A movie and a satirists caught my attention this week and reminded me that the practice of Christianity, that set of teachings that the gospels all share, is more important than Christendom’s dogma, theological relativism, or desire to dominate the world. I had heard about the film, The Book of Eli and read a review or two. It is set in America after the great flash. The America that exists after nuclear war. Eli wanders east to west through a wasteland of charred earth, vehicles, and occasionally people surviving by force and fear. A voice told him to protect the book and carry it to a place in the west. It is a brutal film in its vision of the aftermath and the cause of the great flash. “People said that it was because of the book that the war began so the survivors found all of them and burnt them.” Near the end of the film the two main characters, Solara and Eli share this brief exchange.
Solara: I didn’t think you’d ever give up the book, I thought it was too important to you.
Eli: It was, I was carrying and reading it everyday, got so caught up in protecting it, I forgot to live by what I’d learnt from it.
Solara: And what’s that?
Eli: To do more for others than you do for yourself.
Also this week I caught a bit of The Colbert Report. One night Colbert did this opening bit that is brilliant. Is Jesus a democrat or a liberal? Well, no. By today’s labels though he would be. He simply cared and practiced an ethic, a way of living that leads to Truth and gives meaning to life. Some say his death and resurrection are the most important. I think it was his living that mattered, matters most in my living.
The Colbert Report: Jesus is a Liberal Democrat
The Oklahoma Regional Church staff held our Christmas party on Friday. It was a great dinner and conversation around the table. Following dinner we returned to Tom & Kay Jewell’s home (the Regional pastor) for dessert, games, and a Dirty Santa gift exchange that followed the story below. Apparently, this story is shared each year as party goers move the Dirty Santa gifts around the room. Enjoy!
Once there was a store that sold lots of jingle bells—and only jingle bells. As the customers came in, and picked the jingle bells up, the bells would jingle their best, hoping that they would be taken to a nice warm loving home. The littlest jingle bell had many problems. Customers would pick it up, and it would ring for them with all it’s might. “Jingle Jingle,” it would say. Then the customers would set it back down, and say, “this little jingle bell won’t do,” and they would walk on, and pick up other jingle bells. As the season went on, there became fewer and fewer bells. At last, Christmas Eve finally came. All of the bells had been taken except the littlest jingle bell on the shelf towards the back. As the store keeper was about to close down for christmas, a man with black snow covered boots walked in, and said to the store keeper, “I have been in my sleigh. One of the jingle bells has broken off, and I need a replacement before I can leave, so the reindeer can know where I tell them to go. The little jingle bell raised its head high as it looked toward the man. It was Santa Claus! The bell became very excited. The store keeper said, “Well, I have one last jingle bell, and I can show it to you if you want, but I don’t think that it’ll be big enough for your sleigh.” The store keeper led Santa to the back of the store, picked up the little bell, and gave it to him. He held it up in his hand, and gave it a little jingle, and the bell jingled with all it’s might. Then Santa said, “you’re right. It is too small.”