A Blast from the Past
Listening to American Routes on NPR tonight. They were remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. and the music of that era. One of the closing songs was by folk singer John Prine. Here's the chorus:

But your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more.
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more.

I was taken back to those days of yester-year when war was a controversial and dividing subject; when you were called "unpatriotic" if you disagreed with what the government was doing; when kids were beat up for having long hair; when you were arrested for wearing a bandana that looked like a flag. It was a difficult era. In some ways it is a long, long time ago in a far different world. In others it is like the news - or even the blogosphere at times. It was a polarizing and divisive time. As we get ready for a presidential election this year, we are ripe for that kind of divisiveness again. It kicks off next week in Iowa. Pray that it will be the start of something we can be proud of as Americans. It can be our shining example to the world.

But as John Prine's old song reminds us, we must remember that our faith is a different story in spite of what all the politicians try to make it. I have the hunch that our faith will often (if not almost always) cause us to wrestle with issues that may sound un-American or at least un-patriotic. But that is okay! It can only lead us deeper in both faith as individuals and the shining example we want to be in our best times. I guess in that way I am beginning to look forward to this year. I continue to struggle with myself and my pacifist leanings. I continue to struggle with easy black-or-white answers that both sides of debates like to make. I hope to struggle here as this year continues.

TXT fr JSS
Company Cuts Heavenly Mobile Link Fri Jan 16,10:25 AM ET

HELSINKI (Reuters) - A service promising to answer people's prayers with a text message apparently sent by Jesus has been shut down after complaints by Finland's mobile services watchdog.

The heavenly service offered answers from Jesus in response to a text message prayer at the cost of a hefty 1.20 euros ($1.52) per message, but lasted less than a month.

"These kinds of services are against basic norms," Ville Nurmi, ombudsman for Finland's mobile content watchdog MAPEL, told Reuters on Friday.