pour me another cup; or "cry me a river"

"Imagine we are all the same. Imagine we agree about politics, religion and morality. Imagine we like the same types of music, art, food and coffee. Imagine we all look alike. Sound boring? Differences need not divide us. Embrace diversity. Dignity is everyone’s human right."
-- Bill Brummel, Documentary filmmaker.
His programs focus on human rights issues.

imagine that we live in a world where anyone who wrote or said anything that sounds all inclusive and unoffensive, even if otherwise making no sense, can be quoted on a coffee cup.

the problem with statements like mr. brummel's is that they only work as long as someone else' s being "diverse" doesn't infringe on their own politics, religion, morality, etc. sure, when stacked up right next to differences in preference of art, food and music, it sounds good. but no one is going to hell because i didn't tell them my coffee was the only true coffee. no one is going to spend their adult years living in regret of their past mistakes because i didnt give them a c.d. of my favorite singer songwriter. millions of lives do not hang in the balance when i dont call a ladder surrounded by christmas tree lights with a naked peacock carcass "art".

don't be fooled by slick statements and philosophies that make no sense when you think about them.
as much as i like the beatles and john lennon's songs, the song "imagine", while a beautiful song musically, and a nice sentiment, is just a blathering sonic "pout".

and how did we get from "we should all be able to enjoy different music, food, art, and coffee" to "dignity is everyone's human right"? in america, by and large, do we know anyone who witholds the right of dignity to someone because of their taste in entertainmen or food, or even politics or religion? even those who hate other poltical parties, or try to keep christianity from "taking over" don't refuse dignity to those they disagree with.

don't be fooled by overstatements and false dichotomies.

in acts 17, luke writes of the bereans, "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (verse 11).

i pray that i would be a "berean" when it comes to examining the ideas and philosophies of our day, examining the scriptures daily, to see if these things are so.

may our lives be goverened by the word of god, not short sound bytes from talk show hosts, celebrities, or coffee cups.


-stephen