Waves of Wonder or Bah Humbug?

"Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it -- every, every minute?" Emily, Our Town- by Thornton Wilder

I have a test for you- it will take some time- maybe a little money- but the assessment will be revealing.

Find a way to watch the documentary "America's Heart and Soul" - you can rent it for $2.00 and watch it at Amazon.com by clinking on this link to your left- or it is showing from time to time on your TV.

The test is this- does this movie stir something in you? Now, if it doesn't, I'm not throwing stones...

This is a beautiful video - a collection of short vignettes displaying a cornucopia of extravagant characters. Life is indeed stranger than fiction and people come in all flavors.

In the end- the movie seems to prove that heart passions and freedom creates narratives that are as unique as human fingerprints and paints a portrait of America as diverse and colorful as you can imagine.

The neat thing for me is that I see the glory of God in all of it- just as I always have in everything from nature shows to biography. What a world God has made and what a wonder is His crown jewel of creation...mankind.

As you watch it- watch for the gospel of God's grace- it flows right through the heartland- but you have to have spiritual eyes to see it. Also see the hunger people have for their heavenly father- and the great need for love we all have- and the great need to serve and be served.

Now, after I watched it- I went online and read the reviews. Have you ever noticed how people can see the same thing in such different lights? Some loved the documentary and some loathed it.

My concern is that we sometimes reject things based purely on cynicism. We are too sophisticated to appreciate or we just mock things- both are the two sides of the same coin of pride.

But how can you stay hard-hearted when you see the story of Dick Hoyt?

85 times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.
Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike.

I had seen it before on you-tube- but wow- what an inspiration!

Each individual human story gives us a chance to judge, criticize, or appreciate. My strong belief is that Christ wants us to do the latter. Standing strong in the gospel does not mean we have to be dead right- we don't have to kill people with the truth.

So- why don't you watch it and give me some feedback..... should we love America or mock it? I still have great hope- both for the gospel and for our American way of life. I am a big fan of people- I love seeing and hearing what makes them tick!