Mike’s Rumblings 09-27-24

Faith Conversations

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 9.27.24

1. “Donald Trump owns many properties; American Christianity cannot be one of them.” ~ Russell Moore, Christianity Today

Unfortunately, he has already staked out a majority position through a wide swath of Evangelical Christianity. It ain’t pretty is it? Evangelicals may not be the totality of Trump’s religious brand but I’m not sure what second place looks like. It’s a sad state of affairs.

2. “The problem is many of the people needing saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea that God sees the world the same way they do.” ~ Barbara Brown Taylor

And God doesn’t see the world as White, Christian and American. I’m not even sure ‘red’ is His favorite color. If you’re disappointed, so be it. Sometimes reality really bites.

3. Them: “Are you afraid of losing friends over your posts on controversial topics?”

Me: No. “I’m afraid of remaining silent and watching evil advance. I’m afraid of seeing friends and their loved ones suffer because they lack knowledge.” ~ Author unknown

4. In one episode of the Simpsons, Homer finished reading through the Bible and said: “ Everyone in this book is a mess, except this one guy.”

Yep. There’s that one guy.

5. For four long, torturous years, the news was filled with Trump this and Trump that. Frankly, it was exhausting. Just the thought of four more long years of meanness, lying and asinine concepts masquerading as sound policy is mind numbing. But it is a possibility. The polls are close.

I’m asking myself a basic question:

“If he somehow manages to win, how then shall I live?

And if Kamala wins? Same question, with far less urgency and no fear attached to it.

6. I have come to a reluctant peace over the fact that I am unable to neatly sort out all the life issues facing us as a country. As a result I don’t have a pretty little ‘life’ package with an even prettier bow to show you. And even if I did, I’d be reluctant to share it with you. Life issue discussions, I’ve discovered, bring out the worst in people.

I’ve accepted the messiness of it all.

And it is messy.

Life issues are worth talking about. Finding the right conversation partners is where the difficulties arise. It’s getting harder and harder to find those willing to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” (Covey, 7 Habits)

7. “… Imagine the surrender necessary for those who have been oppressed for hundreds of years to continue to work peacefully for justice. Frankly, I don’t know how anyone can do it without contemplation. How do we get to that deep place where we do not want to publicly expose, humiliate, or defeat our opponents? When we are hurt, we want to hurt back. This is our ego’s natural defense mechanism. Through prayer and contemplation, we change from the inside—from a power position to the position of vulnerability and solidarity, which gradually changes everything.

True contemplation is the most subversive of activities because it undercuts the one thing that normally refuses to give way—our natural individualism and narcissism. Once we are freed from our narcissism that thinks we are the center of the world, or that our rights and dignity must be defended before other people’s rights and dignity, we can finally live and act with justice and truth.” ~ Richard Rohr

8. “Nonviolence is the use of power to try to resolve conflicts, injuries, and issues in order to heal and uplift, to solidify community, and to help people take power into their own hands and use their power creatively.”~ James Lawson

Non violence is considered by many to be a weakness, perhaps even a character flaw. Let’s face it. Someway, somehow, assertive, mean spiritedness and confrontational posturing has become the default position for a whole lot of folks.

Unfortunately for them, it’s not Jesus’s preference. Unfortunately for us, we have to navigate around and through such sinfulness without responding in kind.

9. The Bible says lots of things. I especially like it when it urges us to turn the page to read more about God’s love and compassion.

10. Nice tribute. I needed the smiles it gave me. It has the ‘feel’ of a long ago, and much missed style of sports writing.

“Guys tend to have three kinds of days: “meh, good and I’ll-never-have-to-buy-a-drink-again for the-rest-of-my-life.”

Until last week, there were only three of this last kind:

Neil Armstrong walks on the moon

Michael Jackson wins eight Grammys in one night.

Lyle Lovett marries Julia Roberts.

But then came last Thursday, when the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Japanese giant Shohei Ohtani had the single greatest day in the history of professional baseball, which, admittedly, has been a thing for only 155 years.

In a single nine-inning game, Ohtani went 6-for-6 and drove in 10 runs, with three home runs, two doubles and two stolen bases. His three hours and six minutes of work not only clinched the Dodgers a playoff spot but vaulted him into the 50-50 club — 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season.

“I’ve never seen anybody do that even in Little League,” Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux said.

The 50-50 club is not large. Here’s the roll call:

-Ohtani

His was the best day anybody has had since Neil Young wrote three hit songs in one afternoon. No other player has even sniffed 50-50 and the 30-year-old Ohtani did it with nine games to go. Not only that, but one of his homers went 440 feet, which is farther than a lot of people travel during an entire game of pickleball.

Ohtani was so ridiculous in this game, the crowd made him come out of the dugout and take a bow. And he was in Miami.”

… I hear you screaming “Babe Ruth!” C’mon, now. Ruth, standing next to Ohtani, would look like his neighborhood grocer. Ruth ran like a guy with a fridge on his back. The guy never even joined the 20-20 club, forget 53-55. Ohtani is Ruth with abs and a jetpack.” ~ Rick Reilley, WAPO

The post Mike’s Rumblings 09-27-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.