Learning Opportunities
- Monday: noon: Misquoting Jesus—chapter 7 led by Dr. Fred Richart, in the circle area, food court, MBSC
- Wednesday night: 8:30 PM dinner at the Richart’s for conclusion of “Misquoting Jesus” who meets Jon Stewart.
Serving opportunities:
- Sign up now for the volunteer work trip to Gretna (New Orleans) December 30-January 6.
- Saturday am. We meet to work on a Habitat for Humanity house.
Managing the World and Coordinating opportunities:
- Tuesday 1:30 PM I’ll be helping to fold fliers to mail to parents of UNO freshmen. This is a cooperative effort with the Catholic and LCMS campus ministries. About 2 hours.
- Helping plan the set up the Peace Expo for April 15, 2007. We’ll find a great way for groups interested in Peace to meet & greet.
Worship Opportunities:
- We’re getting ready to meet 2nd Semester, Wednesday nights at 8PM on campus. Peer Minister Lori Young and Peace with Justice Intern John Owens are leaders here.
Now the blog:
I’m dedicating myself to revitalizing my spirit and body. So I’m reading the Bible, focusing this time of year on Matthew and Isaiah and other prophets. This is good for my soul.
Physically, I’m swimming in the HPHER pool several times a week. This is OK on my knee joints and it is good thinking time. (However, I have a concern: Why is it when I go into training, I immediately find a way to not think about what I’m doing? Every day I lose track of my laps!)
Last week after my Wednesday swim, I fell into a conversation with two students. One was in ROTC. The other was his buddy. We discussed the role of physical fitness in the regime of the student, and how good it felt to workout. We are doing it for different purposes, though. The one was getting ready for an anticipated stint in Iraq. The other was doing judo to keep fit and alert. It was easy to imagine that because he had his judo kimono all folded up. I don’t remember the color of his belt to tell you his ranking.
Who knows how, but we started talking about legalized gambling in Nebraska. He was for it, and I was against it. His logic was not persuasive (lost money to Iowa, to which I responded about increased costs to society; freedom of choice vs. good of the community; I want to do it because I’m of age vs. it’s time to take a view of what Jesus would do, etc.)
“OK” he said, “How do you feel about it?”
That was a low blow. I was ready with arguments against gambling, but I’d forgotten about how I felt about it. He deserved an answer and I should know where I stand on an issue like this one.
When I was twelve, my grandmother took a $2 bet of mine to the window at AKSARBEN. I lost it all. The pain was great enough so I never went back. True, I wistfully wonder what I would do with the Powerball jackpot, (starting with giving away the first 10%) but I never get in line to lay my money down.
Churches, including our sponsoring denominations, take an official stance against legalized gambling because it destroys society, preys upon the poor, and provides the dream “Hey, I can get something for nothing.” It’s all a lie, and the bulk of the profit goes to the casino owners who are all out of state, or out of the country.
Years ago, a relative of mine came back from Viet Nam duty with a drug and alcohol habit and a budding gambling addiction. He graduated from to the head of the crazed class of bettors, putting up the house payment and shoes for the kids on the NFL. He was helpless—and that was when there was no legal gambling in Iowa.
I said, “I think the whole idea of legalized gambling ticks me off. It is a lie and it destroys society, and that goes against the Jesus I know.”
“Well, you’ve got a point there.”
It was a reminder that having opinions and thoughts rarely convince anyone of anything. Believing what you say, though—that’s a different matter.
--Fred
