been pondering a few things lately. mostly about change and how it affects peoples lives and in turn affects others lives. you know. the ole trickle down effect. 2 seperate issues really. first - had a conversation recently with a friend about how his mom told him that she would be outright pissed off if he ever dated a black girl. and that she would never approve. this wasnt the issue to me. the issue to me what that he justifed it and thought it was ok - because of the way his mom justified it. he said that she was just raised this way. his words go something like this. she is an intellegent, educated, and genuinly good person. so she cant help how she was raised. this is what her reason was for feeling like this. and he was in total agreeance that she couldnt be held accountable for this. how much more ignorant can we be - to agree with a statement like this? dont get me wrong - im probably gonna stand up for my mom as much as i can too - but there has to be a line somewhere. if this attitude prevails - then we perpetuate this cycle until eternity. and we wonder why the south gets the reputation that it does. or for that matter - in the broader scope - just people. why are we called racists? because we never seem to learn from our mistakes. how can we honestly back a statement like this? i just was raised like this. i cant help it. what the hell? such ignorance infused with so called education is just another recipe for us to continually keep taking giant leaps backwards. if martin luther king had just lived how he was raised - would he have done anything? would rosa parks relatives still be on that back seat? would i be able to go to school and have friends of different colour? sometimes you have to take a stand against some things - even if they are unpleasantly close to you and you love the person making the statements....

secondly - the church. should the church stay the same throughout the ages? should nothing change? why is it hard for people to step out of the way that they were raised into a different way of worship? doesnt god call us to continually work out our salvation? should we not look for god in other venues than what we are used to? im not saying either way is better. tradional, contemporary or somewhere in between. but i do get confused by people who refuse to even acknowledge that god can be in either place. and in turn shun one way or another. see - since the creation of the church - it has been changing. this is evidenced by my jewish and catholic roots. but the point is that it changed. it didnt stay the same. why should we stop now? why should we be scared of coming to a place that we are challenged. just because we are used to sitting quietly in a pew and never being asked to do anything unless you are a deacon or something - does that make it the right way? are you growing? growing involves change. this much is inevitable. why do we run? if we are learing and growing as christians, we change. so why do we resist so much? just a question. if your faith involves sitting in a pew on sundays and praying over your meals - then i dont see much faith at all. sometimes change hurts and isnt comfortable. in fact most times it isnt - but does that make it bad? live with your heart and let christ guide your steps- not by our feeble minds. you will go the right way.

btw - got a christmas card from finland today! it rocks so much. laura you are the best. it was the first thing i have ever recieved from finland. i smiled all afternoon - just from the card. thanks girl! oh yeah - and a student of mine made me a whole horde of czech christmas cookies. yes! finally. some christmas sweets!