Storewars--funny!!

I'm not talking 'bout nothing but STOREWARS!!!

An Open Letter to the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush

As most of you probably already know, President Bush gave the commencement address at Calvin College yesterday afternoon, encountering unexpected opposition from the students and faculty. Nearly 1/3 of Calvin’s faculty signed on to a letter published Saturday in the Grand Rapids Press welcoming Mr. Bush but taking issue with his handling of war, the environment, and social justice issues—points at which, these Christian professors argue, Mr. Bush’s conduct diverges from how Christians are called to act in the world. (If you haven’t been following this story, see the coverage in Christianity Today for a quick rundown).

The text of the letter follows:

On May 21, 2005, you will give the commencement address at Calvin College. We, the undersigned, respect your office, and we join the college in welcoming you to our campus. Like you, we recognize the importance of religious commitment in American political life.

We seek open and honest dialogue about the Christian faith and how it is best expressed in the political sphere. While recognizing God as sovereign over individuals and institutions alike, we understand that no single political position should be identified with God's will, and we are conscious that this applies to our own views as well as those of others. At the same time we see conflicts between our understanding of what Christians are called to do and many of the policies of your administration.

As Christians we are called to be peacemakers and to initiate war only as a last resort. We believe your administration has launched an unjust and unjustified war in Iraq.

As Christians we are called to lift up the hungry and impoverished. We believe your administration has taken actions that favor the wealthy of our society and burden the poor.

As Christians we are called to actions characterized by love, gentleness, and concern for the most vulnerable among us. We believe your administration has fostered intolerance and divisiveness and has often failed to listen to those with whom it disagrees.

As Christians we are called to be caretakers of God's good creation. We believe your environmental policies have harmed creation and have not promoted long-term stewardship of our natural environment.

Our passion for these matters arises out of the Christian faith that we share with you. We ask you, Mr. President, to re-examine your policies in light of our God-given duty to pursue justice with mercy, and we pray for wisdom for you and all world leaders.

--Concerned faculty, staff, and emeriti of Calvin College

I wonder, first, what reactions people have to this letter in particular, or the vigorous support evangelicals have shown for this president more generally (and surely, it goes without saying that we should treat these responses with respect and tact). I also wonder what relationship this situation has to our current discussions on what it means to be a Christian and to follow the teaching of scripture, or the law.

notes from my moleskine

OK, first off, I need to tell Adam (and the rest of you, I suppose) that I acquiesced to his request and posted a sizeable response to the comments on my "Question". This post is not entirely unrelated to that response (as you will see if you read them both), so you can probably use this to fill in some of the gaps in my thinking in said response. Or maybe they're both unintelligible...

This is a little different kind of post for me. I am for the most part just copying a page out of my moleskine notebook, but it's something I wanted to share and I would appreciate responses to it. So, without further ado:
05-12-2005
from Auden's "Sir, no man's enemy, forgiving all":
"Prohibit sharply the rehearsed response
And gradually correct the coward's stance."
-- leaping from the "ethical" to the "spiritual": no safety in laws, no easy answer in ready imperatives
--the terror of the spiritual leap lies in leaving the ethical but not returning to the merely aesthetic: responsibility without regulations. "I was just following orders" is no longer an excuse. Christ, save us in the time of trial! Let us find that Justice which the Law could never bring. Justice, the to come. Come. Oui, oui. Come.
--this "leap of faith" is a leap into doubt, from certainty (uncertainly rejected) into a place where the answers are not known before the particular question is asked (if they are ever "known" in the way you used to know things), where Justice arrives at an unexpected time and in the form of a stranger. Faith is an unlocked door.
--It's like stepping from a boat and walking on the water: impossible, perhaps, but it has been done.
--Faith and Doubt aren't opposites? Is faith, then, more like responsibility than it is like certainty? Like openness to the Other?

Am I the only person posting on this blog? I mean, come on! (j/k of course)

Adam, this is too precious. I wish I was one of those kids, getting stuffed monkeys thrown at me by you. I MISS YOU BUDDY.

Graduations

Hey, I just got back from my sister's graduation at Messiah College today. I have to admit it made me a little nostalgic at times. The commencement blew the commencement of the Wheaton College class of '03s out of the water. If any of you haven't done it recently I encourage you to take stock of how you have or haven't been living your life for Christ since our own graduation. I got reminded that my personal accomplishments since graduation have not necessarily done much for the kingdom. My preaching is done now.

Also, apparently the Christian college world is fairly well linked. In a minivan of 3 Messiah girls other than my sister, driving to a night before graduation celebration. I started getting the inevitable peppering of do you know so and so. I think it's the first time that I was able to say yes to knowing all of them. The names were Tim Mitchell, Kristen Hauber, and Ben Courtemanche. Dave, it took a little prompting, but I managed to get Tara Vanderploeg to admit to knowing you and Sarah. Apparently, you are expecting a baby. I hope all is well in the T6 community, especially you guys in Iraq.

Dear friends

Dear friends, I am pleased to announce my intention to leave Japan. It has been a good year and a half , but I'm ready to get back to the people and places I know. In fact, I feel like I'm ready to "settle down." I will leave in October, shortly after the end of the current teaching semester. I'll probably go to Dallas then to live with family or friends; but, on the other hand, I'm willing to go where I'm called, wherever that might be, if it's the right person doing the calling.

I've still got months ahead of me here, though, so I'm trying not to daydream but rather focus on the things at hand, work, rest, and play, mainly work. I am teaching a lot more classes than I have before and I can already feel pressure on my weak organizational and planning skills. I'm sure I'll make it through all right, but I do ask for your prayers.

I'll keep you posted as I decide where I'm going and what I'll be doing in America. I'll be home over summer vacation to work this out.

Right. Banek in Japan, out.

BTW, I updated my photos, which was why I started this post in the first place: http://photobucket.com/albums/v464/RyanBanek/

Page 39

As much as I usually think of the Wheaton alumni magazine purely in terms of ridicule, I found this fantastic picture on page 39 of the current issue. It has these three really good looking guys somewhere in the far east... Japan, or something like that. You might want to check it out.

Question...

Is it OK for a Christian to be romantically involved with someone who is not a Christian? If not, why not? I grew up, like I'm sure most of you did, with admonitions from several sources against dating unbelievers. Why? Are there good reasons for such a prohibition?
Sincerely,
Attracted in Amarillo