, but there are many places yet to go.



create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands




create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Smiths in Peru

Smiths in Peru
it is good to see they are doing well. It brings back memories of Cusco to see their pictures and read about their experiences.

Looking at Japan

From most recent visit to Japan

Christmas with el esposita y amigos

domo arigato gozaimashta Shuma

1st Original S&M Pipe