Sermon 3?

I think it needs to be stated clearly: saying Pat Robertson is Christian may be blasphemy.

To start off, the people of Haiti (a nation that is 80% Roman Catholic, I believe) have experienced a horrible tragedy. The capital city of Port-au-Prince essentially was leveled by a earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale. Preliminary estimates are that over 100,000 people were killed. In short, this is one of the worst natural tragedies ever to occur in the western hemisphere. (Well, in human history, anyway. There was that big piece of space debris that crashed near the Yucatan Peninsula about 65 million years ago.)

Now, most scientists will tell you that the earthquake resulted from sort of geological phenomenon (I think this one is tectonic activity, but I'm not sure). However, Pat Robertson, in his infinite wisdom, knows the true cause: at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Haitians sold their souls to Satan to overthrow the French.

To begin with, I would like to know the source providing evidence to this claim. I highly doubt Haitians proclaim that they got their independence because they sold out to Satan. If the source is the French who were overthrown, we may need to consider the source carefully.

But, for the sake of argument, let's say the Haitians of 1804 did sell their souls to Satan for independence. I'm going to go out on a limb and say they are all dead now. I think I would have heard if someone was over 200 years old. But what does that mean in regards to the Haitians alive in 2010? Well, they didn't sell their souls to Satan. Now, yes, the Bible does say that God reserves the right to visit punishments to the third and fourth generations, as opposed to visiting goodness to the thousandth generation of offspring of the righteous (Exodus 34:7--there is also much to be expanded upon here, and if I were giving this as a sermon, I would), but today's Haitians are well past that fourth generation mark. So already, Robertson's conjecture is running into trouble with the Scriptures. And don't forget the story of the city of Nineveh, that had essentially sold out to the devil, but repented when judgment was pronounced by Jonah and was spared by God (the Scriptural source for this is obvious).

Since we have this trouble of finding support in the Scriptures for Robertson's conjecture, may I propose a hypothesis that has backing of Scripture: sometimes bad things happen to the righteous? The Scriptural basis is a good portion of Acts and the entirety of Job. Bad things happen to good people. Peter was jailed, both Peter and Paul were executed by the authorities in Rome. Oh, and I don't think that Jesus guy did anything wrong at all. Yet he was beaten, bloodied, and nailed to a cross.

Going back to the religious demographics, we see that four out of five Haitians are Roman Catholic. That means the vast majority of the population is Christian. So they have been reconciled to God. Thus, Satan no longer has claim to their souls. Maybe Robertson should focus on that. You know, the power of the Crucifixion in reconciling the world to God? There is one potential problem, though: they are Roman Catholic. We know how some evangelical "ministers" believe the Catholic Church is Satan incarnate (*cough* Hagee *cough*).

So, how about we focus on what Christ would call us to do here: help those in need through this disaster? You know, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, care for the sick, etc.? After all, these are the things for which God is going to call us to account on Judgment Day. So let's focus on taking care of that piece of business, and let God worry about who actually sold their souls to Satan. In a way, we all kind of sell our souls when we sin. But the key part of Christianity is that our souls can be redeemed by accepting Christ. So faith in Christ kind of makes the entirety of Robertson's argument moot.

Actually, Robertson's behavior reminds me of the priest and Levite from the parable of the Good Samaritan. Let us heed instead the actions of the Samaritan in this tragedy as Christ calls us to "Go, and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).

Okay, argument over. Well, should I need to come up with a sermon quickly, I may have a good starting point.

I Should Probably Make a Clarification

Reading over my last couple of posts, and after an afternoon with my mom's side of the family*, I realize I may have misrepresented my feelings on a certain subject. Granted, it has not caused any problems (that I know of), but it will probably be for the best if I clarify things now.

Just so everyone is on the same page, I have NOT sworn off dating. It is just that with all the graduate school stuff that will be coming down the pipe in the next year, it is probably not in my best interest to be actively seeking a dating life. If I were asked on a date (highly unlikely, I know), I would consider it. However, if I were to be set up on a date, I may agree to it, under a few conditions:

1. The date in question must be with a straight human female. Stuffed or inflatable ovine animals are out of the question. (I'm looking at you, Jess.)
2. Giving me notice ahead of time is a good idea.
3. For now, let's leave out any dating websites.
   

So, yeah. I'm not optimistic about this front, but stranger things have happened to me recently. Who would have thought I would have passed both qualifying exams?

*At lunch this afternoon, the prospect of grandchildren for my mother was raised. Hence the dating thing being on my mind tonight.

2010: And So It Begins

As promised, the look ahead for 2010:

1. This will probably be the year of the preliminary exam. I will be using the reading course and research assistantship the spring (and possibly this summer, as well), to prepare for it. I think my advisor may want me to get it finished this fall or early 2011.
2. Depending how hard I work this spring and summer, I could have a master's degree sometime this year.
   
3. I believe there is a wedding in my group of friends sometime this year. I wish them luck, as my observations lead me to believe that planning and preparing weddings has a difficulty level just lower than that of the millennial problems.

Apparently, I don't have a whole lot of different things on my plate this year (yet). But, items one and two should keep me busy for the most part.

And if anyone wants to stop by in the next three weeks or so, please do. Let's just say 2010 has gotten off to a boring start thus far. I may be nearing my Law and Order limit.

2009: A Look Back

I guess I will continue what I started last year with a look back and a look ahead around New Year's. The look ahead will come later.

In all, 2009 has been one of the better years I've had in a while. The highlights:

1. My two written qualifying exams have been passed. Add to those the A+ from Fluid Mechanics this fall, and all I have left to do to meet my qualifying requirements is to get a B in Turbulent Flow this spring.
2. I was asked to do a research assistantship this spring and continue research this summer. This could lead to me having a master's degree by the end of the summer.
3. The professor I was a teaching assistant for this fall wrote a letter of commendation on my behalf because of how well my students did compared to the rest of the calculus II students.
4. Both sermons I gave this year seemed to go well. I haven't been asked to do another yet, but my pastor seemed to perk up when I mentioned I'm off until January 25th.
5. Linux runs much more nicely on an old laptop than Windows does.
6. I'm starting to accept that at least for the foreseeable future, I am going to be single.

Now for the low-lights:

1. For the foreseeable future, I am probably going to be single.
2. It has been two and a half years since I've been on a date.
3. Bloody snowstorm a week and a half ago.
4. Windows choked on the six and a half year old laptop, and so was purged and replaced with Linux. Fortunately, all important files were saved.

Well, that's my 2009 in a nutshell. I'll give my look ahead to 2010 in a couple of days or so.

A Winter Weather Public Service Announcement

Since the Mid-Atlantic states have been hammered by a record December snowstorm, I feel it is my duty to provide some reminders on appropriate behavior after a snow as a public service.

1. Make sure to clean off your entire car of snow BEFORE driving. Yes, driving down the road will remove the snow for you, but it will end up on the cars following you, possibly creating accidents. Since the General Assembly in Maryland meets in a little over a month, please contact your legislators about imposing stiff fines, prison sentences, and maybe capital punishment for the more egregious offenders, for those who refuse to perform this simple courtesy to their fellow drivers. It is completely boneheaded to drive down the road with over a foot of snow on the roof of your car.
2. When plowing sidewalks, parking lots, etc., make sure the entire area is clear of slush, or treat it with salt or some other melting chemical. Otherwise, you will have sheet ice in the morning (like the parking lot at my place now).
3. There is absolutely no reason, unless you are emergency personnel, to be going over the speed limit on any road after the storm if the roads are not completely cleared. Going eighty miles per hour on I-270 should be grounds for being shot.
   
4. If you travel somewhere before a predicted winter storm, make sure it is to some place where you have reliable Internet access.

Following these tips will make surviving the winter storm somewhat enjoyable.

Frederick County Deserves Better

Frederick County needs a new sheriff.

In today's issue of the Frederick News-Post, readers find out that the Frederick County Sheriff drove a man home from jail after he was arrested for violating a protective order (http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=98920). I feel sorry for the poor neighbor, who has had to file these protective orders. How can she trust the major law enforcement agency of the county to protect her when the sheriff has clearly shown a bias? And how many other people in jail are going to get rides home upon their release from the sheriff in a county-owned vehicle? Especially after Jenkins was quoted as saying, "I would do the same for any of my friends -- or any citizen of Frederick County, for that matter."

Add this to the problems with the fatal accident that killed a Mount St. Mary's student earlier this year (http://aawip.blogspot.com/2009/06/something-fishy-this-way-comes.html), and one gets the sense that the citizens of Frederick County, and the men and women of the Sheriff's Office, deserve better. Unfortunately, Jenkins will continue to be shielded by the good ol' boy network in Frederick. After all, Jenkins's passenger is a highly-placed member of the Republican party in Frederick County.

And for some less cynical news, I have only my duties as a TA to complete this semester. Everything else is finished. And since I got a 95 on the Fluid Mechanics final, I am halfway finished my last qualifier requirement. All I need is a B next semester in my Turbulent Flow class.

A Review of Thanksgiving/A Look Ahead to Early December

1. I have officially hit adult status on my dad's side of the family. I had the job of saying the blessing before the meal this year. Did I mention there was an ordained minister there, too?
2. Food coma/itis = Because of a lack of forethought, things get said that shouldn't be said in front of my group of friends .
   
3. I noticed the dinner list I made for this week had the word "leftovers" a lot.
4. My apartment still smells like the cooking turkey from Friday.
5. I have two exams, two homework sets (maybe a third), and probably an uncollected problem set left in this semester. Plus, I still have my duties as a teaching assistant (four more discussion sessions per section, one in-class exam to grade, one final exam). Is it 3:30 on December 16th yet?
6. Oh, right, that Christmas thing is coming up. I should probably do some shopping for that (i.e., after finals).
   
7. And figure out what to get my sister for her graduation.
   
8. I should probably register for classes for next semester, too.

Just a note: I will be free (with the exception of a few family functions) from December 17th to January 24th. Anyone want to do anything so I don't go stir crazy in that month?