"Things could be worse. You could be ugly and work at the Post Office." - Adrienne Gusoff

This looks both like a great idea and a disaster about to happen.

I had very modest goals for today and I accomplished almost half of them.

Last Sunday we went through the center section of 1 Cor. 13. Verses 8-10 are dense with meaning and the only way to uncover it is to note the dynamics of the Greek words Paul chose. As I said going in, it was almost more lesson than sermon. But it sets up this week's sermon which will look at the entire chapter. Sometimes you have to examine the trees before the forest can be seen.

After finishing my sermon I made more progress up the learning curve. I watched some tutorials on Pages, the Mac equivalent of Microsoft Word, and then created a template for the bulletin which heretofore I've done in Publisher. I'm feeling more comfortable with ways of the Mac world - things like the "command" key. But I have questions, and I know some of you have answers.

• I also have the Mac version of Microsoft Office which I used today to create my sermon notes. There are some differences between the two versions, including the list of available fonts. The PC version has Graeca which, like Wingdings, gives you certain characters when you type on the standard keyboard. But instead of icons and funny symbols Graeca produces the letters of the Greek alphabet. I want that font, or an equivalent, for my Mac, to use in Word and Pages. I see several places on the internet where downloads are available but I'm hesitant to snag them because I don't know about the risks involved. Anything I should know before I download?
• Being ADD I take frequent breaks. On my PC that meant FreeCell and a couple of other standard card games that come loaded on all Windows machines. (I rule at FreeCell. Just so you know.) But no games on a Mac! Whassup wit dat? So where can I get some good card games, especially free ones?
• I think the possibilities for iChat are terrific, including collaboration. I *think* I have it set up but I don't know for sure. And near as I can tell it works like chatting on Facebook - you see someone online and open a conversation. But I don't even know my own name in iChat, never mind anyone else's. As usual, Apple doesn't give any instructions, and if it is completely intuitive it's over my head. No surprise.

Phil Michelson is in the hunt. Excellent!

"For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ" (Jn. 1:17).

It's easy to go to the extremes. You don't have to think much about anything, just follow a formulaic response to any and every situation that arises. Nothing nuanced, just straightforward black and white. Did the crime? Do the time!
That's the way the Mosaic Law worked. Guilty or innocent, and punished or released accordingly. That was not a flaw, but a part of God's design. The purpose of the Law was to show man's innate sinfulness.
The combination of grace and truth is both more difficult and superior. It joins the absolute standards of righteousness (truth) with compassion and forgiveness (grace).
We are called to be like Christ.

I watched a story this week about two families. Both were Hispanic. In the first the father and mother had been married for over a decade and lived here in the States for most of that time. They have a nine-year old daughter. The husband/dad is here legally but the wife/mom never got her green card. So the INS came to arrest her and she was deported back to Mexico. The law says that because she came here illegally she is excluded from ever coming back. Yes, dad and daughter could move back to Mexico but they have nothing there and he would be unemployed. His daughter's education would come to an end.

The second couple had been here almost 20 years, both illegally. They both held down jobs and paid taxes, they were current on their mortgage and on their car payment. The INS came in the middle of the night and deported them to Mexico the next day. Now their 18-year old daughter has taken on the responsibility for raising her four younger siblings, including two in elementary school. She is also working full time to make the mortgage payment. They travel to Mexico each weekend to see their parents and the younger children cry each Sunday evening.

They interviewed someone who argues for a strict interpretation and application of all immigration laws. He said that if we allow illegal immigrants to stay, regardless of the circumstances, we insult all those who played by the rules and, as a result, wait their turn to immigrate.

It seems to me that people who came to the U.S. illegally at a time when everyone from the officials down to the people who hired the nannies and ate the lettuce (i.e. us) conveniently ignored that situation cannot be held solely responsible. Shared blame.

But aside from the matter of Truth, isn't this a case for Grace? To Mr. Legalist who is worried about insulting all those who played by the rules, does he pull over when he sees a guy getting a speeding ticket and ask for his own? Because that poor sucker sure feels singled out.

I can't understand how breaking up families and leaving kids without a parent ensures our safety and security. People who have lived here for a decade or more and been active, productive members of our society can't be terrorists, can they? Are we better off without them? Does righteousness fail if we figure out a way to let them stay? Or are we a better people for preserving families and letting Grace guide our actions?

Sad news