Love & Props for Bishop Benny of Rome

An article in Boston.com (Boston Globe) about the Pope Benedict XVI's speech to a Roman Catholic conference on families is chock full of intelligent sound-bite-sized quotes that defend the traditional Christian worldview and teaching on sexuality.

Here are some samples:

We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires.

It is only in the marital relationship that the use of the sexual faculty can be morally good.

The various forms of the dissolution of matrimony today, like free unions, trial marriages and going up to pseudo-matrimonies by people of the same sex, are rather expressions of an anarchic freedom that wrongly passes for true freedom of man.

While I am not Roman Catholic, nor do I think I ever could be due to key theological differences, it's just this kind of stuff that makes me proud of the past two bishops of Rome. I agree with my wife's assessment that it's this very type of thing that's part of the appeal of the Catholic church. Maybe we are among those who are "baptized by desire" and are one with Rome in heart if not in actual practice.

Frontlines & Home Fires

I have been thinking about my blog of late. While I really enjoy the fun things, the cultural critiques, the theological ruminations, there is still a hurting world that needs the love of Jesus expressed to them in practical ways. Anyone who trusts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is part of His Body. And we need to be His hands and feet, not just His mouth. Because of this, you will notice a new section under the general links list called "HELP OTHERS." Given, some of us are frontline fighters for these and similar organizations, but those of us who keep the home fires burning, need to step out with dollars where our feet are unable (hopefully not unwilling) to go. I heard someone say once that commitment is spelled "Money." If you are committed to Jesus and His mission, I encourage you to take your stand and select one of these tried and true organizations to support:

The One Campaign
World Vision
Gideon's
Doctor's Without Borders
Habitat for Humanity
The Salvation Army
Open Doors
Prison Fellowship
Samaritan's Purse

Of course, if you are able to do more than give, don't stop with mere cash. Get on the frontlines and be where Jesus is--among those who need Him most.