The Who-per Bowl...

As I am a very untypical American male who , for the most part, does not give a squat about sports, I skipped viewing the Super Bowl. I did, though, have to cruise over to YouTube the day after to see the halftime show with The Who. Some impressions:

As a fellow 'old fart', it's always kind of a kick for me to see musical survivors of that ancient, insane decade of the 1960's--yea, Pete and Roger are old dudes, but it happens to all of us who get the chance to survive this relentless hammering called 'life'. Some folks posted disparaging comments on Facebook about the performance---come on, it wasn't about musical perfection...it was obviously a stroll down memory lane (amazing that we do remember) for we Boomers and the following generations that inherited our music. The vocals were ragged and sometimes off-key---but, hey, this was 50% of the Who, with Ringo's boy thrown in for good measure :)

Interesting song choices: wisely, they mined a couple from the classic "Who's Next" LP/ "Pinball Wizard/Tommy" a given, of course/ they could have skipped "Who Are You"...I never considered that one in the same stature as other 'Who-tunes'. Thankfully, they did NOT perform "My Generation"---it would have been too disconcerting to see senior citizens vocalizing "I hope I die before I get old" (although that segment could have been sponsored by one of the slew of drug stores sprouting up across the landscape like toadstools after the rain to provide we aging Boomers with our much-needed old-age medications).

One piece that doesn't exactly fit the 'memory-lane' category: the finale, "Won't Get Fooled Again". A very appropriate song to close the performance, since that tune has been referenced in recent days to describe the bubbling discontent in American society with politics, obscene greed, etc.
"...and I'll get on my knees and pray, we don't get fooled again"---an interesting prophetic statement that seems to carry more weight in 2010 than when we first heard it in 1971.

"The Silent Treatment"

Being a rather talkative and outgoing person myself , I just can't wrap my brain around the behavior I've encountered too often from onetime friends: the 'silent treatment'---you know, where you apparently cease to exist as far as that person is concerned...so, I decided to educate myself on the subject, and did a little research online:

The 'silent treatment' is employed by someone who is emotionally immature (after all, mature adults are at least willing to talk something out)...it is either an attempt by the 'perpetrator' to give themselves 'power' ( attempting to make the 'victim' feel smaller and insignificant) , or it's a mistaken attempt at self-preservation. Essentially, it is a form of mental abuse.

"It's wonderful when a stranger becomes a friend, but it's heartbreaking when a friend becomes a stranger."

"When we don't communicate with a friend, satan will fill in the details."

Whacked or Broken?

Interesting to see some brothers & sisters in Christ moving heavily into abundantly Charismatic stuff (before I go any further may I explain that I, too, am a Charismatic, believeing in the Gifts of The Spirit, speaking in tongues, etc.). Anyway, these Believers seem to be persuing manifestations of getting spiritually drunk, stoned or, as they describe it, "whacked". Now, back when alcohol was my favorite abused drug of choice, I persued getting plastered because I wanted to escape from pain I didn't know I had buried in my (unsaved) soul. I can't help but wonder if these brothers and sisters seek "whacked"-ness to experience more of God, or to unconsciously escape from the pain we as humans all encounter...just wondering.
Ironically, at the same time these good folks want to get spiritually 'blitzed', God has seemingly been transforming me into a spiritual empath--I have never felt the pain of people I know, saved & unsaved, as much as I have in the past couple of years. You name it--salvation, healing, rifts in the fabric of The Body of Christ--I find myself agonizing in prayer more passionately than I ever have before. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get GENUINELY Holy Spirit 'whacked' as much as the next Charismatic....but, for some reason, I've been moved more into a season of being broken-hearted over broken people.
I just thought that was an interesting contrast....what say you?

it's a test!