Monkey Business

Hey Folks,
My mother had so many sayings, I can't remember them all. But every now and then something will happen that will bring to mind one of her unusual sayings. Like just this week with the shooting of a chimpanzee gone wild I remembered something mother said. For instance, if she hit her thumb or stumbled or burnt her finger on the iron, instead of using some by-word, she'd say, "shoot a monkey." I don't know why.

Well, this week someone shot a monkey. Not only did someone shoot a monkey, the New York Post printed a cartoon depicting the shot monkey. Referencing Obama's stimulus package which was passed this week, the caption beneath the shot monkey cartoon read something like, "We'll have to get someone else to write the next stimulus bill." Now everybody's mad in Washington. Al Sharpton even came out of retirement to protest the cartoon. "Someone's got some explaining to do," he said. Someone shot a monkey and now the offended parties want to shoot the New York Post.

I'm not all that offended with the cartoon. First of all I don't own a monkey. Second of all, I have been offended before, and I've learned to deal with it. As a Christian, everything I hold dear has been not only questioned but also ridiculed. The Bible I believe has been referred to as fallacy. Jesus, the say, was simply an ordinary man. His sinless life was a dreamed up after-thought. His second coming is nothing more than a good ending to a made up story. I am offended every Christmas when nativities are made illegal. I'm offended when the cross is called divisive and hateful. I'm offended when God-fearing people are reduced by comedians and politicians as being mindless and indoctrinated.

So, a cartoon about a shot monkey and it's connection to Obama are the least of my concerns. Jesus was cruicified and buried 2000 years ago. People still mock his death. People still reject his message. They still attempt to ignore his impact. However, even though I know not everyone will appreciate it, I will still preach and cling to the message of the old rugged Cross. Jesus, who died there, is the only hope for all the world. I wonder if that offends anyone?

If mother were still with us today, she'd say, "shoot a monkey." MM