Friday commentary on the human condition

...it's all around us.

Stealing a page from the National Hockey League, where the old cliche ('we went to a fight and a hockey game broke out') has been retired, two college basketball teams had an unholy brawl recently. Scholar athletes cum thugs spoke of being 'disrespected' and bragged about being 'gangstas,' the former a killing offense in some circles and the latter a virtue. Many thanks to the coach of one team who noted that his university was the place where the polio vaccine was created and that basketball is (gasp!) just a game. Good words, coach. Now control your thugs.

Upwards of ninety percent of churches will have some worship this Christmas, a Sunday. The newsworthy item is, of course, the remaining ten percent. "We're too busy" sayeth the cutting edge ten percenters. Sure.

Rick Perry is desperately trying to get a decent following and has pulled out all the stops to tout himself as the best Christian. Sure, Rick, have at it. But it would be helpful if you could demonstrate competence for the job that you are seeking. So far, you haven't.

This is my first Christmas season as a non-pastor after three decades as a pastor. I'm missing some of the serious eating that was part of pastoral duties during this time.

Do Southern Baptists really prefer another four years of a Christian president, Barack Obama, to four years of a Mormon president, Mitt Romney? I'll bet you ten thousand dollars that when it comes to voting, my colleagues will vote for the Mormon.

I don't care what people say or how many people have ebook readers, I like the heft, the rustle of pages, and the look on a shelf of REAL books.

Three Sundays consecutively I have visited other churches. I have yet to hear the pastor of a church preach. Some would call me lucky...