NFL, iPad2, Earthquakes & Tsunamis

This has been a very surreal day in many ways today. Before you read the rest of this blog, know that I am not really trying to go on a rant, but to establish that our priorities are just messed up if you ask me.

NFL - the owners will not disclose all the financial records; want more and more of the share of revenue and want to extend the season to 18 regular season games. The players are convinced the owners are already getting more than their fair share of revenues; are convinced that 16 regular season games are more than enough. The fans spend amazing amounts of money to watch grown men chase someone with a pigskin and are getting shafted by both owners and players. Players bust up their union. Owners cry foul; fans get short end of stick again.

iPad2 - amazing piece of technology that costs the same as the iPad when it was introduced. Has more capabilities. No pre-sales. Go stand in line, spend money you do not have on a piece of technology that really is very cool. Apple does great things including convincing people that you have to own their products to be cool and that we will manipulate you so much that you will do almost anything to get our technology, because we will convince you, you have to have our stuff.

Earthquakes & Tsunamis - I do not even know what to say about these events today. The videos, pictures of cars, boats, trains, airplanes, houses, buildings, everything being shifted around by water and utterly destroyed. Nuclear sites about to melt down, entire trains disappearing and the people on them gone. Thousands of people unaccounted for and more and more aftershocks of incredible strength continue. Entire towns and villages filled with people, gone. Many Japanese lost their lives today. Many more are unaccounted for and presumed dead.

And we are sad that maybe the NFL will not play a game this year. It is a freaking game that we have allowed to become so much more than it really is. iPads and iPad2s are very cool, but none of them are saving lives in Japan right now.

My heart hurts for the Japanese; for me because I do not know how to really help; and for us as a people who see devastation and loss of life and worry more that maybe our favorite NFL team won't get a shot at a championship or that without the latest technology we will lag behind the world. I am praying that God will break my heart for the things that break His heart.

Here is a good way to get involved now - Baptist Global Response