Rattle and Hum

Eons ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was an album titled "Rattle and Hum" by U2. Now, I must admit that I was never a huge fan, but I liked this album both then and now. It was a movie, too, but I never saw it. My faves from the album are "Helter Skelter," "When Love Comes To Town," "All I Want Is You," and, finally, "Love Rescue Me." This last song still continues to weave its way in and out of my memory, my soul. The melody moves your spirit in some ways like a beautiful but mournful dirge as the words penetrate the depths of your being.

Take a listen: Love Rescue Me

When I first heard this song, I thought Bono was singing about love, romantic love (eros), rescuing him, but now I think it is much deeper than that. I think the love that he wants to be rescued by is God's love for him (agape).

We live in a hurting world, and this hurt transcends culture and ideology. No one is unscathed by the circumstances of life. Everyone that you meet has a story. We need to take the time to stop and listen to the stories. People need to be rescued, and there is Someone who Saves, and when He Rescues it is once and for all, for eternity.

God is Love, and those that love Him are His ambassadors. Picture, if you will, people crying out for "Love (to) rescue me." God is listening and so should we. We need to be ready to respond both with tangible things (food, money, shelter, a listening ear) as well as with, "For God so loved (you) that He gave His only Son, that (if you) believe in Him (you) will not perish but have everlasting life."

My challenge to you (and I am writing this to myself as well), whenever you listen to this song, is not just to hear it as a nice, soulful song, but to push further and hear the cries a hurting world (your neighbor, your friend, your coworker) calling out. Will you be ready to respond?

Have I Said I Like Mark Driscoll?

Found this youtube video on Internet Monk and thought that it was worth sharing.



Comments? Questions? Bueller? Bueller?

Some New Blogs I'm Checking Out...

And I'm adding them to my list:

http://www.blindbeggar.org/

http://eclecticchristian.com/

http://www.internetmonk.com/

Thought For The Day...

I love the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It speaks to me on so many different levels. Right before the parable in Luke's Gospel, Jesus is talking with a lawyer about inheriting eternal life. They guy has the right answer, but somehow or another I get from the passage that his heart is just not in it. Then Jesus tells him the story of the Good Samaritan...

From
Bible Gateway:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

(NIV Version - Luke 10: 25-37)

Sometimes I think that I get it right, but most of the time I fear that I fall into one of the other categories represented... busyness, self-involvement, or just plain complacency.

Everyone is my neighbor, whether it be by physical location or just by nature of being a member of the human race. In the time period that this was written, the Samaritan and the injured man would have been at "cultural odds."

Who are we at cultural odds with today? Would we be willing to stop and help if the occasion presented itself, or would we just keep walking and turn a blind eye?

My prayer today is that my eyes will be opened to my neighbors and the needs that I can help meet...that I will "go and do likewise."

How Did We Wind Up In Idaho?

Well, take a look at this...US Satellite Map At Night.

If you will notice, in the Northwest US the lights tend to thin out to complete black. There is a reason for that. The black areas mean that there are no lights to be seen by the satellite. The area is secluded and sparsely populated.

To the east and on the west coast there are lights everywhere, i.e. lots and lots of people. We chose the mountains, the peace, the quiet, and the 80-mile drive to Wal Mart! And we are blessed:)