pat loughery

Part 1:

Focus on the Family Action representative Stuart Shepard is asking people, in a video he made, to pray for rain on the day Barack Obama gives his speech in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. Shepard, a one-time TV meteorologist according to KOAA, wants it to start raining two minutes before Obama’s speech starts, and he wants that rain to be so hard that it will block out network TV coverage so no one will be able to see or hear Obama’s speech during the DNC.

The Rocky Mountain News reported that Focus on the Family later pulled this video from their website in response to complaints from Focus members, and indicated that the video was intended to be “mildly humorous”.

Part 2:

Fox News reports that Tropical Storm Gustav is expected to make landfall in the Gulf Coast this weekend, and could disrupt the Republican National Convention’s plans to broadcast from St. Paul.

Part 3:

Irony (noun): an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.

See also:  Dramatic irony

Dramatic irony (noun): irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play.

Part 4:

Jesus says:

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies^[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

– Matthew 5:43-45

Closing thought

If you find yourself praying over the next few days, may I recommend that you ask God to keep the people of the Gulf States safe from harm on this third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina?