24 hours, 33 minutes . . .

Distractions.

We live amidst constant distractions and therefore, in a state of constant distractedness.

The doomsday TV series "24" has finally completed its inexorable run recently, and I must admit, in the beginning of its run 8 years ago, I was captivated by the story; particularly, the character of Jack Bauer. His wild, impossible, yet strangely feasible exploits against the forces of darkness seeking the destruction of all things "America" held me in fascination for weeks.

Then, I woke up or got sick; I forget.

Or maybe it really was the fear, cowering in some dark corner within me somewhere that just knew it was all too true.

Meanwhile, politics and religion remain strange bedfellows just as God remains not, easily or lightly, uncovered within; The Gulag.

Which brings me to the subject of a new documentary, "33 Minutes," produced by The Heritage Foundation.

Are we, in reality, under the threat of some great nuclear attack?

Is the character of Jack Bauer somehow prescient or an actual precursor of things (or actual persons) yet to come?

Of course not (I mean, let's hope not, or hope so; depending).

The facts of the (complex) matter is that most folks really don't know (including me).



Oh, for the simpler days of High Frontier, SDI and Lieutenant General Daniel O. Graham.

I remember those days and a meeting or two . . .

The precipice between war and peace, between (again) - God and The Gulag - seems to be, yet, quite narrow.

And that's not being alarmist, neo-conic or foolish either. 

Polarizations of party, ideas and peoples are one thing, but surely we can eventually --inexorably-- come to agree that little mankind, the human species, NEEDS transcendence or transcendent meaning; in other words, God.

If not God, who?

And, if God is not there, where is He/She?

And then you have more words along with more numbers:

"Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earthwill pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Matthew 24:33)