Thanks to Martin Roth for his recent post on the religious violence in Indonesia. For anyone who has travelled to Indonesia, as i have, or has paid attention to the news over the past 5-10 years, you know that the strife in that country is intense in certain parts.

Made up of 13,000 islands, the country is vast, and its sprawling nature defies attempts to describe the country in a few words. Moreover, here in the United States, we hear very little about the country because it is on the other side of the world. After the Clinton Administration brought attention to Indonesia because of the campaign contributions of the Riady family, the country now has slipped far below the radar screen.

Roth links to Cry Indonesia, a site which monitors the situation there. After a cursory look, i plan to go back and spend time at the site to learn much more.

There are some parts of Indonesia where terrorism waged by Islamic militants is a way of life, and the government allows it to continue. We owe it to our brothers and sisters to be aware and be praying for the situation in Indonesia.

Thanks Martin.

A conversation with a friend this afternoon reminded me of the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which the world encourages us to be self-serving. In the end, we are all prone to worship ourselves and commit spiritual adultery against God.

Some sober, yet valuable reading is found in Proverbs 5.

Thanks to Francis Mooney for his post about music and the quality of it. It is no accident that Augustine and Luther recognized the beauty and the value of it. The power of a fine piece of music is undeniable, but so is the negative power which can be exerted through the same medium.

The ways in which music touches our souls may never be summed up in our descriptions of it, but the results are clear for all to see in our culture.

Now, more than ever, pop culture's insistence on the quantity of ear candy has made it difficult to find what is truly valuable.

Odds and Ends

A good friend chided me (nicely) for not putting a permanent link to a very worthy site. So, to the right you will find the link to Jacob's Hip, a band with a great sound and a great vision for music and art in general. A group which is striving to lead other believers out of the ghetto of the Christian sub-culture, and hoping to engage the non-believing world with Real Life.

i also recommend a visit to a new Christian blog list. More and more believers are casting out into the blogosphere to see what awaits them in the new frontier. There are other resources as well.

Another visit to the site of Makoto Fujimura, a site i have mentioned before, resulted in a chance to read this interview on creativity and faith. While i am not a visual artist, i appreciate that medium, and Fujimura's conversation and thoughts are insightful.

i stumbled upon the revelation that a friend of mine and another, who is more of an acquaintence, know Fujimura. One, although not an artist himself, has the rare opportunity to be somewhat "mentored" in matters of art and faith.

One thing Fujimura advocates is the active life of the faithful in cultural matters, something i have a burden for as well. Yet i find it difficult much of the time due to the fact that society at large is not oriented toward honest and thoughtful conversation on matters where folks might disagre, and disagree with passion. Rather, there seems to be just ranting and raving in a culture which more and more resembles a talk show.

Perhaps art can provide the space to still interact on substantive issues.

Fatherhood

i had a conversation last night which reminded me of the Harry Chapin tune Cats in the Cradle. Then, today, while at a convenience store, it was playing on the radio. It goes back many years, but it still seems to speak today.

A child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed,
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."


i pray these words won't be true for me and the relationships i have with my two sons.

i was visiting Martin Roth, today and read his piece on war and the comments of Dr. Tom Frame, an Anglican Archbishop. i also followed the link to the full text of Frame's speech. he raises good questions and wrestles with the issues in an honest way, i think.

other things . . .

i have also been thinking a great deal about the Fatherhood of God and the implications for us as believers if we were to live based on a real understanding of having God as our Father. i have thought about the ways i father my two kids, and am always astonished at the lessons of obedience, self-sacrifice and patient love which God brings to me in the midst of disciplining them; or just spending time with them.

what a great sense of identity and purpose is ours when we know Him as Father.

Reflection

i have been thinking a great deal about the things i let run through my mind.

how about that? thinking about the things i have been thinking about . . .

but actually, Phil. 4:8 is very instructive. to spend time thinking on whatever is true, noble, right and pure would change so much.

the Phillipians passage calls to mind Paul's great words in Rom.12:1-2.

a transformed and renewed mind is exactly what i need.

A few days last week i spent some time researching the hard-rock band P.O.D. for a freelance story i was writing for an alternative paper. i was encouraged by all the articles and interviews i read; P.O.D. seems authentic in their pursuit of Christ. And, from a musical standpoint, they are top shelf.

i was excited to read the interviews with Sonny Sandoval, lead singer, where he unashamedly spoke of his faith, but did so in a way which was full of graceful language. whether he was on the now-defunct Politically Incorrect or The Howard Stern Show, he was a real person and didn't let the hosts of the shows create a strawman they could later knockdown in trying to argue against the band's faith.

furthermore, based on the musical recognition P.O.D. is receiving, it's clear their abilities stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the other bands in the same genre.

But most encouraging to me was the fact that they are prominent in pop culture and are speaking the truth of who God is. and, anytime i see that, i rejoice.