Slap Happy

I had breakfast with a friend of mine this morning... and he made a comment that was most definitely blog worthy. He said that he wished that everyone had a slap quota... basically this slap quota would allow you to slap anyone you wish without fear of retribution. Now the question is how often does this ration of slaps get replenished. I say daily. So each day, we should all be allowed to slap one person for whatever reason we choose. Some examples include the following:

• People who stand in the express check-out lane with more than the alloted number of items
• People who say things that are so ridiculous that they don't warrant being corrected... they just need to be slapped
• People who use air quotes incorrectly
• People who ask you questions they have no business asking

Now I am sure you are all thinking this would be a bad idea because everyone would be slapping each other... but I think if we punished the above mentioned behaviors with a firm hand to the cheek, many of them would cease to exist.

So I am interested to hear what some of you would consider "slap worthy" behavior.

Google - Man's New Best Friend

I am currently involved in a study of the book of Romans with two other guys. We each have been charged with the duty of finding a commentary to read through as we study Romans in order to give us some guidance. I am a little bit behind because I have missed two of the three weeks of the study... but that is not the point of this post.

I feel rushed to get a commentary so that I can participate in the study... so I went to Border's bookstore to find one. That was my first mistake. I went to the Bible section of the store and I saw a nice collection of commentaries by William Barclay. I know I have heard his name used before... but I can't remember where. I think it was used in a good way... and that scares me (as you will soon understand why).

So I purchase the commentary relying strictly on the fact that I have heard him quoted... it is expositional in nature... and he is Scottish (OK, that was not really part of the criteria... but Dovie is probably reading this).

I decided to research the guy by way of a Google search, and I found out some very interesting bits of information:

• Barclay does not believe in the literal virgin birth of Jesus

• Barclay does not believe that anyone will go to hell (he believes in Unversalism which says that everyone will be gathered up to heaven).

• Barclay does not believe in the substitutionary atonement of Chris on the cross. (this is at least consistent with his Universalist beliefs, but wrong nonetheless)

So the point of this post is to simply say something that everyone else in the world may know (but I had to learn the hard way)... research authors before you buy their books. I was a little sick to my stomach when I realized that I had just bought a commentary written by someone who does not affirm some of the basic Truths of the Christian faith.

Back to the grind

So I have been back from Guatemala for a few days, and I am already settling back into my "daily grind" routine. In addition to the joys of seeing what God is doing in another culture, a large part of the blessing of last week was being able to take a break from the normal life that I am so accustomed to. Of course, that normal life consists of many things that I would have a difficult time giving up (clean water to drink, food that I know is safe to eat, air condition). But there are aspects of the normal life that I don't like - and it is those things that prompted this email.

I have not had a chance to adequately summarize the trip yet... and I am sensing that there is more that God will teach me from the week spent in Guatemala, but I have not taken the time to seek Him in that area (another part of the normal life that I am not in favor of... being busy all the time).

I will say this... Guatemala is a very neat country. We didn't get to experience all of the culture in the one week that we were there... but I experienced enough to make me want to go back.