End of an Era

It was never in any of the Highland Connections that I received so some may not be aware that Kendra and I have been out of town for a funeral. My Grandma Edie passed away last Sunday. She was in pretty bad shape so her passing was really a blessing. Still, I think it has been pretty hard for my dad. As far as I was concerned, the person I knew had been gone for quite some time. It was still poignant to see her remembered by other friends and relatives and to hear stories about her life. She lived a life of hard work and sacrifice. She came to live with us after my mom died and I lived with her at her farm for a dozen summers or so. I could tell quite a few stories of my own and did tell a few as I delivered her eulogy. Most importantly, she was the matriarch of our family's faith. I will not pretend that I believe exactly what she believed, but I am grateful she planted that seed. So as the stories are told and retold this week I am glad, but as they have the opportunity to be told forever, I will be eternally grateful in a very true sense of that phrase.

Honor Your Parents?

Though I suspect my slow-down in blogging will result in an eventual end to the practice, I thought I might re-print an old entry in honor of July 4- just to upset some of you.

I wish I could claim credit for this idea, but I cannot. It was actually birthed in the twisted mind of a member of my accountability group. We were discussing how popular it is to hate America recently. I'm not talking about how people from abroad feel about the United States. I am talking about the domestic loathing and belittling of patriotism or any nationalism we see.

Even from both our vantage points (he leans left and I lean right) we see it all the time. He pointed out that a popular excuse or perhaps reason given for this is that as Christians we should see value in all people and not just in America and that any display of nationalism or patriotism is sinful.

Apparently I did not get the memo about this being a zero-sum game. I was unaware that patriotism and loving people in other countries were mutually exclusive.

Anyway, my friend explained this theory as the foundation of starting a new movement wherein we are all called to stop loving our parents. Despite the opportunities they might have tried to give us or the ways they sought to nurture us, they are just flawed people in a world filled with flawed people. To love them more than any other people- no matter the intentions of others- would just be plain wrong. So, I am calling everyone to merely stop loving their parents. But don't stop there. Criticize them at every opportunity instead of helping to hold them accountable. (There is a difference, you know.) Desire bad things for them. Remove any evidence that you might wish them well or admire them- no pictures in or around your home, no more usage of the family name. This is apparently the only way to show our true allegience. A literal translation of Matthew 8:22 only supports this, right?

Oh, and by the way. No more rooting for the home team, sports fans. No favorite team of any kind. There are lots of other teams out there, too. And even the Evil Empire (NYY) must be held in the same high regard or total lack thereof.

And don't forget to take down any pictures of elders or ministry leaders in your churches. It's a shame to think they deserve any special esteem. Frankly, the very idea is shocking. Get your act together, people. I'm sorry. I mean, do whatever you want, people. It's all good.