Even the birds proclaim the King

At least one of my faithful readers will be happy to hear that I took my dogs for a walk this morning.

This morning we had the most peaceful walk we've had in a long, long time.  We didn't encounter people or dogs, and there wasn't even a single car that went by.  (This begs the question - did my whole neighborhood go to church this morning, or were they all sleeping?)

Walking and listening to the birds, I wondered if those were the sounds the women heard as they walked to Jesus' tomb that morning.  They had probably been up all night weeping, and they knew the job they had to do would only make them cry again.  Filled with grief themselves, they probably thought the birds were singing a dirge.

And when they got there...the shock, fear, and confusion as they found the tomb empty.  And finally, their joy as the angel explained what had happened.  How genius it was of Jesus to have raised Lazarus from the dead so they would have known it was possible!

It was then they heard it...the song of resurrection the birds were singing.  They sing it every Resurrection Sunday and have for over 2000 years.  I imagine they will sing it for all eternity!

We can't even be civil about civility!

"Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'"  - Matthew 12:25

You won't often find me commenting on politics, unless it is an observation on the process itself.  I'm not a Republican or a Democrat or member of the Tea Party.  I'm just an American who, right now, is very disappointed in the leaders of our country.  All of them.

I don't know how I missed this story when it initially broke, but I suspect few people saw it at all.  (Enter disappointment in the media, as well.)

On the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration, Mark DeMoss and Lanny David launched The Civility Project.  Their aim was "to call people from all races, walks of life, and religious and political persuasions to graciousness, kindness, common decency and respect—civility—toward all people, and particularly those with whom we may disagree."

In May 2010, DeMoss and David sent a personal letter  to every member of Congress and sitting governor—585 letters—inviting them to sign a simple pledge of civility as we headed into mid-term elections.  The pledge read as follows:

1. I will be civil in my public discourse and behavior. 
2. I will be respectful of others whether or not I agree with them. 
3. I will stand against incivility when I see it.

Only 3 members of Congress - and no governors - signed the pledge.

After spending thousands of dollars and countless hours investing in this project, DeMoss shut it down in January.  In doing so, he expressed surprise, disgust and concern for reactions to the project.  DeMoss said, "Perhaps one of the most surprising results of this project has been the tone and language used by many of those posting comments on our website and following articles on various media websites about the project. Many of them could not be printed or spoken in public media due to vulgar language and vicious personal attacks."  As a country, we can't even be civil about civility!

This attitude is not limited to Washington, D.C.  It is spilling over into evangelical faith (think Rob Bell), state government (think Wisconsin), and our youth (walk through any school).  Read Facebook or Twitter for about five minutes; you'll see it.  Or will you?  I'm beginning to think we've either become numb to it or have accepted it as some sort of higher intellectual plane.  

In the words of Patrick Henry, "Let us trust God and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” 

For more information about The Civility Project, visit www.civilityproject.org.  

Heaven for the introvert

I'm sitting here today contemplating heaven.  I thinking about what it might be like, but I'm also wondering what I will be like.  I know I will have a new body, one that is not susceptible to sickness, allergies, or sensual desires.  Although I know myself pretty well, I can't help but question how my personality will function under these new conditions.  


For example, I'm an introvert, which means I get energized when I am alone.  I realize I will no longer be subjected to things of the fallen world that often drive me into seclusion.  I also won't get tired, so I won't need alone time to recharge my batteries.  But a lot of the time, I like to be alone because I enjoy being reflective.  I like to meditate, contemplate, and dream.   


I've always said "God made me this way."  If that's true, does that make that part of me eternal?  And if it does, does that mean I will prefer to be alone in heaven?  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  There will be so many incredible things to check out!

Maybe it just means I can be alone when I want to be alone.  I was interrupted by dogs, children, the phone, and my husband while writing this blog post, so that sounds pretty heavenly to me!

What do you think?