I stumbled on your blog today and decided to check it out since we are acquaintances (though you probably don't remember me.) Like someone else mentioned you are a very good story teller. But I have to ask, do you really think that using derogatory names for people with disabilities enhanced the entertainment value of the story? "Whatever the PC term for water head is?" "Retard?" I honestly cannot believe that there are still people out there who use these terms, especially in such a public way as a blog. There are people who know and love people with disabilities who are very put off by these terms. A person with disabilities could even be reading this. I'll tell you what the PC term is: individuals with intellectual disabilities. You may not think it is worthwhile to use "PC" terms but, as a Christian do you really want to go around offending people?
I'm genuinely sorry if I offend. I confess that some of it is intentional. Sometimes I go for shock value and get more value than I bargain for. Sometimes I point out the absurd by being absurd. Sometimes I forget that people who don't know me read this stuff.
If you were to go back and read all of my posts from the last 4+ years you could probably find plenty to be offended about. But I would also hope that somewhere in there you could find something to smile about, something to make you think.
I've been told since I was a boy that I need to learn tact, that I need to be more sensitive. That I need to know when to keep my mouth shut. I understand those things about myself. I'm working on it and the Lord is working on me. To quote Kristofferson, I'm " a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, taking every wrong direction on my lonely way back home."
My mother made this when I was a little boy. It now hangs in my son's room.
Amen.
On a related note, let me take this opportunity to clear up something else. Many of you have asked why the title of this blog is Time of the Preacher.
I am not a preacher. I'm not trying to fool anyone into thinking I am.
I borrowed the title from a song on Willie Nelson's album, "Red Headed Stranger." It is a story of a flawed man whose desire to serve the Lord and the nature of the way he is come into conflict when life happens to him. I can identify with that. I think we all can.
For those of you who've never heard it before....
For those of you unlikely to ever listen to the whole album or watch the movie, here is the wikipedia synopsis of "Red Headed Stranger":
A concept album, Red Headed Stranger is about a fugitive on the run from the law after killing his wife and her lover. The content consists of songs with brief poetic lyrics and arrangements of older material
The story begins with "Time of the Preacher", where the character evokes his love for his wife, whom he suspects is unfaithful. In the following song, "I Couldn't Believe It Was True", the infidelity is revealed. This leads to a short version of "Time of the Preacher," wherein the singer ends with the line "Now the lesson is over, and the killing's begun". The reaction of the husband is depicted by Nelson in a medley of "Blue Rock, Montana" and "Red Headed Stranger". The first song describes the double murder of the unfaithful woman and her lover by the Stranger, who states "And they died with a smile on their faces." This leads to the second song of the medley, which describes the grief of the Stranger. This section is followed by Nelson's cover of the 1947 Fred Rose, song "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", where the fugitive laments the loss of his wife. In "Red Headed Stranger," the protagonist commits a subsequent murder—he kills a woman he believes is stealing his horse. The horse, to which he undoubtedly holds a sentimental attachment, had belonged to the Stranger's wife.
The story continues with the Stranger traveling south. In the song "Denver," the character falls in love with a woman he meets in a bar in town. One of the lines from "Blue Rock Montana" is repeated, with a variation: "And they danced with a smile on their faces". The following song, "Can I Sleep in Your Arms?", shows the desire of the Stranger for redemption and love. Next is "Remember Me", where he announces that his vows to his deceased wife are broken and he is free to love. The story ends with "Hands on the Wheel", which depicts the Stranger as an old man who is accompanied by a child, allegedly his grandson, and his new love. The song marks the end of the sorrow of the Stranger, and his redemption years later. The album ends with the instrumental song "Bandera".
An interesting scene from Edge of Darkness in which the characters discuss "Time of the Preacher"....
2 comments:
I'd like to say a lot of things here, but at the risk of being offensive myself, I'll refrain. Nice post.
Justin, thanks for addressing it. Believe me, I understand that you were not trying to be offensive. And I admit that I mostly reacted emotionally as a protective mother. See, our son has severe autism. I understand that people who have not walked in our shoes cannot understand what it is like. I also know that I am not perfect and I often offend. Thank God for grace.
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