At the Feast

The table's set and round are seats
The food is piled very high
With many spices and special treats
The master bids come nigh.

But do you hear the voice inside?
The one that never lets you sleep?
The one that always whispers harsh,
And always prays your cell to keep?

Do you feel the heavy weight?
And wonder if it goes away?
Will it weigh you down for life,
Until the Lord returns again?

Is there an ache that you would lose?
A hole that leads so deep inside?
Do you think you could come out?
Or must you run away to hide?

When everything pulls you far away
And those you love you leave behind
Do you wonder what is right?
And do you worry that you were blind?

It is hard to trust sometimes
And it is hard to see
And still we will not reach out our hands
It's only me, me, me.

The way to peace is not through will
The way to hope is not through peace
What we want is at our hands
And all we need is at the feast.

On Friends, In Brief

As everyone knows, certain things are necessary for life. Things such as air, water, and food are actually necessary conditions for being alive. And of course we all know that certain other things are necessary for proper functioning as a human being... or do we know? Things such as friends, purpose, and rest seem to sometimes not be treated as if they were as important as they actually are. And then for the Christian, of course, there is another set of things that are necessary for them to grow and have peace (let alone happiness). Do we understand worship, fellowship, spiritual disciplines, or giving? I know that many Christians do and are happy for it. Let us back up a moment, though, and think a little more about something that everyone needs.

Have you ever known someone who really did not have any friends? These people often stand out as different and odd and sad (if you notice them). They seem different, odd, and sad because they may be a big number, but they are not a big percentage. Most people have friends. There is nothing rare or unusual about having a friend. Most people have friends because it is excruciating to live without them. The vilest villain does not usually want to be alone. The bible speaks about the importance of choosing your friends wisely, in part, because G-d knows that it is not good for people to be alone. People realize that it is not good to be alone themselves and they will put not being alone above other considerations (that they might not ought to). They would most often prefer bad company to no company (for long periods, that is). Many people in the United States, for example, have never in their whole lives been 72 hours away from all contact with other people. People really do intuitively know that they need other people.

So if there is nothing rare or unusual about having a friend to talk to- and certainly nothing rare about wanting to have a friend to talk to... why then does the phrase "I feel like I have no one to talk to come across many people's lips?" My heart goes out to people who feel alone- but they would do well to remember the necessity of friends. It is not hard to get friends, but it is important to choose your friends wisely. Remember Proverbs 1:15 and Psalm 1:1.

Presidential Election and Electability

The election is more than a year away and people are making predictions- I have some thoughts on this. If predictions can be made with any amount of accuracy this far out from the election- I think we either have a populace in agreement, or we have a problem. We do not have a united populace. Therefore we have a problem, or perhaps it really is too soon to tell. Now you may think that this is an either or fallacy, but that is what the comments are for. It is a long way from the election- people should not be using electability as a criterion in making your decision this far out. It is important to begin thinking about who you are going to vote for- and it is important to vote- but we should not be excluding canidates from the election because of "electability" at this stage in the game. If Mitt Romney wants to run for president, then let him run- don't worry about the fact that he is a Mormon. If you like Ron Paul but fear that you would be wasting your vote because no one has heard of him and he doesn't have a chance- stop worrying. Listen to his speeches. Talk to your friends about him. At this stage in the game, character, track-record, and political philosophy should be all that we as voters should be concerned with. Remember that the God who made the universe is still watching and is not slow as some reckon slowness.

Mad Men and Cultural Critique

I have been watching a new show about advertising executives in the 1960's that is surpisingly well written. Take this quote for instance:

"Kids today have no one to look up to... because they are looking up to us." - From episode 4 of the TV show Mad Men

Does every generation think that the new generation is going to be the last because they are not like them or their fathers? I wonder if we have it in us to step back and see what should and should not be a priority when we criticize a particular generation. Please feel free to discuss this amongst yourselves.