Lent Reading: Thoughts on Day 14

Today's readinf was from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Meditations on the Cross, the chapter entitled "Judas" based on Matthew 26:45-50.

No quote today - there was no single pithy sentence or phrase that captured the thoughts triggered by today. My own summary might be "Jesus is SO MUCH the King of Kings, that Satan could only harm him by using one of His own."

If you look through the gospels, the people or the Jewish leaders or the pharisees try to kill Jesus again and again. But each time, he walks away unharmed. The fact is that Jesus, as God incarnate, is ultimately invulnerable to any outside force. (Even Death, ultimately, is powerless as on the cross "Jesus gave up his spirit". It could not be taken from him.)

And yet, Jesus had to die in order to save us. So, Satan is given an instrument for that task, without being given the power directly. Jesus delegates to the Twelve - and later to his disciples in general - Power to cast out demons, heal the sick, and do miracles. It is THIS power - his OWN power - that can harm him. And ultimately, that is the tool Satan uses. He enters Judas, and uses that delegated power to betray Jesus and hand him over to earthly authorities. And those authorities - also empowered only by God - hang Jesus on a cross.

We, given the gift of free will, tend to underestimate the sovereignty of God. But the fact is that His absolute Sovereignty and our Free Will are not in conflict. God let's us choose, but has created the universe to channel our free choices to his freely chosen ends. Even the end of his own death on a cross.

A Week with the iPad Wifi + 3G

It has now been a little over a week since I received my iPad (a Wifi + 3G model), and I have had it with me almost constantly since then. This seemed like a good time to sit down and put down some thoughts.

• The iPad is your real "notebook computer". Steve Jobs wanted to position the iPad between your cell phone and your laptop or desktop computer. And it really is excellent for the sweet spot where until now you have been carrying around a paper notebook or clipboard. With tools like Evernote, you can take notes at meetings, classes, or in church and have them ready to access anywhere. With apps like Kindle or iBooks, you have a library of reference or fiction books. With apps like Paperdek, you can even capture sketches or your new ideas.
• The lack of multitasking makes the iPad a tool, instead of a toy. While there are plenty of great games for the iPad, but its lack of multitasking actually makes is a better productivity tool than would otherwise be possible. If you're taking notes on it, you can't quickly jump off in the middle of a meeting to chat on AIM, post to Facebook, or play a round of golf without losing your place in the notes. This encourages focus, and actually means less distraction than using a normal laptop for the same job.
• The battery life transforms the experience. My first workday with the iPad - without a plug available - I was on 3G checking e-mail, surfing the web, and using apps literally from 5:30 AM to 4:30 PM and still had 20% of my battery left at the end of the day. This kind of freedom is absolutely distinct from any of my laptops, or even my iPhone. It means I never have to worry about the current state of my iPad's battery. Amazingly freeing.
• 3G is worth the price of admission. I have friends with Wifi-Only iPads, and they love them. But it is impossible to overstate the utility of having always-on, always-there internet at all times. I am always connected, always able to look up the info I need, always able to get that important e-mail. And yet, the fact that the contract is month-to-month means I am not locked into it, if my financial situation changes. I'll be traveling next weekend and staying in a hotel without internet... and yet will stay fully connected to my friends and family.
• Yes, it's "just a big iPhone" and that's a good thing. The iPad can run almost any iPhone app, but give a larger space for that app to work. But the well-developed user interface is intuitive and well-defined. Even the new iWork apps feel familiar due to the established standards of the iPhoneOS. And being built from the ground up for security, stability, and connectivity means it has none of the legacy problems of Windows or the MacOS X systems.

Those are just a few of my thoughts, so far. I'm interested in the impression of other Mod-Bloggers, both with and without iPads.

The Good Samaritan: Asking the wrong question

The parable of the Good Samaritan - as preached by most pastors - has always bothered me. Most of us know how the story goes: an expert in the law stands up to challenge Jesus, and comes up with the commandment "Love your neighbor as yourself." He then asks Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus then tells the story of a traveller who is mugged and left for dead on the road. Two religious authorities walk by but do nothing to help the man. Then a Samaritan (a hated group for the Jews) comes upon the man, helps him, treats his wounds, and takes him to an inn where he pays for the victim to stay until he is healed. Jesus then asks "Who was this man's neighbor?" The expert replies "The one who had mercy on him" (i.e. the Samaritan). Jesus replies "Go and do likewise."

Most teachers say that the moral of the story is "Be a good neighbor." But if you look at a plain reading of the text, it says something different. "Love your neighbor as yourself" - "Who is my neighbor?" - "The one who has mercy on him." What is the logical conclusion of these three statements? "Love the one who has mercy on you." Not quite what your sunday school teacher taught, right? A very wordly way of looking at things - do good to those who do good to you!

But I had missed the last statement "Go and do likewise." (Thanks to Mark Driscoll whose sermon - on another topic entirely - triggered this line of thinking.) If you look at the whole, Jesus is really saying to the expert, "You're asking the wrong question." The expert asked "Who is my neighbor?" - i.e. "Who do I *HAVE* to love?" Jesus wants him to ask "Who do I *GET* to love?" The answer then is "Whoever you see in need. Whoever you are, wherever you're going." The former question reduces the Law to a prescription. The latter question opens it up as guide to living. The former is a checklist, the latter is a lifestyle. The former is the minimum, the latter is the maximum.

I thought this might be interesting to other Mod-Bloggers out there. Maybe I am the only one who hadn't "gotten" this previously - sometimes my logical nature gets in its own way. But I suspect this may be of use to others, as well.

Random thoughts on the 2008 Presidential Campaign

I've been trying to find news on the primaries, but today I thought it might be interesting just to throw out some random thoughts to provoke discussion. These are not cogent arguments, but thoughts I have been working through. So react as you will, but don't take them as pronouncements of Truth.

• Huckabee will do VERY well in Iowa, despite his comments about Mormonism. He will be used there and in New Hampshire to send a message "Don't take the Religious Right for granted." But once the point is made, his support will disappear.
• Fred Thompson does not want to be president. He is running, so that he would not look back on his life later and ask "Why didn't I try?"
• If the Democratic nominee is Barack Obama, and the Republicans nominate Rudy Guiliani, I could see myself voting for Obama so that I could tell my grandchildren that I voted for the first black president.
• The endorsement of Obama by Oprah will not be significant in Iowa or New Hampshire. But the importance will grow with time.
• If Ron Paul fails to win any of the Republican primaries, his followers will originate a new "vast conspiracy" theory to explain his loss, which will become a long-running internet meme.
• I still can't find anyone who is "Pro Hillary Clinton." I can find a lot of people who say they'll vote for her. But no one who likes her or thinks she'll do anything especially good for the country.
• I believe we will see a strong third-party run this cycle, from a person like Ross Perot talking about fiscal responsibility and accountability to the people.
• America is ready for a black, latino, and/or female president.
• If Mitt Romney is the GOP nominee, we will see a brief spike in people converting to Mormonism, which will be heavily covered by the media. It will be used by some religious and anti-religion people as evidence that Romney's election would be dangerous for the soul of America. But it will peter out quickly, and most of the converts will be the kind of lost souls who are "blown here and there by every wind of doctrine" and public whim. Most will not still consider themselves Mormons 4 years later.

There you go. React away. And don't worry, I already know I could be wrong about all of these.