I'm Famous

My Concrete "Angel"

The saga here at “the home” continues.

When Bruce and I moved in, I placed a concrete statue of a little girl—she looks maybe three or four years old—in a niche in the wall outside our door. She is about 20” tall; her head is bowed; her hands are folded, and two concrete wings sprout from her little concrete shoulders. I decorate her every month to fit a holiday or seasonal theme. Right now she is wearing a turkey tail, beak, and wattle for thanksgiving.

Although she bears no resemblance to the angels described in the Bible, I have been known to refer to this statue as “my angel.” This has resulted in the following brouhaha:

Last month, October, I put a half mask over her eyes, put artificial green leaves on her wings, and a sunflower on her head. I hung a green trick or treat bag over her hands and spread candy at her feet. Two days later, someone left a note, “This is nothing to do to an angel.” I took it as a joke and left it for all to see. Two days after that, I found a plastic bag hanging on my door containing my “angel’s” costume. I was astounded that anyone would have the nerve to do such a thing without notifying me.

Shortly thereafter, a lady I now refer to as “Super Christian” showed up at my door. She was all smiles as she told me that she had taken down the costume while I wasn’t in because “people were talking.” She went on. “I just wanted to protect you from the gossip.”

I was incensed, but, all smiles. (I haven't lived in the South for 40 years without learning something.) I asked if she wanted any help removing the pumpkin down the hall or the witch hanging from my neighbor’s door. She answered that she was "offended" by Halloween, but she had removed my decorations only because I had done such a thing “to an angel.”

[God help us. Yet another misapplication of the Biblical term "offended" by those who would control the behavior of other Christians. *To "offend" in the Bible means to cause another to sin.]

After she left, I thought of all sorts of things to do in retaliation, including placing the following note on my statue: “I realize that those of you who have recently stopped practicing witchcraft can be very tempted to return to those practices by any hint of the occult, so I apologize to all of you former witches for having costumed my statue for Halloween. Please know I am praying for your total rehabilitation.”

But I didn’t. In the end my better angels prevailed, and I posted the following:

Dear Residents,

I want to apologize for Becky who in the past has referred to me as “an angel.” Biblical angels are scary, wingless, and male.

I am a concrete statue made by Becky’s sister to commemorate their sister, Rita, who died in a car accident.

Becky has been dressing me up monthly to try and create a more joyful atmosphere here at C--------.

For October she dressed me as a sprite for “trick or treat,” forgetting that Rita did not allow her own children to celebrate Halloween.

I will close by reminding all of us that one way we can stop the Devil in his tracks is to NOT GOSSIP.

Anytime you hear anyone say anything about anybody, tell them to go to that person and say it to their face.

Thank you, “Angel” Rita

*Romans 14: 19-23 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.  It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.  But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Physics, Theology, and the Expansion of the Universe

 

Just thinking:

Scientists say that, immediately after the Big Bang, the universe expanded faster than the speed of light. They also say that the universe will, sometime in the future, again expand at a rate faster than the speed of light. Given E=MC2, moving anything faster than the speed of light requires an infinite force.

What if "dark matter" is time?

What if time has mass?

What if the expansion of the universe is due to the expansion of time?

Some implications are:

·         Space has mass.

·         An infinite force created the universe.

·         Time began at the Big Bang and will end with the universe.

Of course,  infinite force does not necessarily imply intelligence, but the existence of the laws of chemistry, physics and biology ever since the Big Bang most certainly does.