Maybe the
Escalon PO
doesn't like my
flag of Tibet?
Ya think? There
is a strong
Dutch reform
church movement
here.
Maybe my
carrier thought
it's some
anti-Christian
thing? Could
that be the
problem?
But I can talk
about Jesus all
day! In fact,
some local
friends told me,
when I first
moved to
Escalon, that
they were very
Christian.
Only the things
they said struck
me as very
un-Christian. So
one day I asked
them what Jesus
had said was the
greatest
commandment.
They didn't
know.
From
the Book
of
Matthew:
“Teacher,
which is
the
greatest
commandment
in the
Law?”
Without
hesitation
Jesus
replied,
“Love
the Lord
your God
with all
your
heart
and with
all your
soul and
with all
your
mind.
This is
the
first
and
greatest
commandment.
And the
second
is like
unto it; Love
your
neighbor
as
yourself." |
"Christ
said the
greatest
commandment is
to love your
neighbor as
yourself" I
explained.
The wife
blurted out—"But
Christ didn't
know our
neighbors!"
They went on to
recount the
fights they'd
had with
neighbors on
both sides. He
wanted to pour a
5 gallon bucket
of salt on a
tree planted
(deliberately he
thought) to
block his view.
They seemed to
see nothing
wrong with
claiming to be
Christian while
hating their
neighbors. Once
I heard them
agree that it
was wonderful
God had created
AIDS to rid the
world of gays.
This was
interesting
because they
referred to
their son as
"the bachelor".
They praised his
nicely decorated
home. When I met
him it was
obvious he was
one of the
people his
parents were so
happy God had
created AIDS to
get rid of.
Isn't that sad?
When the Dalai
Lama was asked
"What can
Christians learn
from Buddhism?"
he replied
"Tolerance and
forgiveness."
Isn't that the
truth!
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This is a great
film! Really
amazing stuff
about the Dalai
Lama as a child,
then World War
2, and finally
the Chinese
taking control
so he had to
flee to India.
Seven
Years in Tibet
is based on a
true story even
though Brad Pitt
stars in it. |
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|
The flag of
Tibet is cool
with lions,
fire, sun,
yin-yang thing.
Really a pretty
flag with nice
colors. |
|
 |
Martin Scosese
is a really famous director.
He made that
wild film Taxi
Driver with
Robert De Niro
"You talkin to
me?" and Jodi
Foster is in it,
too.
He is a
great filmmaker,
really well
educated and all
that. You should
see his movie Kundun. |
|
For as long
as space
endures,
And as
long as living
beings remain
Until then may
I, too, abide,
To dispel the
misery of the
world.
Isn't that nice? Dalai
Lama is a sweet guy. I
first saw him in 1989 on CNN
when he won the Nobel
Peace Prize. They showed
him riding up to a
village of Laplanders
during snow flurries, in
a reindeer pulled
sleigh.
Dalai Lama got up from
the sleigh beaming in
joy like a child. All
the Lapland people had
grins like his. They all
looked like happy
children.
The Lama said "Oh
Lapland people you are
all so beautiful"
or
something. "No Dalai
Lama has ever met
Lapland people!"
And everyone was smiling
with delight. Right
then, back in 1989 or so
I thought "He's a cool
guy." And he really is.
Then I saw the Brad Pitt
movie called 7 Years in
Tibet. And the
Scorsese film Kundun.
Wow. I began to like the
Lama.
If the Escalon PO
doesn't want to provide
service near a flag of
Tibet, we could move the
pickup bin to a new
location. Really.
[PS In case you're
curious I'm not a
Buddhist, don't chant,
meditate or anything
like that. I have 3 cats
though.] |
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|
(above) On one side
of the porch
stairs is the
American Flag,
on the other is
the flag of
Tibet. |
| |
|
(below) Look how
happy Laura Bush
is. Even Nancy
Pelosi cracked a
smile. George W.
Bush looks as
happy as a
child. Dalai
Lama holds the
big, fat gold
medal the US
Congress awarded
to him. |
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| |
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|
(above) "I believe
that the purpose of life
is to be happy." |
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