Thursday, February 15, 2007

HUN Update, February 15, 2007

Hey HUN,

I read a poem today that I just had to share. Please read it; I promise you'll like it.

Peas

I eat my peas with honey;
I've done so all my life.
It makes my peas taste funny,
But keeps them on my knife.

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I found it in a poetry anthology and it made me laugh.

And think, too. Honey doesn't taste all that good with peas; I've tried it. It doesn't taste bad exactly, but the flavors don't blend that well. I think that sometimes we have to do strange things just because that's the only thing that makes our live livable.

In the name of specificity: as the Michiganders reading this well know, there are times one must use the air conditioning in your car even when it's really cold. When those windows fog up, there's really no alternative. And so the A.C. goes on despite the fact that it's forty degrees outside and you're freezing. It's not precisely convenient and it's even a little counter-productive... but that's what you do because often life demands that we choose between conveniences.

After some contemplative poetry reading, it was time to leave for work. On the ride there, I noticed: the old people in Haiti are awesome. These people don't have wrinkles; they have chasms. They look like they've lived thousands of years and carry all the wisdom of the ages in their cunning minds. Their claw-like hands look strong and capable, as if the craft to which they have been dedicated for so many decades is yearning to express itself once again.

"(Pastor) Jean, your old people are awesome. Maybe that's the reason the older generation is venerated so much here." Note: I was joking.

"Well, not all people treat their elders with respect. Many young people disrespect their elders, and I do not think it goes well with them, because when people do not do what the bible say, it do not go well. Sometime young people disrespect me, but the bible say we should honor everybody even if they do thing that is dishonorable to me, so I still honor them."

Gosh. I was kidding.

But that made me think, too. Why should Christians ignore the facts and treat people as if they were acting differently than they really were? There had to be a good reason. I was thinking so intently that I had to ask Jean to turn the radio down.

This is my idea. I thought to myself that it was most likely a case of God trying to make Christians see people as He sees them. So I thought to myself, "how does God see people that's different from how humans see them?" The answer is that God sees people atemporally; that is, He see what was, what is, and what is to come. So when God looks at a person, He sees their whole life, and hence He sees the only thing possible from that vantage: a creature living precisely how it was created to live. How could it do any different?

So when somebody does something to dishonor or disrespect you, they're doing precisely the same thing as you are; they are living the life they were given as only they can live it. Just because your faults occur at different points in your life and don't happen to be an affront to that person doesn't give you the right to disrespect or dishonor them.

It is crucial to note at this point that this doesn't mean you should let people do what they want because they don't know any better. Everybody is responsible for their own actions, and the bible doesn't command that Christians turn ourselves into limp noodles for universal derision. It simply demands that he or she continually treat his or her fellow creatures with honor and respect.

I think the world would be a better place if everybody did that, Christian or otherwise.

In other news: the laptop screen on the computer I'm using here (Toshiba Satellite 1405-S151) was dropped by whomever carried it from the car to the office yesterday, and now the huge crack running through the middle makes it all but impossible to use. About an eight of the screen still produces readable pixels; the upper left eighth, as it would happen. So I shrink the windows and type everything there. Eventually I'll have to buy a new screen for it, but it's rather expensive so I think I'll wait a little while.

And also: the church is in the process of building a staircase to the second level that hasn't been built yet. Now that's an act of faith! I've tried helping a few times, and the construction workers have humored me by allowing it, but it's hard to hide just how rusty my bricklaying skills are.

And one more thing: just kidding. I won't put it off even a moment longer. Here it is: today's segment ooooooooooof...

LEARN HAITIAN CREOLE! (canned clapping in the background)

Today we're going to beef up our vocab a bit.

With : Avek (ah-vake)
Like : Reme (r*ay-may) This "r" is said in the throat and is almost a "w." I have trouble saying it.
Read: Li (lee) This is also the he/she pronoun.
I would like to eat with you : M'ta'reme manje avek'w (mm-tah-ray-may-ah-vake-oo). Remember - "w"=contraction of "ou"
Lala likes to read with him : Lala reme li ave'l (Lah-lah-ray-may-lee-ah-vay-l) In this example, "avek li" (with him) is contracted to "ave'l." It is worthy of note that, because "li" is also a pronoun, the sentence could also be translated as, "Lala likes him/her with him/her."

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If you are new to this newsletter and would like some background, please visit my blog, which contains an archive of all my updates. Here is my contact information:

Phone Number: 011-509-617-7720
Address for Letters : Pastor Jean Petit-Frére, P.O. Box 407139, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, 33340
Address for Packages: Pastor Jean Petit-Frére, 2525 NW 55 Court, Hangar #24, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, 33340

Important: Remember to address it to "Paster Jean Petit-Frére" and write "Attn: Dan" on the back of the envelope or package. Thanks!

God Bless,

Dan

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