Dandelions and Daydreams

What will this day be like? I wonder.
What will my future be? I wonder.
It could be so exciting to be out in the world, to be free
My heart should be wildly rejoicing
Oh, what’s the matter with me?

I’ve always longed for adventure
To do the things I’ve never dared
And here I’m facing adventure
Then why am I so scared

…

I have confidence in confidence alone
Besides which you see I have confidence in me!

Full lyrics

Done with doing time, Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) busts loose from the Mississippi jail. The only problem is that he is still chained to the ill-tempered Pete (John Turturro) and clueless Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson). With nothing to leave behind, the three set out to recover a 1.3 million dollar loot buried by Ulysses Everett McGill. Time is running out, though because the loot is buried in a valley that is about to be at the bottom of a lake. The adventure leads them through backwater Mississippi populated with characters such as a blind prophet, sexy sirens, and a one-eyed Bible salesman. When the oddesy ends, the true treasure isn’t buried underground after all.

This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. My favorite character is definitely Delmar. I have a dog who would be a Delmar if he was a human. Delmar is just happy to be alive.

Blind Seer: You seek a great fortune, you three who are now in chains. You will find a fortune, though it will not be the one you seek. But first… first you must travel a long and difficult road, a road fraught with peril. Mm-hmm. You shall see thangs, wonderful to tell. You shall see a… a cow… on the roof of a cotton house, ha. And, oh, so many startlements. I cannot tell you how long this road shall be, but fear not the obstacles in your path, for fate has vouchsafed your reward. Though the road may wind, yea, your hearts grow weary, still shall ye follow them, even unto your salvation

Pete: Wait a minute. Who elected you leader of this outfit?
Ulysses Everett McGill: Well Pete, I figured it should be the one with the capacity for abstract thought. But if that ain’t the consensus view, then hell, let’s put it to a vote.
Pete: Suits me. I’m voting for yours truly.
Ulysses Everett McGill: Well I’m voting for yours truly too.
[Everett and Pete look at Delmar for the deciding vote.]
Delmar O’Donnell: Okay… I’m with you fellas.

Pete: Well I’ll be a sonofabitch. Delmar’s been saved.
Delmar O’Donnell: Well that’s it, boys. I’ve been redeemed. The preacher’s done warshed away all my sins and transgressions. It’s the straight and narrow from here on out, and heaven everlasting’s my reward.
Ulysses Everett McGill: Delmar, what are you talking about? We’ve got bigger fish to fry.
Delmar O’Donnell: The preacher says all my sins is warshed away, including that Piggly Wiggly I knocked over in Yazoo.
Ulysses Everett McGill: I thought you said you was innocent of those charges?
Delmar O’Donnell: Well I was lyin’. And the preacher says that that sin’s been warshed away too. Neither God nor man’s got nothin’ on me now. C’mon in boys, the water is fine.

My point in bringing him up in this post is to talk about judging people. If you say that someone is bad company then someone else will throw up in your face, “do not judge…” The Bible gives us clear guidelines by which to evaluate a person with, “By thier fruits you shall know them.” But we as Christians, are preaching do not judge in the name of tolerance!

Delmar is a totally non-judgmental person. I love the part when They get in the car with George Nelson and Delmar says, “What line of work are you in, George?” as George is hanging out of the car door shooting at cops. If we all walked around like that, we would all look as clueless as Delmar.

Matthew 7:1 says “do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Later in the chapter. vs 16 it says, “By their fruity you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

It is not our place to judge a person’s heart. But we are given a list of good fruits and bad fruits. We are told repeatedly in proverbs to avoid bad company. “bad company corrupts good character.”

Does not judging mean that we walk around with our eyes closed? When we see someone murdering someone we say, “do not judge!” Surely Christians are not that dumb. God does not want blind followers. He wants us to reach out to a hurting world. He doesn’t want us to keep saying, “Do not judge” just because we don’t want to deal with hurting people.

Do I have my fair share of problems? Oh yeah! I know that I’m not perfect. I know that there are a lot of things that I need to be called out on, and frankly I know that I need to work on a lot of things. But that doesn’t mean that I should look at a person and close my eyes simply because I don’t want to deal with their problems. Open your heart, Open your arms, don’t be afraid to help someone deal with their sin.

it is not my place to judge your heart. But I can see your fruits, and I can reach out to you on that basis.

Austin City Limits

Last night Lynard Skynard was on Austin City Limits. For those of you who have not been so fortunant to be introduced to this band’s music, may God have mercy on your soul.

They finished their set with “Sweet Home Alabama.” As far as I can tell L.S. is the originator of this song (NOT Jewel as some of you may have been misinformed). As the band left, the crowd began to call for an encore. The pianist came out and started to play a lovely riff and slowly the beginning of a song took shape. The crowd erupted into cheers as they began to recognize the tune. The rest of the band took their places on stage, and and began to sing one of the sweetest songs known to man…

FREE BIRD
LYNARD SKYNARD
——–
If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be traveling on now
There’s too many places I’ve gotta see
If I stay here with you girl
Things just couldn’t be the same

Cause I’m as free as a bird now
And this bird you cannot change
Oooh ooh ooh
And the bird you cannot change
And this bird you cannot change
Lord knows I cannot change

The camera showed a view of the crowd and they were jumping around and dancing. A few people were pointing towards heaven. And a lot of people were standing with their eyes closed and both hands raised towards heaven. For a brief instant I realized all that we really needed to do was dub over the sound with something like, “Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord” And we would have been watching a revival service.

Fly Free bird, Holy Spirit reign down on me!