J-Walking

Two nights ago, in the midst of a grumpy, grouchy late night kitchen cleaning session during which I bemoaning everything from the state of the free world to who ridiculously dirty our dirty dishes get I said the simplest little prayer. "Jesus. Help."

I didn't much want to pray. I didn't much feel like it. I just did.

I was still grumpy. Just slightly - very slightly - less so.

Then, after finishing the dishes I picked up Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline.

I flipped to the chapter on submission.

The very short version? Surrender to God, realize my 'rights' aren't really rights at all, give up trying to run or control other people, be free.

That was a lousy paraphrase. Buy the book, read the real version. Surrender to the Force.

One of the reasons I've not blogged much (understatement) for the past several months is that I've been rather busy and preoccupied on a business project. The project is a new online magazine and community focusing on American culture - everything from pop culture to politics and fashion to family.

It is called Culture11 and you can find it at www.culture11.com.

There are many stories to tell about its creation, its name, and my participation but I encourage you to take a few minutes and check it out.

Our hope is that you will find some irresistibly interesting perspectives on life in America from some of the country's most dynamic voices. We aim to be an online destination that has the editorial excellence of a great magazine, the thrill of a terrific conversation, and the comfort of a supportive community all rolled into one.

We're still in the beta stage and working out a few bugs so we could use your input. We're also launching very quietly - no big press releases or press conferences, no claims that we are going to change the world. We just want to build something that can be an everyday part of life.

Two more things. I am going to keep JWalking here at Beliefnet. I love this company and this little community. At the same time, I will be blogging at Culture11 with a friend of mine named Joe Carter. He is our managing editor and we will call our blog Kuo & Joe. I know, massively original. I hope you will check that out as well my blog here.

Let me know what you think about any and all of this... my new email is david@culture11.com

John McCain had a good night at Rick Warren's forum on faith and character and so on. Barack Obama had a better night. How much better? We'll find out in a few months.

It isn't that Obama out performed McCain. He didn't "out Jesus" him or "out evangelical-ize" him. The crowd seemed to favor McCain a bit.

But that's the thing.

He didn't need to. For Obama a draw was a massive win.

Here was an audience of evangelicals in one of the most conservative counties in the United States. They interrupted him with applause on numerous occasions. They gave him a standing ovation. And HE is the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. Think this ever happened to John Kerry in 2004?

While we spill pixels about John Edwards, how many write about this?

I'm trying to find anger or bitterness or shock at all that John Edwards did and didn't do and said he did and said he didn't do.

There is, of course, sadness - sadness for all those people who worked so hard for him, sadness for all of those who he let lie to cover his sin, sadness for his self betrayal and more than anything, sadness for his children and for Elizabeth.

Beyond that? I've got nothing.

Why should I?

He was just a man running for office - just a politician running for president.

He had an affair.

Stop the presses!!

He lied.

Noooooooo.

He's narcissistic... really?

One of the dangers of modern politics is the temptation to elevate these frail creatures to super human levels... to put so much hope and faith in them that they become little gods. Look no further than the passion and hope attached to one Obama.

This is both an expectation too great for frail humans and a hope thoroughly and completely misplaced.

Politicians run to be leaders of our government, at most the chief executive of the government. Their power is sublimely and appropriately limited. Hopefully they can deliver on the limited things a government can touch. Beyond that, we are wrong to have 'faith' in them.

Faith is a word best applied to our relationship with God. We'd be better served and less angry and shocked at politicians' invariable foibles if we remember that.

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