Lust and Dragonflies

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. James 1:14.

Ok, I’ll admit it.

I am a weak creature.

Subject to the very lusts and enticements that James wrote about. As I said, I am weak.

I give in to my impulses….too easily.

Recently, K-Ro and I were just hanging out together. Our wives were shopping. We weren’t looking to get into trouble – just waiting. Innocently.

At some point we found ourselves walking by the bright lights of one of those places. You know, one of those places.

This place had windows to tease the passers-by with the wares sold within. K-Ro and I couldn’t help but look. Looking doesn’t hurt right?

As I said, I am weak.

I don’t know who suggested that we go in, me or him. It doesn’t matter. We went in.

The lights, the music, the exotic pleasures displayed on tables before us. We got into trouble. We were drawn in. We lusted and were enticed. We indulged our fleshly impulses.

Before we left the business, the Sharper Image store had fifty bucks from each of us, and we both had one of these:

Stupid impulse buy.

They have this thing displayed in the store like it’s some sort of idol, sitting on a pedestal. Then there’s the video looping over and over, showing the amazing ease and dexterity with which anyone can pilot this amazing flying machine in their own living room. It loops, it dives, it hovers…fantastic! I knew my life wouldn’t be fulfilled without it. K-Ro drooled beside me, and so I knew that he needed fulfillment too.

Stupid impulse buy.

Back at home, mine was broken before the batteries were charged --stupid antennae on the controller. I swiped the antennae from one of my kids remote control cars and I was back in business. I waited impatiently for the fifteen minutes it took to charge.

Finally! Ready to fly! Give it some power… gently waft it into the air like the video showed. Smack…to the floor. Try again… smack. Ok, I’ll read the instructions.

All right, I didn’t have the settings correct.. here we go! Smack. Smack, smack, smack… to the floor. Stupid impulse buy.

I wonder if Sharper Image will take this heap back.

Wait

You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their wait-staff.

I recently attended a dinner meeting for an internationally known organization which does phenomenal philanthropic work. I sat across the table from one of the evening’s speakers, a man that I had not met previously. As he was a representative of this benevolent organization, I was frankly surprised at how rudely he intreated with our waiter. He seemed mildly irritated when the waiter refilled his glass, and he never uttered a “please” or “thank you” when he made requests. Several times during the meal, he held up his finished plates or bowls to be taken away, without a word, without eye-contact. To him, the waiter didn’t exist, other than to serve him.

Observing how he interacted with our waiter made me not like this guy very much. I certainly wasn’t open to his comments later in the evening when he spoke to the audience.

Moments like this just exemplify to me how our culture, has this twisted view of individual value in society. Donald Miller calls this "Lifeboat Theory" -- the idea that I am more valuable to society than you are, therefore, if we, along with others, are stranded in a lifeboat at sea together, and there are not enough provisions for everyone, you are going over the side before me (from Donald's great book, "Searching for God Knows What"). It's difficult not to think in these terms sometimes -- comparing our worth to others, sizing ourselves up, boosting our own egos. It's unfortunate though, and sad when we begin to define ourselves, or assign our own worth, by demeaning others. Hence, the rude behavior, or simple lack of acknowledgement towards those who cook or serve our food, make our beds and clean our motel rooms.

Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 that "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (KJV)." Now, I'm not trying to twist the context of what He was talking about -- Jesus was talking about the poor, naked, starving, and imprisoned, not the hierarchy of worth among great and small people. But is there really that great a difference? If we want to debunk the "Lifeboat Theory", is there any difference to God between the homeless beggar and the waitress at IHOP? Between an imprisoned felon and The Donald? Between our self and the guy next door?

Does God love one over the other?

Should we?

Bridges and Suicide

I watched a fascinating movie last night on cable. It was a documentary about people who commit suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Although the theme of the movie is rather morbid, I found myself riveted to it. The filmmaker gave us a glimpse into the lives of both the victims and their families and portrayed the pain and hurt that friends and loved ones feel after someone commits suicide. Additionally, the romanticized idea of suicide that is obviously advanced by the mere fact that this film was made is actually tempered by the brutal, violent depictions and testimony of the survivors.
The most disturbing thing about this movie to me, however, was the callous and unfeeling manner in which many of the victims were viewed by passers-by. Time and time again, the long-range video cameras would zoom in on a solitary person walking along the bridge. Often nervous and fidgety, the person would walk along, and then climb over the safety railing to sit atop or perch on the edge. Many times, the video would depict people walking or riding bikes past the person. Some would intervene and try to help, and at least one guy was successful in hauling a young woman back over the rail. Often though, the people passing by would just glance over and then look away. Look away.
Maybe they just didn't think it was real. Maybe they didn't have time to comprehend what they were seeing. Maybe they didn’t care.
I’d like to think that I wouldn’t be like that – that I would notice, that I would care --that I would have the courage to say “Are you OK?” and not be afraid to make a fool of myself.

A friend of mine, who is also the youth pastor at my church, recently said something like this: Sometimes, in order to invest ourselves in the lives of other people, we have to get our hands dirty. It takes guts to ask someone if they are OK, when we know the answer might be "No".

Here’s a synopsis on the movie, from http://www.imdb.com/

Plot summary for The Bridge (2006/I)
People suffer largely unnoticed while the rest of the world goes about its business. This is a documentary exploration of the mythic beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, the most popular suicide destination in the world, and those drawn by its call. Steel and his crew filmed the bridge during daylight hours from two separate locations for all of 2004, recording most of the two dozen deaths in that year (and preventing several others). They also taped interviews with friends, families and witnesses, who recount in sorrowful detail stories of struggles with depression, substance abuse and mental illness. Raises questions about suicide, mental illness and civic responsibility as well as the filmmaker's relationship to his fraught and complicated material. Written by G. Leggat

On the Rocks

I have a photo that I took last year of one of my two sons standing on a rock dike constructed on the navigable river where I work. I love this picture because it reminds me of the excitement he felt having ventured out there on his own. The dike is constructed of rocks ranging from 1' to 3' in diameter, and they roll and shift under your feet, making for treacherous passage. My son, 7 years old, precariously made his way out to the end of the 300' long dike -- he wanted to go alone. He's at the age where he wants to explore and try, taste and experiment - "what if? how? why? WHY?"

Also significant to me is that my youngest son, 5, is not in the photo. He was standing by my side when I took this picture. He preferred the safety of his father's side to the thrill and potential danger of exploration with his brother.

I guess at different times, I feel like both of them --adventurous and bold one minute, and fearful the next. I'm glad that the Savior told us "...I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20).

Even as my oldest son ventured out alone, he never went more than a few paces without looking over his shoulder to smile at me. He knew he wasn't alone.