Monday, May 29, 2006
Theology and a Three-Year-Old Part 2
We recently hung a hammock in our backyard. It is great - to relax, swing between the trees, enjoy the outdoors. A few days ago, Grant and I were lying down in the hammock, enjoying a nice father-son time. I told him that we should close our eyes and listen to all the sounds. I thought it would be great to relax and see what we could hear. I said, "Grant, I hear the wind in the trees and the wind-chimes." Grant replied, "I hear the air conditioner." Oh well, nothing theological from this encounter with nature, except that I enjoy spending time with Grant. And he is very perceptive. I love my family.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Jury Duty
Monday May 22nd - I went to downtown Fort Worth to report for jury duty. This was my first time to ever be called to go, so I had no idea what to expect. As I am going through the metal detectors, I realize I still have my nice pocket knife on my key chain. The cop looks at me and tells me to get it out of there. Not having time to go all the way back to my car, I stashed it under a trash can out front. (However, 2 hours later when I had a break, my pocket knife was already gone.)
Anyway, back to what happened next. I went into a room packed with people, every chair was full and people were standing in the aisles. After watching a cheesy inspirational video on jury duty, they started calling names for each jury panel. (We had to be there at 8am, they started calling names about 9am.) At 10am, my name was called. It is the closest thing I will ever get to a sports draft. (I was the 43rd selection out of 60 for the 371st District Court.) We each filled out a questionnaire, and then they told us to report to the 371st at 1:30pm. Since it was just slightly past 10:30, I decided to wander around downtown FW. (This is when I discovered my knife was gone.) I ventured to the Barnes and Noble, looked through an assortment of books, headed over to Billy Miners, ate lunch, back to BN, then finally back to the courthouse. From 1:30 to 2:30, all 60 of us were just standing in the hallway. Then finally they file us in.
Voir Dire begins. Prosecution asks questions to us as a group, questions looking for bias. This is where many people, in order to get out of jury duty, began saying "Yes, I think everybody is guilty... I cannot follow the law here... I am biased... The Mavs game is tonight and I want to be out of here..." This process was quite frightening. Not the questions asked, but the answers given. I don't ever plan on being on trial, but if I were, I worry about the number of complete and total, for lack of a better word, morons who are roaming our streets, waiting to be selected for jury duty. Anyway, at number 43, and with no questions asked directly to me, I thought there would be no way that I would be selected. Plus, I always heard they never pick ministers, so I was just listening, observing all the peculiar people filling this room. Then they send us back into the hallway again.
5:00pm - they call all 60 of us back in and make their selections. And for the final juror spot, spot number 12, they call my name. I was shocked and I think I said audibly, "Oh geez." 48 people relieved, 12 of us wondering what in the world happens next. The judge tells the 12 of us to be back at the court room by 9am the next morning.
Tuesday May 23 - 9am - the bailiffs lead us through a side entrance to the very cozy jury room. It barely fit the 12 of us - and this is where we spent most of our time. A very nice selection of people. My earlier fears were relieved when I got to know the 11 other people in the room with me. A wide variety of people - as young as 20 and as old as 65. 8 men, 4 women, 7 whites, 4 blacks, 1 Hispanic. Successful career people, waiters, blue collar, educators, etc. It truly was a good segment of the population. It was fun going to lunch with them, all wearing our juror badges, walking around FW.
The case - SP was charged with a felony for knowingly attacking his wife by hitting her and/or choking her. SP was a 35 year old Vietnamese male, who, according to the lawyers, spoke little english and was illiterate. He was married to RA., who had called 911 April 2005 to report the attack. However, now, a year later, she was saying how much she loved SP and that he didn't attack her, she attacked herself. So here was the prosecution's obstacle, convincing the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that SP had attacked his wife on April 7, even though now she was saying otherwise. 2 days of testimony - police officers, RA, social worker, RA's father, plus numerous pieces of evidence, the 911 recording, pictures of RA's neck after the attack, and a previous attack, letters SP wrote her from prison saying such things as "If you know what's good for you and your children, you will drop the charges." "I will never hit you again." Anyway, after two days of the hearing (most of which was spent in the jury room, while the lawyers argued over what evidence was allowed) we were handed the case to make a verdict at 5pm on Wednesday. It did not take us long. We asked to hear the 911 call again, we each examined the photos, and we read through the letters SP had written. 30 minutes later, we found SP guilty 12-0. The judge, Judge James R. Wilson, sets the punishment at a later date, but we were told he will probably get 10 years and then be held due to immigration issues after that.
After the trial was over, the Judge came back and spoke to us briefly, thanking us for our service. We each got a coffee mug with his name and court number on it. And, because he was defeated in the last primary, it is now a collector's item. He said one time a bailiff saw a mug at a garage sale for 20 cents. He was a very nice man and after the trial, I looked him up on google. (This was the judge of the infamous case of the homeless man stuck in a woman's windshield for days.)
Then the prosecution and defense team came into the jury room and spoke with us, asking us to evaluate their arguments for them. After two days of avoiding them in the hallway and elevators, it was nice to get to hear from both sides away from the courtroom. Anyway, it was a great experience and has strengthened my confidence in the legal system. As annoying as it was to spend three days on jury duty while work piled up at the office, I was still proud to have done my civic duty and helped justice be carried out.
Everyone always tries to get out of jury duty, and I understand why - it is inconvenient, but I think we all, especially Christians, should do our part to serve on a jury. So next time you are summoned, don't try to get out of it, but instead answer your questionnaires honestly and pray that God will allow you to serve. Besides, one day you might be on trial and I promise you, you will want the best jurors, not the 48 cast-offs in our jury pool. (Actually I am sure that many of them were very nice people, just the ones who spoke seemed to lack sense.)
By the way, for my jury duty time, I was paid $6 for Monday, $40 for Tuesday, and $40 for Wednesday for a whopping $86. Take away $15 for parking, $25 for lunches, another $5 for snacks, and some more for gas money. Cheap labor if you ask me... But worth it.
Anyway, back to what happened next. I went into a room packed with people, every chair was full and people were standing in the aisles. After watching a cheesy inspirational video on jury duty, they started calling names for each jury panel. (We had to be there at 8am, they started calling names about 9am.) At 10am, my name was called. It is the closest thing I will ever get to a sports draft. (I was the 43rd selection out of 60 for the 371st District Court.) We each filled out a questionnaire, and then they told us to report to the 371st at 1:30pm. Since it was just slightly past 10:30, I decided to wander around downtown FW. (This is when I discovered my knife was gone.) I ventured to the Barnes and Noble, looked through an assortment of books, headed over to Billy Miners, ate lunch, back to BN, then finally back to the courthouse. From 1:30 to 2:30, all 60 of us were just standing in the hallway. Then finally they file us in.
Voir Dire begins. Prosecution asks questions to us as a group, questions looking for bias. This is where many people, in order to get out of jury duty, began saying "Yes, I think everybody is guilty... I cannot follow the law here... I am biased... The Mavs game is tonight and I want to be out of here..." This process was quite frightening. Not the questions asked, but the answers given. I don't ever plan on being on trial, but if I were, I worry about the number of complete and total, for lack of a better word, morons who are roaming our streets, waiting to be selected for jury duty. Anyway, at number 43, and with no questions asked directly to me, I thought there would be no way that I would be selected. Plus, I always heard they never pick ministers, so I was just listening, observing all the peculiar people filling this room. Then they send us back into the hallway again.
5:00pm - they call all 60 of us back in and make their selections. And for the final juror spot, spot number 12, they call my name. I was shocked and I think I said audibly, "Oh geez." 48 people relieved, 12 of us wondering what in the world happens next. The judge tells the 12 of us to be back at the court room by 9am the next morning.
Tuesday May 23 - 9am - the bailiffs lead us through a side entrance to the very cozy jury room. It barely fit the 12 of us - and this is where we spent most of our time. A very nice selection of people. My earlier fears were relieved when I got to know the 11 other people in the room with me. A wide variety of people - as young as 20 and as old as 65. 8 men, 4 women, 7 whites, 4 blacks, 1 Hispanic. Successful career people, waiters, blue collar, educators, etc. It truly was a good segment of the population. It was fun going to lunch with them, all wearing our juror badges, walking around FW.
The case - SP was charged with a felony for knowingly attacking his wife by hitting her and/or choking her. SP was a 35 year old Vietnamese male, who, according to the lawyers, spoke little english and was illiterate. He was married to RA., who had called 911 April 2005 to report the attack. However, now, a year later, she was saying how much she loved SP and that he didn't attack her, she attacked herself. So here was the prosecution's obstacle, convincing the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that SP had attacked his wife on April 7, even though now she was saying otherwise. 2 days of testimony - police officers, RA, social worker, RA's father, plus numerous pieces of evidence, the 911 recording, pictures of RA's neck after the attack, and a previous attack, letters SP wrote her from prison saying such things as "If you know what's good for you and your children, you will drop the charges." "I will never hit you again." Anyway, after two days of the hearing (most of which was spent in the jury room, while the lawyers argued over what evidence was allowed) we were handed the case to make a verdict at 5pm on Wednesday. It did not take us long. We asked to hear the 911 call again, we each examined the photos, and we read through the letters SP had written. 30 minutes later, we found SP guilty 12-0. The judge, Judge James R. Wilson, sets the punishment at a later date, but we were told he will probably get 10 years and then be held due to immigration issues after that.
After the trial was over, the Judge came back and spoke to us briefly, thanking us for our service. We each got a coffee mug with his name and court number on it. And, because he was defeated in the last primary, it is now a collector's item. He said one time a bailiff saw a mug at a garage sale for 20 cents. He was a very nice man and after the trial, I looked him up on google. (This was the judge of the infamous case of the homeless man stuck in a woman's windshield for days.)
Then the prosecution and defense team came into the jury room and spoke with us, asking us to evaluate their arguments for them. After two days of avoiding them in the hallway and elevators, it was nice to get to hear from both sides away from the courtroom. Anyway, it was a great experience and has strengthened my confidence in the legal system. As annoying as it was to spend three days on jury duty while work piled up at the office, I was still proud to have done my civic duty and helped justice be carried out.
Everyone always tries to get out of jury duty, and I understand why - it is inconvenient, but I think we all, especially Christians, should do our part to serve on a jury. So next time you are summoned, don't try to get out of it, but instead answer your questionnaires honestly and pray that God will allow you to serve. Besides, one day you might be on trial and I promise you, you will want the best jurors, not the 48 cast-offs in our jury pool. (Actually I am sure that many of them were very nice people, just the ones who spoke seemed to lack sense.)
By the way, for my jury duty time, I was paid $6 for Monday, $40 for Tuesday, and $40 for Wednesday for a whopping $86. Take away $15 for parking, $25 for lunches, another $5 for snacks, and some more for gas money. Cheap labor if you ask me... But worth it.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Reality TV and Why I Love It
OK, so I admit it - I love reality TV. Now I know this is nothing new anymore - reality TV is everywhere, but I still love it. Not all of it - just the really good stuff. I don't know why. But maybe it's because I can picture myself doing well in Reality TV shows. I can watch baseball and know I will never be a baseball player. I can watch Dirk do incredible things on the basketball court and know I will never be a good basketball player. I can watch rock stars and know I will never be one of those (which is why American Idol is not one of the reality shows I like - plus it's kind of boring.) But let me watch Aras walk off with the million dollars, or the hippies struggle to win the Amazing Race, and I think - maybe, just maybe I could do that. (I mean, if I got in shape a little.)
If only one reality show was allowed to be on the air, I would choose Survivor. It's the original and it's the best. Yes, I get "tired-head" listening to Jeff Probst explain how the challenges work - but to see people interact, to see people who are oblivious to their idiosyncrasies, captivates me. The classic illustration of this is from this past season when Courtney (the fire-dancer - what's that exactly?) was so upset because people voted her the most annoying. What me annoying?, she asks. Then, with Bruce writhing in constipation pain, feeling like he is going to die, Courtney starts singing to him. In pain he says, "Stop." She continues singing, Bruce in more pain now and obviously annoyed by Courtney once again asks her to stop. She doesn't even realize that she is annoying him. We all know people just like that - if you don't, then you are probably that person.
[On a side note, when I think about Survivor, I am always reminded of my preaching class in seminary. After one of my sermons for the class in which I used an illustration from Survivor (this was season 2 back in 2001), one of my classmates, during his critique said, "I think we as Christians should not watch such shows as Survivor. It's just un-Christian." Really? My text for that sermon was Deuteronomy 23:12-14 and was titled "Being a Responsible Camper." Of course, if you know that passage, you can probably guess that if someone was upset with Survivor, they would be upset with my choice of scripture as well. (And I admit one of the reasons I used the scripture was to rock the boat a little.) When someone in the class approached me after class and said "I think your text was inappropriate." I replied, "Well, God said it to Moses, and Moses shared it with the people, are you saying that God is inappropriate?" He nervously laughed.]
So Survivor shares a special memory in my life. But it is also a fascinating look at people. As hard as one may try to put up a front, ultimately, Survivor reveals them for who they really are. I think we as Christians could use a little more "Survivor" in our lives. To be forced to interact with others that we normally wouldn't. To learn how they tick, to see how they view us. We as Christians should be open to sharing our strengths and our weaknesses. To take off our masks and admit that we don't have all the answers and that we are not perfect. (This is especially true when we are around other Christians - we so often put up a spiritual front to look good.) To admit that, yes, we are hypocrites and we do wrong people at times. To take risks, build relationships with strangers, and stretch ourselves physically and mentally. And to remember that when all seems hopeless and when we have been bruised by life, we know that our hope is not found in what we can or can't do, but our hope is found in Christ. He is the one who gives meaning to life, who accepts us whether we are annoying, hypocritical, etc.
Reality TV - we do star in it, I guess. People do watch us, we do vote people in and out of our circles, we do compete for prizes in life. I guess that's why I like Survivor so much. Ah, now if only I could just throw a baseball 95 mph...
If only one reality show was allowed to be on the air, I would choose Survivor. It's the original and it's the best. Yes, I get "tired-head" listening to Jeff Probst explain how the challenges work - but to see people interact, to see people who are oblivious to their idiosyncrasies, captivates me. The classic illustration of this is from this past season when Courtney (the fire-dancer - what's that exactly?) was so upset because people voted her the most annoying. What me annoying?, she asks. Then, with Bruce writhing in constipation pain, feeling like he is going to die, Courtney starts singing to him. In pain he says, "Stop." She continues singing, Bruce in more pain now and obviously annoyed by Courtney once again asks her to stop. She doesn't even realize that she is annoying him. We all know people just like that - if you don't, then you are probably that person.
[On a side note, when I think about Survivor, I am always reminded of my preaching class in seminary. After one of my sermons for the class in which I used an illustration from Survivor (this was season 2 back in 2001), one of my classmates, during his critique said, "I think we as Christians should not watch such shows as Survivor. It's just un-Christian." Really? My text for that sermon was Deuteronomy 23:12-14 and was titled "Being a Responsible Camper." Of course, if you know that passage, you can probably guess that if someone was upset with Survivor, they would be upset with my choice of scripture as well. (And I admit one of the reasons I used the scripture was to rock the boat a little.) When someone in the class approached me after class and said "I think your text was inappropriate." I replied, "Well, God said it to Moses, and Moses shared it with the people, are you saying that God is inappropriate?" He nervously laughed.]
So Survivor shares a special memory in my life. But it is also a fascinating look at people. As hard as one may try to put up a front, ultimately, Survivor reveals them for who they really are. I think we as Christians could use a little more "Survivor" in our lives. To be forced to interact with others that we normally wouldn't. To learn how they tick, to see how they view us. We as Christians should be open to sharing our strengths and our weaknesses. To take off our masks and admit that we don't have all the answers and that we are not perfect. (This is especially true when we are around other Christians - we so often put up a spiritual front to look good.) To admit that, yes, we are hypocrites and we do wrong people at times. To take risks, build relationships with strangers, and stretch ourselves physically and mentally. And to remember that when all seems hopeless and when we have been bruised by life, we know that our hope is not found in what we can or can't do, but our hope is found in Christ. He is the one who gives meaning to life, who accepts us whether we are annoying, hypocritical, etc.
Reality TV - we do star in it, I guess. People do watch us, we do vote people in and out of our circles, we do compete for prizes in life. I guess that's why I like Survivor so much. Ah, now if only I could just throw a baseball 95 mph...
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Culture War and the Love of Christ
Last week I read an intriguing article from "Christianity Today," entitled "Furrowed Brows Inc." (You can access the article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/004/25.100.html )
The author of the article discusses the consequences of our "Culture War in America." The battle over morality and the defense of traditional moral values, according to the author, is so often fought without the love of Christ shining through. He writes, "It is hard to believe someone who speaks of love through clenched teeth." This is the difficulty of engaging in such a culture war - how does one reach out to a lost world and at the same time "wage war" against them?
Those engaged in culture war are often surprised when lost people act lost. I don't get it. Why do we spend our time protesting television shows, boycotting certain entertainment indistries (but not all of them), and demanding that a school allow a Christian group to meet on its campus? We expend a great deal of energy, time, and resources fighting our culture to "win." And at what cost? How many people came to Christ after boycotting Disney or Will and Grace? How many more turn a deaf ear to the message of Christ because of such war-like tones coming from the mouths of "Christians"? Isn't there a better way?
Back to the article. The author writes that Jesus also confronted sin: "Jesus was hardly shy about confronting the patterns of sin in his culture - though he was consistently harder on the pious than he was on the pagans... But everywhere Jesus went, life blossomed." So how do we impact the world for Christ and allow life - abundant, resurrection type life - to abound?
Christians must engage their culture, but not in a way that brings clinched teeth and seething disdain for others. I heard this morning a radio talk show host asking pastors how they could support immigrants who have contributed to immorality by coming to the US illegally. My answer? The same way pastors support, or should support, to all of us - and the same way Jesus accepts all of us. "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:35ff)
Our culture is in need of correction. But the correction it is in need of will not come in the form of a war against culture, pitting "conservative values" against "Hollywood." It will come in the form of a servant, reaching out in love to those around us, examining our own lives for areas we need to get right, and confronting sin in such a way that offers a blossoming life. We have this ability as Christians, through the love, grace, and mercy of God, to truly impact our culture. Maybe it won't win votes, but it will win hearts - and create a climate where life can bloom.
The author of the article discusses the consequences of our "Culture War in America." The battle over morality and the defense of traditional moral values, according to the author, is so often fought without the love of Christ shining through. He writes, "It is hard to believe someone who speaks of love through clenched teeth." This is the difficulty of engaging in such a culture war - how does one reach out to a lost world and at the same time "wage war" against them?
Those engaged in culture war are often surprised when lost people act lost. I don't get it. Why do we spend our time protesting television shows, boycotting certain entertainment indistries (but not all of them), and demanding that a school allow a Christian group to meet on its campus? We expend a great deal of energy, time, and resources fighting our culture to "win." And at what cost? How many people came to Christ after boycotting Disney or Will and Grace? How many more turn a deaf ear to the message of Christ because of such war-like tones coming from the mouths of "Christians"? Isn't there a better way?
Back to the article. The author writes that Jesus also confronted sin: "Jesus was hardly shy about confronting the patterns of sin in his culture - though he was consistently harder on the pious than he was on the pagans... But everywhere Jesus went, life blossomed." So how do we impact the world for Christ and allow life - abundant, resurrection type life - to abound?
Christians must engage their culture, but not in a way that brings clinched teeth and seething disdain for others. I heard this morning a radio talk show host asking pastors how they could support immigrants who have contributed to immorality by coming to the US illegally. My answer? The same way pastors support, or should support, to all of us - and the same way Jesus accepts all of us. "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:35ff)
Our culture is in need of correction. But the correction it is in need of will not come in the form of a war against culture, pitting "conservative values" against "Hollywood." It will come in the form of a servant, reaching out in love to those around us, examining our own lives for areas we need to get right, and confronting sin in such a way that offers a blossoming life. We have this ability as Christians, through the love, grace, and mercy of God, to truly impact our culture. Maybe it won't win votes, but it will win hearts - and create a climate where life can bloom.
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