Thoughts and observations on this gorgeous autumn day...
You are the devil and the devil is bad...
No, I'm not channeling The W's. :)
It seems Jerry Falwell is in hot water now, after telling the Values Voter Summit that (according to AP), "if Hillary Rodham Clinton is the Democrats' 2008 presidential nominee, it would motivate conservative Christians to oppose her more than if the devil himself were running."
This on the heels of Venezuelan President's Hugo Chavez notoriously referring to President Bush as the devil in a recent speech.
Falwell insists the remark was tongue-in-cheek and aimed at getting laughs, which it did.
Mel doesn't mince words...
Add Mel Gibson to the list of celebrities railing against the war in Iraq.
This from the guy who has never shied away from the realities of warfare in movies like Braveheart (which actually happens to be one of my favorites) and The Patriot.
Maybe it's just me, but Gibson's Apocalypto movie does not appeal to me at all.
On my nightstand right now...
Do you ever wonder how a gracious and loving God can allow suffering and tragedy? It's a question that has been asked for centuries, and there are no quick, easy answers.
However, a book that I'm currently reading delves deeply into such troubling questions.
It's unusual for me to read a nonfiction book; rarer still for me to tackle a theological book. But I was intrigued enough to read Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor, and I'll be interviewing Taylor for my radio interview show next week.
The book makes for deep but fascinating reading. During tragic times, both in my personal life and on the world scene, I've clung to the sovereignty of God...the knowledge that nothing takes Him by surprise, and that He has it all under control. But what scriptural basis is there for that belief?
The contributors to this book believe there is plenty of scriptural basis. Most of them have experienced tragedy in their own lives, such as paralyzation or the loss of a child. Yet they have emerged with their faith intact and even stronger.
What makes an Elie Wiesel go through the Holocaust and completely abandon his faith, while a Corrie Ten Boom comes through the same horrific tragedy still believing in and glorifying God?
From Crossway Books' website: "In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, contributors John Piper, Joni Eareckson Tada, Steve Saint, Carl Ellis, David Powlison, Dustin Shramek, and Mark Talbot explore the many categories of God’s sovereignty as evidenced in his Word. They urge readers to look to Christ, even in suffering, to find the greatest confidence, deepest comfort, and sweetest fellowship they have ever known."
I'm not even halfway through it yet...I'm having to slow down and digest stronger meat than I usually ingest...but I have a feeling it will be well worth it.
Related Tags: Jerry Falwell, Hillary Rodham Clinton, The W's, Mel Gibson, Apocalypto, Iraq War, John Piper, Justin Taylor, faith, God's sovereignty, movies, entertainment, nonfiction, theology
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