For Your Consideration.

Here are two stories that lead to Questions for consideration 

1.  i actually watched the Oscar's the other night, not sure why, but i did. So, as i was watching a bunch of movies that i had never heard of get awards, it became apparent to me that the academy seems to have an agenda that becomes very obvious with each academy award show. coarse its no secret that Hollywood is considered liberal, but it also seems that they have a different criteria that they work with each year. any way it lead me to this Question. is it possible that a movie written by a stripper about a teen pregnancy could have more impact on reducing abortions in this country then all the political lobbying combined? if it is true that abortion is about the debate between pro choice and pro life then is it possible that a movie that highlights the beauty of protecting and valuing life, even if it requires personal sacrifice, or especially as it requires personal sacrifice, could do more to shape the way a culture views and therefore reacts to abortion?

probably not, nor is Juno this Film. but i think it is worth considering.

2.  i was having a discussion with a couple of theology students the other day and one of them had just discovered somethings about some people that she really looked up to that caused her tremendous pain and confusion. this combined with a few other things led her to the place where her response to God and most things was that "there are no answers." after a short time in discussion and acknowledging that there is suffering in the world and how God might be working... she stated again that she is all about preaching that "there are no answers." this  time i questioned her. "is that really what you believe?" She paused, then replied... any way here is my question, as she stated that "there are no answers" it stuck me as not a statement of despair but of a strange sort of hope and peace, mixed with much pain. 

so what about the idea of there being no answers is comforting?

is it a generational/cultural thing? 

is it a hope/despair thing?

or is she on to something? 

Worth considering? maybe... 

am i loved?

Sometimes it is hard to be generous with love when we are not loved. 

  Walter Brueggemann describes the conflict between what he calls the powerful pull of scarcity against the good news of Gods abundance. beginning with Genesis one Brueggemann shows that the God of the Bible is the the God of abundance, he tracks through the creation story sighting the plenty of creation in which God observes "it is good" there are trees and plants and fruit... and "it is good" there are birds in the sky and fish in the sea and animals of all kinds... and "it is very good" then there is man and woman and they are told to be fruitful and multiply... And God is the God of abundance.  yet somewhere in the story the belief in scarcity emerges. pharaoh to in Egypt looks around and sees that there might not be enough "good stuff" to go around in need to get Control of all i can, - scarcity, so much so that he enslaves the people and gains control of all the lad he can. the Israelites then find themselves being led into the desert, the desert which is the picture of scarcity, yet they find Gods abundance. every morning they wake up and they find all the need, yet they cant control nor predict, yet those that needed much had all they needed and those that needed little had plenty. here we find the Sabbath as a picture and recognition that God has provided all we need, we need not gather every day. working every day is living in scarcity cause i need to get all i can cause there may not be enough good stuff. the Israelites as Brueggemann points out are in constant conflict between the myth of scarcity and the reality of Gods abundance, they hoard the manna, because they do not know if there will be enough tomorrow, there is plenty every day yet they cant Control it so the do what they can to control it and forget about Gods abundance and revert to scarcity.  Pharaoh controlled one of the most prosperous and fertile areas in the world yet... 

it is never really about the reality of the material/economy at hand, as much as it is about ones belief about it. 

what was i talking about again... 

Jesus something something something i know for the something something me so... 

Any way Walter Brueggemann is super smart dude and you should read some of his other stuff as well  

Why you know?

 So I am under the impression that the first Blog post that one is supposed to accomplish is the explanation of the Title of his or her Blog. 

So if i had an explanation it would either Be having to do with Ecclesiastes, "there is nothing new under the sun" Or it could come from the understanding that people really are aware of much of what there is to know, sometimes it is more a Question of articulation or completion of information and concepts.  But your guess is a as good as mine.