An Obituary

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
* Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
* Why the early bird gets the worm;
* Life isn't always fair; and
* Maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6 year old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Calpol, sun lotion or a band-aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

The Nativity

My wife, Christine, and I were part of a invited group that saw a sneak preview of the Nativity last night. Described as a movie even that Pope would watch because it premiered at the Vatican, it is an average film at best. (Maybe Benedict XVI realized that which is why he was out of the country when it showed!)

Perhaps for younger children it at least is a fairly good representation of Christ's birth and the journey that Mary and Joseph travel. Still, you know that you've not achieved much as a filmmaker when the best characters in this story are the wise men. Keisha Castle-Hughes, who plays Mary, is bland and lifeless throughout most of the film -- presenting her as way too serious.

There is no way you can do this story without being a bit sappy and the Nativity does not disappoint in that regard. Even Christine -- who enjoys sappy with the best of them -- thought it was a bit over the top to have the shepherds and wise men all at the birthplace at the same time, with of course, the star shining down on them all.

We also thought it was incredulous to have eliminated the Magnificat from the storyline (note: this is the response Mary has to Elizabeth's "Hail Mary, full of Grace. The Lord is with You!" (see Luke 1:46-55). Still, perhaps producer/director Catherine Hardwicke realized like we did that Keisha Castle-Hughes could never have pulled if off. Hearing her say, "My soul does magnify the Lord . . ." just would not have been believable.

Perhaps the most amusing and entertaining part of the whole evening was listening to a local Christian radio promotions person who was part of putting on the event introduce the film by saying, "This is the first Christian film since the Ten Commandments!" Nor sure what planet this guy has been on. Another example of how the use of Christian as an adjective is problematic.