13.2 Billion Years

Astronomers date star's birth back to nearly the dawn of time

On Will Campbell

The Town Talk published an article on Will Campbell in today's paper written by Robin Miller. As a history minor in college with mostly Southern history under my belt, the name Will Campbell rang a bell. As I kept reading, I was awestruck. I love the gritty side of the South and have no greater fondness in my heart than I do for rebels, outlaws, and mystics. I share just a few lines from the article that described my experience in the church and my departure from pastoral ministry and hope they'll entice you to read the article yourself.

Will, who after having pastored one Southern Baptist Church, gave it up forever -- pastoring, not ministering.
"I resolved to be a Baptist minister of the South until the day I die, though never again a Southern Baptist preacher," he has said. "For the first time, I knew there
was a difference. And what it was."

Still, meeting Will isn't meeting a preacher at all. And he's not what you'd call a writer of religion or Christian literature, but simply a writer.

"Beliefs are what people are hung up on," he'll say, "not ethics or morals.If you don't believe a certain way, then the people in that religion will clean you out... A lot of those people will claim to be conservative. But they're not. They're just mean."

Amen. It's refreshing to find people to identify with and who share a common journey. I've already put a couple of his books on hold at the library and can't wait to read them. Here's to you, Will!

Financial Biz Buzz

For some reason I was fascinated by the financial buzz yesterday over Rubert Murdoch's proposal to buy Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal for $5 Billion. Moments after his interview with Neil Cavuto on Your World the Bankroft family, which owns DJ/WSJ, rejected his bid outright. The way I see it, a lot of people made a lot of money on the speculation of what could be, given that the DJ stock price went from $32 to $54 on the news. If Murdoch bought Dow Jones, he could have sold off the financial management side of the company and recooped a large part of the purchase price and integrated the Journal with his upcoming Fox Biz Channel. Although his bid was rejected, News Corp received a tremendous amount of free publicity for its new cable network and made a statement that its serious about being a player in the financial market.

I've had an interest in financial happenings for a long time. As a history nut, I was always impressed with the tycoon's of yesteryear, such as William Randolph Hearst, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, as well as modern moguls like Jack Welch, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Murdoch himself. I thoroughly enjoyed economics courses I took in college, but really took more interest once I played the stock market online for a year. The first day I sat down with $300 to buy shares, I bought Books a Million (BAMM). They were set to release earnings reports that day and speculation was that it would be better than expected. Sure enough I sat down that morning and watched the stock steadily climb from $4 a share until it peaked out at $47 a share before noon. I got out just before it peaked somewhere around $38. I had made $2,500 in about an hour and a half. That will spoil you, as it doesn't happen often. I haven't played the market since that year, but I definately enjoyed learning more about it. News like this just makes me want to get back into it even more.

A New Earth Discovered

A New Earth?

The mathematical probabilities long ago declared it a matter of not "if" but "when" other inhabitable planets would be discovered. There are old questions that are beginning to be answered; others will have to wait. Is there life out there? Definately. The discovery of a relatively near earth-like planet is an astounding discovery that is sure to be followed by many many more with exponential improvements in astronomy. Maybe there are just cockroaches roaming around on this one. Maybe there's just ocean life on a microscopic scale. Maybe there are lower lifeforms. But maybe somewhere a higher stage of evolution has taken place, and someone is asking the same questions we are.

I wonder because I have to, but do you think Jesus died for all of the other people living elsewhere in the universe? Did God send thousands of different Messiahs to each planet to give them each an opportunity to be "saved?" Are they all dying and going to hell because we haven't gotten missionaries there yet? Maybe we can turn the TBN satellites around and point into outer space. Maybe its just safe for some people to believe we're the only ones here. When your worldview clashes with reality, it's somehow easier on the conscience to deny reality rather than change your worldview. Were we to go backwards a couple thousand years, when people were separated by oceans rather than space, are the questions any different? Who's right? Who's wrong? Do we have an exclusive on truth? What's the worth of another person when they're different than you? Life hangs in the balance on how we answer.

The Lake House is Gone

Fire Destroys Johnny Cash's Lake House in Hendersonville, TN

I was saddened to learn this morning that the famous and much beloved home of Johnny & June Carter Cash burned yesterday. I don't know if everyone could appreciate it, but it would be the equivalent of Graceland burning down a couple years after Elvis died. The house held a lot of wonderful memories for Johnny & June and played a prominent role in the movie Walk the Line and music video for Hurt. In that same music video there were gripping shots of the House of Cash museum in disrepair contrasted with Johnny's aging body. I wondered how Johnny would have reacted to the news today. I suppose although devastated he would recognize it as part of the cycle of life and death. Whether bodies or our homes they are only temporary residences that will soon be empty.

Tearful Reunion

A returning U.S. sailor returns home from 7 month deployment to surprise his son during his kingergarten class. (NBC Today Show Video)

Wow!

Dobson Slams Thompson

Here's another "sinner" to throw into the fire today:
James Dobson Says Thompson Not Christian Enough To Be Prez

Dobson declared that Sen. Fred Thompson, star of NBC's Law & Order and possble Republican candidate for President, was "not a Christian" and therefore should not be supported by the Christian base of the party. Thompson's spokesperson said that he was in fact baptized into the Church of Christ. Dobson counters that Thompson is not Evangelical and does not talk openly about his faith.

I was already outraged over the virtual campaign of some right-wing ideologues bashing U.S. Senator David Vitter (LA) for supporting Rudy Guiliani for President. The Dead Pelican and others have been on a crusade to slam Guiliani for his record on social issues and throw Vitter under the bus for his support, although he has been praised by the same critics, up until now, as a fantastic Senator and advocate for the welfare of Louisiana.

I was set to pull the lever for Guiliani just to spite them, until I sat up and took notice of Thompson as a possible candidate. Thompson has a conservative stand on social issues, but he doesn't carry the water for the Christian right, which is all the more reason for me to support him. We need a President to lead this country, not a Pastor to patronize his parishoners. Dobson should stick with telling mom's how to potty train their kids on his radio show. Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Jesse Jackson, Richard Land, and the gang embarass the hell out of many who have until now identified themselves as "Christian." I think the label has got a bum reputation. I'm all for calling ourselves something else. There's no way to get them to switch to "hypocrits" for the sake of truth in advertising.

The Church is Pro-Hell

Pope Says Hell and Damnation Are Real and Eternal
The Times, London, in The Australian

Ok, I'm done. Honestly, I'm through. I just had a conversation about this very subject with my friend yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm going to end up "throwing the baby out with the bathwater." There might be some remnant or core of Christianity that I adhere to throughout my journey, but this concept of God holding people over the flames as a motivation for people to love Him baffles my mind. I don't understand how educated people in a world of science can continue to propogate this stuff week after week. The only reason I held on to it as long as did was that I never allowed my mind to contemplate an alternate worldview. When viewed from an objective vantage point, a lot of this stuff just sounds silly and begs the question how the church expects to be taken seriously and affect our culture positively. Well, maybe they don't. Maybe they could give a damn about redeeming the culture. After all, it's all going to burn up anyway. They're too busy getting people right for the next life that they've forsaken this one. That doesn't sound very Christ-like to me.

Why does everything have to be "us vs. them," insiders and outsiders? Why can't the focus be on the commonality of all of God's creation? Why can't the focus be on the immense love that embraces every person regardless of race, color, creed, or failure? Why can't the focus be on serving one another and lifting each other up to reach their full potential? Why can't the focus be on Jesus Christ who modeled for us what it is to be a human on this planet and set an example that we should follow?

I watched a documentary on Amma yesterday, called Darshan. She has been a Ghandi-like figure in India for more than 30 years. She is known mostly for hugging people. Seriously. She's embraced over 20,000 people in a day many times over. It's really something to watch. She teaches kindness to all people and creatures. She feeds the hungry and has established orphanages and hospitals all over India. She spends three to four months of each year on a road trip trying to see as many people as possible. It's amazing that you give hugs away and people line up by the thousands. Maybe Joel Osteen is on to something after all.

I think we've been too critical of the wrong people for too long. Have you noticed that Jesus reserved his sharpest criticism for the religious establishment of His day, those that claimed to be better than everyone else, those that claimed to be in the know? For the failures, the screw ups, the rejects, the untouchables, there was only grace... grace by the bucketfuls. He lifted people by believing the best in them and pointing them to a better life, to their potential. Wow, what a difference! But who am I to argue with established religious dogma?

Wandering in New Orleans

Downtown New Orleans

I've been working down in Slidell, LA for a few weeks and have had to make a few trips into New Orleans. I've tried to avoid downtown as much as possible. The one way streets with no left turns or u-turns are a little overhwhelming. I think it took me over thirty minutes to get from the front of Tulane University Hospital around the block to get into the parking garage. I managed to get into town a little early before lunch and decided to drive around a bit. The only place that I seem be able to find my way around easily is the "Vieux Carre."

French Quarter

I haven't been to the French Quarter since Katrina. I was surprised to find so many tourists and so much activity. I couldn't resist stopping. I walked the river bank for a little bit then went down to French Market and was lured into an outdoor cafe by live blues music. I had a shrimp poboy and thoroughly enjoyed the music and atmosphere. With thirty minutes to spare before my meeting I wandered down the road to Cafe Du Monde to have cafe au lait and beignets. What a terriffic escape from the day, and a far cry from the frustration of driving in circles!

Riverfront

We've all heard so much discussion about New Orleans since Katrina, but I have to say that we all need to withhold our criticism and cynicism until we take a trip there for ourselves. It is a place all to itself that still has a charm and magic that cannot afford to be lost. I stopped at a red light behind an athletic looking guy my age in a car with two stickers on his back windshield. One said, "Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran" and the other "Forget Iraq. Rebuild New Orleans!" Seems like he's more than qualified and justified in his opinion. After today, I can't help but think he's right.

St. Louis Cathedral

Reflections on Emptiness

A lot of wisdom can be found in fiction, if you read the right authors. My love of Robert James Waller has taken me to his non-fictional collection of essays called Old Songs In a New Cafe. My respect and love of his work grows with every page I read. Two of his essays, "Slow Waltz for Georgia Ann" and "The Turning of Fifty" are priceless treasures of love and wisdom. I want to share one such nugget from the latter:

When you feel yourself starting to become whole, it's all right to accept positions of power, but not before then. The overriding problem with our country, and our world in general, is that we are, in large part, managed by incompetents. Most of these are men who have spent their lives seeking power rather than themselves.

My contempt for politicians has grown to new heights in recent years with none exempt. When I read such a statement about "men who have spent their lives seeking power rather than themselves," I cannot help but think of the names Bush, Kerry, Kennedy, Clinton, and so on. I think no better candidates have been found as examples of T.S. Elliot's "Hollow Men." Yet for all their foolishness, we endure them. We reward them. We praise them. We elect them again and again.

Can we find those who have spent their lives seeking themselves to serve? An exceptionally poignant article by Thomas Sowell appeared in most of the nation's papers yesterday entitled, "The Washington Meat Grinder," in which he says:

This country needs to be able to draw on its best people from every walk of life and from every part of the political spectrum. But the nation is not going to get them if going to Washington means seeing the honorable reputation of a lifetime dragged through the mud just because someone disagrees with you on a political issue...

Washington has become a political meat grinder where character assassination is standard procedure. Clever and glib people say "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen." But the far larger question is whether the country can afford to repel people who are desperately needed but who may have too much self-respect to let political pygmies smear their character.

These are dangerous times indeed and the consequences of incompetence run amuck is grave, but perhaps Elliot is right,

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

Escaped Convict Loose in Town

In case you haven't heard about the convicted murdered who escaped from a local maximum security federal prison and is running loose in our community, please read about it at The Town Talk.


Before we all jump on the bandwagon of playing "Monday morning quarterback" and take cheap shots at the Ball Police department for releasing escaped convict Richard McNair, let us not forget the more important question, "Why was he able to escape in the first place?" No law enforcement agency should be held to greater accountability for trying to capture the escapee than should the Federal Bureau of Prisons for allowing him to escape.

In years gone by the construction of new prisons in small communities was seen to be a blight and a threat to public safety. However, in recent years the economic impact has far overshadowed any perceived threat largely due to the assurances of greater technology. Richard McNair did not escape from the minimum security work camp. He escaped from the state of the art maximum security federal penitentiary.

Before any new prison begins receiving inmates in Pollock, the Federal Bureau of Prisons should give the public notice of steps being taken to insure their safety and also reimburse local law enforcement agencies for the enormous costs of manpower and resources expended to apprehend a convict from their facility.

Brown Emerges But Leaves No Clue

Aaron Brown, former CNN host of NewsNight, emerged from the abyss of cancellation recently in a public speech highlighted in this article, "Broadcaster says serious news at risk." Many Brown fans, myself included, have seen hide nor hair of him since his departure from CNN and have been on the lookout for where he might go next. This article is the first inside look at his personal take on the business as a whole since leaving the network. I personally found Brown's style of broadcast journalism inviting and balanced. He made the viewers feel like they were at his table drinking coffee engaged in a dialogue on the issues. After hearing from so many pundits throughout the cycle of the news day, NewsNight was always a refreshing commentary in the evening to gain a perspective on the day. While the article gave no insight into where Brown's career might take him, we will keep our eyes and ears open. Good luck, Aaron!

Change for Louisiana?

"We believe Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco will announce she will not be a candidate for re-election." - Babs Zimmerman, KALB Newschannel 5, Alexandria, LA.

Aside from giving away dogs and cats, Babs Zimmerman shows up on KALB on occasion to opine on Louisiana politics and call election returns. She was all but giddy on live television the night Kathleen Blanco was leading Bobby Jindal in returns for Governor. Her political leanings are difficult to hide. That is why I find it all the more interesting that she predicted that Blanco will not run for re-election. I'm still not sure who "we" represents in the transcript of her on air segment to which I've linked. I would have to imagine she must have been near tears to make such a prediction, given her glee and optimism for Blanco's ascension. Time will prove whether she is right, but the ball has started rolling down hill once the Governor's most enthusiastic supporters join her opponents in declaring her political demise.