Britney Spears, Secrets, etc

1. Ok, I've been thinking about what I was going to write all day but I just came across something online that trumped it. You need to check out postsecret.blogspot.com. It is absolutely amazing - I can't even really explain it - just go see it for youreself.

2. Alright, back to our regularly scheduled program. I've been thinking a lot about Britney Spears lately. I know what you're thinking. Seriously...you're better than that, ok? Try to stay with me here. Anyway, she's got this unspeakably bad new "reality" show right? No, I haven't seen it, but I would comfortably wager a day's pay that it is, in fact, unspeakably bad. Anyway, I keep seeing this quote from her that says "Can you handle my truth?". This is such a tritely pathetic little stab at some sort of post-modern, relativist chic worldview, it makes my hair hurt. Despite the fact that, coming from her, it sounds about as philosphical as whoopie cushion, I do think it belies a certain truth about our culture. Everybody is looking for the truth. Even the ones who will tell you that there is no such thing as the truth are still looking for it on some level. They're lying to themselves and you when they say otherwise.

I miss him...

I've been thinking about Rich Mullins a lot lately. I've been listening to a lot of his music and it moves me as much now as it did the first time I heard it almost 20 years ago. I saw him in concert more times than I can remember, and every time I left a little different than when I arrived. He was completely unimpressed by the music industry and how "famous" he was. He was more comfortable teaching Navajo children on a reservation how to sing Jesus loves me than he ever was on stage. It's hard to pick a favorite song because they're all great in their own way...but the one that stands out to me a little more than the rest is sort of an obscure track from his Pictures in the Sky album called "Be With You"

Everybody each and all
We're gonna die eventually
It's no more or less our faults
Than it is our destiny
So now Lord I come to you
Asking only for Your grace
You know what I've put myself through
All those empty dreams I chased

And when my body lies in the ruins
Of the lies that nearly ruined me
Will You pick up the pieces
That were pure and true
And breathe life into them
And set them free?

And when You start this world over
Again from scratch
Will You make me anew
Out of the stuff that lasts?
Stuff that's purer than gold is
And clearer than glass could ever be
Can I be with You? Can I be with You?

And everybody all and each
From the day that we are born
We have to learn to walk beneath
Those mercies by which we're drawn
And now we wrestle in the dark
With these angels that we can't see
We will move on although with scars
Oh Lord, move inside of me

And when my body lies in the ruins
Of the lies that nearly runied me
Will You pick up the pieces
That were pure and true
And breathe Your life into them
And set them free?

And when You blast this cosmos
To kingdom come
When those jagged-edged mountains I love are gone
When the sky is crossed with the tears Of a thousand falling suns
As they crash into the sea Can I be with you? Can I be with you?

Free the Dalits...

I've been listening to this Caedmon's Call record called Share the Well. It's got some really cool stuff on it - lot's of international/world music type beats and instruments. The most interesting part of it though is how it focuses on the country of India and specifically the plight of the Dalits. The Dalits are the lowest of the Indian Caste system. They are considered "unclean" or "untouchable" by Hindu law. The name Dalit literally means "broken in pieces". You cannot imagine the horrors endured by these people for commiting no other crime than being born. Read about Ramprasad, the young Dalit who had his face doused with acid for fishing in a pond that was used by Upper Caste members of his village. Check out this link to the Dalit Freedom Network to read more about what is being done to help these people.

Turning 30 

Movin' on up...

Alright - I got my feet wet with this blogging stuff at Xanga - I think I'm ready to move on up now. Mostly because 98% of the people who use Xanga are 15 year old girls and that's not really my target demographic, ya know what I'm sayin'? So stay tuned 'cause I'm'bouts to start raining blog posts.