Volume 4 Issue 7
• “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all....The Nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.” --George Washington, Farewell Address [September 17, 1796]
• “I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” --Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush [September 23, 1800]
• “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” --Abraham Lincoln Second Inaugural Address [March 4, 1865]
• From my dear friend, Sally, I pass along these FOUR RELIGIOUS TRUTHS:
1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen people.
2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the head of the Church.
4. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters
• In the spirit of what a colleague labeled “celluloid epiphanies” I strongly recommend this eclectic trio of movies for your viewing:
1. The Corporation (2004) This documentary charts the spectacular rise of corporations as a dramatic, pervasive presence in our lives. Filmmakers March Achbar and Jennifer Abbott present a timely, entertaining critique of global conglomerates as they chronicle the origins of corporations, as well as their inner workings, controversial impacts and possible futures. The pros and cons are weighed via interviews with social critics such as Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore.
2. What the #$*! [Bleep] Do We Know!? (2004) The neurological processes and "quantum uncertainty" of life are explored in this film. Thrust from her mundane life into an Alice in Wonderland-like world, Amanda (Marlee Matlin) must develop a brand-new perception of the world and the people she interacts with. Interviews with various experts are interspersed throughout the film, which combines narrative, documentary and animation. Elaine Hendrix, John Ross Bowie and Armin Shimerman also star.
3. Hotel Rwanda (2005) Amid the holocaust of internecine tribal fighting in Rwanda that sees the savage butchering of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, one ordinary man (Oscar nominee Don Cheadle) musters the courage to save more than 1,000 helpless refugees by sheltering them in the hotel he manages. Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix co-star in this powerful film (sort of an African version of Schindler's List) directed by Terry George.
• In pondering the future of Growing in Christ I took heart in this statement by the president of The Aspen Institute, Walter Isaacson: “The printed word will be the most important technology for sharing ideas during the next century, just as it has been for the five centuries since Gutenberg. If for the past 500 years we had been getting information electronically and someone found a way to put it on paper and deliver it to our homes, we would marvel at the new print technology and proclaim that it would soon replace the Internet and cable.” I’ve worried whether or not the art of reading is being replaced by other multimedia forms of communication, but will move forward with the faith that words are still the best means for the free exchange of thoughts and ideas.
• Until next time…Shalom!
