Girl Cooties

I've not been to a Mormon singles event in years. Until last night …

Dude.

Father's Day — in the US, at least — is quickly approaching. So it's somehow appropriate that I've got a hankering to talk about men. Nothing salacious, mind you … just a post on the enigmatic state of being a guy today.

I've said it before: men and women are different creatures. I know this, perhaps, better than I know most anything. As a gay man, I am inexplicably drawn to that elusive quality that makes men … men. It's certainly not anatomy; nor our job or the way we dress; nor our mannerisms or the roles we play in life. But there is something — something preternatural — that resonates within us, Male and Female.

So if it's not any of that — if our eternal gender is something so obfuscated by culture and genome — why care? Why all the fuss? I can't speak definitively, of course … but I've got a hunch.

Culture, in many ways, is part of a complex survival mechanism. It gives us the tools to both survive and thrive within a given context. Sure, it's imperfect, but it's powerful all the same. So being able to internalize and transmit ones culture is a sign of ones spiritual/psychological fitness in much the same way that symmetry in physique is a sign of ones genetic health — and it carries with it the same heady allure.

But something happened over the last century. Culture became unhinged, in many respects, from reality. The feedback loop which kept most aspects of a given culture intimately connected to its milieu was co-opted by technology and our own counter-culture drive. For the time being — blessed, as we are, with practically free energy and blinded as we are by technology — culture isn't a matter of survival. It's an accessory like shoes or cufflinks. So now we pick and choose from myriad cultures the shiny bits that intrigue us, while ignoring the repercussions.

Men no longer enjoy the confidence of living within a cohesive culture.

Sitcoms tell us that men are buffoons. That we are hapless, witless, feckless creatures — outshone in every respect by women (which, I suspect, is equally annoying to women). We're told that we think about sex constantly and engage in sex at such an early age that by junior high, the virginal male is social equivalent of a third nipple: pathetic and ineffectual. Other players tell us that average men sport genitalia of equine proportions and are either bronzed and polished gods or hirsute demigods. Still others feed on our sartorial sensibilities and dress us up in costumes unbefitting men who actually work and live in anything but Second Life™. I could go on … but you get the idea.

And that's just in secular life … General Authorities and their comments about the spiritual superiority of women and the odd and pervasive comments about wives always being right are as emasculating as the sitcoms. Moreover, the rhetoric of role-playing and stewardship — which I believe obliquely addresses eternal principles — is stuck in Mid-century America. With the Beavers.

But there's hope.

A nascent man movement in the US — which has roots both in religious circles and the secular world — seems to be scratching at the surface of the problem … and blogs such as The Art of Manliness and Rules for My Unborn Son are fine products of this renaissance. It's a hard thing, though, to refashion something so complex and nuanced as culture from scratch. It's a bit like the scientists of Jurassic Park fame attempting to recreate dinosaurs from incomplete DNA, spittle, and hubris. We're bound to create a few monsters along the way. It's not a natural process, after all — cut-off as we are from the bright and instructive light of life outside our technology-induced stupor. Which is why I think that the Church's role could prove pivotal. And the Proclamation on the Family is a good start. But I fear that we won't really understand the value of that document for some time — burdened as we are by the muddy mandates of memory.

So that's it. Like so many things in modern life, what it means to be a man is much less clear — but if we're careful and given to inspiration, we'll exit the other side of this fog better men, better sons, brothers, and fathers. Which is to say, in so many words, happy Father's Day (whatever that means).

NB: This post is cross-posted from Dude, please join us over there to comment!

A Very Gay Transcript

A heads-up: a web/e-mail friendly transcript of the Very Gay Podcast is available at my YouPublish site: A Very Gay Transcript. It’s available (like the podcast itself) for anyone to use, under a Creative Commons license.

That is all.

A Totally Gay Podcast

I was recently interviewed by Nine Moons founder Rusty Clifton about my being gay and active in the church — and about California's Proposition 8. If you've got 45 minutes, give it a listen…

Listen to the podcast…

NB: This post is cross-posted from Nine Moons: A Totally Gay Podcast, please join us over there to comment!

Of Good Report, 7 | The Good News

I though that I might talk about my Mac… or my iPhone — great (amazing!) tools I use day in and out. I thought I might talk about the Farmers Market, which I attend faithfully every Saturday morning. And I thought about mentioning Enterprise car rentals, whose presence in my neighborhood allows me to forgo car ownership… I thought of all these things, but none of them seemed a proper ending to this series.

No, in all honesty, only one thing really and truly warrants mentioning: the gospel of Jesus Christ. It fills me with hope, it gives me direction… and on the rare occasion when I think I can't take another day, the gospel reminds me that I can — that life is good and that I am loved.

Life is amazing, and it's too easy to dwell on the potholes when what we really need to be focusing on is the view. Thank you for staying with me through the series!

This post is part of a week-long series focusing on the good and praiseworthy in my life… please consider reading all seven: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Blog Aggregators & the Dynamic Gospel

The brouhaha ( I, II, III, IV ) over J. Max Wilson's recent expulsion from the Mormon Archipelago — and Wilson's decision to start an aggregator of his own (which, presumably, won't send him packing) got me to thinking…

What kind of role do these Mormon blog aggregators play in the dynamic gospel?

Oh… you've never heard of the dynamic gospel? My apologies. It's a personal theory that I've yet to fully flesh-out. But, in broad strokes, it posits a couple of things:

1. The first is that just as individuals may grow closer to God in both understanding and comportment, His church does as well. This shouldn't be a ground-breaking idea. We've all thrown out the phrase "line upon line, precept upon precept". Now whether we actually believe the church progresses from vaguaries and innacuracies towards clarity and Truth™ is an entirely different matter… but surely you've used the phrase. Were we to graph this progression, we'd see a line that moved like the graph of a stock exchange… and were we to zoom in, closely, we'd see that the line was comprised of myriad lines — each with their own paths. Unlike a stock exchange, however, the moving averages are always positive — we are, inexoribly, working our way towards God. And this, I believe, is the truth behind Wilford Woodruff's sentiment found in Official Declaration 1, that "[t]he Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray".


2. The second is that in deciding what they do or do not believe, members of the Church must contend with a number of factors: the canon of the Church; the words of the prophets; the whisperings of the Spirit; and Church policy… and each of these must be weighed against both a personal and corporate ( I can't think of a better term for the Body of Christ ) understanding of what they each mean. Each of these factors acts as a dampening agent against both true inspiration and counterfeit — slowing and enabling the progress of the Church, simultaneously.


3. The third is that this slow and deliberate process brings notions to the surface quietly, most times. Bubbling, as they do, to the surface of the group's consciousness… ideas of little value disappear over time, while Truth™ (or a semblance of it) remains.

So what does this have to do with aggregators? At its root, this process of percolation is about memory… what remains, after time, survives to join the Gospel. It's mainstreamed through the nurturing and care of the members of the Body of Christ. Like sleepwalking stewards, we slowly (slowly!) clean the Lord's vineyard. And memory is very much determined by writing… the Canon is entirely written — it is scripture; the words of the prophets are also entirely written; if we follow the words of the prophets and keep jounals, then the whisperings of the Spirit are also written; and, finally, Church policy is almost entirely written.

Unlike personal or even organizational libraries, digital libraries are "easy" to search and diseminate… as such, their reach is both broader and deeper. Never before has so much been so easily accessible. Aggregators — especially those that purport to speak for the Bloggernacle or Mainstream Mormonism play a role in dictating what people read… and, in turn, what people remember. This will, undoubtedly, have an affect upon the process described above. But to what extent, I do not know.

This conversation is part of a larger one, I think. One about Correlation, one about the Church's online tools, one about the PR efforts of the Church… each facet playing into the larger process of memory and acceptance… and our eventual arrival at a true understanding of the mind and heart of God.

So there you go… I've set the stage for a discussion… here's my question again: what kind of role do Mormon blog aggregators play in the dynamic gospel?

NB: This post is cross-posted from Nine Moons: Blog Aggregators & the Dynamic Gospel, please join us over there to comment!

A Gay Mormon Thanks President Hinckley

This morning, I came across a post at Ex-gay Watch (hat-tip: Northern Lights) that mentioned the passing of President Hinckley. Several dozen comments followed, including one commenter who wished President Hinckley “good riddance”.

I replied, of course, at length… but the salient part of my comment was this:

My own life [out, celibate, and active] very much reflects the positive influence that President Hickley had on the Church in this area, and I don’t wish him good riddance, but happy trails and fond reunions with his wife and parents.

It’s true, really. In the last 15 years, the strides made by the Church with regards to embracing its gay members have been marked. And for that (among many things), I can’t thank President Hinckley enough.

NB: This post is cross-posted from Nine Moons: A Gay Mormon Thanks President Hinckley, please join us over there to comment!

What Is Modesty, Really?

I think we understand what the standards of modesty are in the church. Cover your garment if you where one or dress like you wear one if you hope to some day. And when modesty is discussed at a BYU campus, it's almost entirely framed within the context of the Honor Code — and the Honor Code Office's delightful, quirky, and just a little creepy advertising.

But what is modesty? What are we trying to achieve?

It can't just be about dress and appearance, can it? Sure it's hard to not dress your daughter like a floozie — but is that the length and width of the issue? Aren't we really just picking at the surface of a higher law — a body ethic?

What might that ethic include — what would it look like, how might it behave? And what would its scriptural underpinnings be — or would it come from somewhere else?

NB: This post is cross-posted from Nine Moons: What Is Modesty, Really, please join us over there to comment!

On Breaking Bread

You've probably gathered by now that I'm a wee bit OCD… So it shouldn't surprise you that I've spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the "proper" way to do all sorts of things. Take, for example, the sacrament (read: communion). I've noticed that as the priesthood break the bread in preparation for blessing it, they often break it up into such small pieces that it's not longer a morsel of bread, but a large crumb. Which got me to thinking… and, well, thinking often leads to drawing…


Check-out my latest information graphic on breaking bread (with the sacrament prayers on the back).

: )

Sermon | On Prayer

In the first post of my series on Mormon piety (I, II, III), I discussed how as members of the Church we are called-upon from time to time to give a short sermon (in the Church we call this, simply, a "talk"). Well, last Sunday was my turn — the last time I spoke was New Years Day 2006. I thought it would be nice to post it here.

Introduction

I read this week of a man in Romania, who had sued God for "fraud" and "betrayal of trust" for failing to answer his prayers. He recently had his case dismissed in court. Apparently, the court declared that they had no jurisdiction over God.

As humorous as I find the story, I can't help but feel a certain sympathy for this man's plight. Don't we each sue for God's love? For His attention and guidance? But, in the end, I have to say that the man appears to be missing the point of prayer. Horribly, horribly missing the point.

[Pause]

A couple weeks ago, Bro *** came to me and asked me to speak. He said that the overall theme of the meeting today was on the Holy Ghost, and that he'd asked Sister *** to speak on receiving comfort from the Holy Ghost, and would I mind speaking on receiving knowledge from the Holy Ghost. I teased him, and said that I was still figuring it out for myself — but that I'd be happy to talk, all the same.

In the weeks since being asked to speak, my mind has churned on the subject... And I've changed my focus a number of times, as I've tried to craft a talk that reflected the will of the Lord. It's my earnest prayer that each of us might be instructed by the Spirit today... and that we'll all — each and every one of us — walk away from this meeting, resolved to seek out the Lord and His guidance more frequently and earnestly.

[Pause]

In dividing the subject between Sister *** and I, Brother *** made an interesting distinction between the comfort we receive from the Holy Ghost and the light and truth we might receive. It's a awkward distinction, of course... but necessary to make such a large topic manageable. I hope you'll consider my talk as a simple extension of Sister ***'s inspired words.

I especially appreciated...

[Reference Sister ***'s talk in detail]

Prayer

An essential part of receiving guidance from our Heavenly Father — and something that my mind returned to, time and again, as I prepared this talk — is prayer. So I'd like to spend some time discussing this in-depth.

Why Do We Pray?

First and foremost, we pray because it is instinctual. We are children of our Heavenly Father, and we want His love and attention. We want His advice. We want to spend time with Him. We sense that He is near and eager to listen to us, and deep inside we know that He wants to bless us. We pray to know His will, and to thank Him for His hand in our lives.

How Do We Pray?

In the 2003 Spring General Conference, Elder Russell M. Nelson gave a talk entitled "Sweet Hour of Prayer". In it, gives advice on how we should pray:

Jesus taught us how. We pray to our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. This is the true order of prayer...

Jesus revealed that we pray to a wise Father who knows what things we have need of, before we ask Him.

Mormon taught his son, Moroni, that we should pray with all the energy of [our] heart[s]. Nephi exclaimed, I pray continually for [my people] by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.

The sweet power of prayer can be intensified by fasting, on occasion, when appropriate to a particular need.

Prayers can be offered even in silence. One can think a prayer, especially when words would interfere. We often kneel to pray; we may stand or be seated. Physical position is less important than is spiritual submission to God.

We close our prayer[s] in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. When we hear another's prayer, we audibly add our amen, meaning, That is my prayer, too.

I appreciate that second point: that Jesus revealed that we pray to a wise Heavenly Father who knows what things we stand in need of — before we even ask Him. That's really important, here, as we discuss receiving guidance through prayer. Too often, we think our prayers are a way of convincing our Heavenly Father of the worthiness of our cause... when, in reality, it is a way for us to align our will with our Father's. That through prayer, and through the quiet promptings of the Spirit, we learn how God works.

The Bible Dictionary says this under "Prayer":

Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.

A natural extension of this teaching, is that we can receive answers to our prayers by better aligning our lives and our minds with the will of our Heavenly Father. Imagine that asking for guidance from our Heavenly Father is like a child asking an adult about where to find a constellation in the night sky. We've all been there ...camping maybe, or sitting on a back porch somewhere. The first requirement is that the constellation that the child is asking after is even visible that night...and then, if the answer is even available, a wise adult will crouch behind the child and with their head near the child's, point-out the constellation in question.

Our Heavenly Father isn't too different: we ask a question that we can know the answer to, and He meets us half way. If we're in a place where we can be taught, He bridges the distance, and from our limited vantage, points-up the way.

This reminds me of a scripture in D&C 88:63-64:

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.

This alignment happens as we set our lives in order, of course — living the gospel, keeping the commandments — but it also happens as we seek after knowledge. You see, as we understand the world around us better, we become more like our Heavenly Father in very important ways, and we are then better-prepared to receive the answers we seek.

In the same General Conference talk, Elder Nelson relates this story:

Many of us have had experiences with the sweet power of prayer. One of mine was shared with a stake patriarch from southern Utah. I first met him in my medical office more than 40 years ago, during the early pioneering days of [heart] surgery. This saintly soul suffered much because of a failing heart. He pleaded for help, thinking that his condition resulted from a damaged but repairable valve in his heart.

Extensive evaluation revealed that he had two faulty valves. While one could be helped surgically, the other could not. Thus, an operation was not advised. He received this news with deep disappointment.

Subsequent visits ended with the same advice. Finally, in desperation, he spoke to me with considerable emotion: Dr. Nelson, I have prayed for help and have been directed to you. The Lord will not reveal to me how to repair that second valve, but He can reveal it to you. Your mind is so prepared. If you will operate upon me, the Lord will make it known to you what to do. Please perform the operation that I need, and pray for the help that you need.

His great faith had a profound effect upon me. How could I turn him away again? Following a fervent prayer together, I agreed to try. In preparing for that fateful day, I prayed over and over again, but still did not know what to do for his leaking tricuspid valve. Even as the operation commenced, my assistant asked, What are you going to do for that?

I said, I do not know.

We began the operation. After relieving the obstruction of the first valve, we exposed the second valve. We found it to be intact but so badly dilated that it could no longer function as it should. While examining this valve, a message was distinctly impressed upon my mind: Reduce the circumference of the ring. I announced that message to my assistant. The valve tissue will be sufficient if we can effectively reduce the ring toward its normal size.

But how? We could not apply a belt as one would use to tighten the waist of over-sized trousers. We could not squeeze with a strap as one would cinch a saddle on a horse. Then a picture came vividly to my mind, showing how stitches could be placedîto make a pleat here and a tuck thereîto accomplish the desired objective. I still remember that mental imageîcomplete with dotted lines where sutures should be placed. The repair was completed as diagrammed in my mind. We tested the valve and found the leak to be reduced remarkably. My assistant said, Its a miracle.

I responded, Its an answer to prayer.

The patients recovery was rapid and his relief gratifying. Not only was he helped in a marvelous way, but surgical help for other people with similar problems had become a possibility. I take no credit. Praise goes to this faithful patriarch and to God, who answered our prayers.

A lifetime of preparation made it possible for Elder Nelson to be an instrument in the hands of God in answering another man's prayer.

What are we doing today to expand our minds and hearts to be better-suited to receive the revelation we so desperately desire? Or do we make the mistake that Oliver Cowdrey made — in taking no thought save but to ask the Lord?

[Pause]

So we want to pray... we know how to pray — and pray in power... we've aligned our lives in such a way as to be worthy to receive revelation... and we've prepared our minds and hearts to be better suited to understand the revelation we receive. What next?

In his October, 1989 Conference talk entitled "Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer", Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave some guidance:

When answers to urgent prayer don't seem to come, it can be that we don't understand some truths about prayer, or because we don't recognize answers when they come. Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon unchanging principles. When we receive help from our Father in Heaven, it is in response to faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.

He continues:

When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence.
When He answers no, it is to prevent error.
When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him.

Elder Scott finishes his talk with this promise:

If you seek His help, be sure your life is clean, your motives are worthy, and you're willing to do what He asks... for He will answer your prayers. He is your loving Father; you are His beloved child. He loves you perfectly and wants to help you.

[Close with a testimony of the power of prayer.]

An Affirmation of Faith

A few years ago, I was asked what Mormon piety looked like by a pastor-in-training, and I answered with a three-part series on the subject (I II III). To this day, these posts are among my most favorite…

But yesterday, Margaret Young responded to a much more nuanced question of personal faith: "What does it mean to be LDS?". And respond she did… with one of the most beautiful statements of personal faith I have ever read. I could say more, but fear that anything I say might cheapen her tender, heartfelt, and lyrical response.

Mormons on "The Mormons"

So last night was a night that has been long-in-coming among a number of my Mormon friends… it was the premier of the two-part series by PBS entitled "The Mormons".

And I missed it.

Though, to my credit, I enjoyed what I was doing (watching a little league game) much more.

: )

But it was a big night, and I'm hoping to find a place and some friends to watch the second installment with. In the mean time, there are a few open threads on the subject in the Bloggernacle: one at Nine Moons, one at Times & Seasons, and one at Mormon Mentality. And not to be out shined, the Church has two (TWO!) press releases on the show: one, two.

( Look for my comments on the shows and on our reactions in those threads. )

UPDATE: Looks like I can watch "The Mormons" online! Thanks for the heads-up, Sustain'd!

Here's another press release from the Church on the show.

Around the Flat | Part IV of Driving to London

The original plan had been for me to land at Heathrow at 6am, speed through customs, then hope the Tube to attend church at the Hyde Park chapel... but landing an hour late and then spending two hours in a line at customs kinna shot that plan in the foot. So I headed straight to the flat in Covent Garden, instead.

I love London — I'd say I love England, but I've only ever seen London, so I don't want to jump ahead of myself — but I must say that their building habits are a little, um, odd... things like having the light switches to rooms outside of the room, or having the door knob in the center of the door (which makes leveraging the door closed or open really really awkward). Anyway, I was reminded, upon my arrival at the flat, just how odd things were to my American sensibilities.

But it's okay... I eventually figured out how to enter the building, unlock the flat door, and turn on the light to the bathroom. Eventually.

Once inside, I debated with myself whether I should power through the day until bed time (a really good plan to defeat jet lag quickly), or take a short nap... I opted for the nap. My feet hurt, I was a little smelly from the trip... so a nap was in order. About an hour later, I got up and rang Mihaela, and we made plans to meet-up a little later. So I had a bite to eat, got familiar with the computer, internet, and television set-up, then headed around the block to the Covent Garden market to get my bearings.

I had been here a number of times in the past, so I was eager to reacquaint myself with its nooks and crannies. I had a blast... and when Mihaela joined me, I showed her all around. She joked that she should be showing me around, since this was her home... but I can't help myself. I'm a born tour guide.

We spent the next few hours wandering the streets, and I did my best to not buy stuff (it was, after all, Sunday) — but I did take note of where the Tin Tin shop was for later perusal. At the end of the day, she and I headed back around the corner to the little pasta shop across the street from my flat for dinner.

It was the perfect first day in London (thanks Mihaela!).

Next Stop: Charing Cross Road!
__________________

Photos from this leg of the trip can be found at my flickr account... starting with this photo I took from the flat's livingroom window.

Baying at the New Moon

So I was just notified by one of my kind readers, that the links to the series of posts I wrote over at Nine Moons (back in the day) were broken.

Well, I couldn't have that... so I did a little digging, and discovered that the inimitable Rusty of Nine Moons fame had moved his archives... so I just needed to update my links. And because some of you might not think to check there, I'll list the posts (with the new-and-improved links!) below. You know, for posterity.

And a reminder: as with everything I write here, these posts reflect a specific time in my life — the time when I wrote them — and they may not completely reflect my current thinking. Just stating the obvious.

• My Hall of Famers


• Voices in My Head (A Series on Being Gay & Mormon)
  
  
  
  • Introduction
  
  
  • Part I: What is "Gay"?
  
  
  • Part II: On Doctrine & the Great Plan of Happiness
  
  
  • Part III: The Church Going Forward
  
  
  • Part IV: Thoughts on the Modern Gay
  
  
  
  


• Marriage Is for Breeders
  
  
  
  • Introduction: Marriage is for Breeders
  
  
  • Marriage is for Breeders, Part I: Defining Marriage
  
  
  • Marriage is for Breeders, Part II: Marriage in the Social Contract
  
  
  • Marriage is for Breeders, Part III: Shooting the Messenger
  
  
  • Marriage is for Breeders, Part IV: Where I Stand
  
  
  • Marriage is for Breeders, Part V: Q&A
  
  
  
  

To Marcello, on the Day of His Baptism

Mars, a friend of mine, is joining the Church tonight.

I got him a small Moleskine notebook, and wrote this in the front:

Mars, my good friend, I cannot tell you how happy I am for you — what joy flooded my heart when I first heard the news! Please take a moment to write your story, here — in these pages. Let your grandchildren know how a good man became a great Mormon. One day, one step at a time.

With much love.

God bless you, Mars! I'm so proud of you!

Watch-out, folks, there are Mormons afoot!

So, it would seem that Deseret First Credit Union — a credit union chartered to serve members and employees of the Church — has finally discovered its funny bone... now if only someone could discover a brand identity specialist to give it a modern logo.

* sigh *

Ads found via a heads-up over at Times & Seasons.



The fourth video is for us old farts who remember Cheers when it was in first runs.

Worship & Death

Douglas Ian Dalrymple is The Scrivener... an orthodox Christian blogger whose reflections on life and faith I have long enjoyed.

Recently, he posted what I consider to be a hallmark piece entitled Death and Worship, that I loved... and wanted to share with my (largely LDS) audience — who can certainly relate.

Enjoy.

Pray for Our Brother in Christ

Inspired by a post over at Times and Seasons, which also asks us to pray for our brother in Christ, I pass the invitation to you: please keep this Abdul Rahman and his beleaguered country in your prayers.

In Search of the Infidel (Kuffar)

The wonderful folks over at AltMuslim just posted an article on the deeper, perhaps truer meaning of "kuffar" — a word that many outside of the Muslim world (and altogether too many within) translate as "un-believer":

"Time and again, I have heard - from Muslims and non-Muslims alike - that Islam calls on Muslims are to hate non-Muslims (Jews, Christians, Hindus, etc). I have even seen scripture being quoted to that effect, and I have even listened as Muslims — deeply devout ones — have said to me, while keeping a straight face, that I am supposed to hate all those who are not Muslim.

I do not buy it one bit."

It's a beautiful article that poses more questions than it answers... but in the process feeds my hope for improved muslim/non-muslim relations. The author not only speaks from a place of faith, but a place that looks very familiar to those of us who inhabit the political center.

( PS... I wish I knew the story the author alludes to when he brings up the fall of Noah's wife... anyone have details? )

Ecclesiastes 7:13

"Consider the work of God: for who can make straight what He has made crooked?"

I saw this over on Andy's blog, The Last Debate... and it struck a chord in me. I'm not sure which chord, but reading it in the context Andy presented it just seemed profoundly a propos.