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So...since no one else will be blogging about this subject, I thought I'd step up and fill the gap.*  

As I reflect on the passage of the historic healthcare reform bill, I wonder how America's Christians are reacting.  Some thoughts...

To my brothers and sisters on the Left who are rejoicing at the passage of the healthcare reform bill, a gentle reminder:  This bill does nothing to eliminate Christ's mandate for us to personally care for the poor.  If history is any judge, the government will struggle to oversee the massive task they've just voted to put on their own plate.  Bureaucracy, inefficiency, and corruption may well swallow up their good intentions.  We Christians must stand in the gap that's left.

To my brothers and sisters on the Right who are lamenting the passage of this bill, may I gently suggest the possibility that we (I) have failed to live out Christ's directive to care for those less fortunate than us?  Perhaps if we as the Church cared for the poor, marginalized, needy folks in the world as our founder did...then maybe, just maybe...Congress wouldn't have had to step up and do what we were capable of, but refused to do.

I recently read Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution (which I highly recommend) and I thought this excerpt was striking (and applicable to those on both ends of the political spectrum).

It is much more comfortable to depersonalize the poor so we don't feel responsible for the catastrophic human failure that results in someone sleeping on the street while people have spare bedrooms in their homes.  We can volunteer in a social program or distribute excess food and clothing through organizations and never have to open up our homes, our beds, our dinner tables.  When we get to heaven, we will be separated into those sheep and goats Jesus talks about in Matthew 25 based on how we cared for the least among us.  I'm just not convinced that Jesus is going to say, "When I was hungry, you gave a check to the United Way and they fed me," or, "When I was naked, you donated clothes to the Salvation Army and they clothed me."  Jesus is not seeking distant acts of charity.  He seeks concrete acts of love: "you fed me...you visited me in prison...you welcomed me into your home...you clothed me."

My life has seldom lived up to Christ's words.  May God have mercy on me and grant me strength to do better.


*That was sarcasm, just in case you didn't catch it.

Arby's, marketing the healthy food angle...looks like it says:


"Never fried.  Never greasy."


I'm not sure though; it's kinda hard to read...through the grease stain.

Someone asked me the other day what my opinion is about Tim Tebow's upcoming Super Bowl ad.  Here's my two cents worth:

1.  I whole-heartedly support Tebow's right to say whatever he wants on national television.  It's a free country last time I checked; live and let live.  However, lest I be misunderstood on this issue, I should note that the necessary corollary to this position is that Mancrunch.com (the gay dating site that also applied) should've been allowed to purchase TV time as well.  Fair is fair.  Be careful what you ask for my conservative friends; you just might get it.

2.  My personal preference is that "positions-based" advertising (from either side) not be aired during the Super Bowl.  It's an American past-time for crying out loud.  Must we use it as an opportunity to inflame those who disagree with us?

3.  While I appreciate (and agree with) some Christians' desire to eliminate/minimize abortion, I'm not sure that this is/was the best way to accomplish that.  I could be wrong, but I have a hard time believing that a highly controversial 30-second spot is going to suddenly cause 100's of women across America to call and cancel their appointments at their local abortion clinics.  Why not take the obscenely large amount of money that's being spent on this, and put it towards something that we know reduces the chances of an abortion happening?  May I suggest Option Ultrasound or your local crisis pregnancy care center instead?

4.  Christians standing up for their "rights" in the public arena seems, to me, to be counter-intuitive to the message of Christ.  Isn't that the whole point of Christianity, that we give up our rights?  Why can't we Christians work on "changing America" one person and one heart at a time?  It might just work better than the top-down approach that seems to be turning people away.

Barrack Obama, talking about Scott Brown's election to the late Ted Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat:

"Here's my assessment of not just the vote in Massachusetts, but the mood around the country. 

The same thing that swept Scott Brown into office swept me into office. 

People are angry, and they're frustrated. Not just because of what's happened in the last year or two years, but what's happened over the last eight years."

I disagree vehemently with the President on some things, not the least of which is universal healthcare.  However, this is one thing that I agree with him on.  

I have many friends on the Right who would like to hail Scott Brown's election as historic moment that signals a seismic shift away from Obama's vision of America.  I think it's more a statement about America's anger.  We're mad and looking for something to take out our anger on.  Whichever side (Right or Left) that is better able to stir up the anger in its base leading up to election time...is the side that wins.

November could be interesting.


P.S.  For my friends on the Left, you should know that I passed up some pretty good Ted Kennedy jokes/jabs with you guys in mind.  I just wanted you to appreciate that fact.  :)

I haven't blogged in a while; here's my stream-of-consciousness on a snowy Sunday night.  Enjoy the following seven items, helpfully itemized in a numerical format.  There are seven because that's the Biblical number of perfection (also it's mostly because I got a little tired and I couldn't think of any more).

1.  I think it's just a little bit creepy when I'm reading through my Facebook page and my profile says:

Boyd Allen "Likes" So-And-So's "activity".

What does that even mean?  I liked your status or your post...not your "Activity"!  What is that?!  It sounds gross, whatever it is.

2.  I LOVE Kansas City Chiefs Football.  I know, I know, we were horrible this year, nay, even atrocious.  It makes no logical sense, but I love the Chiefs.  It's been a really, really tough year, but days like today make it a little more palatable.  We defeated the horrible, ugly, dreaded Broncos en route to breaking several Chiefs records.  And to make it better, we beat the Broncos at THEIR house, ended their already slim playoff hopes, AND avenged ourselves of the beat-down they put on us in KC a few weeks back.  It was a good way to end the season.  Go Chiefs!*

3.  Saturdays are a my new favorite day of the week.  Sarah and I have been deliberately taking Saturdays off (or in Christianese, "taking our Sabbath") for the last month or two.  It's hard to make yourself NOT do anything for a day, but it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.  If you are the kind of can't-do-nothing, addicted-to-doing-things, let's-get'r-done kind of person that I am, then I highly recommend it.  Rest is good for the soul, mind, body.

4.  I have an awesome family.  Christmas and the holidays are best spent in the company of those who know and love you best.  Thank God I got to do that these last few weeks.  I am very blessed to have a great family and great in-laws.  Plus they have really, really sick senses of humor.  I admire that in people.  Thanks for being so freakin' cool guys; I love you all.

5.  I started reading Donald Miller's "To Own a Dragon" the other day.  He is just the right mixture of honest, funny, and readable.  I like the book so far.  If you haven't read Miller's "Blue Like Jazz", you should.

6.  As much as I rant about snow, sometimes it's mildly cool.  If only I had a snowboard...and a mountain in my backyard, then I might LIKE snow.  Also, it's kinda eerily cool how it brightens the night and makes it look like perpetual twilight because all the light reflects off of everything.

7.  My 11 month old is teething again; two molars at the same time.  It seems like hard work.  I hope that I'm not one of those biological freaks who loses all his teeth when he's 50 and grows a whole other set.  I don't think the coolness factor would outweigh the pain.  Doesn't seem worth the trouble.


*I still want Todd Haley fired!

Today is my Sabbath (weekly day of rest) and for some reason I was reminded of this liturgy that my brother posted on his Facebook account about this time last year.

I thought of this poem because, this year, my goal is for the holidays to be sort of an annual Sabbath; a month or two of the year when (hopefully) life slows down and I get to rest, relax, and recharge with friends and family.  I know that this may not be the reality for many (myself included), but it's my primary goal this Christmas.

Enjoy...


Quiet Advent

it is a time of whispers
of rumors and echoes
angels are unfurling their wings
stars are dancing new steps
and the universe is drawing breath
for now we live in the waiting time

let the darkness gather
let the seasons change
let the nights draw in
to their darkest moment

the light is on it's way

so come now
be a blessing to the frantic and worried world
come now
and find space
silence
stillness

for God is slipping into skin
and restless in the womb

it is advent


P.S.  I tried unsuccessfully to find out who the original author is so I could credit him/her.  If anyone knows who wrote this, please let me know.

I just read this article from NPR.  Apparently, the U.S. Postal service is all but canceling the "Operation Santa" program that allows volunteers to reply to children's letters to Santa.  Evidently there was a sex offender volunteering for the program.  A few thoughts regarding this turn of events:

1.  Growing up, my parents did not teach me about Santa.  I do not feel any lasting ill effects from this (apparently) gross omission from my childhood, and I have no intention of teaching my own 10-month-old son about Santa.  The way I see it, there's plenty of awesomeness surrounding the holidays (family, traditions, etc.) without introducing a fictional character to spice things up.  (Before you all post angry comments: yes, I am aware that Saint Nicolas is a historical figure; he bears little resemblance to the pot-bellied apparition that we've created.)

2.  The previous point notwithstanding, I have no problem whatsoever with those who choose to do the Santa thing.  I don't think it's sacrilegious, silly, irresponsible, or any other negative adjective.  You like Santa; good for you.  I'm all for whatever makes the holidays happy for you and yours.  Merry Christmas.

3.  The real reason though that I'm writing about this whole turn of events, is this: I think we Americans overprotect their children.  Are we really going to nix an entire program that has (presumably) given joy to thousands, maybe millions, of children...because of one lousy sex offender?  Now, I'm not suggesting that a known predator should be allowed to continue interacting with children.  But maybe we could just deal with the lone perverted perpetrator and let the program be?  My point here is that it seems like a slight overeaction, don't you think?  To borrow from the article, it seems like an "explosion of the elephant gun in a panicky attempt to dispatch a random ant".

You may disagree with me; that's cool.  We're all entitled to our own take on the matter.  However, there are some academics (who I happen to agree with) who believe that within the next 15 years (maybe less) there will be a backlash to the current trend of over-protection.  Our kids will feel so smothered, so stifled, so cut off from experiencing life...that they will eventually rebel (as individuals, and thus collectively as a generation).

Now, I don't think most parents want their kids participating in the next generation's version of the "stick-it-too-the-man" 1960's (complete with anarchy, sex, drugs, and rock & roll).  I know that's not the future that I've envsioned for my son.

So, maybe a little perspective is in order.  Let's keep the elephant gun holstered, huh?  What'd ya say?

P.S.  If you're the geeky type (like me) who enjoys learning about sociology, patterns, and why things happen they way they happen, then check out this book, it's changed the way I look at society and history.

The following is from a blog that I read written by a Navy Chaplain who has served for 28 years; this is a small excerpt from his Veterans Day post.  To read the entire post (which I highlyrecommend), or if you're interested in following his blog, visit his website at http://padresteve.wordpress.com.

We serve because we believe in the ideals of this nation and unlike wars past, the “Good Wars” where there were homecoming parades after surrender ceremonies we come home to a nation which mostly has not been at war, a nation that we have protected and served in harm’s way when most Americans were told to be patriotic after 9-11 by President Bush by “going shopping.”  In the midst of all we serve, many of us volunteering for more, not because we like war, but because we believe in our country and in helping others come to know freedom.  I know that amid the political cynicism that is so rampant that such idealism is derided by those who only see America as a force for evil, but such is not the case.  By and large our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Coastguardsmen serve not for college money or to simply have a job, but because we care about the country and know that by serving now that we will likely end up in a combat zone.

We serve in unpopular wars and our sacrifice is to many people just a news bite in between economic, entertainment and sports stories.  There are those on the left who despise us as much as they did those who served in Vietnam. Likewise there are those on the right who have no compunction about using us in the military until we are spent without sharing a whit in our sacrifice, without ever having put on a uniform much less seeing combat.

This Veterans Day, my way of honoring those who are serving (or have served) is to be neither on the left nor the right.

A few pics and a video from last night at Artwalk.  Grant and Sarah came down to hang out for a little while.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by.