bierkergaard

To bind up the nation's wounds. Today, Lord-willing, my Dad and I will ride our bikes out through the battlegrounds of Gettysburg....bicycles, that is. Not Harleys rolling like thunder, heard from a mile away.  There is a thunder in our land of ours. The Culture Civil War. Blue States vs. Red States, like Blue vs. Gray uniforms of the battle resonating with Sturm Und Drang.  Lightening rhetoric from the airwaves striking at the tree of Civil society. The thunder, an echoing reminder, of splintering damage done.    There appears to be no end to the battle...both sides are fighting to the death. As Lincoln in his Second Inaugural Address noted, both sides invoke God's name, read the same Bible, in the war. On one side, the Liberals tend to want to promote a social gospel of equality towards all, while downplaying and even denying Scripture verses that clearly teach that although each person has dignity, not all choices are equal morally. Even if it is personal. ...

Back in the early 1970's the album Jesus Christ Superstar was released. Today, NPR did a piece on the "resurrection" of the musical to the stage. I started to think about what I considered when I listened to the album at that time. I recall that as a kid I sensed that Jesus Christ Superstar's rendition of the last seven days of Christ's life to be heresy. I hardly knew the Bible and doctrine, but even I could smell the rat of revisionism. I really liked the music though...most of it. "What's The Buzz" gave me the creeps. Everything is Alright , despite its sexual overtone between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, is a beautiful song. It was odd, the Catholic Church used to have an approved list of what the faithful could consume of popular media and Jesus Christ Superstar passed the test. I saw the list. Of course, the Catholic Church is no stranger to inventing dogma without and contrary to biblical warrant. So, perhaps--in retrospect--I should not...

Today, I was dropping off some egg cartons at a farmer friend's house. I hate to throw away something that can be used again. Since he has chickens and sells eggs, I figured he could use the cartons.  In the old days, people recycled and re-used not to be Green but to save green ($). As a kid, I remember hanging wet clothes outside to dry. Today, you do that and you feel avant-garde. Grow your own vegetables in a garden? Revolutionary! It's bizarre! What's next? Actually walk or ride a bike somewhere? It could get out of hand! Ah, we think ourselves so special.  After I dropped off the egg cartons, my buddy and I chatted a bit. I looked over the road and saw a green field just alive with light. It was simply beautiful. It is so easy to take things for granted. "Oh. A green field. I wonder what is on TV?" Open our eyes. God's good gifts are everywhere. Luke 12:27, 28. Consider how the flowers grow. They never work or spin yarn for clothes. But I say ...

Received an invitation today for my 30th High School Reunion. It is to be held on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. I already have plans to be biking out in Western Pa. with the family. I would have gone otherwise. It is not that I necessarily yearn to return to yesteryear but it is sometimes poignant to see people who were once so much a part of my daily life who know are as shadows. Some people age well, some people don't. Being something early on tend to freeze a person. Better to be a late bloomer than an early one. In most cases, there is nowhere to go in worldy terms but down if your are the King or Queen of High School. You soon find out in college that nobody really cares who you were. I tell students in my high school that all that they value about where they rank socially really won't matter down the road. That is not really entirely true. We carry with us the remembrance of where we stood like a scar. Even the most popular kids grapple with hidden insecuri...

I am continuing my reading journey through the book of Isaiah and came to this verse last night. It is appropriate for the Easter season: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6). This is a messianic prophecy that Christians assert is Jesus. It is really to hard to argue otherwise that it is not about Him but it always amazing how inventive unbelief can be. One phrase in this verse particularly stood out: "the government will be on his shoulders."   The commentators I have read on this, don't seem to really get to why this phrase is used. So, I will  proffer my own opinion. In a minute. It is said that religion and politics don't mix, but they sure did in the crucifixion of Jesus. The Jewish religious authorities had not the jurisdiction to execute a man. That was exclusively a Roman right and they ex...