Niebuhr, iii

I am still on a bit of a Niebuhr kick, I invite you to scoot over here and read Gary Dorrien's interview in the NYTimes. Then scoot over to Union Theological Seminary's web page and gander at Dorrien's speaking engagements, notice how this guy is lecturing against the war and looking for creative strategies for ending it.

I gotta give this guy credit for his relentless work and untiring ethic. He came to CRCDS twice when I was student. One particular night I gave him a ride to his hotel then picked him up the next morning. My experience of him and talking with others about him I would classify him in the true gentlemen category.

I cannot get over how prolific of a writer he is. I don't think his pen every stops. I am currently grinding my way through his three volume history of American Religious Liberalism. But my favorite work of his has to be Soul in Society

The Niebuhr article in the Atlantic Monthly ends with an assessment of the Iraq War what do we do now, from a realist position (not an idealistic one). Can we pack up and leave? Nope. Can we keep up what we are doing now? Nope. I wish the presidential candidates would talk candidly about realistic options for exiting Iraq. Multi-National talks, soft power as the IAEA director Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei discussed the other day on the Charlie Rose show.

There are also great discussion of Social Security, National Health Care, Education, Foreign Relations, The future of the Military, the Environment, Agriculture, Housing Prices, etc that will be shuffled along with some dilly dally answers meant to snuff out any real discussion or proposals.

Time to get back on a sermonic kick. Preaching on Zaccheaus, I wrote a first draft comparing the rich young ruler and Zacchaeus, but after writing it I found that the possible visual elements of the Zaccheaus outweighs the comparative sermon. The sycamore tree, you can feel your way up a sycamore, you can feel the bark sliding off, you can see its monstrous leaves, you can hear Jesus speak your name, what is it like to meet Jesus' eyes, and how does an encounter with the God who is seeking you out change your life? See what i mean with this story, lots there - and I am only scratching the surface.