Believe!

For Fathers Day, Harper and I staged our second annual Family Film Festival (to rival the Seattle International version - SIFF - which sucks up, I'm guessing, around 50 hours of movie time for Jay each June). On this year's line-up: Kung Fu Panda at the theatre and a home screening of Alvin and the Chipmunks. The latter is really not worth much comment at all except that the "Chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot pie" guy was in it.

Kung Fu Panda, however, gets my attention today. It was not a bad little flick. Several good laughs and quite beautiful with the animated Kung Fu choreography. I've decided to screen it for my 10th grade world lit students next year, nevermind that it's targeted for the elementary school set. The reason is its Eastern theology. If you want a quick course in Taoism, this is the Tao of Disney. I won't go into a detailed worldview analysis of the film (mostly because I'd need to see it again to get it just right), but one particular theme really struck me. A theme that has made its way West. The theme of believing. I can't believe how many movies have these absurdly profound lines about "believing." Believe in what, I ask? Sometimes, it's believing in yourself, as with Po the Kung Fu Panda. I was relieved that, at least, after the adorably obese Panda begins to (foolishly?) believe in himself, at least he goes through some intense Jedi-Master Kung Fu training. But most of the time, the message seems to be that the mere belief itself is the magical ingredient. Nevermind WHAT the person is supposed to believe IN. In the case of Kung Fu Panda, it's Taoism. And if you really think that Taoism is the answer to all the questions of the universe, then so be it. But what irks me is that no one is ever asked to examine the believability of the belief. I get the same feeling when I watch American Idol auditions. These horribly off-key and over-the-top contestants get furious at Simon for telling them the truth. "That's your opinion," they scream at the camera, insisting that they believe in themselves and they're going to take Hollywood by storm on another day in another way. They're doing a fantastic job of believing. But I don't see it getting them anywhere.

CyperPals

I am getting worse and worse at contributing regularly to the blogosphere. However, I spend a lot of time (mostly when there are papers to be graded and dishes to be washed) popping around to friends' blogs. Actually, it's my husband's friends' blogs... my friends by association and long-distance admiration. Sometime's I feel like one of the guys, laughing at the amusing ploys and one-liners of Todd, Rick, Steve, the Hubby James, et al. I especially enjoy the long strings of witty comments, particularly about fat ladies farting in the airport.

I just can't seem to get my gal-pals interested in blogging. What fun it would be to check in on Anne Marie's offbeat humor and Lorri's unique drama on a weekly basis. Now there's two wonderful women who would not shy away from a fart story!

Random Topics That Make Me Smile

Last night when I was tucking Harper in bed, she tells me that if she had to go to a desert island with only four things, she'd take Mommy, Daddy, Polly (the dog) and Lovey (the well-worn much-loved blanket with a teddy head attached). But if she were allowed five things, she'd also bring a backpack. And she'd stuff a pillow in it.

In a couple of weeks, I head to SC for Anne Marie's "40 is Fabulous 80's Prom." My look will be decidedly Suddenly Susanesque. Black lace coctail dress. Looking for fishnets. Satin pumps. Maybe a rad headband. Need some Final Net for my hair. Must transform middle age curly 'do for high-bangs 80's 'do.

Tried on the black prom dress last week. Fits in some areas and not in others. Harper's observation: "Mommy, you look good on top. And you just look a little fat on the bottom." Something I've been trying to come to terms with for years.

The Dance for Democracy

...Otherwise known as the Democratic Caucus, which I attended last Saturday. In fact, for our left-wing entertainment, a 4th grade boy performed a little number entitled "Dance for Democracy," pictured here. Notice in the foreground that the elderly delegate found that Democracy was a little loud for his taste. Surrounding said dance was a two-hour period during which the delegation attendance was tallied, the old fashioned way sans computer, to determine how many alternates should be seated. The rather lengthy tally time was filled with a few informational speeches and inspirational songs played over the loud speaker (i.e. Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'") while delegates chatted and ate lunch. A very cute toddler walked around smiling at everyone with her "Hillary cares about me!" t-shirt on.

I had an interesting conversation over lunch with one woman from my church and some nice folks I met at the table. I confessed to being a lifelong Republican (felt I had to, especially since I've been seriously considering John McCain of late). One person made the comment that in the past, Republicans were more like Libertarians in their call for less government, but that today, they were more interested in controlling everyone's lovelives and uteruses. I mentioned that a lot of Christians had felt disenfranchised by the Democrats in decades past, and thus the Republican party had become a religious right magnet. However, I found it quite interesting that my new Democratic friends supported governmental control over certain aspects of the marketplace, specifically the healthcare industry, so as to reduce the effects of greed on the average working class American. Then in the next sentence, there was loud agreement that the government NOT control any other aspects of morality. Seemed unbalanced to me. But, finally, I could see the difference between Reds and Blues: one says government should not control the marketplace but it should control social norms, whereas the other says the opposite. Given that definition, I think I'm moving more and more to the left. But, still, Republicans seem to have their feet more solidly placed in economic reality. Democrats seem more idealistic. I'm trying to dance around in the middle. Ah, the Dance for Democracy!!

The Pastor Preached on Politics

Last Sunday the pastor preached on politics. The church is not the state, and the state is not the church, he reminded us. But he wasn't talking about the separation of church and state -- far from it. Let me see if I can get it right... The state needs the church, and the church knows the people better than the state. I think that is very interesting. I like it. The church knows people better, and it's our job to remind the state what the people need. Pastor Chris also spoke of the blue-red divide, and how Christians in each camp rely on Biblical principles to guide and justify their positions (and I wish I could better remember his descriptions of the reds and the blues). But the point, he said, was not your political hue or even your preferred candidate. We need to remember that our next president, whoever that may be, will not be the salvation or the damnation of our country. The church can't put its hope in a president, because that's not what we're all about. Our hope is solely in Jesus and the kingdom He will establish -- the church is the beginning of that kingdom! But we-the-church are not the American state, or any other state.

Just to remind myself: The state needs the church. The church knows the people better than the state. The church must speak the truth to the state, and this means involvement. A vote is a way of speaking. We might vote red, we might vote blue. But we don't hope in the blue candidates or the red ones. We don't place our hope in the state. We're not part of the state. Our hope, our identity, is God's kingdom.

Good stuff. Been thinking about it all week. I get frustrated with politics, mostly because it's so darn near impossible to know the truth about candidates, about what really happened and who really said what and what they really mean and intend. Maybe my role in politics is not to figure out what's right and wrong (the state will never get it all right!) but to listen well so that I can speak well. I like the image of being in the church and speaking to the state, but not hoping in it. This gives me some freedom and rest in my political interests. Less fear. More love.

So my remaining question: What if the state official is a Christian? What principles guide the Christian president? He is the church, and he is the state. Any thoughts out there?

My Birthday Present

Pictured above is the girls' dorm -- and the lovely resident students -- of a Ugandan school in need. This secondary school in the rural Kamwenge District was recently hit by a sudden and strong storm. The roofs of every building were damaged or destroyed. Samaritan's Purse is proposing to buy 150 sheets of tin roofing for the girls' dorm so that they have a place to sleep and can continue to attend school. A small bath house will also be covered by the tin sheets. The community is supplying all lumber and labor. The cost to repair the roof is $2,000.00.

The goal of my "virtual birthday party" (see previous post) is to repair that roof. Can we raise $2000 in one week? I'm at $410 as of this afternoon... and there are so many people who HAVEN'T GIVEN ME A PRESENT!!! Shocking! So, if you're so inclined, send a check made out to Samaritan's Purse my way. No need to wrap it.

Public Service Announcement

Tonight is the night we set our clocks ahead, i.e. "spring" forward. I just learned that the proper term for this tradition is Daylight Saving Time. Not Savings with an S. Who knew?