I watched this Obama speech today.
Some highlights for me.
“The real gamble in this election is playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expecting a different result.”
“You can’t at once argue that you’re the master of a broken system in Washington and offer yourself as the person to change it.”
“There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you.”
Last night I heard a person call another a baby.
They then said this person was naive. Because
A baby is naive.
a baby knows no limits
she is not aware of what she can’t do
she does not know mistakes
she has never missed the mark
and so she grows
I’m told by preachers and theologians
the word sin means to miss the mark
I’m also told that all have sinned and fallen
short of the glory
and so all need to be saved
so a saviour was born
and so it goes
a baby will grow and he will make mistakes
he will hurt and be hurt
he may see his childhood faith as silly
the gift of naivete will be lost and he will know
all his mistakes and ugliness
and so he grows
like the saviour he finds friends
tries to perform miracles
wanders in the desert and decides all are cursed.
So he presents himself to humanity and tells them.
and they respond by seeing themselves
and hating themselves by hating him
its all he knows
So they kill him instead of themselves.
Everything they feel about themselves
is taken out on him.
They beat him for his mistakes. They torture him.
They see their reflection and whip it thirty nine times.
Look in the mirror and pull their beards
and punch their nose
They pour wine on themselves till it stings
Then they decide the only way to deal with guilt and shame
Is to give in to it.
A spear is quick but a cross is better.
And so this is christmas.
And everybody knows…A turkey and some mistletoe.
On any sunday
we go into a building and see a dead man on a wall.
We stare at a dead man on a wall.
Bloody and beaten.
But only once a year we remember the nativity.
The naivete.
The child. the hope. the promise.
The days before we hated ourselves.
The days before we hurt.
The days before we shook our fists.
The days before we knew our limits.
The days before the lies.
The days before we got sick and tired.
The days before we beat ourselves.
The days before we were the walking dead.
The days before the big cover up baby.
The days before you stopped looking in my eyes.
The days before we looked up at each other and said “Why have you forgotten me.”
The days before we looked down and said “It is finished.”
So its the sunday before christmas and today I do not go to church.
Because I do not go to church. Because supposedly I do not believe.
And last night at a bar someone asked me what do I believe.
And it is this.
I believe that I am tired of looking at a dead man on a wall.
I believe in that baby.
My daughter is only eight months old.
I don’t get to spend as much time with her as I like.
But when we are together
and when she’s not giggling
at how bad I can sing “This Old Man”
she is amazed by a TV show called Its A Big Big World.
It is now my favorite show.
At the end of every show the lead character of Snook, the sloth, sings goodbye to us all.
It is truly one of life’s kick ass moments.
Check out the video.
Below is a great song from a great man. George Harrison wrote this years ago and it still gets me when I hear it. Today the line “That is not what you are here for” really jumped out at me and woke me up. May we all walk in the truth contained in this song:-)
BEWARE OF DARKNESS
Watch out now, take care
Beware of falling swingers
Dropping all around you
The pain that often mingles
In your fingertips
Beware of darkness
Watch out now, take care
Beware of the thoughts that linger
Winding up inside your head
The hopelessness around you
In the dead of night
Beware of sadness
It can hit you
It can hurt you
Make you sore and what is more
That is not what you are here for
Watch out now, take care
Beware of soft shoe shufflers
Dancing down the sidewalks
As each unconscious sufferer
Wanders aimlessly
Beware of maya
Watch out now, take care
Beware of greedy leaders
They take you where you should not go
While weeping atlas cedars
They just want to grow, grow and grow
Beware of darkness (beware of darkness)
