Malaise

A cartoon from some magazine sometime back showed a classroom. On the chalkboard were two words, “ignorance” and “apathy.” Two stoners are in the back row and one looks up at the board with great effort, and with further strain reads the words slowly aloud, and asks his buddy, “what do those words mean?” His friend doesn’t even bother to look up when mumbling, “I dunno and don’t care.”

Malaise is just a cool sounding word, but if you have it, it’s hard to be excited about it.

Dad and I were talking tonight about how agitated so many Christians are about the state of our nation and all up in arms in Tea Party rallies and the like, yet, there are churches protesting “The Response” time of worship and prayer, and the stadium at best looks like it will be 20% full.

Fasting and "The Response"

Governor Perry has caught a lot of heat over his proclamation calling people to fast and pray this Saturday at Reliant Stadium in Houston. It is unfortunate, but it seems because he is the governor, he can’t encourage people to pray. Others have commented more fully on this in various blogs and op-eds. I guess my thoughts are summed up by the cliché, “It’s a free country. If you don’t want to do it, then don’t.” However, I might add for the practical agnostic that we are in such desperate need of rain, that it certainly can’t hurt to pray about it, unless you are afraid He might answer.

The truly disappointing thing is that the 71,000 seat Reliant Stadium apparently will only be hosting about 8000. So, either, 1) there are a whole lot of Christians doing things at home or with their home church, 2) there are a bunch of last minute attendees, or 3) it seems that most of the Christians in this part of the Bible belt are too busy or too apathetic to come together to worship and ask God for rain, or 4) they like drought. There may be other options, but those are what come to mind as I try to think of others. If you do not currently plan to recognize the proclamation in some way, I encourage you to reconsider.