Marci and I will be blogging more often now that the big concert is over. We have decided to take more time to rest and write about things that we think are important. We want to keep our families updated on what we are thinking about, what we're doing, etc.
I have been reading about the Bin Laden family recently, trying to make some sense out of senseless violence, to try to figure out how a heart can go so awry. I anticipated that Osama Bin Laden would be the most interesting character in the family, but I was incorrect. It is quite intriguing to learn about Osama's oldest brother, Salem Bin Laden. After their father's death (by plane crash), the sons inherited a huge amount of wealth. Osama stuck to his projects in the Middle East, including the Afghan war against the Soviets, while brothers like Salem invested their money in businesses and real estate, mostly in the United States.
Salem Bin Laden loved fast cars, fast planes, fast women, and to sing karaoke. He would pay DJs to allow him to sing at clubs and parties. His favorite songs were "On top of ol' smokey' and anything by the Beatles. He once invited a group of American businessmen on a hunting trip in Pakistan. They were going to hunt some rare hawks. The businessmen were surprised to find when they arrived in Pakistan, that Salem had rented each of them their own engine-powered glider with a rifle mount, so that they could fly along with the hawks and shoot them. I am no hunter myself, but I might be inclined to be on if I had my own personal glider. Salem had homes in many major US and European cities and dated as many as ten women at a time, having many children out of wedlock. To many, unlimited money, unlimited women, and unlimited power is something to envy, a lifestyle of freedom with little complication. But after reading about all of his adventures and relationships, there is really only one word to describe Salem Bin Laden: lonely.
He had a rudimentary portable phone with him at all times, in all his planes, in all his homes, and would call his friends or brothers and sisters several times a day, no matter what time of day. He surrounded himself with people, many of whom just wanted his money, but would applaud every exciting move he made, every immature prank he could carry out. His entourage got bigger as he got older, and his loneliness became so desperate that he would hire front desk personnel at hotels to come and talk to him while he used the bathroom. He couldn't sleep in a room by himself. He was afraid of the dark. Nothing could satisfy. Ironically, Salem died in a plane crash, much like his father, in 1988 in Houston, Texas. Salem was by himself in the plane, his father died while an American pilot failed to land correctly in Saudi Arabia.
Cases like Salem's are not rare, and it is often sad to think of the troubles celebrities have with these same issues. Howard Hughes had a similar condition, which is shown nicely in the 2004 movie The Aviator. Even the most powerful people in the world have affairs, commit crimes, etc. I just learned that FDR was unfaithful to good ol' Eleanor. The human heart can be a lonely place.
I believe it was C.S. Lewis who said that for every appetite there is something to fulfill it. If we feel hungry, there is such a thing as food. What is this desire in our hearts for a love that will not let us down? In the 18th century, a famous preacher named Jonathan Edwards told his children on his deathbed that they should put their trust in the one father who would never let them down. We are consistenly told in the Bible to "fear" the Lord. As the always trusty Tim Keller puts it, "if you're living for money, living for power, success, sex, your job, or even your children, you are living in mortal 'fear' of something, the loss of which would render life meaningless. What do you most fear losing? You can be inspired by God, understand the law, and him not be your 'fear.' Is he the main passion of your heart? When he becomes the main ardor of your heart, you move from knowing about him into knowing him." Jonathan Edwards said in another text, "there is an infinite difference between knowing that honey is sweet and actually tasting the sweetness of honey."
Marci and I like talking about Jesus, that is why he often comes up in these blogs. He is moving closer to the center of our hearts. We are about to go on a date. We are going to dinner and will play games at Gameworks. We look forward to seeing you all soon.
love,
M&M
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