Dumpster fires. Don't fuel them. Please.

The above picture in no way represents my feelings toward the Waste Management Company, of whom I was a customer in the early "00's. Any public wording I made that was in any way connected to "The Mafia" was not intended to wound, injure, or impune, and should be considered mere pufferism. If you find any of those words to be non-words, please consult Dick Vitale's tome on dismantling the English Language, "I Can Make A Word Have Any Damn Meaning and Be Any Part of Speech I Want To, because, ESPN, baby. RIP, Dick. Too Soon. . Oh. sorry for the confusion. RIP to the English Language. Too soon. Pre-RIP, to you Dick.

Dear Friend.

Got your note the other day. Yes, I know two years is a serious time lag. You wonder why we're not connected as closely as we once were. Brother, it's because we read the Book in radically different ways. Yes. I love you. But if we talk, you're going to think I'm ignoring it. From what I'm hearing from your quarters, it appears to me that you're weaponizing it. Yes, I'm aware. Sharper than a two-edged sword. But maybe what it comes down to is the question of whether Jesus is going to fight others, or fight for others. Sure. I know. Everyone wants to think they're fighting for others. Quick question. Do they feel that? Do they know that? If not, why not? P.S. "It's not me, it's them" won't hold up at trial.

I guess I'd ask, that if you're going to trumpet truth, you'd slow down a minute. Take a break. Ask-- "Is what I'm about to say most likely to bring Mercy Grace, Peace and Life and Healing to the one who hears it? I'd suggest that you consider whether they really need to hear what you have to say, and why you have the need to say it. And no, the answer is not always, "God told me to tell you", or that would imply you're perfect, and I know better. At your best moments, you do to. ,

Here's the way I'd context it. There are 66 Books in the Bible. Leviticus, it turns out, is incredibly helpful if you're living through a pandemic. Ritual Handwashing, Careful meal prep. Social distancing. Who knew. But if your life is a dumpster fire, I wouldn't recommend it.

Point of order here. If someone mentions "dumpster fire" especially if it comes up more than once in a conversation, stop what you are doing, and listen. In all cases the most important of next steps is a follow up question. "Do you feel like your life is a dumpster fire? What's going on. Because the person in question might tell you that they set a new weekly PR in the total number of utterances that could best be described by what the New York Times Crossword Puzzle would call a "four letter word for uncaring coitus which can stand as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, infinitive, and probably even a gerund, if anyone still knows what those are" And then hopefully consolation of the souls would go on to occur from that moment.

But back to the books at hand. There are 66 books in the Book. This you know. Few people mention that. These same books are differently organized and differently energized. But in the same way my bookcase includes manuals, histories, novels, and far, far too many cookbooks, these books also have different uses and different intents. Here someone is already attending to their own shortness of break, and wants to radically redact my words and refrain my reach. Have at it. Someone is going to trot out the tired Evangelical trope"All scripture is God-breathed" Fair enough. Here's the problem you're going to have. I actually fiercely believe that. I just understand it and apply it differently than you might.n But some words are so much more important at particular times than others.

Let me continue to provide more context Let's say we're on a plane that has gone down in the ocean, you and I are in the water, and we have a life raft in front of us that won't inflate. In my bag, which I managed to grab amid the wreckage, I've got two books I'm incredibly passionate about: Both Cookbooks. You know me. You're not surprised. But is this really a time to read from Rachel Ray's 30 minute Countdown to More Carbohydrates, or Paula Dean's Diabetes is Delicious? Not helpful And maybe even deadly. More deadly than Paula's "Butter 5 Ways? Probably not. But a quicker killer, at least. Make not mistake. At that point, what you need, is a manual on life raft inflation. (Actually what is needed is a rescue swimmer, and I'm passionate about identifying and supporting and schooling up as many of those gifted to that particular calling as I can, but they are truly in short supply.

My point is this. Bringing out the wrong word at the wrong time is not Grace and Life. It's death and destruction. And if you're going to speak it, you are responsible. Yelling fire in a crowded theatre? Frowned upon. Yelling "fire's ready" to a group of campers jonesing for smores? Life giving.

If you're going to be a purveyor of publications-- if you think the God of Galaxies is calling you to be somebody's book buddy-- please, MAKE SURE TO GRAB THE RIGHT BOOK. OK. Already, you need to stop. Put that book back. That's the book you think is needed by he/she/they. Try again. You can do this. Dig a little deeper on the shelves. If you're not 100 percent sure then you need to look again.

Here, among my male friends, I ask that they be willing to bet at least one testicle on whatever they claim surety. Strangely, few are willing to take the bet. Ladies, I don't know. Are you voluntary mammogram sure? Oh, and by the way, I know if I keep saying the thing about being left testicle sure long enough, I'm going to encounter a rage filled eunuch. I'm lucky that way.

So, I'm guessing most of you book peddlers aren't 100 percent sure if you're at you're most honest. But I know you. You still want to bring out a word. So what would my solution be? Reach deep enough until you find something that offers Peace. Or Hope. Joy. Or Jesus. Notice I leave faith off this list? It's because you will be guaranteed to use it wrong and do more damage, probably ensuring drowning. What do I dare to mean, you angrily ask? At the moment of impact, when the fire has found me and my faith in God is fading, I don't need to be told how to get more of faith. Yeah. let me stop, drop, and roll, and get right on that. That's like telling someone to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. You're speaking words, but you're speaking nonsense. The folks who have belted out that bumper sticker about bootstraps across the generations have never considered what a silly and impossible act they are imploring. Take a minute. Somewhere in your stack of books, or maybe on the internet, you'll come to the source of this particular stupidity. It was used to describe a hopeless fool embracing an impossible task.

But back to faith. No, my antiquarian friend. Wrong word used. The Word needed. When the flame of faith is flickering, I don't need the challenge to stop the wind. Instead, I need to know about God's Faith in me. That's something that will light a fire that will change a situation. Or save a life.

What's the recipe for dumpster fires? I'd always bet on adding life giving water. Less calories. Less words. Now, with more New Life.

thus spake,

me