My aunt in Malaysia, curiously and quite cutely, asked me what the word motherfucker meant.  I replied it doesn’t really literally mean what it says.  Rather, it’s akin to a Malay term that means bastard or someone of truly despicable character.  I think she understood when I put it that way.  And apparently it also means someone that is truly great or formidable – as in that criminologist is a wicked smart motherfucker.

This one is about how God is more of a gangster than we think He is.

I often think to myself – does God use swear words.  And I actually think He does.  Sometimes I hear Him tell me – “Run your offense.  Play your game.  Keep the faith.”  Followed by that word.  I think the point here is that God isn’t really who we think He is.  We have often put Him in a box to fulfill our own ideas and fantasies.

One of my PhD advisors sent me a book on shepherd leadership.  It is often said that when God chooses a leader, He looks for a shepherd.  David, Moses – two of the greatest Hebrew patriarchs were shepherds.  Jesus is also described as the perfect shepherd.

But here’s the thing with shepherds.  They aren’t the embodiment of nice and nurturing all the time.  They brave the elements, fight off threats, and take on other difficult duties.  An interesting fact about shepherds is that they sometimes have to kill one of their sheep.  Not for food but when one of them is a bad one and causes the others to follow suit.  If the bad sheep cannot be persuaded to behave, the shepherd takes it out – tap tap to the head, Chow Yun Fat style.

When you read the Bible more closely, you’ll see how the people God uses or are considered heroes do not look like Ned Flanders.  Some explain this away as God can use anyone to accomplish His will and that is certainly true but I also think it’s more than that.  I think these characters also reflect who God is as well – His capacity for fierceness, wildness, etc in addition to His gentler characteristics.  Sheep don’t fight wolves.  A sheepdog  or a reformed wolf does.

When I was a baby DA, a more experienced defense attorney challenged me to a fight in court.  He said we could take it outside if we wanted.  I replied – no need, we can do it right here.

Motherfucker.