A Levite and His Concubine

This past weekend saw the worlds largest outdoor cocktail party take place in Jacksonville as the Gators took on the Georgia Bulldogs in tackle football. (Sorry Kenny Mayne - just love that phrase) The Gators continued what is now a 20 year domination of the series with a dramatic overtime victory. I live downtown in Jacksonville so this type of event brings the city to life and is a reminder for those of us that live in the city, of what it could be.

A day earlier I had listened on the radio to Woodward Kroll talk about a story in Judges of a traveler who spent a night in a foreign city on his way home with his concubine and his servant. That night the house the traveler was in was surrounded by men that wanted him to come out of the house so they could have sex with him. The host, the owner of the house, pleaded with the men not to do this, and instead offered his wife and the traveler's concubine for their pleasure. The story ends badly and is hard to read. It is told in Chapter 19 of the book of Judges and you can read it if you like.

The point is that the book of Judges tells of a time after the death of Joshua and before there was a king in Judea. It was a time of apostasy as the Israelites adopted the customs and ideals of the land of Canaan and set aside what Moses and Joshua had taught them. The last line in the book is '. . . in those days everyone did as he saw fit.'

Sometimes when reading The Word the meaning can seem distant, as meant for a different era. But reading from Judges last night, with the sounds of the city-wide party at full volume, it kind of hit me. I could hear the band from The Landing, 4 blocks away, car stereos that rattle your windows and drunken laughter and hollering. A lot of it sounded like a lot of fun. A lot of it sounded over the top.

Seriously, I got a little bit of a chill in my spine as if some of the stories from Judges were playing out in the streets below. And I could hear it.

Painting

Have about 2/3 of my apartment painted. When I was trying to figure out where to start I said, OK, when I come in the front door, this is what I see, so this is where I will start. When I come home and want to feel comfortable the first thing I see is important. So, since my apartment has a long entry hallway, I started there, with a light yellow (too light, actually, but I am not doing it over)that sets off nicely a painting with a wood frame and a mirror. Then, the living room/dining room walls that I see from the hallway. The kitchen is connected to the living room with a counter, which really needs some stools, so the kitchen was next. Lots of edging.

The big windows which each are made up of tall wooden sash pairs of windows, now have drapes. The tall baseboard will remain white and looks good against the different shades of brown and yellow.

So, I will finish kitchen tomorrow and then do bedroom next weekend. Just about done. Amazing what a difference it makes.

The Chains of Conservativism

Somebody said that to me recently (break free of the chains of conservatism) and I truly do not even know what it means. I suppose conservative implies an opposition to liberal. But,I think that we communicate in so many ways across so many forms of media that some sort of intellectual short hand has become the norm and the meaning of what we say is lost. And justifiably so. I mean, who really has time to ponder such things? O.K., I guess I do.

But why? I don't know. Certainly there are more practical things to spend my time on. Like learning to speak Na'Vi. But something I really enjoy in life is seeking out and finding the juicy contradiction that sheds a brighter light on something. For example, I had a great economics professor in college who explained to us clearly and forcefully how trade barriers amongst countries screwed the consumer, specifically as it related to the auto industry. This was when Japan agreed to limit imports so that Chrysler, GM, and Ford could catch up in the early 80s. Point was that the government was forcing the American consumer to subsidise inferior companies by limiting the consumers choices. Powerful argument. Then, I noticed he drove a Chevy. I asked him. I said, 'Aren't you supporting the barriers to trade by buying an American car?' He said, 'Yeah.' I said, 'So why do it? Seems like you are contradicting your argument.' He said, 'Hey, I am a state employee. I want to support the state economy.' Ahhhh. So true that as all politics are local, so is all economics. He was a free trade guy and believed that the less the government did the better. But, he knew where his bread was buttered. Is there anything wrong with that? Well, sort of.

Anyway, I tend to think of conservative v liberalism in terms of politics and economics. I know often the terms are used to describe civil, religious, or (how to say this and maintain a G rating on this post) . . . life style rights. And, I think a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that if they, or somebody else, falls into one camp, they are a member of all the others. That is foolish and I think is partly why our society seems to be getting angrier all the time. Example; If you are gay it does not necessarily mean you believe we need to grow the government or that you have anti-family values. Or, if you believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God and that abortion is murder, it does not necessarily mean you believe a woman does not have the right to make that call. Personally, I think . . . what I think, and that is my call, thank you very much.

Anyway, here is my take on conservatism v liberalism. Politically, conservatives want less government. Liberals want social programs. Most of the people I know are political conservatives and most of them take advantage of some government social program or entitlement. Go figure. Do I need to call them out? No way. I need all the friends I can get. Michael Savage, that's what you get paid for.

Economically, conservatives want free trade and the right to personal property because free trade prevents wars. Give Cubans the right to own their own home and they will defend it with their lives the way we do in this country.

Civil rights for minorities and women: Conservatives believe in personal rights, not group rights. The 13th and 19th amendments were not victories for group rights, they were victories over hate and oppression. Liberals want special treatment for certain groups. Does it work? I don't know. Sometimes. Affirmative action has given us leaders we otherwise would not have. Unions made lives better for millions. Who is to say? I know this, it was the Iraqi women that went out into the street to get to the voting centers in the first free election in that country. Not the men. Point being, why in the hell cant they get a drivers license?

Religious rights: Conservatives believe in the right to worship anywhere, any time. Liberals believe Christian Judeo values mean you are intolerant. There is truth in both sides. A Christian testimony rooted in condemnation will win few converts. A liberal testimony made up of clever insults will increase acrimony. Grow up Bill Mahr. Grow up TV preachers, except Joyce Meyers. Wish both sides new more about Bill W and Dr. Bob. And the Sermon on The Mount.

Regardless of where you stand on anything, the fact is that a government that is not economically sustainable will not last. If we want social programs that we cannot afford then we will have to just conquer some weaker countries. Is that what the libs want? If we don't have some sort of government oversight the greed that lives in the heart of mankind will bring pain to many. Is that what the conservatives want? How much government is the right amount? We will have to decide at some point.

Probably too personal.

She never really understood how in love I was with her. Nor did I ever understand how much she needed a friend, a confidant outside of her normal circle of let-downs and disappointments. We spent a lot of time trying to get from the other what they were unwilling to give. Why did we keep trying for over a year when it was obvious the first month? Probably because it was always very personal, very close, and that is hard to let go. Her emotions were always very fragile. I guess from having only known abandonment by men. I wanted to be someone that would stick to their word. And suggestions by me that it would be better if we didn't talk were met with desperate pleas. But, I over estimated myself and had to turn a deaf ear. I had intruded on lives I should not have. Even with the best of intentions, it was a neighborhood I did not want to visit. But, I went, and I lived, and I have a few great memories, along with a little better idea of what I really want and need and have to offer. Live and learn, right.

The Season

Seems like a short time ago that I was staying up all night putting together bicycles, racetracks, and swing sets on Christmas Eve. Most memorable is the year we moved into a brand new house 7 days before Christmas and the pressure of having to paint, move, decorate, and be ready for Santa Clause. Of course we were ready and Santa did not disappoint. Also memorable is the Christmas morning of 1969, when 3 feet of snow fell on Christmas Eve in our suburb of Portland Oregon. The natural beauty of that Christmas morning made the idilyc images of Christmas Cards seem pale.

The memories of parenthood contrast with the memories of childhood but they are all warm and have the scent of Cinnamon and sugar cookies. My Father liked to play it cool, never making promises, and wanting to maximize the impact of Christmas morning. Expectations rarely went unmet. With my own family it was a little different; more a carnival of stuff, which is how my ex-wife's family played it during her youth. Regardless of style the special comfort of that day is the same and inescapable.

This will be a different year for me. But my anticipation is no less. I love you Christmas and wait eagerly for you.