The Social Porcupine

Genesis 22  (NIV)   Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.  Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”  Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.  On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”  Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,  Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Ye...

When I was happy the most hurtful thing someone told me was, “I want to like you, Keturah. But you’re always behind a facade of laughter and I can’t ever get to really know you.” When I was falling apart, the most hurtful thing someone told me was, “Keturah, stop dwelling on it. Just get over it.” Both times these things were said to me by people that I respected and loved as close friends. I didn’t think my laughter was a facade … humor is always how I’ve dealt with life. But because of that, I was unable to laugh for a long time. When I was consumed with grief, I was trying desperately not to drown. I wanted to get over it. But being told that, when I desperately needed a friend to let me talk and rant, did not help me get over it . Instead, I pulled deeper into my grief and had no release. (I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that I have a few VERY good friends that laugh at my weirdness and talk with me during my tears. They never condemn me for either, but...

Trump is wearing a mask, at last, say leftists. Even went as far as to tweet a picture of himself in a mask and say that wearing masks is patriotic and that he's the biggest patriot ever.  I'm not kidding if you haven't seen this. It's real. At first, I laughed.  And then I was like, "You know? He's actually kinda right." Maybe it is patriotic to wear a mask.  Because, what does patriotism even mean? A loyalty or allegiance to one's country and fellowman.  Which means:  Nazi's were patriots.  Communists were patriots.  Democrats, republicans, libertarians; all of these are patriots.  When the church was early and young, they thought it was wrong to give their allegiance to anyone but God. They were loyal and loving and kind to their fellow man, always ready to be as the Good Samaritan. But they did not worship a flag or set of nationalist ideals. God alone held their complete loyalty.  Early Christians weren't patriots.  And so, yes mayb...

Friends and family Even though the majority of Montanans voted no, Governor Bullock of Montana issued a statewide mandatory mask law. At the time of writing this, we've had 34 COVID related deaths, most of them elderly individuals that were to die shortly regardless. Those people matter and they will be grieved over. But life insists that we not forget the rest of Montana.  We must live. But because of those 34 we are told we may not operate fully.  What happen to the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness?  The governor believes he may dictate to us just how we pursue those rights, namely in that we don't.  The issue isn't the mask. It's merely a covering for so much more. Yet we must focus on the mask for a mere moment in order to fully address the heart of the issue.  Today I'm addressing the mask.  Bullock said, "If you see, only those of us who need to speak aren't wearing masks."   And who gets to decide who NEEDS to speak?   "I...