Well...

Sometime over the Christmas break (I think it was then) maybe later my mom and I had a discussion about my "Peace is the Church's Business" button that I wear almost every day. It lead to my expressing political opinions on a few topics that are polar opposites from hers, although I left some things more simplistic. Tonight I got a text from her that said (edited from TextSpeak, "Did you say you do not believe in a standing army? Tell me again what you said about abortion and army. Thanks."

I don't really know what prompted that. A little while later I got a text that simply said, "I lurve you." I think that was meant to reassure me that she wasn't judging me. I appreciate it. I know that she wasn't. I wasn't at my phone when she sent the first one. I replied to her text with, ""I lurve you, too. I don't remember what I said exactly, but i don't support a standing army or handguns, except for killing rattlesnakes. I support recognizing the sanctity of all human life from natural birth to natural death. I oppose abortion but support a woman's right to choose. That's a simplistic summary. I oppose government sponsored killing of any human life. Why?"

It really is a simple summary, but it's accurate. There's a lot that could be unpacked there (like thinking that the solution to end abortion is to work to eradicate poverty and better education, rather than making it illegal for doctors to perform). However, I figured now was as good a time as any to share some lyrics on here. I bought Derek Webb's Mockingbird on Tuesday on iTunes. Maybe it was last Thursday. I really don't know when it was, but I have it now and as I listened to it, I felt myself drawn to one song in particular. (On The Ringing Bell it's "This Too Shall Be Made Right.")  The title of the song is "My Enemies Are Men Just Like Me" The lyrics follow. I'm really not a big fan of the sex/gender specificity as that when looking at it it could become easily narrowing and is exclusive, but I grant that Webb is a man albeit "enemies" could be women.  Note that this is copied and pasted, hence the lack of capitalization.

i have come to give you life
and to show you how to live it
i have come to make things right
to heal their ears and show you how to forgive them

(pre-chorus)
because i would rather die
i would rather die
i would rather die
than to take your life

(chorus)
how can i kill the ones i’m supposed to love
my enemies are men like me
i will protest the sword if it’s not wielded well
my enemies are men like me

(Instrumental break)
Audio excerpt of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech: "nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time -- the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression."

(vs. 2)
peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication
it’s like telling someone murder is wrong
and then showing them by way of execution

(pre-chorus)


(chorus)

(bridge)
when justice is bought and sold just like weapons of war
the ones who always pay are the poorest of the poor