Waving or Drowning?

Cartoons For Calgary IV, or...

...Sainthood For Sanori?

You'll need to read Sister Joan's complete column to get the context, but as usual she hits the nail on the head:

From where I stand, this does not seem the time to elevate the present political situation to the level of religious warfare by incorrectly declaring our own dead, like those of Islamic fundamentalists, to be "martyrs." All we need is to trigger another century of Crusades by beginning a competition of martyrs.

It's time to watch our language. This obscure little article may be all the warning we get.

Move Past Indecision

Earlier this afternoon I was chatting with Jocelyn (this Google Talk thing is all right). We followed up our conversation with an email, and I saw this quote on her note:

"We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace... and justice throughout the developing world -- a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long dark and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight. Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter -- but beautiful -- struggle for a new world."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Cartoons For Calgary III

Loving our global neighbors - and enemies
by Philip Rizk
SojoMail 2-15-2006

The seeming impossible step to tend to one's neighbor, no matter who they are, must be taken today or misunderstanding, disillusionment, and hate will fester and grow out of control.

The idol of unquestioned self-righteous freedom must be abolished or else it will destroy the village we live in.

A fascinating, global look at the issue we've been pondering. Check out the full article here.
Via sojomail.

Willard on Grace

Here's a quote that's going to make it into my latest paper...

"In most churches we're not only saved by grace, we're paralyzed by it. We're afraid to do anything that might be a "work." The funny thing is we will preach to people for an hour that they can't do anything to be saved, and then sing to them for a half an hour trying to get them to do something. This is confusing. People need to see that action is a receptacle for grace, not a substitute for it. Grace is God acting in our lives to do things we can't do on our own. Grace is not opposed to effort; it's opposed to earning."
Dallas Willard, in The Apprentices

A School for Nyima Koroma IV

A quick update from deep in the bowels of the Regent library...

I just received an email from Matt, and as of this morning they've gone over $26,000! To say he is excited is an understatement; I've never seen such abuse of the exclamation point in one email.

Thanks to all those who participated, and props to the staff and students out at Fraser Valley. Those people rock.

Oh Democracy

Ah, freedom of speech and democracy; motherhood and apple pie.

U.S. and Israelis Are Said to Talk of Hamas Ouster
by Steven Erlanger

JERUSALEM, Feb. 13 — The United States and Israel are discussing ways to destabilize the Palestinian government so that newly elected Hamas officials will fail and elections will be called again, according to Israeli officials and Western diplomats.

Before you get all excited, I was just as horrified as the next westerner when Hamas won the election.

When they won the election.

Way a second... back to the drawing board for that little tenet of US foreign policy.

UPDATE: US, Israeli Officials Deny Plot to Destabilize Hamas Government

 

Cartoons For Calgary II

There's some interesting conversation going on in the comments section of Cartoons For Calgary. Tim has asked a question that I would extend to the Jewish Free Press in Calgary, who have jumped on the bandwagon.

Something's been bugging me all day, and I've had trouble putting it into words. But, doing the dishes tonight it came to me...

Freedom of speech doesn't seem to me to be a "Kingdom of God" value.

Southern Lights

A NASA satellite captured this view of the aurora australis (southern lights) on September 11, 2005, four days after a record-setting solar flare sent plasma-an ionized gas of protons and electrons-flying towards the Earth.

Link from Industrial Brand Creative.

Sharing is Good

This little movie tells you why sharing is good, and not sharing can make people gang-up against you.

Check out Skype's other little movies here.

Cartoons For Calgary

This is disturbing news. If it was going to happen in Canada I might have guessed it would come out of Alberta. (Politically, I mean. Sorry to all my friends there...)

Calgary magazine to reprint cartoons
Hate-crime charges could follow decision by Western Standard, Muslim warns
Jeff Gray
From Monday's Globe and Mail

The Western Standard, a political magazine based in Calgary, will today reprint eight of the 12 Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed that have caused riots and controversy around the world, and one Canadian Muslim leader warns that hate-crime charges may follow.

Hate crime charges may just be appropriate. I might buy the argument that the first newspaper to publish the cartoons may not have known that violence would result, but this guy has no excuses.

Asked if he thought today's publication could spark violence in Canada, he said: "We're about to find out."

Link to full article