For reasons unknown, I thought blogging would be different. That every day I would have some significant insight to post. As recent days prove, that is not the case. Since my last post, I have literally had nothing to say. Now I’m not saying I had no thoughts; I did. My mind runs nonstop as long as I’m awake, and probably even when I’m asleep! But none of the thoughts swirling in the grey matter seemed significant enough to share. The truth is that no matter the forum – website blog, personal journal or the new document page on Windows – writing requires discipline and consistency. I know that from my years of devotional word crafting, but somehow I thought blogging would be different. It isn’t.
So here I am five days since my last post hoping to share something that’s worthwhile reading. On Saturday I watched The Godfather for the umpteenth time. Four hours (including the commercials) in classic “couch potato” posture, sprawled on the sofa. Could I have better used that time? Probably. But sometimes it is what it is. Whatever that is. That was one of those times. More to the point. As they always do, the scenes near the movie’s conclusion arrested my attention. The juxtapositions of the baptismal rituals of Michael Corleone’s nephew (for whom he is the godfather) and the assassinations of the Corleone’s family’s archenemies are not just cinematic genius. They represent also the great dichotomy of a believer’s faith and his actions. How was Michael able to profess the beliefs of the church – belief in God, in Jesus and the Holy Spirit and proclaim obedience to the doctrines such belief requires – and at the same time know that on his orders and authority, men were being killed? In pretty much the same way the duality of good and evil flow from the same fountain in us. Despite the current cultural norm of deceit, can we be honest. Many professed Christians praise God out of the same mouth with which they curse those whom God made. Our ability to “talk a good talk,” while simultaneously invalidating that talk by our actions characterizes far too many of us who confess the Holy Trinity. And because we have become so comfortable in our secular postures of accommodating evil, giving it the same position as good, we falter in the sacred. Two hands stretch out to you. Whose do you kiss? And call “Godfather?”
Love. Joy. Peace.