I finally got around to reading Cormac McCarthy's "The Road." I bought it last summer when it was all the buzz but I never got around to reading it until two days ago. I can see why people loved it... I couldn't put it down - seriously, I read it in a day. It's an easy read and it's brilliant.

Anyway, the John Steinbeck reference is because I couldn't help but think that "The Road" is a post-apocalyptic version of "The Grapes of Wrath" (which is one of my favorite books). Maybe my memory of what "The Grapes of Wrath" was all about is a little off, but I thought I'd put that out there to see what anyone who has read them both thought about that.

Seriously James Dobson? Seriously? I mean... I'm sure there are plenty of points where you disagree with Barack Obama, but calling him out on a point where you actually agree (that faith is important in all decisions) cries of hate not debate. Seriously.

Your turn. Get it.

Today the New York Times had four great editorials. Check them out if you get a chance:

After 75 Years, the Working Poor Still Struggle for a Fair Wage

Fair wages are a huge deal. If you want to read more on this check out The Working Poor by David Shipler. The amount of people who are in poverty and working is astounding. In a country that prides itself on allowing people the opportunity to "make it" these kinds of statistics are embarrassing.

The Genocide Continues

It's sad that even with the amount of press that Darfur gets the trouble continues. For more info check out Save Darfur or the star-studded Not on Our Watch.

A Better System for Young Offenders

If it's embarrassing that working people remain in poverty, the way that our nation treats juvenile offenders is worse. The effect of prison on children, even small stints, is catastrophic and has life-long ramifications. It's nice to see some positive movement in the area.

R.I.P. to the S.U.V.

Good riddance.

I've heard this song before, but I was reminded of it by Caryn after she found out about a great micro-loan site called FINCA that put out a cd to raise some money or awareness or something and this song was on it. Check them out, and listen to this great song.

There ain’t no reason things are this way
It's how they always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way,
We do it everyday.

Preachers on the podium speaking of saints
Prophets on the sidewalk begging for change
Old ladies laughing from the fire escape, cursing my name
I got a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same
A window and a pigeon with a broken wing
You can spend you whole life working for something,
Just to have it taken away
People walk around pushing back their debts
Wearing pay checks like necklaces and bracelets
Talking 'bout nothing, not thinking 'bout death
Every little heartbeat, every little breath
People walk a tight rope on a razor’s edge
Carrying their hurt and hatred and weapons
It could be a bomb, or a bullet, or a pen
Or a thought, or a word, or a sentence

There ain't no reason things are this way
It's how they always been and they intend to stay
I don’t know why I say the things that I say,
But I say them anyway

But love will come set me free
Love will come set me free, I do believe
Love will come set me free, I know it will
Love will come set my free, yes.

Prison walls still standing tall
Some things never change at all
Keep on building prisons, gonna fill them all
Keep building bombs, gonna drop them all
Working young fingers bare to the bone
Breaking your back, make you sell your soul
Like a lung is filled with coal, suffocating slow
The wind blows wild and I may move
But politicians lie and I am not fooled
You don't need no reason or a three piece suit, to argue the truth
The air on my skin and the world under my toes
Slavery is stitched into the fabric of my clothes
Chaos and commotion wherever I go
Love, I try to follow

Love will come set me free
Love will come set me free, I do believe
Love will come set me free, I know it will
Love will come set my free, yes.

There ain't no reason things are this way
It's how they always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way,
We do it everyday.

This is awesome. I love that kind of stuff.

Earlier this year I had to teach a class at Geneva about the social construction of race. A lot of the class focused on the prevalence of racism all around us - including at places like Geneva. Most of the students thought it was absurd to claim that racism was a factor in their lives.

Right now I'm sitting on a couch watching CNN talk about the most recent democratic primary in Kentucky. They just said that in Kentucky over 25% of the people polled told reporters that race was a factor in determining who they would vote for. So, I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying this, that means that 25% of Kentucky is willing to claim that they would vote for a white person over a black person based solely on skin color. That is probably the most disheartening thing that I've heard in quite some time. I wish I could have talked to my class of white kids that claimed racism was dead in America about this news.

While I think that this democratic primary season has been overall very interesting and important, the fact that race has risen to be such a deciding factor in the party that claims to be against that sort of crap is sad.

The guy on CNN just said that he thinks this isn't a racist country, but rather just pockets of racism, but, unfortunately, I think he's wrong. I think we've got a long way to go before we make a sweeping claim like that - especially when it's in the democratic party. It'll still be terrible, but I think I would at least expect it if it was the republican party that was voting that way, and chances are that when the general election comes we'll see states like that nation wide.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on racism in America.

Hi. I'm Chris and I love beer.... I'm also a Christian.

Not really sure whether I think they have good beer advice, and I laughed when I saw the guy was wearing a David Crowder Band T, but still. As far as beer-loving-Christian's go I guess this is the first of its kind... at least that's what they say. I'm going to add it to my google reader and we'll see what happens. Check it out: http://thebeerean.com

This was the first song that I remember hearing that I knew was Bob Dylan. I also remember thinking that songs like this don't exist anymore. Maybe that's wrong, but Bob Dylan has since been by far the most impacting musician in my life.

That really has nothing to do with this blog post other than that my life is changing. I graduate with my MA in Higher Education on Thursday, and in a couple month's I'll be moving to Aliquippa to teach in an alternative-type-school called ROOTS that I am really excited about.

Also, I finally changed my blog template. I'll work more on it later, but I think it's better than the plain and bland black.

I'll write more soon hopefully. I've got a several books that I'm reading that ought to be quite thought provoking (Jesus for President, Sex Economy Freedom and Community, The Hidden Wound) that'll probably get mentioned as well.

Until then, peace be with you.

Maybe this is a bit petty... maybe this is more on track than I think... but one thing is for sure... it's definitely entertaining.

I, like everyone else (especially in the media), have gotten a little side-tracked lately with the whole Reverend Wright debacle. I actually watched the Rev. on Bill Moyer's the other day and was relatively impressed with his demeanor and ideas. I agree with the idea that America's foreign policy decisions were at least partly to blame for 9/11 - and I really don't find that all that controversial. In fact, after watching him on Moyer's I thought that maybe this cloud would finally fly away as people realized he was mostly being taken out of context. However, what's happened next was a bit shocking and the Rev.'s follow-up interviews where he's expressed idea's like the US created HIV/AIDS to attack black people are ludacris and petty.

That ordeal had shaken my faith in Obama, but not because at all blamed him for the events - I think it's insane to judge a person based on their pastor (McCain is apparently close with John Hagee). However, it shook my idea that he actually could be elected. I've been thinking there was no way that he was going to get the nomination.

That all changed today.

First, it started with Thomas Friedman (who is a genius) coming back from his hiatus of writing OP-ED pieces for the New York Times. He wrote a brilliant article about sensible energy policies and how McCain and Clinton's plans are far more damaging than good. Check it out. I was thinking about this a lot today, and then I got some Obama spam (that I signed up for... so I guess it's more like Bacn) that brought back the happy thoughts and it helped me remember why I am so into this guy (Obama) even to the point of having a bumper sticker on my car. Check this out:

This is the kind of leadership we need. Even if he spends his years in the Whitehouse and can't get anything accomplished because people won't listen to him in Washington, I'd rather have someone making responsible decisions as compared to the hack job that's been in office for the past eight years.

I had the amazing honor of getting to converse with and listen to Dr. Steven Garber a couple times in the past few days. He is simply an amazing man who knows how to love deeper and care more than anyone else that I know.

Dr. Garber has written a book that has been very influential in my life called The Fabric of Faithfulness that if you haven't read yet you should. I know you might think you know what it's about, but pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

Dr. Garber has also recently been speaking and writing a lot about the idea of Proximate Justice, which is an amazing idea. Here's his article from Comment Magazine on the subject. Comment also made a smyposium on the idea which is equally as thoughtful and worth your time. Check that out too.

I understand that it might seem like a bit of flattery, but Dr. Garber is one of the greatest humans that I know. The more that I read the Bible and think about what we are called to be, the more that I think we are called to be humans, and Dr. Garber epitomizes this idea in both action and thought. If you ever get the chance to have a conversation with him, do not pass it up.