Aaron and Keith have done a good job bringing life to our blog by commenting on some recent events, both far and near. Thanks guys. I can’t help but reply to some of the recent comments.

First, the case of Steve Irwin’s death is certainly sad. He leaves behind a wife and two very young children. He died in a needless accident wrestling with a creature that, while not the most dangerous he had ever encountered, was certainly not your barnyard variety of critter. It strikes me as strange, Aaron, that Steve Irwin’s model of connecting with the natural world would be held out as exemplary to children and to Christians. I find it quite the contrary. I have never watched Steve Irwin’s programs, but it sounds as if the thrill of danger was as much or more a part of his “show” than nature. This wasn’t Jacques Cousteau who was motivated by his delight of nature. This was a guy who loved and marketed danger as much as nature. So to me it is like wanting to motivate my kids to ride a bike by having them watch a guy race down I-65 at a 100 miles an hour on a motorcycle without a helmet. I would like my children to like nature, but not necessarily scorpions as playthings. This is the same guy who held his baby in one hand and a dead chicken in another hand over a crocodile in 2004. I take some umbrage that this kind of behavior should be held out as a rebuke to me and other Christians. I think that because the world has lost any sense of meaning about the natural world that it takes the thrill of danger to arouse interest.

And Bro. Keith. For the record, I have nothing against football. I find it entertaining at times. I have something against saying that it is the greatest sport. Your only defense to me about it is that the players have to learn a handbook of over 100 plays. How hard is that? Play#1, run into each other at full speed. Play #2, run into each other at full speed, but slide at the last minute. Play #3, run into each other after having made a quarter turn. Play #4, run into each other after having run 20 paces. 100 plays equals 100 variations on the theme “how to run into each other” while the one person who has the brains figures out how to get the ball to the other end of the field. I think this local guy who was injured should take this as an opportunity to do well in his classes this fall. Maybe he will get into a better graduate school as a result. If he still wants to wear tight pants and have contact with others, he could try out for ballet.

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