Wednesday, June 23, 2004

11:01 PM Marlene and I went to see “The Terminal” starring Tom Hanks at the Lake Theater. Nick had seen it earlier and urged us to go. Turned out to be well worth the time—it’s a feel-good movie about friendship, family, keeping a promise and perseverance that is both funny and touching. Not a deep film, by any means, but an enjoyable tale about a man from a foreign country (an imaginary nation near Russia) who gets stuck in the terminal at JFK in New York and ends up living there for nine months. After the movie we went to The New Rebozo Mexican Restaurant on Madison Street in Oak Park. Looks and feels like a restaurant in a Mexican town. The owner (Paco) is also the host. He welcomed us effusively, showed us the specials, and even sent over a special dessert. You feel like family when you go there. Definitely worth a visit if you haven’t tried it. 12:26 PM Today’s entry on the Crosswalk weblog is called After You’ve Done Something Stupid. 11:34 AM Chuck Colson wonders why Christians aren’t fighting same-sex marriage. I wonder the same thing. Colson offers two reasons why Christians aren’t more involved. First, some don’t see the importance of the issue. That’s why pastors need to speak out and address same-sex marriage from the pulpit. People need to see the beauty of God’s plan, and why manmade substitutes will not work. Second, Colson suggests that some Christians have become weary and discouraged by the culture wars. But slavery ended in England because men like Wilburforce labored against the tide until the tide moved in another direction. Here is Colson’s summation:

The Senate has, I’m happy to say, scheduled debate to begin the week of July 12. Maybe there aren’t the votes there this year to pass a constitutional amendment, but that’s no excuse not to start the fight. We need a great national debate so we can make our case. And maybe we’ll lose this year–maybe next year we’ll lose again. But we’ll come back year after year–until we win. Like the cause of abolition, our cause is just. And if we trust in God, I believe that during the coming public debates, the public will see this as a great defining issue. And when they do, the pressure will be on recalcitrant congressmen to come our way. I say let the debate begin. Let us engage the battle.