Comments on the TV series I've watched through

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Yes, it's risky to post this, since it will prove to be very dated very soon, and after all it is a work in progress.  I'm not spending a lot of time coming up with great descriptions here, but my own impressions and whether or not I think someone else might want to watch them or not.  I'm trying to list only those I've watched through in their entirety, but a few are still being released, and there are a few I haven't fully caught up on yet.



On NetFlix:  (NetFlix is pumping many billions into content development, so they come up with excellent stuff, but Amazon has a much broader selection; many things for free on Amazon Prime, and probably anything else imaginable is available to buy)

• "Lost in Space": very good, highly recommended, and it's even older-kid friendly, unlike most stuff I watch on NetFlix.  Near perfect.  Only 1 season so far, and it's a short one.  At the end of the season, you feel like you've watched just the "intro" to how this family ends up being "lost in space".
• "Stranger Things": very good, highly recommended.  Weird in a good way.  2 seasons so far.  Kind of nostalgic like "Super 8" was, also in a good way.  Not perfect, but its flaws are forgivable.
• "Black Mirror": anthology of amazing ideas of how current or envisioned technology will lead to an assortment of problems in the near future -- I'm guessing 80% of the episodes are downright excellent.  Highly recommended; watch in any order.  Actually, this is one of only maybe two series in my list here which I have not yet finished watching all the way through.  Reasonably though-provoking, though at times it stretches credulity a bit (like all these shows).
• "Dark Matter": great fun, ensemble space adventure; would be recommended except for the fact that it has been canceled without letting the series properly wrap itself up.  Still, fun, and probably worthwhile even knowing it gets canceled.  After all, it's the closest that NetFlix selections come to great shows like "Farscape" and "Firefly".
• "The Innocents": well made and interesting characters on a rather silly premise involving a hereditary "shape shifting" ability, following a couple of teenagers who run away together and face some unusual challenges.  One of those where you can empathize with every character -- something not easy to pull off.  Not much to it, really, but I still enjoyed it.  YMMV.
• "The 100": a bit better than so-so but not great; starts out looking like future Lord of the Flies, but it isn't -- it's very consistently about moral dilemmas that often involve the survival of the entire human race, and it's well made, somewhat enjoyable, a huge supporting cast with some several strong female leads (and few strong male leads).  Good production, and budgetary constraints don't stop it from helping you believe you're in a very different place.  But the characterization does ridiculous somersaults at times and some of the plot elements seem to have no reasonable explanation or justification.  I keep watching, but sometimes I wonder why.
• "Shooter": mostly enjoyable because of strongly admirable characters, but as the seasons progress, the writers lose sight of that.  So, it's kind of good, but not a top choice.
• "Travelers": intriguing and odd twist on "time travel", pretty good, interesting characters in intriguing dilemmas, but not a first choice.  Strange changes of direction between seasons.  I kind of like it and will keep watching it, but I can see how some folks might find it not worth the time.
• "The OA": intriguing and odd -- a mystery/drama that hooks you but ultimately disappoints, not recommended; only 1 season so far, this year's season has been greatly delayed and I have my doubts it will turn out to be worth watching after all.

plus some sub-titled stuff:

• "El Ministerio del Tiempo" (The Ministry of Time): another fun twist on time-travel that is very much character-driven.  I think there are 3 seasons with a couple of significant cast changes thrown in.  There are some gaping logical holes, but it's still fun enough to not be too bothered by them.  I recommend it if you don't mind sub-titles or have any interest in learning about Spanish history.
• "The Rain": just good, not great; futuristic and somewhat post-apocalyptic little adventure with some ridiculous logical inconsistencies.  Entertaining, but it didn't stick with me.

Not on NetFlix but mostly available on Amazon Prime (some of these were once free on Amazon Prime but now are no longer free; and of course, if something is not provided for free on Amazon Prime, you can probably still find it there and pay for it, if you really want to do that -- but I would check the local libraries first [or, most folks would prefer to watch pirated copies with Kodi]):

• "Jack Ryan": it's well cast and well produced, the plot can be complex technically like most such series (think "24"), but there are some important gaps in characterization that make the protagonists less than admirable (this is not as good as the movies, not as good as the Jason Borne movies, etc., particularly for that reason), and there is this ridiculous, even laughable attempt to "balance" their portrayals of terrorism by adding some pro-Islamic crap that totally does not belong (well, the same could be said of "24" and "Strike Back" and even "Blindspot", so it seems to be a trendy thing to do).  I recommend it only if you like this genre.
• "Game of Thrones": the best TV series ever produced, but only available via HBO or for $$$; so if you haven't already watched it, wait until after the next and final season (season 7) comes out, so you can borrow the entire BluRay set from somebody crazy enough to buy it, or borrow it from a local library (very likely a library would buy it, given it's groundbreaking status for epic mega-scale TV production).  It gets weird at times, a bit maddening at times, but overall its some of best fantasy-drama entertainment to be found anywhere.
• "The Expanse": more "sci" in this "sci fi" than most; future events in this solar system that involve discoveries that will change everything, follows not just a crew but several other characters in various roles.  It's fun, thought-provoking, intriguing, etc.  Much broader in scope than just an ensemble space adventure.  Season 2 feels a little slow at times, but if you can stick with it to get through that low spot, it perks up very nicely.  3 seasons so far.  Recommended.
• "Westworld": a very-well produced but often confusing look at a future android-populated theme park the size of a continent, that ends up dealing with all sort of deep questions about human nature.  It's the time-shifting aspect of the narrative that is so confusing.  But if you can stand that, it's seriously good entertainment.  Recommended.
• "The Crossing": intriguing, well made drama built on top of a premise of a rather bizarre and rare form of time-travel. Has some good redeeming turns here and there, but only 1 season so far... curious to see where it goes next season.  A few choices by the writers leave you scratching your head about characters' motives (or the writer's plans), but overall it's a good package.
• "Fortitude": worth watching just to see the location shots and feel like you've been to Iceland and Norway and ... etc.  Somewhat interesting drama built on some mysterious stuff going on.  2 seasons [so far?].  But not a top pick, by any means.
• "The Orville": ostensibly a star-trek parody, with over-the-top silliness in the first few episodes, it quickly settled into one of the most ST:NG-like mainstream shows ever.  Definitely worth watching and highly recommended even for non-ST fans, because it's fun.
• "Killjoys": another fun ensemble space adventure series.  Despite having some fascinating sci-fi ideas not trodden to death elsewhere, it still keeps its gifted characters very likable with their skills and witty humor, and manages to not take itself too terribly serious.  I don't think it's as good as "Dark Matter" or "The Expanse", but I still like it enough that I will keep watching and enjoying doing so; and unlike "Dark Matter", new episodes of "Killjoys" are still being produced and broadcast.
• "Designated Survivor": a smart and relatively serious drama that combines political mechanations with some side-bars of law-enforcement action and investigation.  It started strong but kind of dissipated a bit over time.  It kind of makes you believe that the best president would be one who got put into office against their own will, since anyone running for office would necessarily have serious flaws that make them bad for our nation.  Recommended only if you like drama involving the White House (there have been plenty of shows about such things, so I guess it has become a genre of its own).
• "Timeless": a cute time-machine series with some ill-conceived conflicts and conspiracies and romances; this is a bit too "unscientific" to be "sci fi" -- much more mainstream.  Still, kind of fun.  There have been a couple of seasons, and I don't know if it will continue.
• "Blindspot": its a kind of "fun" take on the law-enforcement-with-lots-of-action genre, with some initial mystery, some enormous plot holes and logical flaws, some romance-interests that draw you in but disappoint, etc.  At times I get the feeling it is purposely being a parody of itself, especially with the over-the-top feats of any technologically-astute "wiz" character.  Really, overall, a totally mixed bag.  Some fun, and some interesting characters; but enough to be worth the rest?  Meh.
• "Lethal Weapon": based loosely on the Riggs/Murtaugh of the movies, it isn't the same thing, but likeable in its own space.  Its fun primarily because Mr Wayans brings such likable humor to his character, plus the show focuses on relationships despite its often goofy abundance of unbelievable "action".  There are hints of deeper drama, but it stays light and tries to end on a good note every episode (true to the "good session" moniker tacked on after each ending).  Not great, but enjoyable.
• "Six": a relatively serious look at a seal team, with lots of mission action all over the world, but also lots of drama of how the member's try to fit (or don't bother trying) their identity as consummate warriors into "home life".  The plots are interesting enough to keep watching, even if I don't particularly like any of the characters that much.  All are "heroic", but some have particularly noble character, and yet they still compromise in ways that leave you not very impressed with them as people.  Only recommended if you are interested in seal operations.

and some much older stuff:

• "Falling Skies": mostly excellent post-apocalypic-alien-invasion / survival kind of thing, that actually manages to tell a complete story and wrap it all up at the end of the final season.  That much is very satisfying.  But some choices by the writers of complete character turn-arounds that make absolutely no sense leaves this series somewhat marred and distasteful, to me.  But the fact that I could get very angry at the writers only goes to show that I was fully vested in the story.  Recommended.
• "Farscape": one of the best "fun" space ensemble adventure series ever -- mostly episodic but with some evolving themes -- highly recommended, but you have to find the final movie (Peacekeeper Wars) that was put out [2004/2005?] in lieu of the would-be final (5th) season which wraps up the series very nicely in the equivalent of 4 episodes.  This is a very fun show that never takes itself too seriously, makes for a wonderful adventure and love story all at the same time.
• "Primeval": wonderfully fun show that was a huge hit in the UK, highly recommended.  Five seasons! There was a follow-up series made in North America (western Canada, like nearly all good sci fi shows) with the name "Primeval: New World" -- different people dealing with the same stuff -- not quite as fun but still worthwhile.  Strong thumbs up.  I even re-watched the whole series with my teenage son a couple of years ago or so.
• "Earth - Final Conflict" (usually prefixed with "Gene Roddenberry's"): a surprisingly good sci-fi series from the 1990's that I never heard of at that time, but enjoyed immensely when I found it not too long ago.  Some very good ideas, stimulating lots of speculation.  Much of it stuck with me.  Recommended.  Honestly, I can't get over how good this was for when it came out.
• "Sliders": a 1990's sci fi show that was actually really good, despite plenty of logical flaws, and very enjoyable (despite some cast changes toward the end that were unfortunate).  This is one I might even want to watch through a second time one day.  Recommended.
• "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles": high production quality, excellent locations, historical situations and personalities that are usually mostly accurate (but not always) -- this is a very enriching and fun show.  Definitely worth finding and watching.
• "Battlestar Galactica (2004)" (the remake, not the original series): hailed as the best show on television in its day, still hailed as the best sci-fi show ever, it is definitely binge-worthy; almost no one gets a fair idea of what the show will be about by seeing trailers or even a single isolated episode.  Consistently well cast, with good chemistry, and amazing writing.  It's deep and serious and extremely well made, and it deals with lots of relevant issues in unusual ways.  Not without flaws, especially in its final wrap-up (there were some movies made to help wrap things up, and some of it doesn't make much sense).  Recommended in the more "serious" category (not "fun").  There was even a spin-off prequel series titled "Caprica" that felt completely different, but still worthwhile in its own right.
• "Stargate": from "SG-1" and its movies to "Atlantis" and to "Universe".  This is essentially like 17 seasons worth of binge-watching, and it forms a huge treasure-trove of "fun" entertainment (however, "Universe" is more "serious" than "fun").  Yes, there is plenty of unlikable stuff sprinkled in, especially when the show gets "spiritual"; but overall, it would be a shame for anyone to miss out on this, because it's such a blast.  It's fun.  Really.  Watching the whole thing from start to end (with the various movies thrown in around the time of the SG-1 to Atlantis transition) definitely makes the whole thing more appreciable than just seeing a random episode here or there.  Definitely sticks with you (well of course, after about 17 seasons worth).
• "Sanctuary": very different sort of show, takes a little getting used to (slow start), but proves to be well worth it.  That series really "sticks with you".  Kind of a sci-fi/fantasy sort of thing, with some comic-book concepts done in a better way than most comic-book treatments.  Very interesting characters.  But in the last season, the writing kind of went astray, choosing to focus at times on the most boring character in the entire cast (instead of dealing with any of the several amazing characters), and following some weird plot lines.  Still, recommended if you can find it for free somewhere.
• "Firefly" (and the post-series movie "Serenity"): space ensemble adventure with a sort of "western" sensibility and a lot of fun thrown in.  Good, worth watching, but not the best.
• "Andromeda": an interesting space ensemble adventure that can be both fun and serious, with lots of really good sci-fi ideas, well-produced, fun characters, etc.  Only problem is that it eventually started to feel like "captain Hercules" at times, and the last season was a bit weirdly constrained.  Still, definitely worth watching.  Recommended.
• "Jericho" is an unusually-realistic "post-apocalyptic" (sort-of) survival drama set in small-town Kansas.  Good stuff.  Unfortunately, the series was cancelled without really having enough time to wrap up the story.  They did try to get you to a reasonable resolution for the final stopping point, but it wasn't particularly satisfying.  Still, an enjoyable series to watch -- once.
• "24": action and extreme moral dilemmas; very engaging, white-knuckle thrill ride, but the writers often did some really stupid things -- if you watched one show per week you might not notice, but when you binge-watch the series you can't help but notice how many loose ends were never tied up.  I would recommend it, but ... to be honest, I wouldn't want to go back and watch it again myself, ever, so what does that tell you?
• "Strike Back": like a made-for-cable version of "24" without the politics -- counter-terrorism action and over-the-top field skills, but there is some gratuitous sex thrown in, especially in the early seasons, that just doesn't belong there at all.  Lots of interesting locations, especially in Eastern Europe.  Overall, not a strong recommendation unless you really like the action genre.
• "Red Dwarf": outrageous comedy that spoofs every sci-fi trope you can think of, and does so hilariously.  UK humor.  Recommended only if you are in need of something goofy-funny.  Well, wait a minute, I have not watched through the entire series, and don't feel compelled to do so, but that might say more about how I prefer other genres.
• "Salvation": some good ideas mixed with some extraordinarily stupid ideas that insult the audience's intelligence the same way TV shows did back in the 70's and 80's.  I'll probably keep watching it just because I'm curious where the story will go, but I wouldn't recommend it since there are so many better things to watch.
• "Band of Brothers": historically-informed series follows some guys through events of WWII (European theater), with a focus on themes of leadership (IMHO).  Well done. Recommended if you enjoy that kind of thing.  Note: there is also "The Pacific" series from the other side of the world -- [dis]liking one probably implies [dis]liking the other.
• "Star Trek Discovery": I'll only mention this latest installment with the "star trek" name since all the others are too well-known anyway.  It looks expensively-made.  This one is basically only available with a CBS paid subscription, and it isn't worth anyone paying for.  It's a reasonably good "spacey sci-fi" series, but you can readily find well-written critiques of why it is *not* "Star Trek", nor worthy of that name, by any stretch.  But if you can ever find it for free, somewhere, and you enjoy the genre, then it's worth watching.
• "Legion": this comic-book adaptation is unlike most anything else -- visually trippy, and psychologically adventurous.  That's what makes it fun, more than the plot or the characters.  So it's great for a while, but then it starts to weigh down under the massive implications of what it is portraying.  It can be dark, epistemologically disturbing, and depressing at times.  Well made, even downright "artsy", but not recommended unless you really like that sort of thing.  Schizophrenics should *not* watch this show!
• "Battlestar Galactica" (original series): it actually is better than you remember.  Recommended only if all the other good sci-fi shows don't float your boat, or you're feeling particularly nostalgic, or something.
• "Seinfeld": need I say anything at all?  Laughter is good medicine.

Another ordinary miracle

Another ordinary spiritual attack

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My twelve-year-old son got in trouble at school yesterday. He had to be taken home early. He's a great kid, very sensitive, extremely bright, compassionate, and ...

... depreseed.

We've been working through various things to help him. Tested and diagnosed with inattentive ADD, tested and diagnosed with various sensory processing disorders, he presents us with a multi-faceted problem. We've been getting him various therapies targetting the problems that have made him a social misfit of sorts (at times), trying certain drugs to help boost the right kind of brain activity to address the organic aspects of the ADD, etc. My wife quit her job several months ago so she could help prepare him for sixth grade by working through vision therapy, occupational therapy, ensuring he got healthy activity every day, etc. We've been reading books, changing our parenting approach, etc., and I've decided to work on my own similar problems and get help for them. Every time things got better for my son, it wouldn't last, and he would run into another emotional wall. He's so immature for his age, so "behind the curve" in large-muscle motor skills, so disgraphic, etc., that we have to address a lot of different things, but he can only stand the stress of a little bit of "work" at a time.

This year, school has at times become unbearably stressful for him. But when we look into it, there really isn't anything all that stressful about it for a "normal" person. It has been hard to accept that this exceptionally wonderful son has turned out to be a "special needs child". It doesn't detract from his value one bit, or what makes him so wonderful, but it does add a large set of problems to the set of difficulties of ordinary parenting. Oh yes, I could recommend some books that have been helpful, but that isn't my point here.

Yesterday at school, someone overheard him telling someone else that he wanted to commit suicide. They reported it.

We've heard him say those sorts of things without fully meaning it, but it is a natural thing to think about with extended bouts of depression, especially for someone as dramatic as this boy. But the school has this policy, you see. So he was pulled out of class, and my wife had to retrieve him. Fortunately, they were already heading to a long-awaited first visit with a psychiatrist, so they just got there a little earlier than planned. A child psychiatrist is often the only doctor you can find who will prescribe certain drugs, like anti-depressants, for children. But they are few and far between, and getting an appointment with one of good repute around here often involves a long wait. It's just the next chapter in a continuing story. The latest twist is a new drug, which at first is causing extreme nausea; and the need to do some specific testing for Asperger Syndrome.

But I don't want to belabor this story, which is very long and complicated if I focus on my son. Instead, I want to share with you a short scene from my own personal struggle with all of this. First though, I'll mention that at about this same time, my wife has also come under a targeted spiritual attack, where a rather sick individual (whom she fired a while back) has been spreading a rather outrageous rumor about her. It is completely obvious to anyone familiar with her or the truth of how she resigned from her job that this is a rediculous, fabricated lie. But it could still be very damaging to her professional reputation and her future pursuit of certain dreams God has placed in her heart. It is slander, and illegal, but a defamation lawsuit does not make sense without provable damages (especially with no permanent record of the defamation, which could turn it into libel instead of just slander). That has been disturbing. And to see my son also being vulnerable, by way of his depression, to the deceit of evil spirits is doubly troubling.

Ordinary spiritual warfare

Seeing these struggles as involving a spiritual component with a malicious and destructive strategy of deception, I'm reminded that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Not the person spreading these rumors. Not the organic contributors to my son's stress and depression. But rather, the kingdom of darkness and the evil spirits that pull strings and whisper deceit and play their ugly role. The devil is still God's devil, as someone once said, but part of this divine drama involves getting to play this role of being a divinely-equipped warrior in a spiritual battle, even though the end of the war has already been sealed.

A word from one of several men I asked to pray with me about the situation focused on the wording "above all" in the Ephesians passage about the "armour of God". The piece given the "above all" qualifier was the "sheild of faith", with which we can extinguish the flaming darts of the enemy. I was thinking through all those parts of the armor of God today while also praying about the dual situation with my wife and son, mostly during some aerobic exercise this morning. I was especially asking God to speak to me and direct me regarding my son's situation.

Ordinary miracle

Moving on to a shower after exercise, I was finishing my meditation by considering the sword of the spirit, and specifically asking God to grant me some insight that would help me to take hold of His word in an effective way to use it as a weapon in this battle. I needed to be able to get a good grip on the handle, meaning: I needed to find just the right living word from God to help defeat the suicidal thinking my son had been experiencing. And as I prayed expectantly, I got a biblical reference in my thoughts, right out of nowhere. Given the context, I knew this was an answer. It was "Exodus twenty, twelve, and thirteen." But I had absolutely no memory of what I might find in Exodus twenty, or the chapter before, or the chapter after. No clue.

So when I came home after work, I looked it up. It turns out that Exodus twenty covers the "Ten Commandments" (they are also covered elsewhere). It also turns out that those two verses, twelve and thirteen, happen to be the exact two of those ten commandments that my son would be breaking by committing or planning to commit suicide. Twelve is the one about honoring father and mother so that you can live a long life. Thirteen is to not commit murder. I also reviewed the others, and none of the others would seem to say much about suicide, directly. But those two hit on themes I had already been thinking about with regard to the whole topic, but I had never thought of it in terms of the ten commandments. I had thought of "no murderer... shall inherit the kingdom" (let's not go there right now), and similar New Testment bits, but never the ten commandments.

I did share this with my son, and my wife, later. And I led up to it by asking my son about how Jesus handled temptation, because I believe that my son is ultimately the one who needs to take up this sword of the spirit as his defense against these spiritual attacks of suicidal thoughts. So I presented this as a tool for him to use in this battle, given miraculously from God. But the neat thing here is that God spoke to me; or rather, that I was actually able to hear Him speak to me. And the direct relevance of what I "heard" to what I was asking for is irrefutable. I do not have the bible memorized, and could not have even guessed what might be in Exodus 20, and the idea that my subconsious could somehow have remembered that those two verses were those two commandments is downright ludicrous. I would never have even guessed that this would be a good idea. But after it all came together, it was very clearly a word from God to me in answer to my specific request about a very specific need.

This is the sort of everyday miraculous walk with God that many Christians I know experience practically every day. My own wife sometimes has this sort of thing go on multiple times throughout the course of a single day, leading to unplanned miraculous ministry at the guidance of God in ways no human being could even plan if they tried. I myself don't experience it quite that often, but I'm trying to walk in an attitude of awareness and gratitude, and expectant readiness, so that I can experience it more regularly. If you've never experienced this sort of thing, you may not have any inkling of just how "normal" and "ordinary" God wants it to be, even for you. Unfortunately, some of us have to go through some difficult things to get to a point where we are tuned in and paying attention.

I am so grateful to God for His grace in granting such good gifts by His Spirit, that I just feel the need to honor Him here by sharing this story with you. It's a wonderful reality that God provides such clearly miraculous answers to prayer, don't you think?

Sins of an entire society, and their judgment

Sins of an entire society

and their judgment

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I've been thinking lately about the civil war lately. More about slavery, though. Yes, I know that the war itself and the reasons people fought to the death in it were mostly not about slavery. But in a spiritual sense, it most assuredly was, almost entirely, a consequence of the unrepentant sin of slavery that had continued to the point where any hope of repentance was gone. Sin gave birth.

It was, in a very real sense, a necessary tribulation of great suffering that this country went through in the civil war, and was equally important that the South had to suffer so much. Many, many genuine believers could not set aright in their own minds and hearts their views on the topic of slavery, being overwhelmed by the sad "necessity" that had generally become accepted of that institution. Intelligent and God-fearing people promoted the most ridiculous of rationalizations. I can imagine how easy it would be, if transported back in time, to preach on the biblical principles of how slavery -- if it were to exist at all -- should be managed by God's laws in order to be acceptable to God, how grossly perverted the American form of slavery had deviated from those principles, and how all who supported the continuance of the institution were siding with all the wrong sides in so many biblical stories, even competing with the worst of those bad examples of evil characters. But outside of a few abolitionists, whose movement apparently "lost" in the South during the earlier 1800's as people made up their minds on the mater, I don't think such preaching would have any effect other than to get the preacher "run outta town". Ok, I'm not a historian by any stretch; rather, I'm just thinking there is an analogy to be drawn here.

I think about how Pharaoh's heart was hardened -- and the result was that God could make His demonstration all the more transformative to all who would hear of it. I don't think Pharaoh himself is so much the issue as was Egypt and what God wanted to reveal using Egypt as a role in a play. Doesn't God just as well harden the heart of a nation as that of its leader? As Paul tells the Romans of such patterns -- "God gave them over to a depraved mind". It seems to me that this is also what happened even among His own people in the South during the mid 1800's. Hearts of many in the South had become equally hardened, even among the very people of otherwise strong faith. This is something like a "curse" on an entire sub-culture. I think God does that sometimes to allow what is evil to become apparent as truly evil -- so things have to get worse and more polarized in order for the evil to be purged so that the whole can be healed and restored. Its a drama at a national level more than the personal level.

I think there is an important lesson in there somewhere. Perhaps we are all equally guilty of hardening our hearts to the sins of our present-day culture, unwilling to expend any energy on a "lost cause", no matter how great its sadness (to which we only give lip service). 100 years after that war, the legacy of darkness in peoples hearts still flavored many of the influences I grew up with, even among family and church-goers that served as some of my best Christian examples in early childhood. That is a testimony to the lasting devastation of societal sin. When an oppressed people is kept down, then children both within and without will learn by generalization that there is something wrong with that people. I was exposed repeatedly to such ideas that "colored people just smell different, and to us white folks, it stinks." When the majority of "colored" people I encountered happened to be the poorest and most dejected in society, who didn't have hot water in their home and who therefore only rarely took a bath in the winter, then I would of course assume that this idea was true due to the "evidence" that I myself had experienced. It was "ok" to be served food by the black church custodian because -- well, after all, if you looked at his hands it was plain to see that all the black had come off through years of hard work -- they looked like a white man's hands. This was what I grew up with. I was never formally taught any of this; it was just what kids said, even older kids, and sometimes even adults. Only much later as an adult did I learn that my 1st grade class was the very first in which white and black were integrated into the same school -- I had not know that as a child. But the civil rights movement had brought change, finally, and what began as a seed continued to grow. Today's young generation probably cannot imagine the widespread and open prejudice and discrimination that was rampant when I was a child. When I visit my home town in the South now, it is a completely different world with respect to racial equity and integration -- I can assume there are still some issues, but it seems like a wonderful transformation to me.

As my years of schooling in an integrated environment allowed me to develop a more accurate understanding, and the learnings of adolescence and young adulthood allowed me to view my society's values more critically, I felt good to be breaking free from this racist nonsense. But even as a professional adult, I still noticed once when a black coworker handed me something to eat that I still had a thought from my earliest informal indoctrination -- a momentary idea of "taintedness" or "uncleanliness" of something touched by a black person. I was shocked and appalled that I would still have such a thought, even though of course I dismissed it as nonsense immediately, graciously accepting my coworker's offer. But that this concept would still linger in my subconscious after all these years left me feeling deeply ashamed. And so it is not hard to understand how the societal repression of an entire "race" was able to continue for over 100 years after they were set free from slavery.

But what of this present culture in America? Or in your own neck of the world, if that be somewhere else? What horrible sins are being rationalized and justified against the Spirit of God by our society today? Is there something as bad as America's former institution of slavery? Is there something worse? And what will be the consequences if it is not corrected? Will God give us over to a depraved mind with respect to that topic, hardening our hearts so that even the elect will be deceived? What great tribulation must we pass through to be purged of such evil? And what will someone say 100 years from now is still a legacy of damage from the sins of this generation? It's something to think about. And though I do have some initial thoughts on the matter, I'm not interested in debating the topic -- it's more for inward reflection right now. So I share the questions for whatever benefit you might find in them, though I am sharing all this fairly openly and somewhat carelessly with less attention to erudition than you might prefer.