not so much fun storming the castle.

The Pitiful American god

If they were American?
What would you do?
What would you give?
Where would you protest?
What polititian would you write hounding letters too?

If he were your son?
If he were Jesus?
If your
salvation
depended
on it?

But, they aren't American.
He's not your son.
He's not Jesus. [1]
And salvation is a free gift.

So you greedily take it
You say, "pitty" and

Become an irreligious goat [2]
With a dead faith, [3]
In a starving, dehydrated, naked, homeless, and lonely God [4]
Whose arms refuse to take Guns from the hands of children. [5]

Manger art re-opened today. There's nothing like doing some good in the world to bring out the hateful people.

A man walked in with his pre-teen daughter. Looked at all the art, and seemed receptive enough. So, I engaged him:

Me: Hi. How are you doing today?
Man: Fine. Are you a newe shop?
Me: No; we're just here for a stay trying to raise money for Invisible Children. Have you heard of Invisible Children?
Man: No. [Interested look on his face]
Me: Well, it's a charity that works with kids affected by the war in Northern Uganda. There are kids forced to fight and...
Man: So you're raising money to help them to fight?
Me: No. [bewildered] No. Invisible Children helps to keep kids safe, get them PTS counseling, offers schooling...
Man: So, you're raising money to train child soldiers?
Me: No. To keep kids from being soldiers and help kids that have been rescued from being soldiers...
Man: [Again interrupting] So what about the kids in America?
Me: Well, there is a lot of need in the worl...
Man: The kids that hang out at the court house all day dealing and doing crack
Me: Well, there certainly is a lot of need and we don't deny that, but this charity is one that our hearts are heavey fo...
Man: So you don't care about American kids?
Me: No! [Firmly, angrily - though hiding the anger thus far] It's just tragic that 5-year-olds are given guns and...
Man: But you don't care about 12-year-olds with crack.
Me: No sir. It is not that we don't care it is just that...
Man: You'd choose African kids as opposed to American kids.
Me: No! [Finally gritting my teeth and losing my grip on the anger rising] No! not opposed to anything.
Man: I'm just being devils advocate.

He stoppped, looked around and announced: "Well, this art is all pretty violent and unimaginative. Only one piece struck me as remotely interesting." He motioned for me to follow him over to a piece Ed Traub has on display entitled "Passover." Assuming he knew what the painting is about and revealing why he maybe thought all the art was "violent," he asked if Ed had ever seen blood and bone scraped across the pavement like that or if it was from something he saw in a movie. I told him that, as the peice was called "Passover," I didn't know if that's what it was supposed to be.

His jaw dropping and conversation ending response:
"Ahh, the Jews. They were the first terrorists you know, back in 1946. They're good at terrorism. Yeah, those Jews are really good at it."

If my life were an episode of scrubs, my head would have exploded, I and my body started running around like crazy only to finally rest with my hands on his neck. Then the scene would cut back to reality as I stood blankly though politely next to the man and said, "Hmm. Well, thank you for stopping by."

What can I say? So much. Soooo much. There are simply no words. And every once in a while, I begin to believe this brand of thinking is extinct. And if it is extinct, then maybe the Kingdom is coming. And if the Kingdom is coming then nothing is in vain...

So I sat for 6 hours today. Sold nothing. Had my heart trampled - and my hope with it. Was it in vain? Was it/is it worth it? Why can't I have the answers to these questions? Why can't my illusion that the world is changing be true? Why is it not Americans that suffer for American ignorance - at least there would be some justice-ish substance in the world?

I need the will and strength to go on - but I suppose I know I can't live ignorantly anymore. So, I storm the castle despite my disbelief that "true love" will win this one.


1. Matthew 25:40
2. Matthew 25:32-33
3. James 2:26
4.Matthew 25:31ff
5. 1 Corinthians 12:27