The Society for Pentecostal Studies meeting was a good one this year. I was especially impressed with Ben Witherington’s session on the Talipot Tomb, the “Lost Tomb of Jesus� (for more analysis: http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007/03/jesus-tomb-show-biblical-archaeologists.html). He informed us that the Discovery Channel was so overwhelmed with criticism against the documentary from archaeologist across of the spectrum that they have chosen to pull the show and never re-air it. Witherington noted that he asked the Discovery Channel to give the other side a couple of hours. His question to them was very appropriate: if they had aired a two hour show denying the Holocaust would they feel compelled to air another show presenting a dissenting position? Surely a show that “scientifically� denies the resurrection of Jesus ought to be given a rebuttal.

One more note about the conference: I was amazed in one session with a discussion regarding the concept of “holy war� in the Old Testament. Aside from the question of whether the idea of “holy war� is even in the Old Testament, I was astounded with the utter fear of some of the session attendees with the prospect that God may have actually commanded Israel to wipe out Canaanites in the conquest. Now, I fully admit that although I could theologize the reason I believe God did in fact make the command, I have no politically acceptable answer to the problem that would appease the modern conscience. Nevertheless, I was dumbfounded by the fact that most in the room feared that if God really did command Israel to wipe out the Canaanites, then they would have no sound argument against George Bush going to war in Iraq if he felt the same divine imperative. In my book this reflects bad logic and horrible theology.

I was in Missouri this weekend. This makes the last two weekends spent in the south or Midwest. I have to admit, the people are different. They are . . . well, friendlier. Maybe they’re no friendlier than people in other places; I certainly have not traveled enough to state anything definitively, but in general it seems to me that they are friendlier to strangers. People in the elevator smile at you and ask you how you’re doing. They’re not afraid to talk to you. I’ve been told that it’s all a put-on, they don’t really feel that way; they just fake it. I got to thinking, why do people say that? Maybe it’s true, maybe they don’t really want to smile and say “hi,� they just do it because culturally they feel obligated. I guess that means that for the rest of us, it’s okay to not be friendly if we don’t feel like it . . . we wouldn’t want to fake it. It’s unfortunate that no boss I’ve ever had would let me get away with that excuse. And while I’m at it, I don’t let my kids get away with that attitude either. In fact, I even tell my students the same thing. I tell them that they need to be friendly to others no matter how they feel. It also makes the marriage relationship a bit better too. Maybe people in the south, faking it or not, have got something.