Well, I didn't watch the Oscars this weekend. But I felt like I got some much better gifts instead. As someone in this world, I along with millions of viewers think that looking at the rich and glamorous is somehow going to be more enlightening. I think the true lessons are when we see God have regard for the weak and when we see how He stands up for those who need a friend.

I saw a perfect example of that yesterday. I play ultimate frisbee with a group down at Cherokee Park. In my own desire to compete and play well, I often fail to look out for the true needs of people. What I saw was that God had concerns about how people were treated, particularly those who weren't going to find any acceptance from their performance on the field. Just a single comment from a newcomer completely opened my eyes to my own blindness. A very rewarding lesson, I'm very grateful for it.

Later a friend and I were talking about The Passion of the Christ and how much Christ suffered for us. The earlier words from the morning sermon about "glorying in" things came back to mind, and I could see the ridiculousness and the evil of glorying in anything other than that sacrifice and the one who made it. Our pastor warned us that anything we glory in will eventually consume us - intelligence, athletic ability, our prestige, etc. It is God's kindness to gently lead us away from those destructive attitudes before they consume us.

In looking at the Oscar recap, I found an interesting quote from Tim Robbins, whose role in the film for which he won an award was as someone hamstrung by his past. He said that "it is not shame and weakness to seek out help." So I find that you can see the beauty of the Kingdom and its truth in unlikely places.

God be praised!