It's finally tee-shirt weather in JingAn. I am glad for summer to be here, though it means I no longer have an excuse to stay in and read all day.

Here is the thing I wrote for The Cafe last week. I don't know how many people "liked" it, but I wasn't too impressed. Some are better than others. What I wanted to say, and I don't think I did a good job of it, is that as the mission was expanding geographically, it was also expanding in scope. Paul didn't fully realize that until this week when we will read about his vision. All the traif food will be lowered on a sheet from Bed Bath and Beyond and EUREKA! That's the easy point. I might have even made that point. But the point that I was interested in, and the one I think I fumbled, is the one where it turns out to be the very things which have formed him, the things he holds dear, which became his stumbling blocks. He kept the law, remained ritually pure, and those are not just legalistic requirements that people did. The mitzvot are ways of spiritualizing our lives. Paul didn't have the 613 that we have today, all organized as they are. That happened in the third century. But, he certainly had enough to go on.  He would have recognized the laws as a means of knowing and loving God. It probably seemed very good to him. But it also blinded him. That's what I wanted to say. I wonder what is blinding me. I mean, I know. I have issues, so I know some of the things that are blinding me. But, are there others? Not sure.

Anyway, I don't have anything new to say about Paul's vision. It should be clear enough to anyone with eyes to read it that God has made all things good and we shouldn't be all judg-y about what other people do or don't do.

I do have something to say about Passover, though. Some years I am able to just observe that it's Passover time, and that's all. And other years I really feel drawn into it... at least drawn into these 50 days between Pesach and Shavuot. Not to give anything away, but I'll probably write about that.

I need a new pair of trainers so I'll be off to the Crystal Galleria mall in a few minutes. There's an Adidas store there. I shopped at New Balance last night, but those are ugly shoes. I couldn't even bring myself to try on a pair. I might shop a few other places. You never know. Have a good weekend everybody.