We watched Walk the Line tonight with some friends, and all I can say is "Wow!"

I have been a Johnny Cash fan for a long time (not just since his death like many folks). There’s a special tie between Johnny Cash and the town where I am from, Welch, Oklahoma. That was before my time, but I have always been a Cash fan and working at KITO in Vinita when I was in high school just increased my admiration for the man and his music.

What I love about Johnny Cash is that he was 100% real and he had his share of problems, as you will see if you watch the movie, but more than that, Johnny Cash’s story is one of redemption. June might have been a part of the means, but Johnny was always very clear that is was Christ that had saved him. I cannot find the quote now, but I remember one from Johnny that had something to do with whether he was going to heaven or hell. His response was heaven, because he’d already been to hell. Here’s another one from Johnny: "How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man."

If you own Johnny’s last album, you know it was a farewell to us all, and not just "Hurt" (which was great). "Hurt" got lots of attention by the press, but "The Man Comes Around" came from Johnny’s own pen, and it is stirring, moving, and life-changing. After Johnny’s death, CMT did a tribute. It was OK, but mostly it was others butchering Johnny’s songs. The most poignant part of the broadcast was Rosanne Cash’s words about her father. I blogged about them on the old blog, and you can read it here. In Walk the Line, Joaquin Phoenix did a great honor to Johnny Cash and his life and work. Reese Witherspoon did the same for June.

Johnny may have been a troubled soul, but he was a redeemed troubled soul, and that’s what makes all the difference. See the movie.

My little personal website (this blog) has seen a huge growth in popularity in the last couple weeks. I wonder why that is? Yes indeed, I wonder…

Hey there, my loyal readers! Sorry for the long delay in updates, but it’s been a wild ride the last few weeks. There was the Fall Festival at church, the the women’s retreat where I cooked like I have never cooked before (in addition to all the other work to get it ready and tear it down), there has been some action in the Fellman cases, and Jeane’s dad came through open-heart surgery very well. I know many of you have been with us in prayer about all these issues. Let me just say you can pray for us any time. Everything got all wrapped up this week, almost in a neat little package. God is giving the victory, and we are all thrilled.

One last thing. I was struck this week by the difference people expect in me when they see that Rev. in front of my name (not that I even use it that much). I am not struck that they want there to be a high standard of behavior to go along with it. I expect that, too. What amazes me is what that standard is. By and large, to most people, Rev. means that I am supposed to be nice. If I don’t act nice, I am somehow forsaking my title. Other people can be brutes, can in fact be breaking the law, but I should be nice. People in authority and power can trample their enemies under their feet without any regard for anything other than their own self-preservation, but I should continue to be nice. Don’t be bold, don’t be assertive, don’t be direct, and–by all means–don’t dare question people or point out to them that they are not, in fact, the highest authority to whom they answer. Be nice!

Here’s my response: Micah 6:8: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Proverbs 11:1: "The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight." Leviticus 19:18: "You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor."

Here’s the long and short of it. If I have to choose whether to please men or God, I choose to attempt to please God. We are not called to be nice, but to be new men (see CS Lewis). Let us all plead the case of the underdog when he has been wronged.