Conscience

I had a post about oil and the State of the Union, but I ran across this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. on The Blind Beggar and thought it deserved uncluttered attention - and reminded me that I have to go back and hit my book of his speeches:

“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for peace and for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will. But if the church will free itself from the shackles of a deadening status quo, and, recovering its great historic mission, will speak and act fearlessly and insistently in terms of justice and peace, it will enkindle the imagination of mankind and fire the souls of men, imbuing them with a glowing and ardent love for truth, justice, and peace. Men far and near will know the church as a great fellowship of love that provides light and bread for lonely travelers at midnight.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.

Prayer

"When I pray, especially after brushing the skirts of power, I must remember that God's kingdom is not an adjunct to U.S. politics, not a mere voting bloc; nor is it an international fellowship, a genteel and moral version of the United Nations useful for such tasks as feeding orphans and drilling wells. God's rule encompasses all human institutions and all history."

-Philip Yancey, Prayer: What Difference Does It Make?

Throwing Inhibitions to the Wind

Throwing your inhibitions to the wind can be like hurling daggers into an oncoming hurricane - you'd better have some idea which way the wind is blowing.

The Amish School Shoorting

A quote regarding the attitude of the community where this happened:

“The hurt is very great,” Huntington said. “But they don’t balance the hurt with hate.”

Good advice.

Quote of the Day

"Not everyone heals as fast as you do, Logan." -Scott Summers

If you haven't seen X-Men 3 yet, I'd say it's worth the ticket and a few hours of your time. Just make sure you stay through the credits. I didn't, and missed the final scene of the movie. Stupid me.

Amusing Quotes

From tonight's episode of The Simpsons:
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Homer, after starting a fight with the Easter Egg Hunt Referee, Hugs Bunny:
"Silly wabbit, kicks are for ribs!"
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Milhouse, after receiving a much-coveted kiss on the cheek from Lisa:
Milhouse: "I'm the luckiest guy in the world!"
Nelson: "Don't fall in love, stupid" [punches Milhouse in stomach, who then crumples to the ground.]

New Pictures

New pictures are up on http://www.morguefile.com search for photos by renowiggum. Couple shots of the Yuba River valley, couple shots of Webber Falls, and one I really like of the coals from the campfire our first night up at Boca.

Online Photography Archive

Interested in photography? In need of stock images for creative use, free of charge without citation requirements? Visit the Morgue File, one of the more interesting sites I have come across. And while you're there, check for pictures by renowiggum, and let me know what you think.