Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Birth Order

I’ve long known that God’s role as creator was central to the Good News of Jesus—when those of other faiths hear that Jesus created the heavens and the earth (Col. 1:16) they suddenly understand why he came to die for our sins. What I didn’t realize until I began my study of what God really said about women, is the centrality of creation to some men’s perspectives about women.

Astounded, I’ve discovered that some prominent evangelical pastors are insisting that because God created Adam before Eve, all men are entitled to rule over all women as a sort of birthright! They seem to have selective memory since the previous chapter of Genesis says that flowers were created before Adam! (Genesis 1:11) To follow their line of reasoning of creation order giving “priority” would mean that God intended for roses and wisteria to rule the world!

The truth is, God instructed both Adam and Eve to rule over the creatures together!


God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Genesis 1:28

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Tilting Windmills er Wind Turbines


If Don Quixote were tilting windmills today, he would be fighting the wind turbines but this time it wouldn’t be because he was delusional. Recently while traveling through a wind farm in southern Spain, I gasped at the monstrous size of the modern day windmills. Though wind energy has seemed a good alternate energy source that will never be depleted, I was astounded at what I saw and knew that the turbines could not be good for the environment.

I’m told that a single turbine blade can be as long as one hundred feet, making a “wingspan” of nearly TWO HUNDRED FEET! (Yes, I’m aware that most have three blades but the width is still phenomenal!) Imagine those (some are over 300 ft. tall!), “on every ridge” as one environmentalist on TV said! What ever happened to environmentalists great concern for wild life migration?

In fact, these wind turbines kill a significant number of birds, especially the larger raptors. With other reports that they sling lubricating oil through the air and land, cause noise and visual pollution, contribute to health problems in people living nearby to mar their record, one has to question the environmental friendliness of these turbines (though not wind energy itself). My concern once again, is that manufacturers of these monstrosities have grasped the opportunity opened by the movement to be “green” and left the proverbial emperor naked.

Yes, we need alternatives in energy but not methods that hurt the environment in the process—we already have plenty of those. I don’t have the answer to what will work as I am simply a lighthouse warning of dangers but there are many smart people out there who can figure out how to produce truly “green” energy if they won’t be lured by slick marketing.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

At the Feet of the Creator

She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:39-42)

Much like Martha of Bethany, I had many things that needed doing today (and every day!), laundry, gardening, preparation for events, paperwork and—posting my creation blog. But the Lord seemed to say, “Don’t worry about it, be like Mary and sit at my feet.” Mary was in a position of learning and understanding. What an amazing, awe-inspiring place to be—learning directly from The Creator, himself! So I sat on our balcony in the almost cool morning, learning anew what it meant to gain understanding from The Creator.

Last weekend my husband brought home from the library, a very weird, wacky movie—“Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” in which “worlds” including our Earth, had been commissioned by beings of "superior intelligence" (such as white mice) and crafted by technicians,using fire hoses to fill oceans. The truth is far grander than their imaginings! “All it took” was Jesus’ vast word to create shining galaxies, magenta nebulas, giant blue whales and small striped honeybees. Yet, this magnificent creator, for a time, made himself like one of us and said that a woman (looked down upon in her day) had chosen the best thing—to listen to him and gain understanding.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)
A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.(Proverbs 12:10)