God's like an infinihedron...

13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" John 2:13-16

We went over these versus today in Sunday School, and it kind of got me thinking. I'd heard this verse before, but for the first time, I saw that it said that he MADE the whip... Meredith and I had both thought he had merely found a whip.

John 2:15 is a verse that is abused a lot - so many people turn to it to point out that God could not have been perfect, because he acted on his anger and threw a temper tantrum in the temple. We discussed how Anger itself was not a sin (I honestly think the only emotion that is a sin without action is Lust, but I could be wrong about that), and how Jesus was acting in "righteous anger."

But for whatever reason, neither of us could let go of the fact that Jesus had taken the time to make a whip... and this is why.

I had always seen this verse as kind of like, Jesus got mad and it was okay cuz he was Jesus. I realize how blasphemous that sounds, but I don't mean it that way... I guess what I'm saying is, I never understood why it was okay for Jesus to get angry and act the way he did, I just knew it was okay for him to do it and not for us to do it. Even the whole righteous anger thing didn't make sense to me... but that whip thing did.

The reason it was okay for Jesus to act like that was because his anger didn't drive him. He was "righteously angry," and handled the situation how he saw fit. It was a sin because he wasn't devoured by that anger... know how I know?? Because he made a whip. I mean, think this through with me - have you ever been angry?? I mean, so angry that you would over turn tables, and yell at people, and fight small kittens, just because? So consumed with anger that you just wanted to scream?? That's when anger becomes a sin - when you let it take hold of you and act through your anger... when you start letting your anger drive scenarios instead of your heart.

How many people, when they get to that point, could think ahead, figure out what they needed, collect the necessary supplies, and MAKE that which they felt they needed?? I know I couldn't. I'd only see red, I wouldn't be able to focus on making anything.

Jesus was able to think clearly enough to make what he needed.... *shrugs* This probably doesn't mean a lot to any one else, but it kind of smacked me in the face today, and I know it kind of shocked Mere, too, so... well, if anyone is having problems with that verse, I hope this helps. It helped me... but then again, my brain is weird. :D

Also... blogging is hard! I mean, I suppose I could make it easy and just throw some lame surveys up here, which I've totally done before... but actually blogging - twisting your brain and organizing thoughts into a real, readable post is difficult... I'm kind of thankful for that story that I started, gives me something to put here. :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What do you mean it didn't smile back?" Jordan asked. Cali shook her head.

"Just what I said! It didn't smile back! She smiled, and her reflection didn't smile back!"

"That's so weird," Suzan said.

"We need to do something!" Lewis said, stamping his foot onto the ground. "Could you imagine a world where reflections didn't return smiles?"

"Would you be able to make sense in this world?" Lily asked, rolling her eyes.

"So her reflection didn't smile back," Suzan started. "Big deal!"

"It is a big deal," Jordan said. "She could have a portal to another dimension in that mirror... what if her reflection killed all of our reflections?? I've seen Mirrors, it doesn't end well for us."

"Mirrors... Keifer Sutherland is in that! Yep!" Lily smiled and took a swig from her water bottle.

"Even if it did mean something bad, which it DOESN'T, what are WE going to do about it?" Suzan asked, looking around at everyone. "We don't have powers worth using, remember?"

"Shh, here she comes!" Cali said, and everyone fell silent.

"I'm going for a walk," Taylor said. "Maybe you all can learn to respect me better when I get back."

"Not likely." Lewis smiled at her. Taylor left in a huff, and Jordan punched Lewis in the arm. "OW! What? I'm sposed to make her want to rip her brain out, remember?"


James held onto his journal as tightly as he could, but the thug was bigger and stronger, and he was losing the battle fast.

"Please, I don't want anyone to get hurt!" Taylor stopped as she passed in front of the alley, listening to the commotion.

"Seriously, kid, just give me the stupid journal!" Just then, James lost his grip on the journal and the thug flew back. "HA! Now, let's see what's in here..." He opened the journal, flipping through the pages, and looked at James strangely. "What the heck, dude, it's just some weird words."

"They're sleeping... close it now, while you still can!"

"What?" Just then, the journal started shaking. The thug threw it on the ground, and the words began to climb out and attack everyone, including Taylor and James...


"OMG HELP ME! PLEASE!" Richard ran up to the four friends, tears sticking to his face. He had run all the way from the school, looking for anyone who could help him.

"What seems to be the problem, kid?" Jordan asked as Richard tried to catch his breath.

"A voice... there's" a voice in my head "A voice in my head! It says everything I want to say right before I say it!" Suzan hung her head, and Lewis started laughing.

"Look, kid, what's your name?"

"Richard..."

"Richard... ok Richard, now tell me, what does this voice sound like..."

Me.... it sounds like "Me, it sounds like me!" Richard buried his head in his hands. "It won't leave me alone!"

"Sounds to me like you can read your mind!" Lewis said. "Looks like you've got yourself a super power!"

"That's not a super power, Lewis!"

"A super power?" Richard said, his eyes lighting up. Lewis shot Suzan a dirty look, then smiled at Richard.

"Yeah! You can read your mind... not a lot of people can do that." Jordan laughed and nodded.

"It's true! Few people can read your mind!" Just then, they heard Taylor's screams.

"What was that?" Lily asked.

"Sounded like a scream," Suzan said.

"No kidding," Jordan said, rolling her eyes. "If we ever decide to fight crime, I'm calling you Captain Obvious."

"Let's go see!" Lewis took off out the door.

"LEWIS!" Suzan yelled. They all took off after Lewis, who was heading toward the source of the screams. "WHAT ARE THOSE?"

"Captchas!" James cried as he tried to fend off four of them. "Be careful!" Lewis ran up to James, kicking the vicious captchas away from him and pulling him out of the worst of it. They all took shelter behind a dumpster.

"What... the heck... are CAPTCHAS?" Jordan asked, being sure to keep her voice low.

"They're... they're angry things... you see... I have this ability... every time someone enters a word verification online, I immediately get the word. I then write them down in my journal and keep them locked up. They're angry because they aren't real words... they're just... Captchas."

"How do we stop them?" Jordan asked.

"Paper should work," Lily said.

"And how do you know that?" Lewis asked her.

"Dunno... isn't it my ability?? If we can get them onto paper and back into James' journal, we should be okay."

"Alright, then!" Lewis said, standing up. "Let's go CAPTCHA them!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lauren threw down the script in disgust and looked at Kitty.

"That isn't real... that wasn't a real pilot." Kitty laughed.

"Yes it was."

"Unbelievable!" Lauren said, shuddering. "That's the worst thing I've ever read... what... what was Taylor's power?"

"You find out later that Taylor's special ability... is having a reflection that can't smile."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"And... it was either this... or Lost?" Kitty nodded. "I take it back, then... Lost is NOT the worst show ever written... THIS is."

"Told you," Kitty said, laughing. "Told you."