An ode to Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher died. She gave life to feminist icon Princess Leia. Leia was a princess, but she was no damsel in distress. Before uttering a single word she drops a stormtrooper with a blaster bolt. Another stormtrooper renders her unconscious.
Later, after she awakens, she isn’t fazed a bit. She even threatens Darth Vader, that dark, menacing-sounding, death-looking villain, as he towers over her and everyone else.
When given the choice, give up the rebellion or see your planet destroyed, she still doesn’t give up the rebellion. She instead sends her captors on a wild goose chase.
She lost her planet, but not her cause. When finally rescued, her would-be rescuers bungle her rescue and she has to save herself and them, which she does.
She then makes it clear to them: “... from now on, you do as I tell you, OK?”
Yes, ma’am. And then, she comforts one of her new friends as he deals with loss. She’s beautiful, tough, smart and human. There’s more that can be said, but for now I’ll just say, thank you, Carrie Fisher, The Force is with you, always.
Andres Chang
Taipei
Love is fulfillment of the law
It seems that some Christians have a problem with homosexuality.
In fact, the Bible does mention homosexuality in some places, and some people take the verses out of context to justify their own disapproval, hate or fear.
For example, Leviticus says homosexuality is wrong, but it also says in the same book eating shrimp, planting crops together (permaculture), eating rabbit, wearing linen and wool at the same time, and eating raw meat are wrong, too.
The Bible also sets the price of your daughter if you want to sell her into slavery, and demands that a woman cover her head in church and that she keep her mouth shut.
You can carry on all day about the Bible’s rules for this and the rules for that. However, almost as important as John 3:16 is Romans 13 verses 8 – 10:
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
“Love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Jim Steed
Kaohsiung
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