Thaz jus sick

Wrecked Ferrari Enzo (c) LA Times.

Eddie Griffin, the star of the spoof flick Undercover Brother crashed a $1.2 million Ferrari Enzo during practice for a charity race in California. Click the link on this post to see a report and the crash.

The race was associated with the movie Redline, and included Jackie Chan and other celebrities. When he totalled the bright red Ferrari, which looked strikingly like the one on the poster for the new movie, Griffin said the undercover brother is fine, he just can't drive.

The car belonged to the movie's producer. If it's a publicity stunt, I hope the guy has good insurance. Also two Porsches were destroyed during filming of Redline; they were valued at $500,000 each.

New Life

I took this shot of a Japanese Magnolia downtown today. It is a gray foggy day in DC, and this little flower was blooming on a tree outside the Switzer Building in Southwest.

It reminded me of something I read one time by Thomas Merton. He said something like a tree glorifies God by being a tree; it is what God created it to be. But what about us? We are not as God created us to be. We bear the marks of our forefather's rebellion against the Most High.

How do we glorify God? One answer to that vexing question is to allow Him to live His Life in us. Jesus told His disciples that "apart from me you can do nothing."

This point was brought home to me this week when I read an interview with singer Chris Rice. The interviewer asked him how he lived life on the road as a musician and a minister. He said that he didn't think that being a performer or singer was any different from being a businessman or a doctor or a housewife - you still have to bring glory to God regardless of where you are.

I had the thought "who you are now is who you would be in ministry because it is who you are." That was humbling. How I behave at work - in the godless world of journalism - would be how I would behave in ministry - where I would claim to represent God. Because that's who I am.

Thankfully in the same magazine, there was an article about reflecting the character of Jesus. It used the beatitudes in Matthew 5 as descriptions of the person in whom Christ lives. The first quality? Poor in spirit - in need of a Savior. And the promise? For theirs is the kingdom of God.

In Luke, Jesus read the passage from Isaiah that said he came to bind up the broken hearted; to free captives; to give sight to the blind. In Hebrews it says Jesus came to deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

So there is hope. I am not what I will be; but I have One who will continue the work he began in me. Then I can be a channel of His life to others.

A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire.
Thomas Merton

Tony and the Gay Lobby

Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy has some gay and lesbian fans saying that they are "disappointed" after he said that he believes marriage should be one man and one woman.

Dungy was speaking at a dinner sponsored by an Indiana Group affiliated with Focus on the Family. Tickets for the shindig were about $75 each and the Super Bowl winning coach said he agrees with that organization's position supporting a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

According to the reports I saw, the local and national gay lobby is now upset that the coach would even appear at the banquet.

Whaaaaa??????

I think the Gay and Lesbian lobby folks need to wake up. Tony Dungy is a conservative Christian; he has made no bones about that. He has always said he wants to do things "the Lord's way." He even said that after the Colts won in Miami. And both he and Bears Coach Lovie Smith were praised for the way they handled their players.

So why do the gay lobbyists think that coach Dungy would change his beliefs simply because his team won the Super Bowl? Would he have been expected to change if the Colts had lost?

Tony Dungy has consistently stood for his faith; part of that faith says that homosexuality (along with pride, greed, rage, extra marital and pre-marital sex, and lying) is sinful. So why would the coach be expected to tone down what he has always stood for? Because some fans don't like it? Wouldn't that be compromising his character and denying the very thing that made him such a great coach to begin with?

So the argument is not with coach Dungy; the argument is with the Biblical morality he proclaims. Why don't people just be honest enough to say "we want to do what we want to do regardless of what the Bible, or God or Tony Dungy says." At least that would be honest.

What is it good for?

I saw another photographer shooting a similar shot to this in the daffodils along the GW Parkway. It kind of hearkened back to the flower children days. But I shot it anyway.

During the demonstration I talked to a woman from Iran who was part of the protest. She has lived in the United States for 27 years and works for the U.S. government. But she was against the war. She said that murder was wrong regardless of who was doing it. I don't think that's what our troops are doing over there; perhaps it is the so-called "insurgents" that blow people up in buses or on their way to the market or to worship that she's talking about. I don't know.

I asked her if she didn't think it ironic that someone from Iran would be against a war in Iraq? She said that Iran did not start that war and that she hopes there will not be a U.S. war in Iran.

I asked her about Ahmedinajad and his government. She said that he doesn't have the support of most Iranians. She said that her own mother, who still lives in Iran, didn't even vote because she did not think it would make any difference.

Ironic isn't it. A lot of Americans feel the same way.

I also walked across the Memorial bridge to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I talked to some Vietnam Vets who were near the Memorial and the bronze statue of the three soldiers. These particular guys (and their wives) were from southern New Jersey. The guy I talked to said his group was there to make sure nothing happened to the Wall.

One of the demonstrators with a sign walked up and some of these guys were telling her to get lost. I was amazed that the women seemed like the ones ready to throw down. The white-haired guys with the handle bar moustaches were mostly just telling this woman off. But one of their wives was ready to kick some ass, no question asked.

But neither one of them seemed to be able to talk to one another; they seemed to be ready to talk at one another, but not to one another. Passion I see is catching.