Category Archives: Christianity

08.26.02
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Typing With BK Fingers

BK meaning “grilled, not fried”. I made the mistake of fondling my grill tonight and will now proceed to type with two fewer fingers. So since I’m not in an overly good mood, nor feeling entirely creative, I’ll try one of them there Monday Missions…. warning, opinion ahead … if you don’t like controversy, steer clear – you’ve been warned..

1. What do you do to make things better when you feel sad and/or lonely? Good question – I was a pretty early adopter of the net and used to find it was great to chat with folks I didn’t know well online. Nowadays, I’m more likely to grab the guitar and play away for a couple hours. Either that or watch some TV or a DVD. I find playing songs relaxing.

2. Are you a “touchy-feely” person? That is, do you like to touch people you don’t know that well? And on the flipside of that, do you like being touched by someone you aren’t close with? I am NOT a touchy-feely person. Public displays of affection are a nuisance.

3. Do you like to have “me” time, time to yourself to be alone and relax? Or do you prefer to just do your own thing with someone else in the room? When was the last “me” time you got and what did you do? Me time rules – I love it. If I didn’t this would be a hard life because Mar is constantly at work or on the road. Fortunately I’m a loner and adore “me” time. The last “me” time I got was all of last week – and I played Extreme’s three part “Everything Under the Sun” over and over and over.

4. Generally speaking, how do you feel about the concept of marriage? Are you the marrying type? Do you think the act of getting married means something today or is it simply just “a piece of paper?” Love marriage, although many thought I wasn’t the marrying type. I found me a keeper so it’s all good as we close in on two years. Marrying certainly means something, if you’re doing it for the right reasons.

5. What are your thoughts on the banning of same-sex marriages? At risk of upsetting any viewership, I’ll phrase it like this. Marriage is a Christian institution, and the Christian Bible makes it quite clear that it doesn’t approve of same-sex relationships. So while it’s not my place to approve or disapprove of it, the concept of people wanting “a piece of paper” from a religious group that doesn’t accept their lifestyle has always been lost on me. I believe everyone should be able to live how they want, but they shouldn’t be able to force belief on others – that goes for both sides. My confrontational side is interested in everyone else’s thoughts – post comments!

6. If there was one law you had the ability to create or change, what would it be? I don’t believe in the death penalty. Ever. So if the previous question didn’t make you hate me, this one should just about do it. :)

7. What would you like someone visiting your Blog for the first time to know about you? Now is your chance! You think you know him already – but you don’t. Every thing I type here is giving you enough of a glimpse at me that you can begin formulating opinion. A lot of it will be wrong. It’s like me telling you a story about walking my dog to the park and throwing a stick at him. He catches it, brings it back, and we head home. Now, you’ve never seen my dog, but you already think you know what he looks like…

Cheers!

08.11.02
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I Wish I Was Still Crazy

I had the pleasure of catching a bit of the Britney Spears Live in Las Vegas show last night, and it ended up sparking a bit of a debate between Mar and I. It was quite obvious she was lip synching throughout this concert, and we got to talking about our feelings on “musicians” lip synching through their concerts. Keeping in mind the bands I listen to aren’t likely to be doing this – it’s something a bit more prevalent amongst the top 40 gang, such as Ms. Spears. So what are your thoughts? Post in the comments – do you feel you’re there to see the performer in person, dancing, and listening to the music? Or are you there to hear them sing live? I’m interested.

I also watched a Johnny Cash biography last night, really interesting stuff. I particularly loved the quote:

“Sometimes at night, Lord, when I hear the wind,
I wish I was crazy again.”

I know where he’s coming from.

Do you think if churches preached positivity instead of telling everyone all they were doing wrong that more people would go?

I’m full of questions today.

Cheers!

07.28.02
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I guess it’s my turn

I guess it’s my turn to offer my two cents on the entire World Youth Day festivities here in Toronto. For those not in the know, back in 1983 the Pope presented a wooden cross to the “youth of the world” and instructed them to keep it and care for it, and that they would meet in a major world city every two years with the cross for a week of mass gathering and prayer. This year, Toronto was selected. Some of you will remember a previous post this month when I volunteered to help clear the streets when this cross came through my hometown of Bolton. This week, about 600,000 foreign youths and their families began to crowd into Toronto to take in our beautiful city, and last night, to attend a vigil hosted by the Pope himself. Most, if not all, of these 600,000 people stayed overnight, and now they’re expecting up to 1,500,000 local youths and their families to attend an open mass this morning. My wife has headed down with a friend from work, actually.

Now, if you take 600,000 or more people who are not normally in our area and drop them in downtown Toronto it should go without saying that things will get a bit crowded. These visitors, known as “pilgrims”, have taken to our subway system en masse and have been taking full advantage of their time here to see the whole city. This has, of course, caused for excessive foot traffic on most downtown streets, and promptly sent some members of the whining public into a fit. Don’t get me wrong, I have actually been more than impressed with the general lack of negativity surrounding this event, and I’m sure most of that is owed to September 11th and a general return to faith, or in the very least, an understanding of others’ faith. Two years ago this event would have lead to all sorts of blasphemous comments, no doubt, but people have accepted this Catholic gathering and seem to have gone out of their way to be accepting of it and gracious to our visitors.

Religion, and Catholicism, are frequently held as the major reasons for some of the world’s greater problems. “All of the World’s major fights and wars are over religion.” How many times have you heard that? At least 600,000 Catholics and Christians have crowded into the streets of Toronto this week and have we seen fighting? War? Theft? Murder? Plundering? Looting? I haven’t. No more than usual, which might fly in the face of those that have chosen to use Christianity as a scapegoat for the problems of the World. What I saw last night on the CBC was hundreds of thousands of youth singing, dancing, and happily coexisting with others of different ethnic backgrounds. Skin colour and diversity meant nothing – they were people, bonding together by a common love and possibly the last chance they would ever have to be lead by our present Pope. My faith in the future of our World through the young people was reaffirmed last night as I watched this gathering with nary a bad thing happening from beginning to end. You don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate it when this many people can exist so peacefully and with such love for one another.

Have a problem with crowded sidewalks? Upset over busy streetcars and subways? I don’t have a whole lot to say to you about it. Take a minute to look at the greater picture, whether you believe in God or not. To those that have welcomed our pilgrims with open arms, I thank you. People the World over are looking at Toronto with a rich fondness now that perhaps they didn’t before. I’ve had people ask me about our city – with the acceptance we’ve offered these pilgrims, and the great images of happy people and a clean city – they’re interested in paying us a visit. If you can find reason to be negative in all this perhaps you haven’t yet opened your eyes after all.

Cheers,
Rick Jessup

07.06.02
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I realized last night that

I realized last night that when people say “it feels good to do something nice”, they lie. They lie really bad. A more correct quote might be “it feels good to HAVE DONE something nice.” There is a large difference. Here’s the story – for those of you that aren’t Catholic, there’s this thing every few years called World Youth Day – this year, it takes place in Toronto. In 1984 the Pope gave a cross to the “children of the World” and they have since been taking turns carting all around the World. Well, inexplicably, said cross ended up in Bolton last night – population few. The decision had been made that a procession would be made straight up Highway 50 (the main drag) from the main Catholic church to the Catholic school on the North Hill (Bolton is basically a big old valley). So they needed volunteers to first help direct cars into the provided spaces, and then to stop other cars from driving on the highway and running down the youth of the World and their big old cross. Being a good boy I volunteered to help the Rotary group do this. So I slapped on my cool construction guy vest with the reflectors, parked cars, then moved over to a plaza along 50 housing a Petro Canada.

Oh, and then the fun began.

It quickly became apparent to me what happens when you take all the Christians and put them on the street walking a cross. Why, the evil, foul, and generally objectionable people are all that remains. Apparently. You name it, I was called it.

Irate Driver: “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET MY F–KIN’ PIZZA IF I CAN’T GET ACROSS THE F–KIN’ ROAD?!?”
Rick: “Well, you could park your car, walk across the street and get the pizza, then walk back to your car.”
Irate Driver: “ARE YOU F–KIN’ KIDDING ME!?!”
Rick: “No.”
Irate Driver: “FOR F–K’S SAKES!!!!”
Rick: “Ok.”

Irate Old Man: “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET HOME?”
Rick: “You can cross downtown at King or south at Mayfield – take Coleraine along the back to get there.”
Irate Old Man: “BUT I JUST NEED TO GET THERE!!!” (pointing frantically across the street)
Rick: “Well, I guess you’ll have to drive there or there, eh?” (pointing north at King, south at Mayfield)
Irate Old Man: “NEVER HAVE I SEEN A PARADE THAT WOULDN’T ALLOW YOU TO CROSS A STREET!”
Rick: “Can’t say that again, can ya?”
Irate Old Man: “THIS IS THE STUPIDEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN!!”
Rick: “Sorry, Sir, next year I’ll bring my cross somewhere else.”

Irate Young Girl: “HOW DO I GET HOME?”
Rick: “You can cross downtown at King or south at Mayfield – take Coleraine along the back to get there.”
Irate Young Girl: “WHAT!!!!!????”
Rick: “You can cross downtown at King or south at Mayfield – take Coleraine along the back to get there.”
Irate Young Girl: “YOU MEAN I CAN’T JUST F–KIN’ DRIVE ACROSS THE F–KIN’ STREET?”
Rick: “Not here you can’t. At King or Mayfield you can.”
Irate Young Girl: “FOR A F–KIN’ CROSS!!! THIS IS THE F–KIN’ STUPIDEST THING I’VE EVER HEARD!!!”
Rick: “So I guess you’re not interested in waiting to see the cross then, eh?”

*sigh*

I phoned my Mom afterwards and said she wasn’t very popular around town seeing as I was a mother-this and a son-of-a-that. I was hit by three car bumpers of cars who were rather insistent on crossing the street, regardless of the fact that I was between them. I had one guy get on the highway so I got in front of him and told him to get back in the lot. He yelled a bit and I said sorry, nothing I can do, they give me this vest and now I wield supreme executive power upon the entire city (“MOOHAHAHA!!!”) and he said “ok, I’ll go back”. So I moved out of the way and he quickly ripped across the street anyways. But thank God for small victories, as one of the patrolling police cars quickly sped over to nab him as he entered the other plaza. :)

Long-winded but I had to vent I suppose. What a day. I’m happy to say that my parents and I closed the experience off with a most excellent dinner at The Angry Tomato – the spicy corn chowder and chicken creole were dead-on, props to the Chef.

Friday quiz, already delayed, I’ll do later tonight.

Cheers,
Rick Jessup