No, I'm not on drugs and you're not hallucinating either. That is a photo of a Coke vending machine, a frog, and the Parthenon.
I watched some TV tonight. It's been so busy over the holidays here that I enjoyed just kicking back in front of the boob tube for a bit. Flipping through the channels I landed on PBS (Public Broadcast System here in the US) and watched a show called Wild Chronicles, a National Geographic program. I normally enjoy the nature shows and PBS for the most part. So much of television seems geared to numbing the brain. So I find it a bit more stimulating to watch a show where I actually learn something.
On this particular show they featured a frog on the endangered species list called the Mountain Chicken. It is delicacy on islands in the Caribbean for it tastes like, yes, chicken. Because it tastes so finger-lickin' good it is decreasing in population very quickly. There are biologist teams that are very busy on these islands trying to save the Mountain Chicken from extinction.
Later on I watched a program, again on PBS, about this team of archeologists in Greece that are painstakingly rebuilding the Parthenon - brick by brick, column by column. They have recreated ancient tools and building methods to put it all back together, the way it was 2500 years ago or so.
And then I got to thinking. I don't think the things that man holds dear are the same things that God holds dear.
For instance, in the United States alone there are 1,200,000 induced abortions per year. That's 3,288 per day, 137 per hour, 9 per minute. One abortion every 26 seconds. I think God holds a bit more dearly the extinction of unborn children over that of chicken-tasting reptiles, don't you? I think He holds more dearly the importance of saving human life, whether unborn, elder, or in between, over saving some pile of stones for historical posterity sake.
Can I get a witness here?
Then I got to thinking even more.
Let's say Earth and it's inhabitants are around for another thousand or so years. It's the year 3008 and a team of archeologists are most puzzled over a recent find - a small structure from the 21st century.
They decipher the ancient English language written on it and discover that its name was, "Ice Cold Coca Cola." Years of investigating go into studying this wonder of the ancient world. Parts of the structure were destroyed or missing over the past centuries so they painstakingly attempt to recreate them to restore the "Ice Cold Coca Cola" structure to its original beauty. But for all the intelligence that this future human race holds they are clueless as to this structure's meaning and purpose. But I suppose that's of little consequence when your agenda is about saving history or saving frogs.
Do you think God holds dearly things of a bit more importance?
I'm going to bed now. I'm tired and my brain hurts from all this pondering. Blame it on PBS.
But, damn it, I'm glad I saw the truth in all this tonight. It's so easy to go with the flow and not question anything... to just allow our brains to numb over and accept what others tell us.
Here's another wonderful song by Casting Crowns from their "Peace on Earth" album. I love how they take the over-known and make it fresh and so poignant. This song just makes me so hungry for the Lord!
I wish you all (if anyone is out there reading this) a wonder-filled Christmas. May He increase in your heart a longing for Him.
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HE WHO TESTIFIES to these things says,
“Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen!
Revelation 22:20-21
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While You Were Sleeping by Mark Hall
Oh little town of Bethlehem Looks like another silent night Above your deep and dreamless sleep A giant star lights up the sky And while you're lying in the dark There shines an everlasting light For the King has left His throne And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight
Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping For God became a man And stepped into your world today Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history As a city with no room for its King While you were sleeping While you were sleeping
Mary shivers in the cold Trying to keep the Savior warm Born among the animals wrapped in dirty rags Because there was no room for Him in the world He came to save
United States of America Looks like another silent night As we're sung to sleep by philosophies That save the trees and kill the children And while we're lying in the dark There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky For the Bridegroom has returned And has carried His bride away in the night
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping Will Jesus come again And leave us slumbering where we lay America, will we go down in history As a nation with no room for its King Will we be sleeping Will we be sleeping
United States of America Looks like another silent night
I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day was originally a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He wrote of his struggle with the Christmas message of Peace on Earth and the Civil War that was raging around him at the time.
I've been listening to this new CD by Casting Crowns. On it is a beautiful rendition of this classic Christmas carol. I find the song most fitting for the current happenings in the world.
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I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play And mild and sweet their songs repeat Of peace on earth good will to men
And the bells are ringing Like a choir they're singing In my heart I hear them Peace on earth, good will to men
And in despair I bowed my head There is no peace on earth I said For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men
But the bells are ringing Like a choir singing Does anybody hear them? Peace on earth, good will to men
Then rang the bells more loud and deep God is not dead, nor doth He sleep The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, good will to men
Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day A voice, a chime, a chant sublime Of peace on earth, good will to men
And the bells they're ringing Like a choir they're singing And with our hearts we'll hear them Peace on earth, good will to men
Do you hear the bells they're ringing? The life the angels singing Open up your heart and hear them Peace on earth, good will to men
Peace on earth, Peace on earth Peace on earth, Good will to men
