Friday Tidings

On Tuesday I saw a friend in the grocery aisle and she lamented that life needed to slow down.  Back home while unpacking my groceries, I looked at June 30 th on the calendar and realized the year was half over.  Later, I read a pastor’s blog and he said we’re all looking for longevity—to live many years and be remembered well.  Sure, while I run around doing errands, let me find time for a legacy. The following morning while doing my workout, someone on TV was talking about Alfred Nobel. The elderly Nobel was perusing the morning newspaper and was shocked to read his own obituary (actually, his brother had died, but the reporter thought it was Alfred).  The writer credited Alfred Nobel as the inventor of dynamite—making it possible for more men than ever before to be killed in war. The obituary said his invention had made him incredibly wealthy. Putting the paper down, Nobel pondered his life and how he wanted to be remembered—

The mid-day crowds at the ferry terminal were sparse because the next boat wouldn’t arrive for a while. Without anyone to engage, I watched a young woman take her protest sign, prop it up against a bench, and sit down in the shade. One side of the sign stated in bold letters Seattle Atheists . The flipside read: Religion Causes War .  Since I was waiting for the ferry, I decided to sit in the shade with her and ask what she meant.  She was happy to talk and declared emphatically, “People are brainwashed by religion. Look at how many have been killed because of it.” “Do you think atheism is the answer?” I asked respectfully. “Look, people kill those that don’t follow their religion. You see it ALL the time.” She spoke loudly, although no one was close enough to hear. I turned to face her. “So, is this a God problem or a man problem?” “People do what their religion tells them to do.” She said, waving her hands dismissively. “And atheis