Elfed

Christmas greetings to you all...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1327236046

Communication

I'm rubbish at this blogging thing. It seems I can only manage short bursts of energy followed by long periods of producing nothing... analogies with certain sports players come to mind. And as for Facebook, thank goodness that I get e-mailed whenever something happens on that, although I am bewildered by the many different applications that I am given the opportunity to add to my page! I only have a Facebook page because I felt badly when someone requested that I become their 'friend'.

Now e-mail, that's my medium. I would love to be a letter writer, there is something romantic about that, but I think I will take that up again should I ever retire. The phone is okay, but for some reason my personality dictates that I soemtimes struggle to call people. Texting can be useful, although typing the messages seems to take forever. The group setting though is an excellent idea. But e-mail, well, I like it. Amongst the ridiculous amount of ways that there now are to communicate, it comes out on top, except of course I've just realised (!) for talking face to face! And not using a webcam! One human to another. As communities transform and become more and more geographically dispersed, this seems harder and harder for me and many others. I miss the days when I could walk to work and see people I know on the way. Come to think of it I miss walking! I miss having a local pub. I miss living within close proximity of my friends.

I'm sure that this isn't the first and won't be the last piece someone writes like this, but one has to wonder what will be the ultimate consequences of our technoligical advances and our more and more individualistic tendencies.

As for me, I'm doing fine and am looking forward to watching England play France at rugby this afternoon, and then going to see Ryan Adams this evening. Melissa's feeling a little sick, so I've been looking after Hannah today so far, and we had a wonderful morning on Daniel Island at their annual Park Day.

Weekend

Spent the weekend 'partying' with Middle and High Schoolers. We had our end of year parties this weekend - a beach party on Friday for the Middle Schoolers on the Isle of Palms and a Creek Party in Awendaw at the Wolf's home. School is out in two weeks but we end a little earlier to give us a break before the busy summer program begins.

I also joined about 10 other guys to watch the FA Cup Final yesterday which was fun, but mainly due to the comapny, not the game! A. It wasn't a great game & B. I didn't want either team to win and the team I least wanted to win won with a goal from the player I probably least like on their team (it's a close run thing with Mikel, although I like Mourinho even less!). It's great though to be able to get together with a bunch of American guys who are actually knowledgable about soccer and aren't all Man Utd fans - somehow they all follow Arsenal?

Hannah has been in fine form and is walking so well now as well as saying so many new words. She has us laughing all the time and is quite the comedian as well as being a bit of a dare-devil... She is such a wonderful blessing to us both.

Jonny has surgery on Friday, so do pray for him.

I'm thinking of buying the Arcade Fire album and the Kings of Leon one - any advice? Will I like either of these?

By the power of Greyskull!

I went with Melissa to finally see 'Hot Fuzz', and what a funny movie it was! We laughed loudly and a lot! There are some great movie references and some hilarious lines. I particularly enjoyed hearing the Heman line quoted in the title - I guess it won't be long before they make that into a movie... I presume all the UK readers have already seen this?

Currently we are looking after Jonny Keys at our house as he has torn his ACL (in the rough game we played last week that I mentioned in an earlier post) and is hobbling around on crutches awaiting surgery in a week's time. Do pray for him, it seems pretty painful and frustrating.

Champions once again

Here it is! The end of year table, and amazingly we finished top despite losing one of the games (a crazy game that we forfeited with 10 minutes to go after two players were seriously injured and the awful referee had lost complete control of the game...) and then winning last night 6-5 after having been 5-3 down with 11 minutes left! It was the best game I have ever seen, although unfortunately I had to play in goal, and to say the least, I was a little rusty...! Still can't believe we won the game or the league. Now the play-offs beckon... first game is next Wednesday. I'll keep you posted.

By the way, I saw 28 Months Later yesterday and jumped numerous times! I enjoyed it a lot.

DIVISION II W L T Points

#1-Holy Terrors 6 2 2 20

# 2-Moe’s 6 2 2 20

# 3-Gulfstream Mudslingers 6 4 0 18

#4-Spoccer 5 3 2 17

#5-Unfiltered 5 3 2 17

#6-KB Home Swamp 5 5 0 15

#7-First Federal/S&ME/ADC 4 5 1 13

#8-Iacofano’s 3 5 2 11

#9-Charleston Wave 2 6 2 8

#10-Charleston Classic 2 7 1 7

Good news and bad news... only 3 seasons to go...!

Though this might interest any Lost fans. I have lost interest due to the endless nature of this show. At least there is now an end date. Unfortunately it is three years away!

"ABC has set an end date for "Lost."

The Emmy-winning adventure series will run for 48 more episodes over three seasons. Each season will consist of 16 episodes, which will air uninterrupted.

"Lost" executive producers/showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who have been vocal about setting up an endgame for the show, have signed on to stay for the remainder of the series' run. Their separate new eight-figure deals with "Lost" producer ABC TV Studio include their services on the show as well as multiyear development pacts set to kick in when "Lost" bows out during the 2009-10 season.

"Due to the unique nature of 'Lost,' we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout and to give the audience the payoff they deserve," ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson said. "Having Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse signed on to complete the journey of this show was critical to me and the network. Damon and Carlton have tremendous talent, and we're thrilled that they'll be with the show throughout its run."

Lindelof and Cuse praised McPherson and ABC TV Studio president Mark Pedowitz for "their bold leadership and vision in making this groundbreaking decision."

Having the end point in sight is "incredibly liberating," Lindelof said. "Like we've been running a marathon and we actually know where the finish line is for the first time."

Lindelof and Cuse said they've had "a road map for the series with all the major mythological milestones and the ending in place" for a while.

"What we didn't know was how long we had to play the story out," Cuse said. "By defining the endpoint we can now really map out the rest of the series in confidence."

There will be some puzzle play, too.

"We sort of view 'Lost' as a mosaic," Cuse said. "Now there are only 48 more tiles that go into that mosaic, and we're figuring out, along with all the other writers, exactly where they all go."

In January, Lindelof and Cuse said that they envisioned the endpoint for "Lost" around episode 100. The agreement with ABC will bring the total number of episodes to 120.

"Together on 'Lost,' Damon and Carlton have made some of the most innovative episodes of television ever written," Pedowitz said. "With its sprawling characters and complex storytelling, 'Lost' has become a cultural phenomenon, and we wanted to make sure we had the team responsible for its success in place for not only the run of the show but so that each of their future series creations have a home at the studio after 'Lost.' "

Lindelof wrote the pilot for "Lost" with fellow executive producer J.J. Abrams, and Cuse joined the series in October 2004 shortly after the show debuted to big numbers.

In addition to its instant commercial success and large following, "Lost" has enjoyed strong critical acclaim, capped by a best drama series Emmy in 2005 and best drama series Golden Globe in 2006.

Lindelof, Cuse and Abrams are executive producing "Lost" with Bryan Burk, Jack Bender and Jeff Pinkner.

"Lost" has consistently been the No. 1 show among adults 18-49 in its time period. And while the show's ratings have softened this season, it is the most recorded show on TV, gaining 18% more viewers through DVR viewing. It is also a popular draw for streaming replays on ABC.com, iTunes downloads and DVDs.

Lindelof is repped by CAA and attorney Bob Myman. Cuse is repped by WMA and attorneys Ernie Del and Jeffrey Finkelstein."

The Mormons

Fascinating new PBS (Brits, think American BBC but with a lot less money!) documentary on The Mormons that is well worth checking out. You can watch it online in the US, but I'm not sure about the UK. Click on the link below:

www.pbs.org/mormons

Current standings in our league

2 games to go before the play-offs and we are well poised after a 3-1 win last night!

DIVISION II Win Loss Tie Points

Gulfstream Mudslingers 6 2 0 18

Holy Terrors 5 1 2 17

Moes 4 2 2 14

Spoccer 4 2 2 14

KB Home Swamp 4 4 0 12

Unfiltered 3 3 2 11

Iacofanos 3 3 2 11

First Federal/S&ME/ADC 2 5 1 7

Charleston Wave 1 5 2 5

Charleston Classic 1 6 1 4

My daughter is so ghetto...

Great new pictures of Hannah!

Derek Webb interview

Derek Webb is no stranger to controversy. His self-described “protest songs” that tackle issues from politics and war to wealth and the American dream have earned major media attention, garnering features in USA Today, RELEVANT and NPR. His latest album, The Ringing Bell, (which hits stores on May 1) offers more insight about American Christianity and why, when it comes to big ideas, it’s good to remain a moving target.

Tell us about your approach to your new album.
It was a chance to turn the amps up and just make a lot of noise. It was really fun. After touring solo acoustic for the last couple of years and with the last album being sort of a mellow album, it was just my instinct to go electric on this one.

You’re releasing a graphic novel with this album. How did that come about?
It just kills a few birds with one stone, because I love comic books. I love graphic novels. I just love that medium, and I've got friends who are really, really gifted at producing art like that. I know the ones who designed the packaging and the cover of the album, and we just kept working and kept coming up with images that pulled more out of the lyrics, so the idea of the book just kind of came about.

It kind of takes the idea of vinyl packaging the way it used to be—people used to love buying records because there was this really tremendous packaging that you could go through and just some really tremendous artwork on some of those record covers and within some of those record sleeves.

Nowadays, with the CD booklet, it's not really the most ideal or impressive way to communicate idea! s visual ly, so we thought we could put together 100 pages of really amazing abstract art based on the lyrics, and that might be a compelling enough artifact to get someone to engage with the record.

You sing about being a moving target and dodging political labels in the song "Name." Is that something that's been a personal challenge?
Yeah, it's always a challenge. I feel like I've seen so many times, where somebody will come out with some fresh ideas, and then before you know it, they really become a spokesperson for something that's just the other side of the thing they're trying to do battle against. I think that coupled with the fact that I think Jesus was the ultimate moving target. He never really let anybody categorize Him.

	SXSW in Review Interview: Relient K Interview: Sean Michel Interview: The Whigs

Every time they would try to pin Him down in a way that He wasn't willing to be pinned down, He always had these gray and totally left-of-center and outrageous answers that He would give that really kept anyone from putting any kinds of names on Him. If, as a follower of Jesus, I'm going to speak into a political situation, it's really the hardest work that I have to do to keep myself from being a co-agitator, but never to align myself with a particular party. Jesus is who I align myself with, and beyond that, you have to be careful not to remain an agitator with everyone else.

That's something—especially in modern Christian circles—that is really a challenge.
I think that people would respect it when Christians speak more if everything we say wasn't so predictable. Because Jesus wasn't predictable.

Not by a long shot. He was always saying the opposite of what you'd think—and that's not necessarily the point, because there is a moment to say "this is what I believe to be true" and to stand on some of those things—but I just feel like there are so many people who don't even want to ask a Christian or somebody following Jesus a question because they think they already know what the answer is.

And worse, I think there are politicians and certain kinds of people in our culture who abuse certain types of leadership positions. They have people so figured out and decoded that they know they can come in front of a group of Christians and say any one of about three or four different buzzwords, and they can absolutely mobilize those Christians into doing whatever it is they want done.

"A Savior on Capitol Hill" has some pretty biting satire. When writing, do you ever get concerned with the response it will generate?
Well, no. I've really tried to set a precedent of not concerning myself! with wh at people think about what I'm doing—even if people really like it. I don't want to let any of that influence what I'm writing and how I'm writing it.

I feel like the people who listen to my music understand me well enough to know when I'm being sarcastic. There were occasions from my last record when people would tell me about the song "A New Law"—that they totally agree with me that our main problem in the Church is that people are not giving us clear enough instruction, that we just need people to tell us more clearly what we're supposed to be doing, and that they really agree with me that we need a new set of laws that we could just keep. I didn't have the heart to [say] that's completely not the point. That entire song was total sarcasm. But that's the minority of people—I think most people hear songs like that and know where I'm coming from.

Letters from Iwo Jima - Relevant review

It is a rare and beautiful thing to have two pieces of art that explore one single event or idea from two such vastly different—but ultimately complimentary—points of view. Literature has typically been the medium for this sort of multi-perspectival landscape, though modern film has toyed with the form many times in recent years (Magnolia, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, basically any Robert Altman film). Still, what Clint Eastwood has done in 2006 is completely unprecedented. His two films about WWII’s Battle of Iwo Jima (Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima) are both strong on their own terms, but together they form an achievement of cinema as formidable as anything since Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Flags of Our Fathers, based on the James Bradley novel, told the story of American soldiers who lifted the flag at Iwo Jima and became the poster boys for “American wartime valor,” a concept they all struggled to live up to. Letters from Iwo Jima tells of similar struggles from the Japanese perspective. Together the pair of films explores, through a gorgeous, ying-yang connectedness, the tensions between micro, spiritual existence and macro, war-machine madness.

Whereas most of Flags took place after the battle itself, most of Letters occurs in the months leading up to the 1945 fight on Iwo Jima. As 22,000 Japanese soldiers amass on the strategic Pacific island for a final stand against an inevitable American invasion (of about 100,000 troops), we get a cross-sectional look inside the souls of these men at war. General Kuribayashi, portrayed with graceful restraint by Ken Watanabe, is dealt the unfortunate task of leading what is widely felt to be a lost cause in the stand on Iwo Jima, yet he retains his authority and will amid constant pressures from strategy-happy subordinates and dejected foot soldiers. He is a towering figure of military leadership at its most star-crossed-yet-elegant best. Similar in character countenance is another high-ranking officer, Baron Nishi (Tsuyoshi Ihara), an Olympic equestrian star and inspirational celebrity to the Japanese troops. Nishi amuses his comrades by riding his prize-winning horse around camp (some of the film’s most jarring images involve the horse) and by recalling tales of Hollywood hobnobbing with the likes of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Kuribayashi and Nishi’s characters (who both spent plenty of time, and have many friends, in the U.S.) remind us of the unnatural inhumanity of reducing individuals to expendable fighting numbers in abstract global struggles.
In contrast to these two gallant, ranking officials, Letters’ other main characters represent the rank-and-file conscripts who are thrust into these dire conditions with an all too keen understanding of their own expendability. Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) is a young husband and father whose sole desire is to survive and return to his family. Shimizu (Ryo Kase) an ex-Kempeitai military policeman (kicked out for refusing to shoot a dog) who befriends Saigo on the battlefield. Together they come to realize that perhaps fighting for each other—for life—is in the end more honorable than fighting to the death against a foe on the cusp of total victory.

And this is the theme that pervades Letters, as well as Flags: when is death (and in a larger sense, violence) honorable? It is a question that has come up in other places in recent cinema, like in United 93, which pit terrorists’ notions about jihad honor against western values of life at all costs. A similar tension is played out in the eastern vs. western belief systems at work in Letters and Flags. The Americans in Flags, for example, do not take pride in their fallen comrade “heroes” on the battlefield, but rather question the notion. Death for them—even for a larger goal—is nothing to rejoice in. The Japanese, on the other hand, find it dishonorable and even pathetic for a soldier to walk off the battlefield in one piece (at worst, as a P.O.W.). Death is the highest triumph for them. We see this in one of Letters’ most intense scenes, in which a group of hopeless soldiers take death in their own hands—in the form of a grenade clasped to the chest. “Banzai!” they yell as they blow themselves up for their country.

But notions of death and country are not as black and white in these films as the above paragraph insinuates. Nothing ever is in a Clint Eastwood film. The director, who often shrouds his characters in shadowy frames of both light and dark, is an artist of the grays. His films re-focus old notions, debunk classic structures and remind us that this world is too complex to reduce to soundbites or Hollywood endings; too complex even to let one film have the final word on something so iconic as Iwo Jima (and all that Iwo Jima represents).

Before the Flags/Letters duo, Eastwood’s last film was Million Dollar Baby, a film that also, interestingly, dealt with the question of dying with honor. Many pro-life advocates attacked Eastwood and Baby for promoting a “culture of death,” because (spoiler alert) the main character insists on being euthanized (or rather, kills herself through the hands of another). I wonder if those same critics will attack Letters for depicting protagonists who kill themselves, and, at times, who ask others to do the job for them?

Clint Eastwood, through the film cycle of Flags and Letters, is taking our “pro-life” notions and throwing them in our face—asking us if we really do value life as much as we claim. These films are all about men—live, breathing, family men—who are dying in droves like cattle to the slaughter. In the case of Letters, the Japanese soldiers are dying for an aim that is absolutely, knowingly futile. The Americans were dying for something more (at least from their perspective), but still, dying. When is death justified? When is it honorable? Is a pro-war stance really pro-life? These are all important and timely questions Eastwood is raising. Without getting too political, can we not ask ourselves—especially as Christians—whether the killing of unborn babies is substantively different than the weekly slaughter of hundreds and hundreds of people in Iraq? Whether good guys or bad, overthrown dictators or coma-ridden cripple people, when is the extinction of human life a good thing?

Ultimately, Eastwood’s films do not provide easy answers. What they do offer, generously and provocatively, is a reminder that there is always more than one way to look at something.

Hannah's 1st Birthday

Check out www.jonnykusa.blogspot.com for some great pictures of Hannah's birthday party last weekend!

How to be a Disciple (Stephanie Grant)

So you want to change the world? You want to accomplish great and mighty things for God? I don’t blame you. In fact I’m with you. I want to too. But you know what I realized? I can’t. Hmm… sounds pessimistic, doesn’t it? Actually it has been some of the most freeing news I have ever heard. I cannot do great things for God. I cannot reach people. I cannot even bear the fruit Jesus says we are supposed to bear. Actually I cannot even witness.

Does that sound lazy to you? It’s not. It’s the truth.

Wait you say, “That is so contrary to everything the Bible teaches.

No it is absolutely Biblical. Jesus taught it. Shocking huh?

Jesus was able to bear fruit. Jesus was relevant. He could and can do anything. But there is only one thing that made Jesus able to go to the cross. It is this thing that enables me to be a daughter of God. It is this thing that enables me to bear fruit. To witness. Reach people. And it is not myself.

It is a relationship with the true and Living God.

Think about John 15: 4-5: “Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (TNIV).

So what is the secret? Abiding. Abiding in God. Hanging out in the secret place is the only way we are able to be obedient. It is the only way to bear any kind of fruit. It is the only way to be successful in the eyes of God.

Why is this so? Because God is after a relationship. He doesn’t want your works as much as He wants your heart. For the longest time I failed over and over again. I tried to read my Bible, pray and walk in freedom. I was failing fast and feeling bad about it. I was trying to do the “thing” (whatever I felt it was at the time) without the relationship. No abiding. Without putting my relationship with God first.

God isn’t looking for people to order to around. Will He ask you to do things? Yes. However, if you have been abiding in Him you’ll be able to do whatever He asks you to because it won’t be you doing it, it will be Christ in you! He’s more after having someone who wants His hearts rather than His hand, His money, His promotion. He is after a friend, not a slave. Jesus spent a huge amount of time with God so when it was time for Him to be crucified He was ready. Why? He abided. He knew His Father. His Father knew Him.

Know Him.

To know God is true success. Regardless of what you accomplish in life, knowing Christ is what makes everything worth it. It is what makes life worth living.

Yeah, I didn’t have a passion for the unsaved either. I couldn’t seem to put Him first. I couldn’t seem to get it right. Then I realized without God’s help I couldn’t do anything. I had to quit trusting in my own ability to please God and realize that without Him I can’t.

Do you want to be relevant? Abide. Are you ready for some fruit in your life? Abide. I can do nothing, but “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13, TNIV).

Christmas Letter '06

The Bennett Family
1459 Caldwell Ct.
Mt Pleasant
SC 29466

Tel: 001 (843) 884 6187

E-mail: jandmbennett@bellsouth.net

Dear family and friends,

The American TV schedule leaves me with no doubt that Christmas is nearing, with reruns of Christmas classics being the norm each evening. The weather for once is also helping us get in the mood with thick frosts over the past week or so, although it continues to be pleasantly warm during the day time. Anyway, as it is apparently nearly Christmas, it seems like it is time to begin the next Bennett Family USA® annual letter. So, what of merit has happened in 2006?

Well, the biggest news of course was that on Wednesday, January 18^th, Hannah VeLynn Bennett was born at our local hospital after a long and arduous labor. She came out weighing 9lbs 4oz and looking very healthy. The first few days were definitely a shock to the system, and then the first few weeks, and then the first few months…! But after that it seems to have been one joy after another. The latest things are that Hannah loves being wheeled around on her little car, likes saying ‘Bye’ a lot, and is pulling herself up to standing. She also has no concept of manners so she likes to fart and burp in inappropriate places, much to her father’s delight! We have learned that what people say about babies teaching you much about yourself and about God’s love for you is true. It is incredible to be able to understand much better what it truly means to love someone unconditionally; it has given us an even deeper love for Jesus.

Besides being amused by Hannah, we have done a number of things this year. In April, Jonathan’s parents visited for 2 weeks and we had a lot of fun spending time with them, and taking a trip to South Carolina’s mountains. In June Jonathan introduced the idea of a Crusader Camp to the US. Phrases such as ‘The Rag’, ‘OC Games’ and ‘Siesta Time’ became common place, and the camp was a big hit: almost 60 students and adults attended the first ‘Camp Bonnie Doone’. In July we joined Melissa’s family in Jacksonville, Florida for Independence Day celebrations. Jonathan still struggles to understand what all the fuss is about on July 4… In August we took a well earned week’s vacation at home. It was a wonderfully relaxing week just enjoying all that Charleston has to offer, which is a lot! In November we enjoyed Thanksgiving in Jacksonville once again, although Melissa got her traditional holiday cold and spent a lot of time just resting. Gordon Weir, a friend from my days at Nazarene Theological College studying youth ministry, joined us for a week or so in December after attending Youth Specialties Conference in Charlotte with Jonathan. It was great to catch up with him and reminisce about our days at college.

Other things that have happened of note are that Melissa left St Michael’s church (where she was youth pastor) to take care of Hannah after her birth. During the week Melissa also looks after a lovely little boy called Sam (16 months) for a couple from our church. Hannah loves having him around as he amuses her all day long! It has also been a great joy to have Jonathan’s friend Jonny join the youth ministry apprenticeship program at Holy Cross Church for the year. Jonathan finally has a fellow Green Bay Packers fan to watch American Football with, and a Spurs fan (English Football) to make fun of…!

This Christmas we will be in England for Hannah’s first Christmas as we will be visiting Jonathan’s family in Hereford. For our British friends do visit us or give us a call if you want to catch up (01432 270329), we would love to see you! May God bless you in the year to come, and we hope we will see you at some stage.

God bless,

The Bennetts.

The Myth of Redemptive Violence

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Shane Claiborne: Communicating Through a Noose

"What do you think of that man?" the old guy asked in a raspy voice as I settled in next to him on the plane. He pointed to the face of Saddam Hussein on the front of his newspaper with a headline story of the looming execution. I gathered myself, and prepared for what could turn out to be a rather chatty plane ride. I replied gently, "I think that man needs some love." And the rather boisterous gentleman sat still, perhaps not exactly the response he predicted. Then he said pensively, "Hmmmm. I think you're right..." And finally, he whispered in a forlorn tone, "And it is hard to communicate love through a noose."

Sometimes we just need permission to say, "It's not okay to kill someone to show everyone how much we hate killing." As Christian artist Derek Webb sings, " Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication. It's like saying murder is wrong and showing them by way of execution." I am encouraged by how many Christians I hear voicing an alternative to the myth of redemptive violence in light of the recent killing of Saddam, folks who love Jesus and have the unsettling feeling that Jesus loves evildoers so much he died for them, for us. I have heard many evangelicals who see Saddam's execution as the ultimate act of hopelessness and faithlessness – after all it is humanity stepping in to make the final judgment, that this human created in God's image is beyond redemption. And for those who believe in hell, executing someone who may not yet know of the love and grace of Christ is doubly offensive.

It is rather scandalous to think that we have a God who loves murderers and terrorists like Saul of Tarsus, Osama bin Laden, or Sadaam Hussein – but that is the "good news" isn't it? It's the old eye for an eye thing that gets us. But the more I've studied the Hebrew Scriptures the more I am convinced that this was just a boundary for people who lashed back. As the young exodus people are trying to discover a new way of living outside the empire, God made sure there were some boundaries, like if someone breaks your are, you cannot go back and break their arm and their leg. If someone kills hundreds of your people, you cannot kill 160,000 of theirs.

We've learned the eye for an eye thing all too well. A shock and awe bombing leads to a shock and awe beheading. A Pearl Harbor leads to a Hiroshima. A murder leads to an execution. A rude look leads to a cold shoulder. An eye for an eye we have indeed heard before and learned its logic all too well. But Jesus comes declaring in his State of the Union Sermon on the Mount address (Matthew 5): "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,'" but there is a another way. No wonder Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people "did not know the things that make for peace."

Gandhi and King used to say, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth leaves the whole world blind" (and with dentures). The gospels tell the story of a group of people who have dragged forward an adulteress and are ready to stone her (this was the legal consequence). Jesus is asked for his support of this death penalty case. His response is this... "You are all adulterers. If you have looked at someone lustfully, you have committed adultery in your heart." And the people drop their stones and walk away with their heads bowed. We want to kill the murderers, and Jesus says to us: "You are all murderers. If you have called your neighbor 'Raca, Fool' you are guilty of murder in your heart." Again the stones drop. We are all murderers and adulterers and terrorists. And we are all precious.

When we have new eyes we can look into the faces of those we don't even like, and see the One we love. We can see God's image in everyone we encounter. As Henri Nouwen puts it: "In the face of the oppressed I recognize my own face and in the hands of the oppressor I recognize my own hands. Their flesh is my flesh, their blood is my blood, their pain is my pain, their smile is my smile." We are made of the same dust. We cry the same tears. No one is beyond redemption and no one is beyond repute. And that is when we are free to imagine a revolution that sets both the oppressed and the oppressors free. The world is starving for grace. And grace is hard to communicate with a noose.