Friday, May 18, 2007

Pastor's Perspective - A Whale of a Problem

Dear FCC Family & Friends.

“Okay, three of you.”

For those of you who have never heard me preach, that is one of my signature lines – or ‘Steve-isms’. I usually say it when I ask the audience a question and the response is a bit lethargic. It also applies to the number of people in our area and across the nation currently unaware that two whales are lost in the Sacramento River nearby.

For the three of you who’ve been hunkered-down in a Himalayan snow cave this week, two humpbacks whales swam into San Francisco Bay and eventually wound up over 70 miles away in the Port of Sacramento, far from their Pacific home. Despite aggressive efforts by marine biologists, the tiring whales are not currently responding.

Although I love whales and all of God’s marvelous creatures; and am saddened that a mother humpback and calf are lost; I’m equally sad that people are more concerned about two whales in need of a GPS than the bigger more important picture.

Did you know that while live TV programming was interrupted, as live cameras looked for flukes and blowholes, live babies were aborted in Fairfield – just over by the mall? Did you know that as CNN positioned a chopper over Sacramento waterways for a ‘breaking news’ exclusive, down the road in Solano County new police bookings of juveniles are up 44%? While people trek down to the river with binoculars in hand hoping to see a dorsal fin, the country is dividing over a war, gas prices are skyrocketing, terrorists already within our borders are plotting, and most people can’t afford base-level healthcare for their families. Instead of talking about really important things, our watercooler discussions revolve around earth-moving topics like whether or not Paris Hilton’s jail sentence is too harsh.

Friends, what’s more important?
Confused whales, or confused values?
Tired whales, or tired awareness and alertness?
Lost whales, or lost souls?

Okay, three of you.

This Sunday I will be sharing Part 8 of our current Core Vales Series – ‘Family’. Hope you’ll bring your family for an inspiring morning at FCC!

In the Fight,

Steve

3 comments:

jpal said...

Steve
As much as I agree with you on what is important and identifying priorities in life, I find that the publicity that these two whales have been getting is a nice break from our typical headlines of violence, death, war, etc. I rarely watch the news (and when I do it is to see the weather forecast) because it is so depressing. Some may say I am closing my eyes and ears to the troubles around me- I just don't want to be constantly reminded how bad society is. So, with that said, have a nice day, beloved.

jeramy sossaman said...

Shoot the whales and have a taxidermy guy put them in a museum. Then we can feed the homeless with the money we make on the display at the museum. I (heart) whales.

jeramy sossaman said...

wow....no comments....after that! either no one reads this or no one cares about whales....or everyone is just silently hating me. Hmmmmm?????