Thursday, March 04, 2004

The Farmer and the Ebony and Ivory Can Be Friends

I was shocked and appalled to hear that Jill had not been a regular reader of my blog since I had, in her words, "just posted a picture of Mohammed Atta" and left the poor page to rot. Yes, Jill, I am back and this is for someone who thinks she hasn't seen anything good today.

Jill and I talked today about how sad it is that the world is so polarized. You are part of the vast right wing conspiracy or a left wing kook. Why is there no middle ground? Is there a mental place for people to gather that isn't reactionary to something else? I listened to a sermon recently on the whole theme of "good guys vs. bad guys". We huddle together sharing mainly disdain for another group and we call that a relationship.

I don't have a solution for this...it's not a "Jesus and Seven" Sunday School answer, but I do know that it gives me immeasurable satisfaction to connect with someone different than myself or to find a friend on the basis of something positive.

Along those lines, did you know that Orrin Hatch and Ted Kennedy are good friends? It's true, a friend of mine was part of a summer institute in DC and the two of them spoke about their relationship. I found after some research that Orrin wrote and recorded a song for Kennedy and his wife (not that I would call a song from Orrin Hatch a gift...). From what they said in this lecture, they even vacation together...I am sure that Orrin drives the car.

All that to say, I have invited Jill to guest blog here soon. She doesn't blog herself because she tells me if she did she would do nothing else. On paper, she is my photo negative but I am thinking about writing an album of Mormon hymns and I have already cooked up one for her and a man called Chuck.

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