The Long Goodbye - May 10

There is nothing more annoying to me than some dopey politician who wants to turn their departure from public service into a major Hollywood picture. The latest is Britain's Tony Blair, who, after ten years of being PM has today announced his final plans to leave 10 Downing St.. Seven years ought to be the max for any leader of a nation. Look at Jean Chretien, an arrogant man who brought us Adscam and stagnation to the Canadian political scene. As the old saying goes, 'Don't go away mad, just go away!'.

Conveniently lost in all this hubbub on the British news front is the fact that the costs for the national ID card that no-one wants is spiralling upward. Wow, where have I seen that one before? How about the gun registry here in Canada or the escalating costs of the Iraqi war? When has a gov't sponsored initiative ever been close to budget and on time? Never. This is a boondoggle and a white elephant, just like the Mirabel airport was during the Trudeau years. This national ID card thingy will not increase security for the average British citizen one bit. What it does enable is 'mark of the beast' technology and the rise of one world government.

The ultimate long goodbye is reserved for those poor American troops stationed in Iraq. What Bush is doing is not 'staying the course', it is blind stubborness. Actually the Bush doctrine smacks of fanaticism: The redoubling of effort when the aim has been lost. What needs to be done is not the status quo, but a genuine re-evaluation of the situation on the ground in Iraq. Not appeasement and surrender. Not 'We'll stay 'til the job is done' which is meaningless and deliberately vague. Instead, real and honest assessments about Iraq, including benchmarks for success and a viable exit strategy. I'm partial to the idea of declaring victory and getting out, provided Iraq isn't handed over to the Iranians on a silver platter. Also, here's a cool link from livescience.com on the Top 10 Battles that have shaped this ancient blood-soaked land.

Pope Benedict XVI is in Brazil to throw cold water on 'liberation theology', a bad mix of Marxism and Bible stories that leave everyone confused. Benny is still adamant on that whole 'life begins at conception' thing, which is good. Being pro-life is very un-PC these days. As long as the Pope stays away from the beaches and the beautiful women that linger there he'll do just fine!

As I was reading this article between the growing divide between Christians and the unchurched I started thinking, 'Do we really listen to what the unchurched have to say about us?'. I'm quite sure we don't. Here's what I think: I think we tend to run churches the same way we run our businesses. It's like we're selling something and are obsessed with putting more and more bums in the pews rather than genuine revival. We are here to occupy until Jesus comes and we are to give the world our testimony. We are to be salt and light, just as Christ taught us. Faith is not superstition and it isn't fanaticism (see explanation above). Faith is standing on the promises of God and sharing that with others. Faith is reason taken to the nth degree. People are attracted to the idea of hope, love for others, and being steadfast in a shaky world. People need to hear the message of forgiveness and reconciliation with God that only Christ can bring. When we emulate Christ, then the unchurched will come. Act like a used car salesman and they'll be driven away. Which path will the global church take?

Johnny Cash