EDIT: For those interested, feel free to follow my "normal" blog here: Tami Hagglund
I did something crazy yesterday. I deleted the 30 episodes of Oprah lingering on my TiVo and I cancelled the season pass.
It was a really hard decision and it came after a lot of discussion with my husband and patience and discernment to do the right thing. Many factors fed into the decision. For one, after we moved, for the entire first week (so two weeks ago) I completely and absolutely forgot about the entire week of the show. Then, last week, it would come to mind once or twice, but I was so busy that it just simmered...well, not even on a back burner. It was simmering on a stove in someone else's house for all the inspiration I had to do an episode.
Late last week I sat down and scrolled through the episodes on my TiVo, looking for one to possibly do, and it hit me full on in the face--my passion for this had just waned. The major reason is that I'm in full-on nesting mode. I knew that having a baby might interfere with being able to do every episode, but something in my heart has just changed and it's not just Oprah--I've been watching much less TV because I can't sit still. But it hit me that if I'm this preoccupied and disinterested in entertainment, particularly this blog (which, despite being work, was still something I did because I love dissecting culture through the lens of the Gospel), right now then I sure don't see it getting much more of my energy once my little guy is born.
Not only will I be a full-time mama but I'm still the primary caretaker of our home, including cleaning, finances (bill paying and the like), and cooking. My husband is a rock star and helps as much as he can, but he works a lot and is in school full time so it's the best balance for us. Additionally, I do transcription and plan to try and still squeeze in about 15 hours a week doing that to make a little extra cash. Balancing all of that with my baby boy and my desire to be really active with him and get lots of exercise and get outdoors means that time will just be very limited. Even at only a few episodes a week this blog would require another 7-10 hours a week. That means I'd basically be trying to do a full-time job of "other stuff" besides being a mama so this is what needs to go first.
The one other factor is that part of the reason it's time to move on is that I found that with each episode in the latter ones I've done there was very little new content. I had to continually refer to past episodes or I would have just been repeating myself. Combining that with the lack of passion for doing this and the time, plus needing to be a wife and mother first, it's time to bid this blog adieu.
There is one caveat--if it seems appropriate then I'll do a "special" from time to time. I'll try to keep my eyes out for intriguing episodes, and I'm sure I'll be tuning in myself for her last few since it's sort of iconic. Plus, hopefully by then I'll have a 2-1/2 month old who has chilled into a decent routine. We'll see :)
So that's that! I have peace about it, and hopefully it's not breaking too many hearts!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Episode 65 - Race on the Oprah Show: A 25 Year Look Back
I can't lie--this is the last thing I want to be doing right now. I'm exhausted and my brain is mush. But I also really feel a need to do this episode, so I am. I'm going to do my best to try and incorporate brevity into my writing tonight, though!
Twenty-Five Years of Race on the Oprah Show
Oprah begins the show by saying that it is because of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that she is standing here today. This episode aired on MLK Day, ergo the relevance. In 1987, Oprah says the show had only been on the air for about 6 months when they went on the road to Forsyth County, GA, where not a single black person had lived for 75 years. Oy! She says she went there to find out why; disturbing images that had been airing around the nation the past few weeks are shown--men proudly clad in Klan gear, others shouting "No King holiday!" on repeat, thousands crowded on the streets in protest with the Confederate flag plastered everywhere, and one man saying very clearly that "there's no reason ni***rs [I refuse to use that word, for reasons of personal conviction, thus I won't even use it in direct quotation of anyone else] should even come here" because they aren't welcome.
In a town hall type meeting, Oprah interviews people, in which everyone I can see is white. Upon being asked what they fear from black people, one man describes living in a nice place but then it became a rat infested slum area because "they don't care." Oprah calls him out on this, asking if by "they" he means the entire black race, and he says there's a difference between a black person and a ni***r, explaining that a black person doesn't want to come to their all-white community and cause trouble but a ni***r does. One woman does stand up and say that it scared her to think that someone--black or white--would have to get hurt before people could sit down and talk rationally to get things the way it should be--black and white living together.
Today, Forsyth County is one of the richest counties in the United States, 7,329 African-Americans live there. Oprah's producers shared with her that both blacks and whites alike say it is a great place to live and raise a family.
When the Conversation Needs to Stop
Oprah says she went to Forsyth County because she believed that the best way to see change is to get people talking to one another. However, about a year later she did a show with skinheads. She says one called her a "monkey" and she could see them signalling to one another in the audience. Described as an "aha" moment, she realized that her show, this platform, should never be used to disperse talk that she felt is from the dark side, or evil. That was profound for her, as she always thought talking was the answer, but in some cases and with some people's opinions it's better left without the opportunity to be shared.
The Little Rock Nine
In 1957, nine African American students were to be integrated into a white high school in Little Rock despite massive white outrage and protest; in 1996, Oprah had (seven or eight; I can't tell, as the number of people on the stage changed but weren't named) of the nine on her show. The famous images are of the National Guard on hand to calm the outrage outside the school, but the real terror for the students came upon being inside and trying to simply be high school students. They faced not only their fellow students' racism, but it even came from some--not all, but many--of their teachers. Oprah also had on three who were white students in the high school who admitted to being part of the hatred perpetrated toward the black students. They apologized, admitted their ignorance and fear, and the guilt that has haunted them for 38 years. One woman who was taught racism at home says she broke the chain at home with her family.
The Ball Plantation
In 1998, Oprah had a woman on her show whose grandmother was a slave. She also had on a man named Edward Ball; his family at one point owned over 4,000 slaves. Edward apologized to the woman, and her daughter, asking their forgiveness for what his family put their family through. Oprah asks Charlotte, the daughter, what it means to her to hear those words, and she replies, "I live with racism every day... and it doesn't wash it away... but it means that someone recognizes what we go through when we go out our doors every day." Oprah nods her head in agreement, tears streaming down her face. Back in the present, Oprah is moved to tears once again by Charlotte's words.
The Discrimination Experiment
Oprah's show once did an experiment in which her staff was instructed to discriminate against people with blue eyes and show great favor toward those with brown eyes. People with brown eyes were spoken to more kindly and given preferential treatment--allowed to sit, and given food and drink--while the blue eyed people were forced to stand in a crowded room for 2 hours. Oprah even had a woman on stage going along the ruse, stating that brown eyed people are simply smarter than blue eyed people. Upon feeling discriminated against, the blue eyed people began to be outraged, particularly because the woman on the stage had blue eyes! Her solution? She's learned to act brown-eyed, to act intelligently, which makes her fine. Even more so the brown eyed people began to buy into the idea that they were superior; one woman even talked about how stupid a blue eyed friend of hers was in school and swings accusations at the rude and noisy blue eyed people.
The audience eventually figured out that it was about racism; a man claims that God created the races and people are different and that's inescapable. The great money quote from the woman on the stage, though, is "God created one race, the human race, and human beings created racism."
Rodney King & OJ Simpson
In the early 90s racial tensions were high, particularly in the LA area after the Rodney King riots, for which Oprah did a show. One white man describes members of his family being shot, some killed, as they tried to get away from the chaos. He says he doesn't understand, that if he and that man, pointing to a black man, cut themselves shaving the blood that fills the cup is the same color. Additionally, she had a live audience videotaped as they heard the OJ Simpson verdict handed down for the first time. Many white people hung their heads white black people jumped, shouted and screamed (as an aside, I must say that Oprah herself looked... well, pissed is the best word so it's what I'm using). Upon one black woman saying she thinks justice was served, many in the audience cried out, "Nooooo!" in disappointed protest. One white woman exclaims in frustration that Nicole Brown herself said that if OJ ever killed her he would get away with it, and that just by looking at him you can tell that he knows that he did. Another white woman says she is sure OJ is guilty, but that California officials must have been glad he was found not guilty or the blacks would have burned the city down (remember that this 3 years after the Rodney King riots).
Today, reflecting upon the two issues, Oprah says that she feels that many were glad to see OJ found not guilty as a way to basically make up for the injustice against Rodney King. Oprah carefully applies a quote from Dr. King: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Jay-Z and "the N-word"
In 2009 Oprah and Jay-Z went head to head, because she says she's not a fan of rap music thanks to "misogynist lyrics" and "the use of the N-word." He disagrees, because he thinks people give words power and he feels his generation took an ugly and hurtful word and took the power out of it and made it into a term of endearment. He feels that if you take away the word people just make up another word the next day, so the issue is to address the problem by removing the power. Oprah says she disagrees, because as someone who lived through the Civil Rights Movement that word is associated with such hatred that she still thinks about black men who were lynched and that's the last word they heard. Jay-Z agrees that is an understandable and strong point, simply that they agree to disagree.
Today, Oprah says she read Jay-Z's book Decoded a few months ago, and that she felt Jay-Z broke down rap culture in such a way that it gave her an "aha moment." (She really loves those!). She reads from page 162:
Unexpected Update
In 1989, Oprah had a man named James who spoke of how his biracial grandson, an adorable 4 year old boy, began to change his deeply hateful and racist ways. He felt superior to blacks and had a bully mentality against them, threatening and at times even slapping them. He was furious when he found out his daughter was pregnant with a black man's son, admitting he even wanted to get a gun and shoot a few people. What changed him was his grandson's unconditional love; Seth, the grandson, didn't know his grandpa was a racist. He just knew him as Smokey, "his grandaddy." The next thing he knew, James says he loved his grandson, who today is a 26 year old husband and father. Three years ago things came full circle when James and his wife adopted two black sons into their family. He says he hope he can stay around long enough to see his sons grow up and have opportunities that "thugs like me would have denied them 40 years ago."
***
Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
I have written about race before, but I still wanted to watch this episode and cover it, though I am still incredibly tired! I'm asking Jesus to help me glorify Him and focus on what He has to say about this issue! I appreciate the quote from the woman in the discrimination experiment episode, that God created the human race but humans created racism. I don't want to restate too many things I have already said--the Bible makes it very clear that God truly does love all people and He is not partial to race. Psalm 139, in which the author writes that he is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, applies to every single human being who has ever lived or ever will live. Not a baby is conceived that wasn't knit together by God.
That said, one reason I wanted to cover this episode is because of an incredible blog post I read yesterday, the holiday honoring Dr. King and his legacy, and I want to share it with you; it says everything I would write here but better and more concisely, so please read it! And, as you go there, just for some context, Rainier Valley is one of the more heavily black neighborhoods in Seattle and has traditionally, and tragically, been considered one of the worse neighborhoods. It fits the sad Chris Rock routine stereotype of how your average city's MLK commemorative street or avenue goes through some of said city's worst neighborhoods. That's part of what makes this article great! Enough of me, though; go read it!
http://blog.marshillchurch.org/2011/01/17/sin-is-not-racist/
Twenty-Five Years of Race on the Oprah Show
Oprah begins the show by saying that it is because of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that she is standing here today. This episode aired on MLK Day, ergo the relevance. In 1987, Oprah says the show had only been on the air for about 6 months when they went on the road to Forsyth County, GA, where not a single black person had lived for 75 years. Oy! She says she went there to find out why; disturbing images that had been airing around the nation the past few weeks are shown--men proudly clad in Klan gear, others shouting "No King holiday!" on repeat, thousands crowded on the streets in protest with the Confederate flag plastered everywhere, and one man saying very clearly that "there's no reason ni***rs [I refuse to use that word, for reasons of personal conviction, thus I won't even use it in direct quotation of anyone else] should even come here" because they aren't welcome.
In a town hall type meeting, Oprah interviews people, in which everyone I can see is white. Upon being asked what they fear from black people, one man describes living in a nice place but then it became a rat infested slum area because "they don't care." Oprah calls him out on this, asking if by "they" he means the entire black race, and he says there's a difference between a black person and a ni***r, explaining that a black person doesn't want to come to their all-white community and cause trouble but a ni***r does. One woman does stand up and say that it scared her to think that someone--black or white--would have to get hurt before people could sit down and talk rationally to get things the way it should be--black and white living together.
Today, Forsyth County is one of the richest counties in the United States, 7,329 African-Americans live there. Oprah's producers shared with her that both blacks and whites alike say it is a great place to live and raise a family.
When the Conversation Needs to Stop
Oprah says she went to Forsyth County because she believed that the best way to see change is to get people talking to one another. However, about a year later she did a show with skinheads. She says one called her a "monkey" and she could see them signalling to one another in the audience. Described as an "aha" moment, she realized that her show, this platform, should never be used to disperse talk that she felt is from the dark side, or evil. That was profound for her, as she always thought talking was the answer, but in some cases and with some people's opinions it's better left without the opportunity to be shared.
The Little Rock Nine
In 1957, nine African American students were to be integrated into a white high school in Little Rock despite massive white outrage and protest; in 1996, Oprah had (seven or eight; I can't tell, as the number of people on the stage changed but weren't named) of the nine on her show. The famous images are of the National Guard on hand to calm the outrage outside the school, but the real terror for the students came upon being inside and trying to simply be high school students. They faced not only their fellow students' racism, but it even came from some--not all, but many--of their teachers. Oprah also had on three who were white students in the high school who admitted to being part of the hatred perpetrated toward the black students. They apologized, admitted their ignorance and fear, and the guilt that has haunted them for 38 years. One woman who was taught racism at home says she broke the chain at home with her family.
The Ball Plantation
In 1998, Oprah had a woman on her show whose grandmother was a slave. She also had on a man named Edward Ball; his family at one point owned over 4,000 slaves. Edward apologized to the woman, and her daughter, asking their forgiveness for what his family put their family through. Oprah asks Charlotte, the daughter, what it means to her to hear those words, and she replies, "I live with racism every day... and it doesn't wash it away... but it means that someone recognizes what we go through when we go out our doors every day." Oprah nods her head in agreement, tears streaming down her face. Back in the present, Oprah is moved to tears once again by Charlotte's words.
The Discrimination Experiment
Oprah's show once did an experiment in which her staff was instructed to discriminate against people with blue eyes and show great favor toward those with brown eyes. People with brown eyes were spoken to more kindly and given preferential treatment--allowed to sit, and given food and drink--while the blue eyed people were forced to stand in a crowded room for 2 hours. Oprah even had a woman on stage going along the ruse, stating that brown eyed people are simply smarter than blue eyed people. Upon feeling discriminated against, the blue eyed people began to be outraged, particularly because the woman on the stage had blue eyes! Her solution? She's learned to act brown-eyed, to act intelligently, which makes her fine. Even more so the brown eyed people began to buy into the idea that they were superior; one woman even talked about how stupid a blue eyed friend of hers was in school and swings accusations at the rude and noisy blue eyed people.
The audience eventually figured out that it was about racism; a man claims that God created the races and people are different and that's inescapable. The great money quote from the woman on the stage, though, is "God created one race, the human race, and human beings created racism."
Rodney King & OJ Simpson
In the early 90s racial tensions were high, particularly in the LA area after the Rodney King riots, for which Oprah did a show. One white man describes members of his family being shot, some killed, as they tried to get away from the chaos. He says he doesn't understand, that if he and that man, pointing to a black man, cut themselves shaving the blood that fills the cup is the same color. Additionally, she had a live audience videotaped as they heard the OJ Simpson verdict handed down for the first time. Many white people hung their heads white black people jumped, shouted and screamed (as an aside, I must say that Oprah herself looked... well, pissed is the best word so it's what I'm using). Upon one black woman saying she thinks justice was served, many in the audience cried out, "Nooooo!" in disappointed protest. One white woman exclaims in frustration that Nicole Brown herself said that if OJ ever killed her he would get away with it, and that just by looking at him you can tell that he knows that he did. Another white woman says she is sure OJ is guilty, but that California officials must have been glad he was found not guilty or the blacks would have burned the city down (remember that this 3 years after the Rodney King riots).
Today, reflecting upon the two issues, Oprah says that she feels that many were glad to see OJ found not guilty as a way to basically make up for the injustice against Rodney King. Oprah carefully applies a quote from Dr. King: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Jay-Z and "the N-word"
In 2009 Oprah and Jay-Z went head to head, because she says she's not a fan of rap music thanks to "misogynist lyrics" and "the use of the N-word." He disagrees, because he thinks people give words power and he feels his generation took an ugly and hurtful word and took the power out of it and made it into a term of endearment. He feels that if you take away the word people just make up another word the next day, so the issue is to address the problem by removing the power. Oprah says she disagrees, because as someone who lived through the Civil Rights Movement that word is associated with such hatred that she still thinks about black men who were lynched and that's the last word they heard. Jay-Z agrees that is an understandable and strong point, simply that they agree to disagree.
Today, Oprah says she read Jay-Z's book Decoded a few months ago, and that she felt Jay-Z broke down rap culture in such a way that it gave her an "aha moment." (She really loves those!). She reads from page 162:
Rappers are young black men telling stories that the police, among others, don't want to hear.Her realization was that she was among "the others" and she appreciated Jay-Z so much for opening up her mind that she not only thanks him now but that's why it was one of her favorite things this last December.
Unexpected Update
In 1989, Oprah had a man named James who spoke of how his biracial grandson, an adorable 4 year old boy, began to change his deeply hateful and racist ways. He felt superior to blacks and had a bully mentality against them, threatening and at times even slapping them. He was furious when he found out his daughter was pregnant with a black man's son, admitting he even wanted to get a gun and shoot a few people. What changed him was his grandson's unconditional love; Seth, the grandson, didn't know his grandpa was a racist. He just knew him as Smokey, "his grandaddy." The next thing he knew, James says he loved his grandson, who today is a 26 year old husband and father. Three years ago things came full circle when James and his wife adopted two black sons into their family. He says he hope he can stay around long enough to see his sons grow up and have opportunities that "thugs like me would have denied them 40 years ago."
***
Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
I have written about race before, but I still wanted to watch this episode and cover it, though I am still incredibly tired! I'm asking Jesus to help me glorify Him and focus on what He has to say about this issue! I appreciate the quote from the woman in the discrimination experiment episode, that God created the human race but humans created racism. I don't want to restate too many things I have already said--the Bible makes it very clear that God truly does love all people and He is not partial to race. Psalm 139, in which the author writes that he is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, applies to every single human being who has ever lived or ever will live. Not a baby is conceived that wasn't knit together by God.
That said, one reason I wanted to cover this episode is because of an incredible blog post I read yesterday, the holiday honoring Dr. King and his legacy, and I want to share it with you; it says everything I would write here but better and more concisely, so please read it! And, as you go there, just for some context, Rainier Valley is one of the more heavily black neighborhoods in Seattle and has traditionally, and tragically, been considered one of the worse neighborhoods. It fits the sad Chris Rock routine stereotype of how your average city's MLK commemorative street or avenue goes through some of said city's worst neighborhoods. That's part of what makes this article great! Enough of me, though; go read it!
http://blog.marshillchurch.org/2011/01/17/sin-is-not-racist/
New Year Check-In
Well, wouldn't you have it that when Oprah finally has a full week of new shows my life is CRAZY town. We're moving Saturday, I'm 33 1/2 weeks pregnant (That's nearly 8 1/2 months), my husband still works 90 hours a week, and so with the help of a few friends I'm packing all week. Blurg!
Also, I was a tad frustrated to realize over Christmas that I thought there was just a long break... instead, there would be one new show, or maybe two, slipped in with a bunch of reruns. I was thinking there wasn't any new work and was surprised to see a bunch of new episodes had stacked up! Double blurg!
Those two sets of circumstances got me really thinking about how best to steward this blog. I originally assumed I'd always do every episode every day. Then things would come up to make me realize that wasn't always wise for my primary callings to Jesus, my husband, my son (he's not born yet but I still need to serve and honor him in how I balance work and rest, particularly since my body is helping his to grow!), my ministry commitments, and my job, let alone my other relationships. As long-time readers may know, it KILLED me to skip an episode or two (and they are all still on my TiVo, "just in case." Ha!) but then I learned that it really was wiser to do so.
I'm not 100% sure how this will work, as it requires utmost faith and reliance on Jesus, which is scary because it feels like there is a lot more room to fail, but what I'm considering right now is praying about which episodes to cover and which to pass over each week, with an assumption that I'd do 2-3 a week. In part, there are some episodes that simply have a lot more value than others. All have value, but an episode like today's, looking at race in America throughout Oprah's show, will likely have a lot more solid Gospel content to glean than, say, 3 days in a row of Oprah and 300 others traipsing through Australia. Also, I found that some issues were becoming very redundant--there may be new insights into, say, sexual abuse or homosexuality, but those issues were hit so heavy that I found myself constantly referring back to old posts and it seemed to not be the best use of my time to take 90 minutes to recap an episode that basically in the GFR said, "Go read this GFR on another post."
Now, I said this feels like there is more room to fail. I am a bit intimidated! Am I wussing out? Am I forsaking a commitment and not letting my "yes" be "yes?" Additionally, it felt safer, more God-honoring somehow, to be determined to cover. Every. Single. One. of the. 130. Episodes. this season. But I emphasized feel with italics because the truth is that anything not done out of utter dependence upon Christ for His wisdom is sinful and that would be failure to use this blog for His glory. I am in a place where making this blog top priority instead of wisely gleaning the most useful balance of which episodes to cover would be sinful. It might make my wicked heart feel better to crank out 10-15 hours a week working on this blog, so I can think I'm doing the right thing, but I wouldn't be. What Jesus is saying to me is to seek Him, rest in Him, to keep this blog in an open hand and to always only want His glory and nothing else.
So! As I said, the new method will be to pick a couple to a few episodes a week and cover them, hopefully still within 24 hours or so, though some weeks (like this one!) I'll need quite a bit more grace than others. I'll need some flexibility as I try this out, but I think it's best both for me to steward this blog but also for your time, too!
Thank you for reading this and I hope to have today's episode up by tomorrow evening!
Also, I was a tad frustrated to realize over Christmas that I thought there was just a long break... instead, there would be one new show, or maybe two, slipped in with a bunch of reruns. I was thinking there wasn't any new work and was surprised to see a bunch of new episodes had stacked up! Double blurg!
Those two sets of circumstances got me really thinking about how best to steward this blog. I originally assumed I'd always do every episode every day. Then things would come up to make me realize that wasn't always wise for my primary callings to Jesus, my husband, my son (he's not born yet but I still need to serve and honor him in how I balance work and rest, particularly since my body is helping his to grow!), my ministry commitments, and my job, let alone my other relationships. As long-time readers may know, it KILLED me to skip an episode or two (and they are all still on my TiVo, "just in case." Ha!) but then I learned that it really was wiser to do so.
I'm not 100% sure how this will work, as it requires utmost faith and reliance on Jesus, which is scary because it feels like there is a lot more room to fail, but what I'm considering right now is praying about which episodes to cover and which to pass over each week, with an assumption that I'd do 2-3 a week. In part, there are some episodes that simply have a lot more value than others. All have value, but an episode like today's, looking at race in America throughout Oprah's show, will likely have a lot more solid Gospel content to glean than, say, 3 days in a row of Oprah and 300 others traipsing through Australia. Also, I found that some issues were becoming very redundant--there may be new insights into, say, sexual abuse or homosexuality, but those issues were hit so heavy that I found myself constantly referring back to old posts and it seemed to not be the best use of my time to take 90 minutes to recap an episode that basically in the GFR said, "Go read this GFR on another post."
Now, I said this feels like there is more room to fail. I am a bit intimidated! Am I wussing out? Am I forsaking a commitment and not letting my "yes" be "yes?" Additionally, it felt safer, more God-honoring somehow, to be determined to cover. Every. Single. One. of the. 130. Episodes. this season. But I emphasized feel with italics because the truth is that anything not done out of utter dependence upon Christ for His wisdom is sinful and that would be failure to use this blog for His glory. I am in a place where making this blog top priority instead of wisely gleaning the most useful balance of which episodes to cover would be sinful. It might make my wicked heart feel better to crank out 10-15 hours a week working on this blog, so I can think I'm doing the right thing, but I wouldn't be. What Jesus is saying to me is to seek Him, rest in Him, to keep this blog in an open hand and to always only want His glory and nothing else.
So! As I said, the new method will be to pick a couple to a few episodes a week and cover them, hopefully still within 24 hours or so, though some weeks (like this one!) I'll need quite a bit more grace than others. I'll need some flexibility as I try this out, but I think it's best both for me to steward this blog but also for your time, too!
Thank you for reading this and I hope to have today's episode up by tomorrow evening!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Episode 57 - Michael Jackson's Controversial New Album, Plus Jonathan Franzen
Michelle Rhee Announcement
Though she opens telling us that we'll be hearing mostly about Michael Jackson today, Oprah tells us that she has a breaking news announcement from Michelle Rhee. Remember her from the waiting for Superman episodes (part 1, part 2)? She was the controversial, hard-nosed, get-things-done-even-if-we-have-to-take-drastic-measures chancellor of schools in Washington, D.C. After many accused her of costing the mayor his bid for re-election, Rhee stepped down from her job. Despite offers from all over to come work on education, Michelle Rhee has decided to turn them all down and, "start a revolution... a movement on behalf of our children."
Michelle says that our education system is broken, that she can look at a child's zip code and tell you with an alarming degree of accuracy what that child's academic achievements. Oprah makes clear that the problem is bad teachers. She doesn't need to hear from good teachers, because they aren't the problem, and she simply doesn't want to hear from the bad teachers. Michelle has started an organization called Students First, and Oprah loves that because it's about the children. Michelle wants a million members, so you can go sign up at StudentsFirst.org. She's also seeking to raise $1 billion to put into classrooms and partner with communities to transform schools.
Oprah ends the segment by saying this: "Hear me, America. This is a seminal moment for us, where we as a country, as the citizens of this country, choose to be an educated people or not, where we will choose to move ourselves to the top of the list*... so we're either gonna fall further behind or choose to move forward. It's really in our hands as the citizens."
*Oprah clarifies with Michelle that out of 30 developed nations, the USA ranks 23 & 25 in reading and math.
The Cascio Family & Michael Jackson
Dominic Cascio met Michael while working at a hotel where Michael stayed. Michael inquired about Dominic's family and wanted to meet them. His wife Connie says that Michael was like a part of the family, and Dominic tells us that Michael called them his second family, the "family of love." The sons, Donnie and Frank, grew up with him since they were 3 and 5 years old (they're at least in their 20s now). The family all laugh talking about their candy counter because of Michael's sweet tooth. We learn things like he loved Thanksgiving dinner every day, made sure they all said their prayers before meals, and would try to clean the house for them. We see many pictures and home videos of Michael with the family, so there's ample proof that these people aren't making stuff up!
The Child Abuse Allegations
Being that they had two young boys, plus other children, Oprah asks about the "bad times", the child abuse allegations. Dominic says that as a father, he did ask his children about any impropriety, but they had no idea what he even meant. The family is certain that Michael would never have harmed a child and they stood by him without qualms throughout the various times he was accused.
Michael and Eddie's Music
Eddie shows us the family's basement where he and Michael worked on music. Michael mentored Eddie from a young age, helping him work on his music. Eddie says the family had a wooden dance floor put in and that Michael would come and work on his dance moves before tours for countless hours a day. Together Michael and Eddie recorded music in the basement studio, 12 songs locked that have until today been locked away in a vault, though clips are being played on the Oprah show today.
Gift Giving
Oprah asks if Michael showered lavish gifts upon them, and they all say no. They celebrated Christmas and Michael LOVED Christmas, so he'd give presents, but their family also gave presents to him. They all say how much Michael loved giving and receiving gifts. Oprah clarifies that she thought he was a Jehovah's Witness and didn't celebrate holidays, but they say he still chose to celebrate Christmas. Oprah asks what he liked, and Dominic says Michael loved books and art, particularly by Michaelangelo.
Drug Addiction
The family spoke to Michael only 3 days before his death. Oprah asks if they were aware or saw the signs of drug addiction. Dominic says no, they didn't see them, but that Michael was a normal person. Eddie says he didn't see it and it was hard to find out about it. Oprah asks about the chronic insomnia, and Connie says that Michael really did relax and sleep at their house, and that when he stayed over he actually slept. Connie says they did a lot to get his mind off of the "superstar" things, doing family things to be normal. They say they still miss him every day.
Teddy Riley
Oprah has one of Michael Jackson's long time producers, Teddy Riley, on the show. There is controversy surrounding the new album, Michael, which features 10 previously unreleased tracks. Some claim that it's not Michael's voice, but as someone who worked closely with Michael for well over a decade, Teddy says it's definitely him. Oprah quotes people like Will.I.Am who say Michael was a perfectionist and wouldn't have wanted this album released since he wasn't around to perfect it. Eddie says that Michael recorded for his fans, that Michael would have wanted his fans to hear his last work. Teddy says this continues Michael's legacy. Oprah asks if Michael would have liked the heat and controversy, and Teddy says Michael is smiling on them right now saying, "This is what I want you to do!", that Michael lived for the controversy.
***
Jonathan Franzen
Considered one of the best writers in the world, Franzen "dazzled the critics and readers alike" with his novel The Corrections 9 years ago. His next novel, Freedom, was an instant hit and Oprah chose it for her book club pick. Oprah welcomes Franzen, saying he's someone she has wanted to meet for a very long time. Right off the bat, Oprah asks Franzen about his invite to the White House, and he says he was able to spend 20 minutes with President Obama. Upon being asked what they talked about, Franzen says he simply told President Obama, "You're my hero," joking that it left 19 minutes and 45 seconds to fill.
Their Controversy
When Oprah picked Franzen's novel The Corrections for her book club in 2001, he voiced some concerns about it. Oprah says that as she remembers it, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable so it remained a pick and she didn't do the typical book club dinner in order to not draw more attention to it. Franzen says the way he remembers it was speaking in very long sentences; very small parts were taken from those sentences that sounded bad and likely, and rightly, hurt Oprah's feelings. Oprah says the impression at the time was that Franzen was being a snob, and she asks Franzen if that was how he felt. He says he tries to write novels that everyone can connect to, and that in the "accelerated media scape" if you say you don't want to scare away male readers then that is misconstrued as you saying you can't stand women readers. Ultimately, Oprah says she's happy to have Franzen here now and he says he's happy to be here.
On Success and Process
Oprah says she thinks Freedom is the book of the year, if not the decade. She tells Franzen he has a wonderful craft of using words to open up our hearts and minds, and asks what it means to him to get all of the attention he currently is. He says he's still getting used to it, but that it's interesting to have people think he's somebody. Oprah asks about his process, how he does his writing, and that she's heard he isolates himself when he writes. He says the goal is to write a book that sucks people in and gets them away from their daily life. In order to write, then, he goes to an office with no internet, phone, etc, where it's dark, cold, and away from those same distractions he wants his reader to get away from. Franzen says he thinks about the things that make him the most uncomfortable, those things which he least wants to deal with, and then he puts those things into his novels.
On Real Freedom
Oprah asks Franzen about his current novel and he says that what he finds fascinating is that we are the richest country in the world, with so more possessions than ever and in many ways more freedom than ever, able to travel and correspond at will, and yet it seems that everyone is so angry and discontent all of the time. The time that the book was really coming together was a very angry time politically so he wanted to explore that. He says he happened on the voice of the main female character, Patty, while working on another projects that didn't work out. He was also interested in writing about his parents' marriage, but wanted to write about now and not the 1940s. Ultimately, the idea is that wealth doesn't actually bring happiness being that we are the richest country in the history of the world yet more depressed and more discontent than ever. So then what is real freedom? Ergo, the novel.
The New Book Club Pick
Oprah's new book club pick (two in one!) for the holidays is a special deluxe version of Charles Dickens' great novels A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. Oprah says she normally only picks books she's read, but she's never read Dickens yet always wanted to read him over the holidays and so she is. Also, the whole audience get's a Kindle 3G from Amazon.com. Ah, happiness. I must say, I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and LOVE it! But that's neither here nor there--let's talk about Jesus!
***
Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
I've written at length about both education and Michael Jackson (in the episode with his family and the one with Lisa Marie), so I encourage you to read those. Nothing new hit me to say about those subjects but feel free to check out the GFR's on those posts!
I was struck by the concept of money and happiness and freedom that Oprah and Jonathan Franzen talked about. It IS fascinating that we are the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and we have far more than any generation before us, and yet the rates of anti-depressant prescriptions and discontent and general complaining and frustration and even pure anger are higher than ever. All it takes is reading the comments on your local newspaper's articles to prove that.
What does Jesus say? He says that our hearts are evil.
So how does this connect to wealth and misery? Think about it--the "American dream" is, essentially, financial security with a varying modicum of comfort. We all basically want to have enough money to never worry that we won't be able to do something we really want to do or get something we really want /replace it if it gets old, breaks, is stolen, etc. We live in a country where, generally speaking, the message is that if you work really hard then you have the opportunity to get that security. As the world changes, we keep adding into what it looks like--maybe for my grandparents it was a house, reliable transportation, well-fed and clothed children, and money to retire on. For my generation it's those things plus money to travel and see the world and all sorts of "necessary" technological gadgets. I won't lie--to my husband and I, smart phones are a necessity, not a luxury. How the standards have changed!
So why then aren't we all happy? I propose that it's because it's all a lie. Our hearts tell us that if we only get ____ then we'll be happy. But that's simply not true, because even if we get it we worry that we'll lose it and/or it's not enough to satisfy us. Our hearts always want more. Remember earlier this season with Oprah and JK Rowling, and their conversation about how no matter how much money they have it's never quite enough to feel secure and safe? That seems preposterous to those of us whom a billion dollars is an imaginary number, yet they clearly both really felt one another on the topic.
The same is true with political freedom. We live in a nation where we all laud our freedom as this wonderful thing, but more often than not it simply brings out the ugliness in our hearts, the murdering, slandering tendency to think that our methods and ideas and systems are good / right / (even) holy, and the "other team" is bad / wrong / (even) evil. You can find someone to whom President Obama is his hero and then to the next guy Obama is basically the anti-Christ. And then, with President Bush, both men flip positions, typically harboring anger against the other guy and his position. Why is that?
Once again, our hearts are always at work, desiring satisfaction, and our political anger reveals our discontent with what is. We can't control life to be perfect but we can blame the imperfection of life on generally dubious and totally-out-of-our-control issues like the nebulous cloud that is modern-American politics. How many times have you or someone you know said something to the effect of, "Let me tell you, there are a million different ways I could put my $X to use that would be better than what the government is doing with it," upon seeing just how many X dollars were taken from your most recent paycheck? Really, our heart feels entitled to those $X and it's pretty easy to scapegoat the rotten government for taking it, especially when you don't have to think for more than 2 seconds to list 50 ways the government is doing a suck job. You have your freedom to vote, sure, and maybe it's your guy/gal in office, but at the very least you can angrily blame the other team who is the Congressional majority for messing everything up. Republicans did it when Bush was president and Democrats ruled congress and Democrats are already doing it now with Obama in office and the Republicans ruling the roost of the House. People get mostly what they want, sometimes everything they want, and it's never enough. Our hearts are never satisfied.
Though he goes in many other directions, that's the basic premise of Franzen's Freedom, and honestly, the book left me feeling kind of ick and hopeless. I won't recap the book, but if you read it, know that it's not a fun read. Compelling, yes. But you will not feel good about the vast majority of events. It's just... depressing. People do seem to get things they want and hope for and none of it ever fulfills and much of it leads to misery. But here is the good news--Franzen is right on. We get everything that we'd say we want and we're still angry. He just can't rectify that with the only thing that does satisfy.
Jesus satisfies. He told a woman who came to a well, seeking to get some water to drink, that he would satisfy her and everyone else with water that will satisfy them eternally.
Up Next
As best I can tell, the next new episode is Oprah interviewing Dr. William Petit, the man whose wife and daughters were tragically tortured and murdered in his home. That will be Thursday, and then we'll see if there are new episodes next week, as Friday is a rerun. See ya Thursday (possibly Friday, depending on workload and life!)
Though she opens telling us that we'll be hearing mostly about Michael Jackson today, Oprah tells us that she has a breaking news announcement from Michelle Rhee. Remember her from the waiting for Superman episodes (part 1, part 2)? She was the controversial, hard-nosed, get-things-done-even-if-we-have-to-take-drastic-measures chancellor of schools in Washington, D.C. After many accused her of costing the mayor his bid for re-election, Rhee stepped down from her job. Despite offers from all over to come work on education, Michelle Rhee has decided to turn them all down and, "start a revolution... a movement on behalf of our children."
Michelle says that our education system is broken, that she can look at a child's zip code and tell you with an alarming degree of accuracy what that child's academic achievements. Oprah makes clear that the problem is bad teachers. She doesn't need to hear from good teachers, because they aren't the problem, and she simply doesn't want to hear from the bad teachers. Michelle has started an organization called Students First, and Oprah loves that because it's about the children. Michelle wants a million members, so you can go sign up at StudentsFirst.org. She's also seeking to raise $1 billion to put into classrooms and partner with communities to transform schools.
Oprah ends the segment by saying this: "Hear me, America. This is a seminal moment for us, where we as a country, as the citizens of this country, choose to be an educated people or not, where we will choose to move ourselves to the top of the list*... so we're either gonna fall further behind or choose to move forward. It's really in our hands as the citizens."
*Oprah clarifies with Michelle that out of 30 developed nations, the USA ranks 23 & 25 in reading and math.
The Cascio Family & Michael Jackson
Dominic Cascio met Michael while working at a hotel where Michael stayed. Michael inquired about Dominic's family and wanted to meet them. His wife Connie says that Michael was like a part of the family, and Dominic tells us that Michael called them his second family, the "family of love." The sons, Donnie and Frank, grew up with him since they were 3 and 5 years old (they're at least in their 20s now). The family all laugh talking about their candy counter because of Michael's sweet tooth. We learn things like he loved Thanksgiving dinner every day, made sure they all said their prayers before meals, and would try to clean the house for them. We see many pictures and home videos of Michael with the family, so there's ample proof that these people aren't making stuff up!
The Child Abuse Allegations
Being that they had two young boys, plus other children, Oprah asks about the "bad times", the child abuse allegations. Dominic says that as a father, he did ask his children about any impropriety, but they had no idea what he even meant. The family is certain that Michael would never have harmed a child and they stood by him without qualms throughout the various times he was accused.
Michael and Eddie's Music
Eddie shows us the family's basement where he and Michael worked on music. Michael mentored Eddie from a young age, helping him work on his music. Eddie says the family had a wooden dance floor put in and that Michael would come and work on his dance moves before tours for countless hours a day. Together Michael and Eddie recorded music in the basement studio, 12 songs locked that have until today been locked away in a vault, though clips are being played on the Oprah show today.
Gift Giving
Oprah asks if Michael showered lavish gifts upon them, and they all say no. They celebrated Christmas and Michael LOVED Christmas, so he'd give presents, but their family also gave presents to him. They all say how much Michael loved giving and receiving gifts. Oprah clarifies that she thought he was a Jehovah's Witness and didn't celebrate holidays, but they say he still chose to celebrate Christmas. Oprah asks what he liked, and Dominic says Michael loved books and art, particularly by Michaelangelo.
Drug Addiction
The family spoke to Michael only 3 days before his death. Oprah asks if they were aware or saw the signs of drug addiction. Dominic says no, they didn't see them, but that Michael was a normal person. Eddie says he didn't see it and it was hard to find out about it. Oprah asks about the chronic insomnia, and Connie says that Michael really did relax and sleep at their house, and that when he stayed over he actually slept. Connie says they did a lot to get his mind off of the "superstar" things, doing family things to be normal. They say they still miss him every day.
Teddy Riley
Oprah has one of Michael Jackson's long time producers, Teddy Riley, on the show. There is controversy surrounding the new album, Michael, which features 10 previously unreleased tracks. Some claim that it's not Michael's voice, but as someone who worked closely with Michael for well over a decade, Teddy says it's definitely him. Oprah quotes people like Will.I.Am who say Michael was a perfectionist and wouldn't have wanted this album released since he wasn't around to perfect it. Eddie says that Michael recorded for his fans, that Michael would have wanted his fans to hear his last work. Teddy says this continues Michael's legacy. Oprah asks if Michael would have liked the heat and controversy, and Teddy says Michael is smiling on them right now saying, "This is what I want you to do!", that Michael lived for the controversy.
***
Jonathan Franzen
Considered one of the best writers in the world, Franzen "dazzled the critics and readers alike" with his novel The Corrections 9 years ago. His next novel, Freedom, was an instant hit and Oprah chose it for her book club pick. Oprah welcomes Franzen, saying he's someone she has wanted to meet for a very long time. Right off the bat, Oprah asks Franzen about his invite to the White House, and he says he was able to spend 20 minutes with President Obama. Upon being asked what they talked about, Franzen says he simply told President Obama, "You're my hero," joking that it left 19 minutes and 45 seconds to fill.
Their Controversy
When Oprah picked Franzen's novel The Corrections for her book club in 2001, he voiced some concerns about it. Oprah says that as she remembers it, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable so it remained a pick and she didn't do the typical book club dinner in order to not draw more attention to it. Franzen says the way he remembers it was speaking in very long sentences; very small parts were taken from those sentences that sounded bad and likely, and rightly, hurt Oprah's feelings. Oprah says the impression at the time was that Franzen was being a snob, and she asks Franzen if that was how he felt. He says he tries to write novels that everyone can connect to, and that in the "accelerated media scape" if you say you don't want to scare away male readers then that is misconstrued as you saying you can't stand women readers. Ultimately, Oprah says she's happy to have Franzen here now and he says he's happy to be here.
On Success and Process
Oprah says she thinks Freedom is the book of the year, if not the decade. She tells Franzen he has a wonderful craft of using words to open up our hearts and minds, and asks what it means to him to get all of the attention he currently is. He says he's still getting used to it, but that it's interesting to have people think he's somebody. Oprah asks about his process, how he does his writing, and that she's heard he isolates himself when he writes. He says the goal is to write a book that sucks people in and gets them away from their daily life. In order to write, then, he goes to an office with no internet, phone, etc, where it's dark, cold, and away from those same distractions he wants his reader to get away from. Franzen says he thinks about the things that make him the most uncomfortable, those things which he least wants to deal with, and then he puts those things into his novels.
On Real Freedom
Oprah asks Franzen about his current novel and he says that what he finds fascinating is that we are the richest country in the world, with so more possessions than ever and in many ways more freedom than ever, able to travel and correspond at will, and yet it seems that everyone is so angry and discontent all of the time. The time that the book was really coming together was a very angry time politically so he wanted to explore that. He says he happened on the voice of the main female character, Patty, while working on another projects that didn't work out. He was also interested in writing about his parents' marriage, but wanted to write about now and not the 1940s. Ultimately, the idea is that wealth doesn't actually bring happiness being that we are the richest country in the history of the world yet more depressed and more discontent than ever. So then what is real freedom? Ergo, the novel.
The New Book Club Pick
Oprah's new book club pick (two in one!) for the holidays is a special deluxe version of Charles Dickens' great novels A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. Oprah says she normally only picks books she's read, but she's never read Dickens yet always wanted to read him over the holidays and so she is. Also, the whole audience get's a Kindle 3G from Amazon.com. Ah, happiness. I must say, I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and LOVE it! But that's neither here nor there--let's talk about Jesus!
***
Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
I've written at length about both education and Michael Jackson (in the episode with his family and the one with Lisa Marie), so I encourage you to read those. Nothing new hit me to say about those subjects but feel free to check out the GFR's on those posts!
I was struck by the concept of money and happiness and freedom that Oprah and Jonathan Franzen talked about. It IS fascinating that we are the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and we have far more than any generation before us, and yet the rates of anti-depressant prescriptions and discontent and general complaining and frustration and even pure anger are higher than ever. All it takes is reading the comments on your local newspaper's articles to prove that.
What does Jesus say? He says that our hearts are evil.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.
Matthew 15:19-20bEvil comes out of our hearts. We think evil things, and even if you've never killed someone, have you ever given a person the silent treatment? Maybe a sibling, roommate, spouse, best friend; the person closest to you that you love more than anyone, or maybe someone you just couldn't stand? The silent treatment is basically telling a person, "You are dead to me. I will pretend you do not exist." And as Jesus said, even if you never touch another person or even talk to them, to lust after someone that is not your spouse is adultery. On and on, the many ugly things we see all around us come from the desires of our perpetually-bent-toward-sin evil hearts.
So how does this connect to wealth and misery? Think about it--the "American dream" is, essentially, financial security with a varying modicum of comfort. We all basically want to have enough money to never worry that we won't be able to do something we really want to do or get something we really want /replace it if it gets old, breaks, is stolen, etc. We live in a country where, generally speaking, the message is that if you work really hard then you have the opportunity to get that security. As the world changes, we keep adding into what it looks like--maybe for my grandparents it was a house, reliable transportation, well-fed and clothed children, and money to retire on. For my generation it's those things plus money to travel and see the world and all sorts of "necessary" technological gadgets. I won't lie--to my husband and I, smart phones are a necessity, not a luxury. How the standards have changed!
So why then aren't we all happy? I propose that it's because it's all a lie. Our hearts tell us that if we only get ____ then we'll be happy. But that's simply not true, because even if we get it we worry that we'll lose it and/or it's not enough to satisfy us. Our hearts always want more. Remember earlier this season with Oprah and JK Rowling, and their conversation about how no matter how much money they have it's never quite enough to feel secure and safe? That seems preposterous to those of us whom a billion dollars is an imaginary number, yet they clearly both really felt one another on the topic.
The same is true with political freedom. We live in a nation where we all laud our freedom as this wonderful thing, but more often than not it simply brings out the ugliness in our hearts, the murdering, slandering tendency to think that our methods and ideas and systems are good / right / (even) holy, and the "other team" is bad / wrong / (even) evil. You can find someone to whom President Obama is his hero and then to the next guy Obama is basically the anti-Christ. And then, with President Bush, both men flip positions, typically harboring anger against the other guy and his position. Why is that?
Once again, our hearts are always at work, desiring satisfaction, and our political anger reveals our discontent with what is. We can't control life to be perfect but we can blame the imperfection of life on generally dubious and totally-out-of-our-control issues like the nebulous cloud that is modern-American politics. How many times have you or someone you know said something to the effect of, "Let me tell you, there are a million different ways I could put my $X to use that would be better than what the government is doing with it," upon seeing just how many X dollars were taken from your most recent paycheck? Really, our heart feels entitled to those $X and it's pretty easy to scapegoat the rotten government for taking it, especially when you don't have to think for more than 2 seconds to list 50 ways the government is doing a suck job. You have your freedom to vote, sure, and maybe it's your guy/gal in office, but at the very least you can angrily blame the other team who is the Congressional majority for messing everything up. Republicans did it when Bush was president and Democrats ruled congress and Democrats are already doing it now with Obama in office and the Republicans ruling the roost of the House. People get mostly what they want, sometimes everything they want, and it's never enough. Our hearts are never satisfied.
Though he goes in many other directions, that's the basic premise of Franzen's Freedom, and honestly, the book left me feeling kind of ick and hopeless. I won't recap the book, but if you read it, know that it's not a fun read. Compelling, yes. But you will not feel good about the vast majority of events. It's just... depressing. People do seem to get things they want and hope for and none of it ever fulfills and much of it leads to misery. But here is the good news--Franzen is right on. We get everything that we'd say we want and we're still angry. He just can't rectify that with the only thing that does satisfy.
Jesus satisfies. He told a woman who came to a well, seeking to get some water to drink, that he would satisfy her and everyone else with water that will satisfy them eternally.
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14When we know and love Jesus, it's enough! The best part is that when we want more of Him, He gives us more. Even better, though it takes time and maturity and isn't magical, He even teaches us to be content in what we have. We don't need more money, a better this, a new that, or even this-guy in office to replace that-guy who is "bad." Praise God! We can reject the hopelessness and emptiness that linger after reading Freedom and we can embrace the real joy and peace that comes with reading the Bible and seeing that Jesus is our freedom!
Up Next
As best I can tell, the next new episode is Oprah interviewing Dr. William Petit, the man whose wife and daughters were tragically tortured and murdered in his home. That will be Thursday, and then we'll see if there are new episodes next week, as Friday is a rerun. See ya Thursday (possibly Friday, depending on workload and life!)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Tough Decision
I made a tough decision today. I really want to honor God by doing well on this blog! I'm also having to take into consideration the fact that I am about to enter my third trimester of pregnancy, my husband is basically working from midnight to 7 pm, including commute, for the rest of this month, and my own workload is quadrupled! I felt stressed about getting caught up, and through reflection and prayer my heart was pretty clear.
1: I don't like missing any episodes because there's a secret desire to have this published as a book in some form and I think not missing any eps increases my chances (I didn't like seeing that there, but it was).
2: I fear that people will see me miss an ep here and there, or even 4 in a row like last week/Monday, and think that I'm lazy or don't love Jesus and don't honor commitments and take them seriously.
Neither of those are reasons to stress myself out to do every. single. episode! I'm not sure how it will look going forward, but upon review, the ones I missed were about Garth Brooks, remembering JFK Jr, being thankful, and Keith Urban / Nicole Kidman. In other words, there may be some good stuff in there (I'd love to redeem whatever Oprah says about being thankful and pointing to Jesus!) but mostly it's kind of lighter, fluffier stuff. Now, I think those are important, too! The heavy eps weigh me down and the lighter ones are a nice reprieve! But I feel peace about not doing those. As with any missed episode, they are saved on my DVR and if one day I have the time, drive, motivation, and leading from Jesus to do them them I will!
With regards to moving forward, I will still have the intention of doing every episode and not getting behind. However, if I'm getting stressed out and neglecting those things I'm first called to (personal time with Jesus, taking care of my husband and spending time with him, plus various duties in our home, my job, and spending time with people I'm in community with / my various roles in my church) then they have to take precedent and I have to suck up my pride, submit to Jesus, and be honest when I need to skip an ep or two!
Overall, I still just want people to see Jesus. I realize that the guilty feeling of, "What if that episode you missed was the one thing that would have led someone to your blog and they'd read about Jesus for the first time? Now they'll never know the truth you were supposed to write and you missed an opportunity and their remaining in darkness is your fault," isn't from Jesus. I don't know if it's the enemy or my own sinful desires, but either way, it's not Jesus. He's calling me to trust Him, to rest in Him, and to serve Him such that my work is worship. Even if I do get lazy and miss an opportunity He loves me, forgives me, and allows me to be made clean and repent. How I love Him!
So, presuming we're back to new shows next week, I should be back on Monday! Until then, feel free to peruse old posts or ask questions or what have you!
1: I don't like missing any episodes because there's a secret desire to have this published as a book in some form and I think not missing any eps increases my chances (I didn't like seeing that there, but it was).
2: I fear that people will see me miss an ep here and there, or even 4 in a row like last week/Monday, and think that I'm lazy or don't love Jesus and don't honor commitments and take them seriously.
Neither of those are reasons to stress myself out to do every. single. episode! I'm not sure how it will look going forward, but upon review, the ones I missed were about Garth Brooks, remembering JFK Jr, being thankful, and Keith Urban / Nicole Kidman. In other words, there may be some good stuff in there (I'd love to redeem whatever Oprah says about being thankful and pointing to Jesus!) but mostly it's kind of lighter, fluffier stuff. Now, I think those are important, too! The heavy eps weigh me down and the lighter ones are a nice reprieve! But I feel peace about not doing those. As with any missed episode, they are saved on my DVR and if one day I have the time, drive, motivation, and leading from Jesus to do them them I will!
With regards to moving forward, I will still have the intention of doing every episode and not getting behind. However, if I'm getting stressed out and neglecting those things I'm first called to (personal time with Jesus, taking care of my husband and spending time with him, plus various duties in our home, my job, and spending time with people I'm in community with / my various roles in my church) then they have to take precedent and I have to suck up my pride, submit to Jesus, and be honest when I need to skip an ep or two!
Overall, I still just want people to see Jesus. I realize that the guilty feeling of, "What if that episode you missed was the one thing that would have led someone to your blog and they'd read about Jesus for the first time? Now they'll never know the truth you were supposed to write and you missed an opportunity and their remaining in darkness is your fault," isn't from Jesus. I don't know if it's the enemy or my own sinful desires, but either way, it's not Jesus. He's calling me to trust Him, to rest in Him, and to serve Him such that my work is worship. Even if I do get lazy and miss an opportunity He loves me, forgives me, and allows me to be made clean and repent. How I love Him!
So, presuming we're back to new shows next week, I should be back on Monday! Until then, feel free to peruse old posts or ask questions or what have you!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Checking In
Hello all! Due to some crazy health issues, I took a much needed break over Thanksgiving with my husband. That means I am a few episodes behind! But it looks like after today, this week's shows are reruns. Praise Jesus! Just what I needed! So I will work on getting last week's Wednesday - Friday episodes up this week.
Tonight I need the night off--way too much going on today! Sad to report that our apartment building was purchased and the new owners are being heartless and cruel and giving people whose lease's are up one day's notice to move--just before Christmas. It's horrible. So my husband and I are helping by doing research into legal options for those people; praise Jesus, we are protected by our lease until the end of May, so we are planning to move since we are seeing the first hand that these new owners are not honorable people to rent from. Still, it's a bummer of a situation and has hijacked our night. Hopefully I'll have a new episode up tomorrow, but if not then I will Wednesday!
EDIT: Okay, it's 11:30 on Wednesday night and I am EXHAUSTED. I just got done working for nearly 11 hours straight, save for a small nap. I'm a week away from my third trimester, but I'm suddenly getting hit with major exhaustion. Plus, my work load is heavy this week. But I will try to determine what episodes are most important to catch up on and do my best to be on the ball by next week!
Tonight I need the night off--way too much going on today! Sad to report that our apartment building was purchased and the new owners are being heartless and cruel and giving people whose lease's are up one day's notice to move--just before Christmas. It's horrible. So my husband and I are helping by doing research into legal options for those people; praise Jesus, we are protected by our lease until the end of May, so we are planning to move since we are seeing the first hand that these new owners are not honorable people to rent from. Still, it's a bummer of a situation and has hijacked our night. Hopefully I'll have a new episode up tomorrow, but if not then I will Wednesday!
EDIT: Okay, it's 11:30 on Wednesday night and I am EXHAUSTED. I just got done working for nearly 11 hours straight, save for a small nap. I'm a week away from my third trimester, but I'm suddenly getting hit with major exhaustion. Plus, my work load is heavy this week. But I will try to determine what episodes are most important to catch up on and do my best to be on the ball by next week!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Episode 52 - The Mom Who Married A Killer Behind Bars and Astonishing Weddings
Tracy's Upbringing
Tracy is 47 and says she had a very happy, middle-class upbringing by loving parents in San Jose, CA. She has a son in his early teens named Ryan from her second marriage, and when that marriage ended she took a spiritual journey to discover why she had two failed marriages. She's a self-described "free spirit."
Joseph's Upbringing
Joseph grew up only having seen his father maybe two or three times; he says that his mother went to prison when he was six years old. She killed his "brother's daddy." He was so scared that he cried himself to sleep every night; they lived in a foster home Oakland with rats and roaches. Then, while living with relatives, Mel, his older brother, says he and Joseph were sexually abused. As a teen, Joseph was homeless and started selling drugs around 12 or 13. He says his heart just grew colder and colder, and that he never had a chance at a normal life; he just wanted his mother and father.
Joseph's Crime
On January 30, 1997, at age 19, Joseph and two other men broke into the home of a rival drug dealer with five people inside. Oprah tells us in a voice over that Joseph forced them all to lie face down on the ground while holding them at gunpoint. Though witnesses (the two men with him?) say the victims begged for their lives, Joseph shot all five of them, one at a time, execution style. Two were dead, two shot multiple times but survived, and the last young woman was severely beaten and barely escaped.
At the trial, the prosecution claimed that it was the "super bowl of crimes" and wanted the death penalty, while Joseph's defense claimed that his traumatic upbringing groomed Joseph for a life of crime almost with out any other option. The jury deadlocked at six to six and Joseph was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
How They Met
Tracy is in the studio, and Oprah tells us that Tracy and Joseph married four days ago. Tracy is part of an African dance troupe, and once a year there is a celebration for the men (a group of men meet with the prisoners who are willing to talk through and deal with their issues of rage, processing their emotions) where her troupe performed at the prison. Tracy met Joseph and they were just chatting and there was a strong connection right away. Oprah asked if Tracy was attracted to him, and she says he was an attractive man but she wasn't "going to go there" with a man in prison. When she left, though, Joesph took her hands and told Tracy he was giving her his heart. Tracy says this touched her deeply, and she thought about Joseph quite a bit before her mind said, "What are you doing... you're not gonna go there."
Before the Wedding
Cameras are in Tracy's home the night before the wedding. She has her outfit--a super colorful skirt and shirt combination--laid out. The prison has strict rules for weddings and Joseph's ring has to cost under $100. Tracy even has to provide the prison with a receipt to prove the cost of the ring, because if it's too valuable then it might be stolen. We learn that Joseph is allowed to call up to twice a day, and Tracy never knows when those calls may come. This time he calls at 7:55 pm and tells Tracy that he's starting to get nervous; it's cute, in the typical "night before getting married jitters" kind of way.
The next morning we see Tracy, excited about her wedding day. Her son Ryan is "excited and maybe a little nervous", saying he's never been to a wedding before and only to the prison once before the wedding day. At the prison, Tracy puts a clunky white sweater on top of her tight purple top, because the prison has strict rules about how tight clothing is allowed to be. Tracy, Ryan, and a couple others go in. Cameras are not allowed to follow, but onscreen text tells us that the ceremony last 20 minutes and Tracy stayed inside for four hours. We see her and Ryan walk out and she cheerfully exclaims, "I'm a married woman! Yay!" and shows off her ring and "beautiful pictures." She's literally giddy.
Support
In the studio, Oprah asks about Ryan, and Tracy says Ryan supports her decisions just as she supports his. Oprah asks about Tracy's parents, and Tracy says her mother doesn't support the decision and wanted her to change her mind and not marry Joseph. Oprah asks why it wasn't satisfactory to love and care and respect Joseph without marriage, and why was marriage necessary. Tracy says that they are working toward the same goal of their path on a spiritual journey, her on the "outside" and him on the "inside". Oprah asks if they've had a conversation about Joseph murdering people execution style and Tracy says that they both feel as though that person, the man who did those things doesn't exist anymore.
How the Actual Relationship Started
Joseph is on the phone, and Oprah asks him about that first time they met. Joseph says he just knew she was "the one." Oprah asks him about that concept, since he's in prison without parole, if he considered the thought of a life beyond the prison walls. Joseph says that never entered his mind; he just knew he wanted to be with her. Tracy said it took her an entire of considering it, without contact. Another performance a year later at another performance led to another connection that left Tracy considering a relationship, and she told Joseph she was ready to start writing letters and see where the relationship went.
Oprah says it's the "weirdest ass thing" and asks Tracy what it was for her to consider a relationship with a man in prison for murder. Tracy says that, first of all, she knew the prison was very secure and she was personally safe. Secondly, though, she saw Joseph for who he was and gave him the chance for her to simply know him. Joseph reiterates this, saying that Tracy changed him because she gave him "the space to just be [himself]." Tracy taught him what love was, something he'd never known before, with her open heart, which gave him the strength to grow.
Deserving Life After Committing Murder
Oprah bluntly tells Joseph that he murdered two people, took two lives, and "what people want to know" is why he deserves to be happy. Joseph replies that, first of all, he's still alive so if he didn't have a mission left to fulfill on earth then he wouldn't be here. Secondly, he doesn't think he deserves anything. He says that God or a spirit or whatever is very forgiving. He then says that he deserves it because he went through the process of changing himself. He says he chose to be happy, to forgive himself for all he had done. Oprah asks if he owned up to what he has done, and he says that yes he has. He read books on meditation and did work on himself. He says he's not in a guilt place and can't live there, but he has remorse and takes full responsibility for what he has done.
Marital Faithfulness and Sex
Oprah asks Joseph if he expects Tracy to remain faithful; he says he expects her to do what she told him she would do. Oprah tells him he "did not answer the question, sir" with a light hearted tone and he laughs. He says he'll keep it real, and that yes he expects her to be faithful. Oprah asks about conjugal visits, and he says that they're hoping they'll change the rules but as of right now they cannot have a family visit. Oprah makes it clear that she meant sex and Tracy explains that they're called "family visits" now. Tracy says they expect the system to change.
Sustaining A Marriage
Oprah asks Tracy how she expects to sustain a "normal" marriage 5 years out from now. Tracy says that she was already sustaining that lifestyle before she met Joseph, that she had gone without sex for 1, 3, 5 years. She feels it "not anything dramatically life altering" to not have sex for that long. Oprah thanks Joseph and Tracy for their time and goes to break.
***
Nuns
Oprah tells us she had a fascinating time last year with nuns in a convent in Ann Arbor, MI. Through clips, we revisit that show. Of the more than 750,000 Catholic nuns in the world, 60,000 are here in the United States. The average age of the 113 she spoke with in Ann Arbor, the average age is only 28. Oprah had a profound moment when one nun said, "If you don't believe in something greater than yourself then you'll never do anything greater than yourself."
Becoming Nuns
This year, cameras were allowed in the convent again and we see 22 young women enter to begin the process of becoming nuns; at this stage they are called "aspirants." Oprah tells us in a voice over that they will, "never have sex, will never own possessions, will never have their own money for the rest of their lives." We see a 27 year old woman who says she loved the idea of marriage but ended a relationship a year ago and she's ready to commit to Christ fully. One girl is just 16 years old, while another is fresh out of graduation from Harvard. Another girl, 18, likens becoming a nun to when you meet the person you're supposed to marry; for her, it's committing her life to God. That said, the process lasts one year and the women are allowed to leave at any time. The families and friends say good-bye; for the next year the girls are only allowed to write letters home, but there are no calls and it sounds like few visits allowed. The women aren't allowed any cell phones or computers in the convent at all.
Their "Wedding Day"
The day when a woman says her vows to become a nun and completes the sometimes 8-year-long process is called her "wedding day", to her groom, Jesus Christ. The vows are considered eternal, and their habit with a white veil is considered their wedding dress. The sisters are given a black veil; after five years in the black veil, the nuns say a final set of vows. There is even a reception, a party, replete with cake. We see the new nuns cut the take together. There are even young girls, early teens, who talk about how appealing it is to marry and spend their whole life with Jesus. One mom does say it's hard to not have her daughter marry a young man and raise a family, but one nun says that she is a full-fledged bride of Christ and her love is eternal.
Material vs. Eternal
One sister in the studio discusses with Oprah that for her, the decision to become a nun came at 31 when she sat in her apartment, which she had just finished decorating, and stared at her TV and stereo system and realized that she could give it all up and it wouldn't mean a "hill of beans." Oprah inquires about materialism, and the sister says that she believes that as humans we all look for what is beautiful, good, and true. For her, she sought those things in material possessions and simply never found them, but found them in her calling to be a bride of Christ.
Parental Support
Another sister describes to Oprah how, upon announcing her decision to become a nun, it was the first time she ever saw her father get angry. He didn't want her to do it. However, before she left for the convent, he told her, "If you get there and you hate it we will buy you a plane ticket and fly you home. However, if you get there and you love it, we will come and visit you." The sister is touched by how supportive and loving her parents were despite their initial opposition. She says her family changed and now they value their relationship so much more.
Age
Oprah asks how young is too young, and one of the head sisters tells Oprah that it's about maturity, not age. She says you would never accept someone who is 16 unless you're certain they are mature enough to make the informed decision. However, someone in their 40s can lack the maturity to make the decision with the maturity that a 15 year old can have.
The sisters tell Oprah they pray for her every day, still, and Oprah jokes about how everyone's skin looks so great. She thanks the sisters for their time and we're out!
Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
The major thing that stands out to me about Tracy and Joseph was simply a sadness that they spoke of a "spiritual" journey but never spoke of Jesus. Additionally, Joseph spoke of changing himself and meditation, and Tracy spoke of her spiritual journey of looking inside to assess why she had two failed marriages. I've written about it before, but the answers are not within us! I highly recommend that if you are new you read previous GFR's about the heart. The basic premise is that inside of us is wickedness and we just keep getting more and more wicked the deeper we dig; outside of us is Jesus. He loves us, he gives us himself, and He changes us!
As for the nuns, it's very tricky. First, I am a Protestant, but I am not here to bash on Catholics. I simply want to share what the Bible says. Biblically, Paul does say that it's best for someone who is able to focus 100% on Jesus, and forego a spouse and children, to do so, but that it's not a requirement. Marriage isn't sin, but Paul wished that all could be like him, focused only on Jesus.
The women all had such sweet spirits and seem totally dedicated and committed to Jesus; that's wonderful. I do need to say that while their dedication to Jesus is sweet, I am every bit as much the bride of Christ as they are despite their special ceremony. So is my husband and every brother or sister who is a Christian, including you if you are in relationship with Christ! Collectively, we are the church and the Bible tells us in Revelation (and elsewhere) that the church is the bride of Christ and will one day collectively celebrate a wedding ceremony in heaven.
So, as to the nuns, I do pray that their relationship with and devotion to Jesus is something that will flow out of them into the lives of many who don't know Jesus so that His glory and renown can be made even greater. I pray for all of us who love Jesus that are in the world, that we wouldn't be of the world per Jesus' prayer for all believers. I can't say outright that being a nun is sinful, but I do pray that all Christians would allow Jesus to maximize our impact in this world for His glory!
Up Tomorrow
Tracy is 47 and says she had a very happy, middle-class upbringing by loving parents in San Jose, CA. She has a son in his early teens named Ryan from her second marriage, and when that marriage ended she took a spiritual journey to discover why she had two failed marriages. She's a self-described "free spirit."
Joseph's Upbringing
Joseph grew up only having seen his father maybe two or three times; he says that his mother went to prison when he was six years old. She killed his "brother's daddy." He was so scared that he cried himself to sleep every night; they lived in a foster home Oakland with rats and roaches. Then, while living with relatives, Mel, his older brother, says he and Joseph were sexually abused. As a teen, Joseph was homeless and started selling drugs around 12 or 13. He says his heart just grew colder and colder, and that he never had a chance at a normal life; he just wanted his mother and father.
Joseph's Crime
On January 30, 1997, at age 19, Joseph and two other men broke into the home of a rival drug dealer with five people inside. Oprah tells us in a voice over that Joseph forced them all to lie face down on the ground while holding them at gunpoint. Though witnesses (the two men with him?) say the victims begged for their lives, Joseph shot all five of them, one at a time, execution style. Two were dead, two shot multiple times but survived, and the last young woman was severely beaten and barely escaped.
At the trial, the prosecution claimed that it was the "super bowl of crimes" and wanted the death penalty, while Joseph's defense claimed that his traumatic upbringing groomed Joseph for a life of crime almost with out any other option. The jury deadlocked at six to six and Joseph was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
How They Met
Tracy is in the studio, and Oprah tells us that Tracy and Joseph married four days ago. Tracy is part of an African dance troupe, and once a year there is a celebration for the men (a group of men meet with the prisoners who are willing to talk through and deal with their issues of rage, processing their emotions) where her troupe performed at the prison. Tracy met Joseph and they were just chatting and there was a strong connection right away. Oprah asked if Tracy was attracted to him, and she says he was an attractive man but she wasn't "going to go there" with a man in prison. When she left, though, Joesph took her hands and told Tracy he was giving her his heart. Tracy says this touched her deeply, and she thought about Joseph quite a bit before her mind said, "What are you doing... you're not gonna go there."
Before the Wedding
Cameras are in Tracy's home the night before the wedding. She has her outfit--a super colorful skirt and shirt combination--laid out. The prison has strict rules for weddings and Joseph's ring has to cost under $100. Tracy even has to provide the prison with a receipt to prove the cost of the ring, because if it's too valuable then it might be stolen. We learn that Joseph is allowed to call up to twice a day, and Tracy never knows when those calls may come. This time he calls at 7:55 pm and tells Tracy that he's starting to get nervous; it's cute, in the typical "night before getting married jitters" kind of way.
The next morning we see Tracy, excited about her wedding day. Her son Ryan is "excited and maybe a little nervous", saying he's never been to a wedding before and only to the prison once before the wedding day. At the prison, Tracy puts a clunky white sweater on top of her tight purple top, because the prison has strict rules about how tight clothing is allowed to be. Tracy, Ryan, and a couple others go in. Cameras are not allowed to follow, but onscreen text tells us that the ceremony last 20 minutes and Tracy stayed inside for four hours. We see her and Ryan walk out and she cheerfully exclaims, "I'm a married woman! Yay!" and shows off her ring and "beautiful pictures." She's literally giddy.
Support
In the studio, Oprah asks about Ryan, and Tracy says Ryan supports her decisions just as she supports his. Oprah asks about Tracy's parents, and Tracy says her mother doesn't support the decision and wanted her to change her mind and not marry Joseph. Oprah asks why it wasn't satisfactory to love and care and respect Joseph without marriage, and why was marriage necessary. Tracy says that they are working toward the same goal of their path on a spiritual journey, her on the "outside" and him on the "inside". Oprah asks if they've had a conversation about Joseph murdering people execution style and Tracy says that they both feel as though that person, the man who did those things doesn't exist anymore.
How the Actual Relationship Started
Joseph is on the phone, and Oprah asks him about that first time they met. Joseph says he just knew she was "the one." Oprah asks him about that concept, since he's in prison without parole, if he considered the thought of a life beyond the prison walls. Joseph says that never entered his mind; he just knew he wanted to be with her. Tracy said it took her an entire of considering it, without contact. Another performance a year later at another performance led to another connection that left Tracy considering a relationship, and she told Joseph she was ready to start writing letters and see where the relationship went.
Oprah says it's the "weirdest ass thing" and asks Tracy what it was for her to consider a relationship with a man in prison for murder. Tracy says that, first of all, she knew the prison was very secure and she was personally safe. Secondly, though, she saw Joseph for who he was and gave him the chance for her to simply know him. Joseph reiterates this, saying that Tracy changed him because she gave him "the space to just be [himself]." Tracy taught him what love was, something he'd never known before, with her open heart, which gave him the strength to grow.
Deserving Life After Committing Murder
Oprah bluntly tells Joseph that he murdered two people, took two lives, and "what people want to know" is why he deserves to be happy. Joseph replies that, first of all, he's still alive so if he didn't have a mission left to fulfill on earth then he wouldn't be here. Secondly, he doesn't think he deserves anything. He says that God or a spirit or whatever is very forgiving. He then says that he deserves it because he went through the process of changing himself. He says he chose to be happy, to forgive himself for all he had done. Oprah asks if he owned up to what he has done, and he says that yes he has. He read books on meditation and did work on himself. He says he's not in a guilt place and can't live there, but he has remorse and takes full responsibility for what he has done.
Marital Faithfulness and Sex
Oprah asks Joseph if he expects Tracy to remain faithful; he says he expects her to do what she told him she would do. Oprah tells him he "did not answer the question, sir" with a light hearted tone and he laughs. He says he'll keep it real, and that yes he expects her to be faithful. Oprah asks about conjugal visits, and he says that they're hoping they'll change the rules but as of right now they cannot have a family visit. Oprah makes it clear that she meant sex and Tracy explains that they're called "family visits" now. Tracy says they expect the system to change.
Sustaining A Marriage
Oprah asks Tracy how she expects to sustain a "normal" marriage 5 years out from now. Tracy says that she was already sustaining that lifestyle before she met Joseph, that she had gone without sex for 1, 3, 5 years. She feels it "not anything dramatically life altering" to not have sex for that long. Oprah thanks Joseph and Tracy for their time and goes to break.
***
Nuns
Oprah tells us she had a fascinating time last year with nuns in a convent in Ann Arbor, MI. Through clips, we revisit that show. Of the more than 750,000 Catholic nuns in the world, 60,000 are here in the United States. The average age of the 113 she spoke with in Ann Arbor, the average age is only 28. Oprah had a profound moment when one nun said, "If you don't believe in something greater than yourself then you'll never do anything greater than yourself."
Becoming Nuns
This year, cameras were allowed in the convent again and we see 22 young women enter to begin the process of becoming nuns; at this stage they are called "aspirants." Oprah tells us in a voice over that they will, "never have sex, will never own possessions, will never have their own money for the rest of their lives." We see a 27 year old woman who says she loved the idea of marriage but ended a relationship a year ago and she's ready to commit to Christ fully. One girl is just 16 years old, while another is fresh out of graduation from Harvard. Another girl, 18, likens becoming a nun to when you meet the person you're supposed to marry; for her, it's committing her life to God. That said, the process lasts one year and the women are allowed to leave at any time. The families and friends say good-bye; for the next year the girls are only allowed to write letters home, but there are no calls and it sounds like few visits allowed. The women aren't allowed any cell phones or computers in the convent at all.
Their "Wedding Day"
The day when a woman says her vows to become a nun and completes the sometimes 8-year-long process is called her "wedding day", to her groom, Jesus Christ. The vows are considered eternal, and their habit with a white veil is considered their wedding dress. The sisters are given a black veil; after five years in the black veil, the nuns say a final set of vows. There is even a reception, a party, replete with cake. We see the new nuns cut the take together. There are even young girls, early teens, who talk about how appealing it is to marry and spend their whole life with Jesus. One mom does say it's hard to not have her daughter marry a young man and raise a family, but one nun says that she is a full-fledged bride of Christ and her love is eternal.
Material vs. Eternal
One sister in the studio discusses with Oprah that for her, the decision to become a nun came at 31 when she sat in her apartment, which she had just finished decorating, and stared at her TV and stereo system and realized that she could give it all up and it wouldn't mean a "hill of beans." Oprah inquires about materialism, and the sister says that she believes that as humans we all look for what is beautiful, good, and true. For her, she sought those things in material possessions and simply never found them, but found them in her calling to be a bride of Christ.
Parental Support
Another sister describes to Oprah how, upon announcing her decision to become a nun, it was the first time she ever saw her father get angry. He didn't want her to do it. However, before she left for the convent, he told her, "If you get there and you hate it we will buy you a plane ticket and fly you home. However, if you get there and you love it, we will come and visit you." The sister is touched by how supportive and loving her parents were despite their initial opposition. She says her family changed and now they value their relationship so much more.
Age
Oprah asks how young is too young, and one of the head sisters tells Oprah that it's about maturity, not age. She says you would never accept someone who is 16 unless you're certain they are mature enough to make the informed decision. However, someone in their 40s can lack the maturity to make the decision with the maturity that a 15 year old can have.
The sisters tell Oprah they pray for her every day, still, and Oprah jokes about how everyone's skin looks so great. She thanks the sisters for their time and we're out!
Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
The major thing that stands out to me about Tracy and Joseph was simply a sadness that they spoke of a "spiritual" journey but never spoke of Jesus. Additionally, Joseph spoke of changing himself and meditation, and Tracy spoke of her spiritual journey of looking inside to assess why she had two failed marriages. I've written about it before, but the answers are not within us! I highly recommend that if you are new you read previous GFR's about the heart. The basic premise is that inside of us is wickedness and we just keep getting more and more wicked the deeper we dig; outside of us is Jesus. He loves us, he gives us himself, and He changes us!
As for the nuns, it's very tricky. First, I am a Protestant, but I am not here to bash on Catholics. I simply want to share what the Bible says. Biblically, Paul does say that it's best for someone who is able to focus 100% on Jesus, and forego a spouse and children, to do so, but that it's not a requirement. Marriage isn't sin, but Paul wished that all could be like him, focused only on Jesus.
Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion...
If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
I Corinthians 7:6-9, 36-40; ESVScripture makes it clear through Paul that living for Jesus only is a wonderful thing. The only hesitation I have about nuns is that, while they do so much good through their charity work and having schools, God's best in scripture does seem to be living in the world, amongst those who don't know Jesus, and allowing our lives to consistently and intentionally connect with people who aren't Christians. Living secluded and in a convent is not something that I can find in scripture. Jesus consistently traveled to people, going into their world and sharing himself with them. Paul, Peter, and the majority of the apostles are consistently seen going on missionary journeys to both build the fledgling churches and to spread the gospel into areas where people didn't know Christ.
The women all had such sweet spirits and seem totally dedicated and committed to Jesus; that's wonderful. I do need to say that while their dedication to Jesus is sweet, I am every bit as much the bride of Christ as they are despite their special ceremony. So is my husband and every brother or sister who is a Christian, including you if you are in relationship with Christ! Collectively, we are the church and the Bible tells us in Revelation (and elsewhere) that the church is the bride of Christ and will one day collectively celebrate a wedding ceremony in heaven.
So, as to the nuns, I do pray that their relationship with and devotion to Jesus is something that will flow out of them into the lives of many who don't know Jesus so that His glory and renown can be made even greater. I pray for all of us who love Jesus that are in the world, that we wouldn't be of the world per Jesus' prayer for all believers. I can't say outright that being a nun is sinful, but I do pray that all Christians would allow Jesus to maximize our impact in this world for His glory!
Up Tomorrow
The Hottest Tickets on Earth Plus Superstar Garth Brooks
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)