Diaper Rash Changes Everything

Last night I was at bible study. Normally there are about 8 of us guys, all around 50 years old, and it’s a good time of fellowship and study. But last night there was a youngun among us. I mean to say one of those under 30 types, fresh faced, and a new dad to boot. When we got to the point where we talked about prayer requests, he had the line of the night… “Diaper rash changes everything!” We all about died laughing. Think of it as the “been there done that” laugh. That got me to thinking about how guys change when kids come into the family. Kids can reduce even the most hardened individual into a belly blowing, face making fool. But there is so much more. Men who would never think of playing with their food at the dinner table suddenly think that the best way to teach a kid to eat is to convince him that it is not really food, but a toy. And that you get to eat that toy. Think flying spoons here. Is it any wonder kids are confused when parents get mad at them for putting toys into their mouths? Men, who can hear the slightest difference in a car engine, or a new noise in the suspension, suddenly go deaf when the lights go out. Ladies, you know what I’m talking about here. It’s three in the morning, and young Mr. Dad is pretending that he can’t hear the blood curdling screams in the next room. To make it worse, when he wakes up, he’ll ask you when the baby got up, as if he wasn’t aware. Men, who can tell from outside the refrigerator that the milk in the carton is bad, tend to lose the ability to smell when kids are born. It’s amazing, but thank God it is only a temporary condition, as full recovery usually comes a few weeks after potty training is complete. But perhaps most of all, us guys seem to lose the ability to communicate with real words in a normal language. Between the goo goos, the gaas gaas, and the rest of a litany of made up words and sounds, we somehow think that kid of ours can understand us. It’s just too bad that for a lot of us, that ability to effectively communicate, unlike our senses of hearing and smell, never seems to return to normal after kids. Yep, diaper rash changes everything!

Mexican Independence, Is Everybody Happy?

At 11:00pm tonight, millions of people will gather in state capitals and cities all across Mexico to reenact the famous "Grito de Independencia." It was 200 years ago this year, in a little town then known simply as Dolores, Mexico that Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, called the nation to fight for independence from Spain with his famous Grito, or shout. Here's a short video of former President Vicente Fox issuing the Grito from the exact place Hidalgo stood 200 years ago, that little town of Dolores. But tonight, and tomorrow as the country celebrates, all is not well. Oh sure, people will take off work, go on picnics, visit friends and family, but underneath the surface there will be unease. Worries about security, lack of jobs, governmental corruption, poverty, and thousands of people either missing or dead in a seemingly never ending drug war are always there. Just below the surface. For many, they will celebrate, but there will be no joy as chronicled in this story from CNN. Tonight, as President Felipe Calderone, still perceived by many to be an illegitimate president, issues the Grito, there will be another Grito in the hearts of many of my Mexican brothers, sisters, and friends. And it will not be the pretty Grito you will see tonight on the evening news.

A Little Sunday Humor

[thanks elwood]

Burning The Koran, Is Silence Acquiesence?

Hello, is anybody there? Florida pastor Terry Jones has announced that on Saturday, September 11, he, along with the members of his congregation will hold a meeting at his church to burn copies of the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book. This despite being denied a permit from the city, making the act illegal, and requests from the military to not do so. General David Petreaus, and other military leaders, are on record saying that this act will incite violence against American troops in the Middle East and make achieving our military and political objectives in that region more difficult. So let me pose a few questions. Where are our political leaders in this country? Or more appropriately, where are our Republican leaders? Wasn’t it the GOP that went ballistic, and rightfully so, when MoveOn.org published that “General Betray Us” ad? Did not we see the faces of John McCain and others in that party saying essentially that criticism of General Petreaus at that time was tantamount to treason? Wasn't there a hue and a cry from GOP leaders about the release of the GITMO photos because doing so would needlessly endanger our troops? What about the blogosphere? Normally whenever anyone on the left does something that goes against the wishes of the military, the right wingers go bonkers. But all we hear now are crickets. Why is that? Could it be that to be critical of Pastor Jones at this time would not advance any political aims? But I expect this type of response and leadership from politicians and their lackeys. What I am really surprised at is the lack of response from this nation’s religious leaders. With the exception of Jim Wallis at Sojourners, and those connected to his circle of influence, we have heard nary a peep from the rest of the Christian community. One might be tempted to say that is because our Christian leaders are rightfully focusing on matters of faith and avoiding political issues. But this has never been the case before as Christian leaders Gary Bauer, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, and even Franklin Graham have all weighed in on political matters in the past. Is this how Jesus would have reacted? Would he demand total allegiance to the law when it suited his political aims, think immigration, and yet look the other way if it was convenient? Or would he have found a way to live out his admonition to "love your enemy?" Perhaps the silence from our churches and her leaders on this issue really is their response, in the form of quiet acquiescence. I hope not. Update***Late Wednesday Haley Barbour, GOP Governor of Mississippi, GOP House Leader John Boehner, Sarah Palin, and Reverend Pat Robertson voiced their disapproval of the actions of Pastor Terry Jones of Florida. 2nd Update***Thursday afternoon, Pastor Terry Jones announced that his church would not proceed with their book burnings. Read the AP report here.