It's A Beautiful World

I really like this song by Dierks Bentley and Patty Griffin. We live in broken world and we have broken lives. When the LORD finished his six days of creation, He said, not only "good", but "very good". It was just the way He wanted it. When Adam disobeyed God, this "very good" is part of what he was rejecting.

So, the entrance of sin as left us and our world marred. But it's still beautiful world to the humble and we still have the image of God and if we will let him remake us in Christ, there are sunsets to enjoy, sweethearts to kiss and friendships to enjoy.

Even though life is filled with trouble, Cindy loved life and everyone who knew her knew that. She had every confidence about what lay ahead of her as she closed her eyes the last time, but like the song lyrics, she would have loved to enjoy another sunset, a kiss from her "baby" and smiles from friends. Love life and look forward to the future.

Here's the song lyrics I like so much. You can see the video on YouTube here:

All the noise and the voices are screamin'
What they have to say
And the headlines and sound bytes are givin' me
Demons to hate
And the man on TV
He tells me it's ugly
But if you ask me

It's a beautiful world
It's a beautiful world

There's tears and there's fears and there's losses and crosses to bear
And sometimes the best we can do is just to whisper a prayer
And press on because
There's so much to live for and so much to love

In this beautiful world
Say what you will but I still believe
It's a beautiful world
It's a beautiful world

And I know (I know)
I'm not dreamin'
I just choose (choose) to believe it

So I hate that I sometimes miss what's right in front of my eyes, oh
And I know at the end of my road I'll be wantin' more time
Just another sunset
One more kiss from my baby
A smile from a friend

In this beautiful world
It's a beautiful world
Yeah, it's a beautiful world

Say what you will, but I still believe
It's a beautiful world
Yeah, it's a beautiful world
Oh, it's a beautiful world

Feet Curiously Planted In Mid-Air

I was intrigued by the president's statement that the CIA should "uphold our values." In a way it reminds me of the "it all depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is" statement of a former president. It all depends on what the meaning of the word "our" is. It all depends on the meaning of the word "values" is. No, really, it all depends on what grounds one can stand for or hold up anything if there is no ultimate "truth" to make those actions meaningful.

Case in point: the president's position of abortion, late-term abortion, even post-term abortion as chronicled over the years since his days as an Illinois state senator, including the endorsement of his HHS pick. It is no problem to endorse barbarism in or around the womb. To be comparatively lightweight on known terrorists, however is an essential value for the CIA.

Values planted firmly on nothing.

Earth Day... Why?

When I picked up the newspaper yesterday morning (Wednesday, Earth Day) the headlines were aglow with wonderful human interest stories about Earth Day activities. I even read a quote by a 6-year-old that "if we don't keep the planet clean, we will all die!" He has been well trained. That's why they want to get them into the system young.

If I were to presuppose that the universe is an eternal (no god needed) ever-improving system, were it not for the detrimental things we humans do to un-improve it -- I would still be faced with an important question. Other than a feel-good exercise, why does it matter? If the earth is a blob of matter orbiting a burning blob of matter spiraling around a bigger blob of matter in a universe filled with such blobs of matter. Nothing personal about it. It just is. As fascinating as the universe is, so what? Science says it is all headed for "room temperature" -- heat death. It didn't matter to anyone important at the beginning and there is no one for it to be important to at the end.

But I don't presuppose that. I presuppose... I trust, that the earth is here for a reason. I trust that earth's inhabitants are here for a reason. If I am awed at the creation (and I am) as a reflection of the one who created it, then it is the one who designed and created who ultimately should get the most awe and credit. Borrowing from Romans 1, worshipping the Creator, not the creature.

What about the earth and the environment and... what if we all die? Having been entrusted with all the tools and materials to MANAGE the earth properly, yes, mankind has hijacked it for himself and taken it into the ditch. In that sense, I can agree with the environmental activism. Divorced from ultimate meaning, however, Earth Day... Why?