24 Hours Left

Well, I still haven't written a word yet! I just got back from Hell, aka Mustin's Auto Parts on the Tennessee/Mississppi border to pick up a wheel—not a tire, not a hubcap, but the actual wheel part to replace the wheel that was shredded when our ball joint came out of the socket which allowed the axel to land on the inside of our wheel and destroy it like a dog in a teddy bear museum. I call Mustin's Hell because it takes forever to get there (esp. in an unairconditioned truck) and this is the second time I've gone this week, AND both times I had to go 6 miles away to an ATM because they only take cash or check. SO, I bring a check the second time and they tell me they only take company checks (after telling me I could bring a check on Tuesday). I am pretty sure the real Hell will not take Debit or Credit Cards. To make a long story short, I hate Sam's, but I like Holt Tire next to the movie theater, and I now have a used tire on a salvaged wheel that I am pretty sure Hell (Mustin's Auto Parts) made at least $75 off me. Final total for this last car repair including what I had done today is $520. (new ball joint, labor, new wheel, new tire, tire and wheel installation)

AND YOU WONDER WHY THEY TELL YOU NOT TO WAIT TIL THE DAY BEFORE TO START ON A RESEARCH PAPER . . .

My thesis statement: Racism is bad, okay. The church as an institution through its structure and benign neglect of the biblical mandate of unity of all people (Eph 2 and Gal 3:28 and such) is guilty of prejudice and racism. The 90's had Rodney King and the new decade has Hurricane Katrina to remind us of the atmosphere of racial tension we have. If you don't believe me, ask Kanye West and he'll straighten you out.

Basically, I will talk about what racism is, how it is represented theologically, how the church (not the CofC or The Church, as we in The Brethren like to call it at our Brotherhood meetings) has neglected the issue and contributed it, and finally, how I, Ben Thompson, am going to solve the problem with my paper. Here's a hint: I do not believe the solution is to have more black churches and more white churches, and I don't think mere assimilation is the key. However, I am pretty much going to stay away from the phenomenon of having a church of another culture meet in your church building and counting it as reconciliation, or should I say recon-silly-ation. I believe it is so much more than that. We have to be integrated and we have to show the world that the one place that should accept everyone is the church, and stop hiding behind the myth that it would be much worse to integrate than it would to stay separate. In my gut, though, I don't think I am ready for that, and I am pretty sure most Christians aren't either. I have definitely stepped out of my realism box, haven't I? Ignore my ranting and raving, I am a mad man right now.

See you tomorrow.

And yes, we got approached with our first revenue-sharing scheme yesterday. . . we are now officially adults.

UPDATE: I am pleased to announce that Ben finished & turned in his paper (never mind that he barely missed the 4P deadline & had to make a run to the post office to get it postmarked with today’s date on it:)). On another note Cali got her second ‘lion’ haircut this week & we are about to have amazing adventures this weekend so stay tuned for pics!!