NOTE: In the “I thought I did that but I didn’t” category, it occurred to me this morning that I completely forgot to mention how the principle of aspirin theology applies to the debate tonight.  It’s the old joke about someone with a headache praying for God to heal them… and praying and praying and praying while nothing happens and the headache grows worse.  Finally in exasperation the person cries out, “God, why aren’t You hearing my prayer?  Why won’t You cure my headache?”  To which a voice from above booms, “I gave you aspirin, didn’t I?”

It’s not that anyone can merrily skip along the primrose path expecting God to suddenly drop pearls of wisdom in their mouth when need be.  Rather, it is a case of how the Christ-centered individual who does the work does so with the correctly grounded belief that a mind and heart open to Him can be used in ways both natural and divine.  You have to do the work.  That said, never underestimate the power of Christ in a person’s life.  Ever.

Okay, on to the original post:

I have a difficult decision to make.  Namely, what to do tomorrow evening:

  1. Watch the Sarah Palin-Joe Biden debate;
  2. Work on the book, following up on some excellent progress made this morning;
  3. Follow the Sharks pre-season game against the Canucks in Vancouver on the radio.

I’m quite tempted to take door number two with an occasional nod to three.

It’s not that I’m not interested in the debate.  Of course I am.  Rather, it’s that even before it starts I know what will happen, or at least what we will be told happened regardless of what actually transpires since of course we’re too dense to figure it out on our own.  Note how it’s been revealed the debate’s moderator Gwen Ifill stands to profit quite nicely from a book she’s writing should Obama win next month, a minor detail that seems to have slipped her mind while the process of selecting tomorrow night’s moderator was underway… oh, but don’t say anything negative about it, okay?  Keep those conflict of interest comments strictly on the q.t.  If you don’t obviously you’re a racist.  Just ask Ifill.

Of course the whole thing will be an exercise in trying to humiliate Palin by bringing up some deservedly obscure piece of meaningless nothing to try and make her look ignorant when she replies honestly — don’t know, don’t care, no one cares.  Of course the whole thing will be a session of firing rockets at her while throwing roses at Biden’s feet.  Of course traditional media will use it as another excuse to smear and spit on Palin no matter who says what.  You’re only kidding yourself if you think otherwise.

So here’s what you do.

You pray.

You pray for Sarah Palin.  You pray that she will rely on Christ.  You pray that her words reflect the promise of Jesus to His apostles when He said, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say (Lk. 12:11-12).”  You pray, you have faith, and you believe that our Lord will take care of His servant.

Then if you’d like you can ask me how the book’s coming along and what was the score of the Sharks game.  Be happy to tell you… well, happier if the Sharks win, of course.  But in any case, happy.

P.S.: Given how it’s my blog/my rules, I reserve the right to have the last word in the comments area.  When you see something in bold red, that’s me.