He's Baaaack!

You know, it's irritating. For the past month I've been going without blogging. In that past month, when I was unable to blog, I had a ton of ideas for posts and post-worthy events happen. Of course, when I was still blogging, an honest-to-God, good idea for a post was rarer than...than...y'know what, skip that. I can't come up with any good metaphor thingies now.
Ahem, anyway, all this babble to basically say that this year's Lent has been eventful. Some of the things that transpired:

• Alice in Wonderland, the play our family was most recently in, wrapped up. It was a ton of fun, but I find it a relief to no longer have to run around in a ten-pound hat (okay, okay...eight pounds).
  

• A prominent member of our parish, a Sr. Ann Constance, died. She had been diagnosed with cancer several months earlier. A few weeks prior to her death, she was given the option of chemotherapy, but refused it, and died, peacefully in her sleep, on February 28. It affected almost all the parish, as she was a teacher at the school, as well as active in numerous other things with her fellow sisters. We all miss her, and even though I didn't personally know her well, I thought she might be interested to know that I am, finally, typing with two hands (more or less).

• Often, people wonder how God can allow terrible things to happen to people. "Why," they ask, "does He let these things happen, if He is so kind and loving?" Several reasons: One, we can learn lessons from our mistakes and bad experiences. Two, we can come to recognize what the real value of suffering is. Three, great trials can bring out the best in some people. Bravery, selflessness, compassion--all of these can surface in a person in the face of suffering. But there is a fourth reason, too, one that never really occured to me: when terrible things happen, it can make people forget their differences and work together, whether that work is digging through the rubble of a collapsed building, or simply consoling someone who's been through a trauma. I expereinced secondhand an example of reason #4. God of Biscuits, the man with whom all of us on BlogHogger had been debating for, like, ever, had to undergo such a trauma as I mentioned. I don't think I'll describe it; it's been relived once and that's enough. Interestingly, though, when GOB posted about his experiences on his blog, naturally his friends were first in line to offer condolences, but also, several members of the BH posse* (such as Hoody and Masked Avenger) expressed sorrow and sympathy to GOB, something I'm sure he didn't expect. So, you see what I mean with reason #4. * BH posse meaning all the dudes who were arguing on our side.
  

• I got Switchfoot's new album, the Beautiful Letdown, and it's really good. While their lyrics and music aren't quite as poetic or intricate as, say, Dave Matthews or U2, it is very refreshing to hear Christian rock that isn't really...Christian. What I mean when I say that is that they're lyrics, while Christian, are more diverse and imaginative than "Jesus, I love you, you have redeemed me. God loves you, God loves me, yaddi yaddi yaddah". It's nice to hear Christian music that, upon hearing it, you don't immediately know is Christian. It's nice to hear Christian music that doesn't make you risk saccharine poisoning.
  

• The political volcano known as the Terri Schaivo case has been quieted, more or less, in the most appalling way. Terri now lies dying in some hospital room in Florida, in the name of mercy. Yeah, mercy, sure. In the name of mercy, she is slowly dying. In the name of mercy, she is denied any visitors, help, or consolation of any kind while she starves. In the name of mercy, her husband has her killed while, in the meantime, he runs off with another woman and the profits of the lawsuit. Isn't it delightful, the outpouring of love and compassion flooding the globe? This delightful practice is what's happening in the U.S. This is what's happening in the Netherlands. This is what's happening all over. As Louie Armstrong said "What a wonderful world". Yes, this is what's happening. In the name of mercy, love, and compassion, we murder.
  

And on that cynical note, I'll sign off.