Happy Birthday to me !!!!! With the generous contributions of Mary and Larry, Elsie, Matt and Lonna, Carol and Abigail (whsoo that's a lot of birthday checks and JCrew gift cards!!!) ... I am pleased to announce that I am the proud owner of a new JCrew Classic Pea Coat (in Heather Charcoal)!!!! I have had the same Pea Coat since high school and I am so excited to be able to upgrade :) Thanks everybody!!!!!
On the way home tonight, I was listening to my 80s mix and admiring what I took to be a harvest moon, when I was stopped on the sidewalk by one of the little boys on my block. He and his friend were selling "flowers" for a dollar and he wondered if I would buy one. I told him that sadly I did not have any dollar bills. He asked if I had any "cents" and said maybe I could buy one of his "flowers" with some of that. I am a sucker for industrious little kids so I hauled out my wallet and found a quarter. Both little boys offered me their wares and I chose the specimen above because I was assured by the vendor that if I "put it in the dirt it will grow". Of course what these boys were actually selling were the tiny tips of various plants and flowers from their parents yards... I know I am the most horrible of suckers but I love to be suckered in by those sweet innocent faces. I mean seriously how could I possibly refuse ?!?! The bartering and transaction alone made me forget every annoying thing that happened at work today.
When my brother was little he was one of those kids. Selling the daisies he pulled up in the strawberry field when we went strawberry picking in the summer. He went door to door in our neighborhood selling "bouquets" and came back with a bounty of pocket change that our sweet neighbors most willingly handed out. I can remember thinking that he must have been so annoying going door to door like that, bothering our neighbors. Now I know that he was just a breath of fresh air at the end of their work day.
Finally I have to comment on a piece I read in Newsweek on the way home tonight. Apparently Kathy Griffin won an Emmy Award for her reality show "My Life on the D-list"... and I quote...
"in her acceptance speech she explained that while other actors might thank Jesus for such an honor she wouldn't consider it. 'Suck it, Jesus,' she exuberantly added, waving her statuette in the air, 'This award is my God, now.' "
The article goes on to explain that "outrage from Christian groups predictably followed" as various Christian leaders appeared on talk shows to complain that if she had said "Suck it Jews " or "Suck it Muhammad" no one would have been laughing. Newspapers reported that E! television would edit the speech before airing the show the next weekend, which "predictably" brought on outraged responses from liberal groups claiming censorship. Soon some atheistic youths in Hawaii jumped on board and launched a site called ..wait for it.. "suckitjesus.com" where they gathered support for Kathy Griffin's cause as networks tried to decide whether or not to air her comments. Some Christian theater in TN took out $180 K in full page ads in USA Today "decrying Griffin's remarks and pleading for a new civility". Sigh. I do my best not to be what I consider a "Hyper Christian". That means I stand on the sidelines in these situations and refuse to jump on the bandwagon unless I am super passionate about the true meat of the cause at hand and have considered the issue from all sides. I love Jesus, I am super passionate about that. But listen here folks.... Jesus loves Kathy Griffin. Think about that for a minute. The Bible promised that being a Christian would not be easy. We were never meant to be the popular crowd. What Griffin said was wrong and offensive but let's show everyone what it really means to follow Jesus.. don't play their game guys. Turn that other cheek. It's a losing battle. It always has been. It always will be. I have always felt that it is times like these that Christians have the greatest opportunity to witness by truly showing the love of Christ. Christ doesn't take out ads in USA Today. Our God is a just and merciful God. Let's rest in that knowledge and not let a smart ass comment by a spoiled Hollywood performer ruffle our spiritual feathers. I might have just ignited a firestorm of commentary but... if this is an issue that gets you riled up or you don't agree with my opinion on the matter I'd love to hear from you. Seriously.... comment away!
xoxo
6 comments:
Sarah, your opinion of Kathy Griffith makes my life easier. I do not think she should have said something like that simply for the fact that these crazy liberals are now going to be all fired up. Not because she said "suck it" but because Christian groups are responding in radical ways. So it's the crazy radicals on one side verses the crazy radicals on the other... making both the liberals and the christians look bad(depending on who you are). Just respect eachother and life would be easier.
What I mean by "makes my life easier" is that I have both of these groups of people in my life. Sooner or later it will come up in discussion and I'll have your insight as a Christian who isn't pissed...
i'm just thinking that the $180K could have been spent a little better. i'm sure there are hungry people somewhere, ministries that could use help, kids wanting to go to college, etc. but, you know, i bet that 1 page ad in 1 day's newspaper did a lot of good to change the lives of people for the better, too. (sarcasm is quite thick here...)
I saw that piece in Newsweek as well. Apparently her response to everything was, "Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?" As a Catholic myself, and a fairly irreverent person (in a way), I didn't take offense. I was unsurprised but disappointed that the Catholic League took the bait so quickly and predictably. Most of the time I find their guy really tiresome. In large part I agree with what you said about the whole situation. I would also add that my conception of God/Jesus has always included a sense of humor, too. I don't think Jesus is nearly as sensitive, or prickly, or piously shocked as some of the more vocal members of the Christian community. He's not someone's brittle old Victorian grandmother -- he's Jesus.
(...Also, b-t-dubs, nice job on the pea coat.)
Glad to hear we are all on the same page here guys.. or at least.. similar pages in the same chapter of the same book :) Happy Friday ya'll !!!
You go girl....Kudos to you! Love you, Aunt Tracy
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