"Your attention, please."

mmmmm shortbread cookies are definately soul food.. and my soul has a hefty appetite! =D

G'day!

Walking through the airport today I listened to the automated recording that repeats the explicit commandments of American airports: thou shalt not leave thy luggage unattended, thou shalt not park thy car curbside, thou shalt not be/associate with a terrorist, something about smoking and handguns, etc... I'll admit that the first thing that popped into my head was the scene from the movie "Airplane" where the automated voices get into a lover's quarel... but that's not important.

The second thing I noticed was the fact that before announcing a commandment, the automated voice would always say "Your attention please." Being the serious intellectual that I am, my immediate reaction was to stare at the ceiling in mock confusion and blurt out; "God??" Apparently my family found more stupidity than amusement in my joke because they continued walking without more than a glance in my direction. I do enjoy playing the blithering idiot once in awhile.

Seriously though, it's interesting to think about God manifesting Himself through a public over-head speaker system. I mean, that's what we all want, right? We all want God to be a physical audible being who is constantly manifesting himself in instant messages and emails, on street-corners, sports bars, and kitchen counters, and any other time & place we want Him (emphasis on the words "we" and "want"). It seems like the truth is that God is never when or where we want Him to be. He is never close, but always somehow removed from our physical world, our logic, and our consciousness. Or, adversely, He does exist but His nature is somehow flawed or impersonal. Though I don't expect you to agree with me, I cannot believe either of these things. I won't sit here and argue for the existance of God, or even for existance itself... The truth, I believe, is that if you are simply unwilling to entertain/consider the idea that there could be a personal, good God, you have not examined the facts closely enough. "Your attention please" What if God really was speaking to me through that airport speaker? Maybe He knew just how empty and far away from Him I felt today, and so He used those few words to get my attention because He knew that I would pay attention...

Well... that's for you to decide.

Leave me your thoughts/criticisms/questions and/or hate mail. All are appreciated.
=)
I must go (it's FREEZING in here!!!), but I will write soon!
Love you all!