It’s true. I want to spend money. It’s Black Friday, the sales are on, and I could buy new gadgets and clothes and other new stuff. It’s not that I need things. I just want to do the discretionary spend.
When I buy new stuff there’s always an initial rush, a cross between peace and pleasure mixed with a vague hopefulness about how I might have just improved my life. It doesn’t last very long, and not as long as it did when I was younger, but it’s still there. Later, I sometimes regret I spent the money, but if it comes it always comes later, in the long run. Continue reading “I Want To Spend Money”
I didn’t want to write the typical Thanksgiving blog post, you know, the one about how we should be thankful for what we have and how fortunate we are.
Those are good things, and we should be that way all the time, not just on Thanksgiving, but I wanted something fresh, from a different angle.
I thought about writing a little teach about thankfulness from the Bible with super-relevant, Andy Stanley-like contextual relevancy that would be daring in its brevity and stunning in its insight.
But I couldn’t think of how to do it without sounding religious. It’s just so expected, like chocolate on Valentines Day, I couldn’t imagine how it could be fresh.
Then I thought of writing something about American colonial history as a segue into addressing American Christians’ penchant for looking at the past through idealistic glasses rather than looking forward to what the Lord will do in the future. Continue reading “A Thanksgiving Blog Post…Sort Of”
Yesterday I blogged about the new security measures in U.S. airports that offer the traveler the option of essentially appearing naked to a TSA employee or being groped by one.
I suggested that if Kingdom citizens object to such treatment they do so not only because of its striking similarity to pornography and sexual assault but because it represents an erosion of our freedom, and Christians should be the champions of freedom.
Besides, there is an alternative.
Some history may be helpful here. You may recall, Islamic terrorists used box cutters to hijack planes on 9/11, so we prohibited fingernail clippers and butter knives on planes. Continue reading “Rage Against The Machine – Part II”
The new security measures in U.S. airports offer the traveler the option of a full body scan that presents a naked picture of the traveler to the TSA employee paid to gawk (see image). And yes, if you are a guy, they can see your junk, and in remarkable detail.
If you choose not to appear naked before strangers, you have the option of being groped by the government.
This gawk or grope strategy is the latest from the government for catching Islamic terrorists.
Christians are right to be offended by gawk and grope but not just because it is smells like pornography and sexual assault. In fact, I apologize if the image on this blog post offends you. I debated whether to use it but decided that people being informed on this issue outweighed any offense.
Still, the larger issue here is one of freedom and at what point one is willing to trade it for security.
I would like to offer Kingdom citizens some perspective, a view from 35,000 feet, and suggest a better reason for Christians to be offended.
I’ve heard many say, “If it means I can fly without worrying about the plane being blown up I’m fine with it.” So, what happens when Islamic terrorists start putting bombs in their anuses where they are shielded from the new scanners? Will we then submit to full body cavity searches? If it meant flying safely would you be willing to do it?
People prefer freedom to tyranny. There is no surprise there. But throughout history people have made the choice to give away their freedom. The choice is usually not between freedom and tyranny, but between a little less freedom and a little more tyranny in exchange for a little more safety or security. That is the trade being offered right now.
To those who hope only in this life, the trade seems a reasonable one. If death is the end, then trade all to avoid it, even one’s freedom.
Christians should not suffer from such shortsightedness. Their hope is not in this world only. Christians therefore should be the quickest to draw the line against tyranny, the staunchest defenders of freedom, even if it means incurring a greater risk to their safety.
When Christians are willing to do that, they will begin to wear the mantle of freedom intended for every citizen of the Kingdom of God, and they will be seen by the world as protectors of freedom.
I’m not suggesting where you should be willing to draw that line, but I do want to suggest why you should be willing to draw it. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm…” (Galatians 5:1). GS
I had decided maybe I was just dumb, but the more I read about the “quantitative easing” our government has been involved in of late, the less it made sense.
You see, I’m a saver and I hate debt. When the Bible says to owe nothing to anyone except to love them (Romans 13:8), I take it literally. We have lived well within our means for years so we could save and avoid debt.
So, when I read about quantitative easing I get confused. They say quantitative easing is necessary to avoid deflation and that deflation is bad, but deflation means prices go down and people who have saved can buy things cheaper.
They say they would rather have inflation, where the money you have today is worth less tomorrow. This means people who are in debt today can pay back their debt tomorrow with cheaper money. Inflation rewards people who are in debt and punishes people who aren’t and who have saved.
I thought the government was to support virtuous conduct (saving and moderate, frugal living) and discourage profligate and presumptious conduct (debt-driven lifestyles). I decided maybe I was just dumb, until I saw this video, and now it all makes sense.
Well maybe not, but it’s better to laugh than cry. GS
It’s true. I want to spend money. It’s Black Friday, the sales are on, and I could buy new gadgets and clothes and other new stuff. It’s not that I need things. I just want to do the discretionary spend.
