One Nation Under God

While driving this afternoon, I heard some provoking news: apparently NBC cut the phrase "one nation under God" from a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance during their coverage of the US Open yesterday. The aftermath, as anyone can imagine, was ugly:

New York Daily News - NBC Apologizes for Cutting "One Nation Under God" from Pledge of Allegiance

While listening to the controversy on the news, I suddenly realized that I was genuinely shocked by my own response to what I was hearing: almost complete indifference. A few years ago, I would have been inflamed by this sort of news. I would have joined in the ranks of people crying out publicly in anger, "How dare you, NBC?!". But now? I just don't really care. I don't see a point in debating, fighting, or rioting about it. In the grand scheme of our lives on earth, is this controversy really the most important thing?

In the Bible, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy: "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." (2 Timothy 2:23-24)

So what does this mean for politics? And what about controversial issues such as this one? Maybe sometimes it's not really worth arguing over. Maybe sometimes we're better off using our time to just love.

This is my two cents on some recent news. For anyone who is interested in this issue, please chime in! I'd love to hear some more thoughts on this subject.

Blue Like Jazz Movie

If you've ever read Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz, then you've probably heard over and over that a loose film adaptation has been in the works for some time now. (And if you haven't read Blue Like Jazz, I highly recommend it!) I absolutely loved the book, though it has been a couple years since I read it. Well, the other day, it was a most pleasant surprise to not only hear about the movie, but to actually see the first teaser trailer! As far as I know, there is no official release date yet, but it's rumored to be released sometime this year. From this trailer, I think it looks like it will be great!

This definitely calls for a re-read of Blue Like Jazz!

Generosity

“For God so loved the world that he gave….” ~John 3:16

Generosity is something that I have been wrestling with for the past few days. After recognizing this theme in two books I recently read, in an email I received this morning, and at church earlier, I think it’s time to take responsibility for my lack of it.

I have been selfish with what God has given me; we all too often are. During small group time at church today, I was given a challenge for the next week about generosity: to think about what God has given me an abundance of and to do something “generous” to give some of it away. A small step it may be, but for those of us who selfishly hoard what God has given us, it’s a start in the right direction. So I challenge all the other selfish hoarders like myself to join me and take this little step in living out our faith this week.

I haven’t quite decided what I’ll do yet. But I’ll start with a small bit of generosity by sharing with you all some interesting articles from World Vision ACT:S that I came across today. Check these links out:

6 Things to Know at 20-Something

6 Tips: Find a Cultural Experience

ACT:S Summer Adventure Bucket List