24 reasons why i heart 24

There's a 24 sized hole in my life right now. With last Monday marking the season finale of Day 5, yesterday night seemed...well, empty. All this year, Monday nights have meant that 24 (my anti-drug) is before me and entertainment/shock/anxiety/joy is given to me in a healthy, 1 hour dose. But now it looks like I've got to ween myself off of this dependent (at least until I can get Season 3 through blockbuster online).

So for now, here's 24 reasons why ALL seasons of 24 are awesome:

24-The mole in CTU. New season, new mole. Not too safe, for a government agency.
23-Tony's conspicuous Chicago Cubs mug.
22-The threat of nuclear attack.
21-Bill Buchanon. Pretty much the best CTU boss around.
20-Satelite phones, which strangley resemble Zach Morris' phone from Saved by the Bell
19-Explosions.
18-The fact that any time a prisoner/important person/Kim is being transported away from or back to CTU, they will most assuradly be ambushed and involved in a minor car crash.
17-Jack NEVER setting his phone on vibrate. What the heck?
16-David Palmer. He's a swell guy.
15-Speeding cars.
14-Gunfights.
13-Terrorists "getting theirs" in the end.
12-Knowing that a previously unfamiliar CTU agent suddenly showing up in an episode to cover Jack in a gunfight is DEFINITELY about to be shot and killed.
11-Jack's PDA. That junk is just cool.
10-Shootouts (not to be confused with "gunfights").
9-Silly love story moments between anyone on the show.
8-Jack's ability to only speak in whispers or shouts. Think about it.
7-The CTU boss or government agent who makes bad decision after bad decision, not because they are with the bad guys, but just because they are jerks.
6-The apparent lack of said bosses to READ JACK'S RESUME from time to time, thus giving them a reason to take Jack's word once in awhile.
5-Tony stinkin' Almeda. (in whisper voice)"Yeah, Jack, I got it".
4-The Season 2 phrase "I need a hacksaw".
3-Anytime Jack has to get information out of people (which sometimes, if not all the time results in their bodily harm).
2-Chloe O'brien. For her and her "perma-frown", impossible is nothing. She has mad computer hacking skills.
1-Jack Bauer. A.K.A. The Man (but not "the Man" when people say "the Man is keeping me down." The GOOD kind). He IS 24.

Bernie the Barracuda

So there I was, walking the streets of Boston with my guitar slung over my back, like some urban cowboy, complete with spurs and chaps (ok, well "sneakers and jeans", but close enough). It was a great sunny day, with a wind that made you keep that light jacket on, but still made it comfortable to be out and about. As I was walking down Comm. Ave. with my favorite person (let's call her "Ellie"), lost in conversation about something trivial yet wonderful, I heard someone call out.

Using my uncanny peripheral vision, I realized that the shout came from the homeless man about 15 feet to our right, resting in the shadow of one of the many beautiful stone buildings that dot Comm. Ave. Then I realized what he was yelling: he was asking me to play him a song.

This was awkward. This is the part where I'd smile uncomfortably, make some excuse about being late, or (most likely) just ignore him completely and keep walking. There'd be a slight lull in the conversation but we'd soon be on our way, comfortably forgetting that there's people out there that don't eat as much in a week as I do in a day. I mean who wants to have THAT thought weighing you down. Talk about buzzkill.

But for some reason (let's call him "the Holy Spirit") I stopped. I walked over to this guy and he asked me if I knew how to play "Barracuda". I didn't. He offered to teach me. I accepted.

So he slipped my guitar over his shoulder and slowly began to plunk out this vaguely familiar song (which I have to assume is "Barracuda"). After he was done, he handed the guitar back to me and I thanked him for the lesson. Then I told him my name was John and shook his hand. He said his name was Bernie.

So...I stopped and let a homeless guy play my guitar - big deal! Although, if you know me, I'm usually a little particular about who I let strum ol' Suzanne. Plus I have this thing about having clean hands, but I digress...The point is for once, I didn't just ignore this guy (like I normally would). And although we didn't spend hours talking, nor did I baptize him before I left, I hope that I was able to show him just a fraction of Jesus' love.

Jesus said "love one another as I have loved you"(John 15:12). And how did Jesus love? I think he made every person he talked to feel like they were the most important person in the room (or on the pasture, whatever). He made a point to talk to the social outcasts of the day - the beggers, the blind, the sick - and made them a focal point of his ministry. He didn't ignore them.

Ouch. That thought is awfully convicting. If Jesus is the model for my life, I'm pretty far off the mark in this category. It gets worse:

"If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him - how can God's love reside in him?" -1 John 3:17

John goes on to say that we "must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth." That means action, people. People are going to see God's love in us when we show others love.

I hope that in that small gesture, Bernie the "Barracuda" could see even just a glimpse of Christ's love. Maybe next time I can offer to buy him a sandwich. But what about you?? Is there someone in your life that you refuse to show love to? If God loves everyone exactly the same, how can we play favorites? If so, you better check yo' self, cuz God be like "c'mon, man! That ain't what I be showin' ya! I keeps it real!"

Or something along those lines...