Happy Easter three days ago.
Here’s why I was excited about Easter:
I’ve been reading the Pentateuch recently on my journey through the Bible, and let me tell you–Leviticus and Numbers? Not that exciting. The vast majority of the books deal with rules of what can and can’t be done, explicit detailed descriptions of how things should and shouldn’t be built and how society should and shouldn’t function. And then if these rules are broken, a long method of purification and sacrifice is necessary, depending on each individual violation, but even then the loopholes and escape clauses and amendments are so involved, it’s a wonder anyone in the Old Testament ever went to heaven. Reading the rules feels a lot like playing Calvin Ball, where the rules are constantly changing and the methods of keeping score vary from moment to moment and verse to verse. I mean, it’s tedious and consuming. Very, very tedious and consuming.
But for us, Easter changed all that.
I mean, think for a moment all the impure and “unclean” things you’ve done, according to OT law. You’d probably be sacrificing animals right and left to make amends for your iniquities. I know I would. But the Resurrection has given us only requirement–to just believe. As a result of our faith in Jesus, we can be assured of salvation. No exiles or animal sacrifices or incense or special prayers or arks and tents. Just simple, mustard seed faith. Amazing. Exciting. And definitely not so tedious.
On the other hand, if we had to make dramatic retribution for all our sins, maybe we wouldn’t catch ourselves doing it quite so much. We’d take better care of ourselves and watch over ourselves better if we were responsible for attaining our eternity with God. God is letting us off so easy with Christ’s resurrection, and that’s why it’s so easy for us to forget, to throw it away.
It’s like when kids’ parents buy them everything they want–new clothes, new toys, etc. The kids aren’t usually so concerned with making the items last or keeping them in good condition. As they get older, get jobs, and have to buy their own clothes and toys, they tend to be a lot more careful in their treatment of such things.
It’s the same idea, right?

Or maybe we’d sin less if we were able to call it what it is, like this MySpace email I received today:

If we got an email or a text message every time we were about to do something we shouldn’t, would it stop us? I doubt it, actually.

I could go on, but I won’t.

New Counting Crows album finally out today. New tour dates posted.
New Raconteurs album out today as well.

I like nesting dolls a lot now. I’m going to Russia in May and expect to buy myself more.

A month or so ago I did a search about the speed at which milk spoils depending on fat content. My skim milk was repeatedly spoiling after ridiculously short periods of time. Some people online said skim milk spoils faster due to lack of fat content; others said skim milk spoils slower for the exact same reason. So I bought some 2%, and–lo and behold–it take a LOT longer to spoil. So apparently the fat content keeps it preserved better. Interesting.

I had a good time in Dallas last week. Some crazy drunk girl tried to start stuff with me. I almost threw up on a roller coaster and blacked out twice on another. Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson cut in line in front of my friend because they’re stars. I was almost run off the road by large, flying pieces of wood panelling and have giant scratches on the hood of my car to prove it. I liked the food at Medieval Times even though everyone else told me it wasn’t that great. Oh, and I’m now BFF with both Sly and Tweety, who is a boy:

Okay, I’m tired.
Peace, love, and salvation that circumnavigates the tedious rules of Calvin Ball.

(P.S. In my foreign policy class a couple weeks ago, this boy tried to say “we can circumnavigate them” but misspoke and said “we can circumcise them.” He glossed over it, but I said, “Did you just say ‘circumcise’?” I think he was embarrassed.)