words escaping me

Hi friends,
Well, Susan, I must admit that I have been right here, trying to think of something intelligible to say. So in an effort to turn Susan's post into a rolling discussion, I think I'm just going to babble incoherently and hope my dear friends understand me. Why do I have friends who are such good writers? I guess that's a discussion for another time...
In reading this section, I am coming from the perspective of someone who has been quite disillusioned with the Bible, God, humanity, and life in general, and yet who remains an idealist who feels like I need to find a way to fix all that is wrong in the world. I think in reading this, I realize that I am essentially the problem that Claiborne is talking about. Human nature is not content to trust, or believe- we are all control freaks. I love how Claiborne tells the story of the Old Testament, because he talks about all these terrible events that God sanctioned that are so freaking hard to stomach, because they remind us of modern genocide. The Tower of Babel seems so counter-world cooperation- to scatter people and create all these language barriers. How much easier would understanding each other be if we could just speak the same language, and we didn't have race dividing us? (Although think of the lost beauty... another subject) But that's the point- WE would be able to achieve global peace and worldwide reconciliation. It would be the most dangerous thing, but as we see with the whole "kings are a bad idea" phenomenon- when we are control, we in general do a shitty job.
What I'm trying to say is that I see this chapter as saying, here is this story of God repeatedly showing mercy and grace and compassion for the people of Israel- this is God rescuing the poor, and the broken. This is God doing things that are counter-human, and that sometimes don't make sense. But when we take control, we screw up, and not just in minor ways. God is trying to teach us to live lives that are set apart, not because it's cool to be a radical social justice hippie Christian, but because the way God does it is over there, rather than here.
That's all. I was hoping like five more people would write before I did so I could sneak in unnoticed, but then I realized that I work 25 hours a week & spend the other half of my week sitting in my pajamas, working out & watching the View. :(
P.S. (Even though he won't save us- Go Obama!!!)