My Kind of Righteousness

I don't like much of the god I find in the Old Testament.  There is a lot of death and murder that is undeserved.  The many stories remind me of a jealous two year old fighting over his toys. 

Sure, I understand the theology behind it.  Trust in the Lord and he will bless you.  Don't have any other god's but the god of the Bible.  Among other reasons to not get the ole' sword in the belly.  I just don't buy it.

A reasonable human being would not listen to an imaginary or unseen presence that told him to kill his son.  Today, we would arrest them on the spot and institutionalize them for insanity.  I would argue that that insanity decree would be well deserved.  People do not kill children unless they are evil - even if they claim god told them to, no matter what the Bible says.

And yet, in the Bible, god tells Abraham to kill Isaac.  And when he blindly followed the order, god miraculously saved Isaac by giving Abe a male sheep to kill instead.  I see Abe wiping his brow and letting out a shrill whistle and I see Isaac letting out a loud "WTF!?  Are you kidding me, daddio!  You were going to kill me and you only stopped when god provided an alternative?  I'm out!"

If someone told me to kill my kid, I would call the police.  Actually, I would get it on tape so that the police would have something to work with.  But, since god can't get on tape, it would be easy to conclude that a crazy, nutty order like that would be simply from a loose screw in the brain.  I imagine the person who tells me that to be one with hollow eyes, growing frightening whiskers, male or female.

No, I won't do it.  If god, himself, came down to earth, walked right up to me and ordered me to kill my kid, expecting me to trust him to resurrect the blood of my loins, hoping beyond all hope that he would repeat the crazy Abe exercise and save my kid from sure death just before the knife slit his throat, I would tell him to shove it.  Go find some other idiot who would do something that stupid.  But if he does, I would have him (god) arrested.

And it would be counted to me as righteousness.

When Good Men Are Bad

When I was younger, I knew a very good man.  He was dear to my heart and still is.  This man took over the job of another man who seemed to be well respected by my dear friend and so, naturally, as a young man, I respected this other man, as well.  I saw him as good.

Then I grew up and my life helped me to drift away from this dear old friend of mine.  As a matter of course, being that this dear friend was my only real connection to this other man, I lost all of my connection to where he was or what he was doing.  I heard he had left the state and that was all.

Until tonight...

I found out some very very bad things about that man.  Not my dear friend, but the other guy. 

From the day I could muster my first thought, I have seen people as good when I first met them.  I love people.  In fact, I love people so much, I open my home and my life to everyone and anyone.  Rarely has it hurt me.  When it has, it brings me down hard.  When I am used or trodden upon by very bad people - those I previously viewed as good and kind - I literally weep.  I don't really get angry.  I just cry, inwardly mostly.

The potholes in life are beginning to add up and I feel as if I am becoming calloused.  The last thing I want to do is to start thinking of people as bad, initially, rather than good.  It is not who I am.

Then this happens.  I discover the worst in a person that I used to respect.  This very bad man who used to be very good in my eyes has now become the newest catalyst for the pressure cooker that is my suspicious self. 

Bad man.  I hate you.  I want to love.  I want to see everyone as worthy of love and respect.  But again, I cannot.  I despise the ground you walk on, the name you have made for yourself, the people you have hurt, the lies that you have become, the false goodness that you have portrayed, the many people that you have hurt behind closed doors, and your smiling face, as if the world is right.  There is now a new pothole in the happiness of my life and it has your name on it.

Shame on you.  Shame on you.

I find comfort in one thing.  There will be justice on this earth for you.  You have no idea of the force and breadth of the storm that is coming your way.  Your life, as you know it, will be changed forever.  You won't keep your untarnished reputation and you will be viewed by many parties as the evil, filthy, man you are. 

But that doesn't have to be the end.  When or if I assist in bringing you down, and down hard, I will be the first to teach you how to move on with your life, repent of your wrongs, truly reconcile with those you have hurt, and become a better, unrecognizable man.  Lies are not worth living.  Truth is better, even if it hurts to begin with.

I do not love you.  But you will write the last chapter.  Make it count.

Darcy Needs a Lawn Mower

GOAL REACHED:  READ THE END OF THIS POST!

I am going to be asking for money for a very dear friend of mine.  Many of you know her by her blog, especially this post that garnered oodles of attention all over the online world.  Her name is Darcy. 

Darcy comes from a background that was heavily patriarchal and has catapulted out of it into a beautiful marriage, soon expecting her fourth child.  The family has struggled with meager means, living through their home burning down, then getting foreclosed on after a job loss, and pulling through on the other side, whole again.  They are a testament to those that have been ostracized by former friends and yet forge an awesome life of their own.

But, living meagerly tends to ignore the practical, at times.  The things that many of us take for granted are simply a dream for many others.  In this case, Darcy and her family have been using the same used lawn mower for years.  It is currently being held together by duct tape and a bale of twine.  Sometimes Darcy has to kick it over and over to get it to start.  A mom of three - no, a pregnant mom of three - does not need to have that stress.

The family has scraped together a measly $100 to get a used mower at a pawn shop and have, as of yet, been unable to find one.

My desire is for Darcy and her family to get a brand new, walk-behind, self-propelled, gas-powered, lawn mower.  One with a mulcher (which doesn't add much to the cost).  One of those mowers cost around $350.00.  I also want Darcy to keep her saved up $100.00 and spend it on the kids.

Please consider chipping in some funds for Darcy and her family.  Even $1.00 would help us get there.  You can chip in your donation at the following Chip In site:

Darcy's Lawn Mower Chip In Site

Thank you in advance. 

Incongruous Circumspection

We raised a little more than $400!!!!  Thank you to everyone that helped!  You can still contribute until 3/3/2012 if you want.  A little more will enable Darcy and family to not only purchase the mower, but also an extended warranty.  Again, thank you!