The Written Word

I was talking with a friend today and she mentioned someone saying that words are neither right or wrong; good or evil. It is all in the mind and heart of the one reading the words that makes something good or evil. But is that true? Are words truly morally neutral?

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1856. Over two million copies were sold in over 13 languages. When President Abraham Lincoln met Harriet in person he stated "So you're the little girl that started this big war". Lincoln attributed Stowe's book as the main influence over the starting of the Civil War.

"Mein Kampf" or "My Struggle" by Adolph Hitler influenced a generation of Germans toward the goal of world domination (I do find it interesting that mein kampf is the Arabic equivalent of "jihad" currently used by Islamisists, but that's another post). His writings convinced thousands that the two great dangers to the world were Communism and Judaism. Years later we can still see the devastating effect this book had on many generations.

The Apostle Paul states that the word of God is "alive and powerful" in Hebrews 4:12. He also tells us that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". Sounds like more than mere words here!

Words have the ability to get men elected to the highest office, enlist men to fight wars, cause hearts to warm through the stirring of love, awaken injustices that were before unseen and cause men and women to strive to lead holy and quiet lives. I think words have more power than any of us realize! What do you think?

Is It Just Me?

Is it just me, or is the world getting crazier on a daily basis? I can barely keep up with the insanity happening on a global scale. There has never been a time in my life when I could check the news four times daily and find breaking stories on an international level; wars, rumors of wars, etc.


What do you think about what is happening in the Middle East, Russia, China, Iran and North Korea? Where do you think all of this is headed?

The Problem with Greed

The world faces the greatest economic crisis that has been experienced in generations. What is the cause? Who is to blame?

Greed is defined as the excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especially more material wealth) than one needs or deserves. Greed is the foundation stone of this economic crisis. I hear from the mainstream media that the greed of Wall Street is to blame. But is that the only source of greed?

Greed has gripped the hearts of Wall Street certainly. But it has also gripped the hearts of foreign nations who bought up all of our debt, as well as the many individuals who borrowed more than they could afford. We have become an entitlement society. A friend stated it well that today's youth think they are in poverty if their parents don't buy them an iPhone. We want what we want, when we want it. It's that simple!

The generations immediately following the Great Depression saved and sacrificed to have a large down-payment on a home they could afford. A common saying in our home is "Present sacrifices for future benefits". It is something we've taught our children from early on. We need to say no to our desires and be willing to wait to fulfill some of them.

Lenders certainly took advantage of people, but they would not have been successful if the people had not responded to their deceptive promises. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins. The antidote to greed is gratefulness. We need to be thankful for what we already have, instead of coveting things we don't have.

It is my prayer that the current "global economic spanking" we are experiencing would be a lesson well learned; that we would return to delayed gratification and simpler living. My fear is that the lesson will go unnoticed and ignored.

A New Venture

I've been encouraged by several friends to start a blog to discuss current events, politics and religion. I must confess that I love spirited dialogue with those who agree AND disagree with me on controversial topics. I am of the belief that we can disagree in a respectful way and still walk away friends. I know it's rather optimistic, but I've seen in done many, many times. I'm also an eternal optimist.

I named my blog "The Pontificating Prophetic Prestigiator" with great purpose in mind. Firstly, I love to pontificate. One definition of "pontificate" means "To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way". I'm pretty dogmatic about what I believe.

I also have a prophetic view toward life. I like to look at life through the lens of the prophetic; asking God for the deeper meaning of the events happening in the here and now.

And finally, I am a verbal prestigiator. A prestigiator is a juggler. I enjoy juggling words with others. I love a good verbal feud where we balance disagreement with respect and honor for one another. This is NOT easy to juggle. But it's completely possible with hard work and concentration.

So I'm asking you to join me. Come and read the posts and respond with your thoughts, opinions, agreements and disagreements. Let's learn from one another and grow in wisdom and understanding!