The New Road to Hell

I read a great article recently.

It was the back page article in the March 24, 2008 issue of TIME, written by Nancy Gibbs, and called The New Road to Hell. It dealt with the “new social sins” decreed by the Vatican recently—Environmental Pollution, Genetic Manipulation, Obscene Wealth, Infliction of Poverty, Drug Trafficking, Morally Debatable Experiements, and Violation of the Fundamental Rights of Human Nature.

She had the following good thoughts…

Sin, unlike crime or folly, is a spiritual notion: for Muslim or Jew or Christian, sin is the saboteur that keeps us from grace, separates us from God. The new list is about what separates us from one another; it makes abstract the failings that once were intimate and in the process may make sin smaller, not bigger or more relevant. Private faith already speaks to public duty, as Mohandas Gandhi suggested with his version of the seven deadly sins: “Wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, science without humanity, knowledge without character, politics without principle, commerce without morality and worship without sacrifice.” The responsibility rests with the individual, but that includes the duty to take care of others as well as your own soul.

I think she wraps it up very nicely at the end. Which goes in line perfectly with what she said earlier in her article that the original mortal sins had as much to do with attitudes as with acts themselves. It’s not the laws themselves that compel us to avoid things, it’s what’s inside us that does.

Filed under: Catholicism, Genetics, Hell, Mohandas Gandhi, Nancy Gibbs, Sin, Social Conscious, Social Justice, Time

Laminin

Back in February 2007 I went to a Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman concert, and Louie Giglio gave a talk about the expansiveness of the universe (video clip). The climax of his talk came when he revealed a picture of Laminin. Laminin is a protein in our body that literally holds our skin, organs, and everything else in our body, in place. It is described as rebar of the human body—it holds us all together.

In the last 12 months more people have come to my site as a result of searching for Laminin than by any other term. Actually if you add up the results of the next ten searches you’d get the total for that one word search. It’s kinda bananas.

I always love listening to Louie speak, and the visuals he had of the universe were amazing, but I remember distinctly asking my buddy on the drive home about the idea of Laminin being the stuff that holds us all together shaped as a cross. While I enjoy the coincidence of it, thinking that God designed it that way on purpose leads me to believe that he expected man to fall at the very start, making the cross necessary. Did he know all along? Did he alter our chemistry after the fact? Was it just a coincidence that made for a nice visual?

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. —Colossians 1:15-17

Do you have any search engine terms that rise above the rest?

Filed under: Chris Tomlin, Faith, God, Hope, Jesus, Laminin, Louie Giglio, Matt Redman, Redemption, Science, Sin, Universe

Confession: It’s Good For The Soul

It’s never a bad time to admit openly and publicly that I, The Original Mud Puppy, am the KING of sinners.

(Video courtesy of Shane Bertou)

» More Mud Puppy Confessions

Filed under: Confessions, Forgiveness, Mud Puppy, Sin, YouTube

My [Re]Birthday

19 years old and counting.

On this date in 1988, in this small church in Rosebud, Arkansas, I publicly demonstrated my commitment to God. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I haven’t always been perfect, but I am always pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

You with me?

Filed under: Baptism, Birthdays, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Love, Sin

Good Friday?

You ever wonder why they call it Good Friday? Because we’re innocent baby! Thank you Jesus!!

Innocent – Third Day

It seemed like I had run out of second chances
And they sentenced me to die
And I was just like a dead man walking
I was running out of time

But you came to me and opened my eyes
You gave me a brand new life

I am innocent and I have been set free
I no longer have chains around my feet
And no matter where I go or what they say
I am innocent

Many years have passed since the day that I met you
But your words are still the same
And every time I find myself with joy or sadness
I am calling out your name

‘Cause you came to me and opened my eyes
You gave to me a brand new life

Filed under: Good Friday, Jesus, Lyrics, Sin, Third Day