The Seat Of The Scornful

(Originally August 1, 2005)

Have I been there?

I find people who complain that others have a lack of common-sense are really claiming that they corner the "common-sense market" themselves.

This is the thought I had when I overheard a woman on her cellphone today. I'd gone downtown to my favorite neighborhod and decided to camp out at the 72nd St & Broadway park, outside the subway station. It was in the shade of a building and a breeze was blowing, almost as an accompanying melody to the bass player plucking his strings for we assembled daytimers.

But that was just me, defending myself against her scorn by being scornful of her.

Don't we have any other methods of making ourselves feel good without tearing someone else down? Well, I dunno--it's awfully easy to shoot someone else down for their stupidities. But Psalms 1:1 says I'd be happier if I didn't do it.

Yesterday, Pastor Wilkerson suggested we read 5 Psalms a day. That was as good a place as any to restart my Biblical devotions. So the above is a reflection of Psalm 1. As for Psalm 2, it strikes me as some kind of war chant. No wonder President Bush wants God on his side.

"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, [saying],
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision."

Thing is, I think this is referring to ALL the kings, not just the ones we don't like. I just think God is too big to be America's Pet Deity. I also think he loves the whole planet too much to pick sides.

Back in the day when the Psalms was written, yeah, I know he fought for Israel and smote their enemies left and right. But look around---He's not exactly burning down people with heavenly bolts anymore, is He? Why? Umm, a little thing called Grace and an advent known as the Messiah. Since Christ died, I think God doesn't have 'favorites' anymore.

*tap tap*

Is this thing on?

Psalms 3:7; This verse just made me laugh and laugh and laugh. The ancient Hebrews had their ways, that's for sure. I guess they saw busting up someone's dentistry was as good as any other Divine retribution.

When I was in Bible school, I had a friend who once asked me, "Do you think God put inspiration into the writers of the Bible, and they went off somewhere and penned, or did they sit with God and He dictated exactly, word for word, what to write?"

I still don't know the answer to that. Is it out there somewhere? Whichever the case might be, Psalm 3 is prefaced by saying it's a direct work of King David while he was running away from his crazy, murderous child Absalom. So while it is Bible and all, it's coming from David's mind, and that brings me back to gales of laughter. David sees God as the Breaker of Teeth!!

--wooooo! Lord knows I have too when just the right one pisses me off! I'd like to see God's backhand come swinging out of Heaven to bust up some costly bridgework!

Like say for instance, the cop who ticketed my car on a daily basis because I had not gotten it inspected by the due date, after I registered it in NY. Cost me thousands of dollars that I didn't have and eventually the thing is now rusting away in a tow pound in Brooklyn. Why didn't I get it inspected? Because it had a cracked window and three inspection people refused to pass it. So I had to replace the window. Add this; I'm phobic about spending great wads of money. I'd rather ignore a big expense than pay it. And hence, I now owe tens of thousands of dollars, instead of the few hundreds it would have cost to take care of everything in a timely manner.

My fears weren't helping me, I note belatedly. Someone hide the razor blades. (>.<)

Psalm 4 & 5;
This is why we have faith. Because when I consider the mistakes I've made (see the above) the only thing that keeps me from a four-story nosedive out the front window is the consideration that there is a 'bigger picture'. That it's acceptable I'm not getting it all correct, and even though my mistakes and fears lead to WHOPPER MULTI-THOUSAND DOLLAR CONSEQUENCES, it will work out eventually because someone else is working for my better interests. Someone I can trust.