I believe that the conversation matters. If in the attempt to realize the reign of God on earth, we cannot engage one another in respectful and grace-filled dialogue, we might as well not even try.
Friday, December 29, 2006
I Think It Says a Lot!
Here's my idea for a new personality inventory: Were you more affected by the death of Gerald Ford or James Brown, and why?
6 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Got an email note from a childhood friend today. He told me that both his parents had passed away a while back. That affected me more than either of these two deaths. I guess a personal connection is the difference. I think that I was very sad when Buck O'Neil died because I had a personal connection with him. I was also sad when President Reagan died ... maybe because I followed him so closely when he was in office. Grief is a funny thing - it often comes when we least expect it.
Slam dunk. Even though both were sent up by Saturday Night Live skits (can you say "James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party?"), for anybody under the age of 40, such as myself, it's gotta be James Brown. Personally, having lived in Atlanta, we were well within the cultural orbit of the Godfather of Soul. Plus, his music is much more memorable and had a wider impact than any words I've ever heard accredited to Ford.
I was sadder at the death of James Brown because I love his music and because his addictions led to his early death.
However, I felt moved to give tribute to Ford on my blog, Levellers--something I didn't do with Brown. I am a liberal Democrat and was only 12 when Ford became president. But I felt he was underappreciated, then and since, and felt compelled to give tribute--specifically AS a progressive. I knew there would be plenty of tributes to James Brown from "my crowd," but less so for Ford.
The words I write here are my own, not my denomination's, my conference's, my district's, or my congregation's. Please hold nobody but me accountable to them.
6 comments:
Got an email note from a childhood friend today. He told me that both his parents had passed away a while back. That affected me more than either of these two deaths. I guess a personal connection is the difference. I think that I was very sad when Buck O'Neil died because I had a personal connection with him. I was also sad when President Reagan died ... maybe because I followed him so closely when he was in office. Grief is a funny thing - it often comes when we least expect it.
Blessings for a Happy 2007 Andy!
Slam dunk. Even though both were sent up by Saturday Night Live skits (can you say "James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party?"), for anybody under the age of 40, such as myself, it's gotta be James Brown. Personally, having lived in Atlanta, we were well within the cultural orbit of the Godfather of Soul. Plus, his music is much more memorable and had a wider impact than any words I've ever heard accredited to Ford.
I was sad when Peter Boyle died, from Everybody Loves Raymond. I wasn't around when Ford was President, although replacing Nixon had to be tough.
I'll give the nod to the Godfather, because I don't have any Gerald Ford songs on my iPod.
(did you know Ford went to Yale law school and coach over being drafted into the NFL?)
I am sadder that the MU TIGERS LOST THE BOWL GAME THIS AFTERNOON
I was sadder at the death of James Brown because I love his music and because his addictions led to his early death.
However, I felt moved to give tribute to Ford on my blog, Levellers--something I didn't do with Brown. I am a liberal Democrat and was only 12 when Ford became president. But I felt he was underappreciated, then and since, and felt compelled to give tribute--specifically AS a progressive. I knew there would be plenty of tributes to James Brown from "my crowd," but less so for Ford.
Ok - we talked about this yesterday morning at church - so I decided to post response on my blog...finally
Post a Comment