I am undeniably an Apple nut. I really like the company and the way they (at least seem) to conduct business. With an eye to environment responsibility and customer satisfaction. But, at the same time, knowing those two things are connected, but not trying to hide the fact that they are a business and they are out to make a buck.

Apple is also known for being extremely secretive. New product offerings don’t usually come as a total surprise, however, until they’re revealed it’s all a big guessing game about what exactly they’re going to offer.

Being that I love Apple products, there are two websites I frequent in order to hopefully get a glimpse of what’s coming. Those websites are Appleinsider.com and Macrumors.com. Both are blog style websites which gather information from various verified and unverified sources and attempt to speculate on what might be coming.

It occurred to me as I was skimming over one of the posts this afternoon that the reports on these websites are, in a way, a kind of modern window into Israelite’s lives during the time of the prophets.

I know, it’s the most trivial comparison, but it seemed apt, nonetheless.

On either of these websites, ‘sources’ deliver information about what they believe Apple is up to with their products. There are lots of voices and all of them claim to be right. But, of course, the only way to know for sure is to wait for an announcement from Apple. After which some ‘sources’ lose credibility, while others who predicted accurately get venerated and trusted more highly in the future.

In the time of the prophets, there were also many people speaking in the King’s ear saying what they believed God was doing or speaking. Only the prophets truly appointed by God knew and it could only be verified once it happened. After which, the true prophets were venerated (well, at least until they were killed), and the false prophets were to be executed.

When I read the scripture, I’ve always had difficulty attempting to make sense of their experience. I’m simply so far removed from it that it’s difficult. Noticing this correlation, however dramatically disproportionate it might be, makes me feel as though I can begin to relate to their experience.

Pretty cool, I think.

Who remembers this flick from 1996? We watched it tonight on a bit of a whim. A friend hadn’t seen it and being that we’re all Tim Burton fans, it just seemed appropriate.

If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s something of a satire. Not exactly a knee slapper, but then again, I’m not sure it was supposed to be. The basis of the movie is founded mostly on misconceptions and miscommunications between us and a race of alien visitors.

If you haven’t seen the movie, the basic premise is that Martians show up on earth. The government makes the foolhardy assumption that their visit is not hostile (since a more ‘advanced’ race would naturally be more peaceful). But, the assumptions prove wrong and the Martians go on a extermination spree.

At their first arrival, an inventor reveals a machine that is supposed to translate their language to our own. The alien leader gives off some strange squawks which is translated to mean ‘we come in peace’. Of course, seconds later they’re killing everyone in sight.

Throughout the rest of the movie, this machine is a subtle, yet reoccurring joke. At one point two aliens run across a street in a city under attack. One of them is carrying the translation machine. While both of them fire their lasers at people and property, the translation machine repeats, “don’t run, we are your friends”.

It was comical, but I couldn’t help but think of my current reading in Jeremiah.

The Jewish people in Jeremiah’s time had sunken into a lot of different idolatries and corporate sins. Although danger and logic dictated their impending disaster, the prophets of their time assured them that all was well. Except for Jeremiah of course.

I wonder if many of us today don’t live in a kind of Mars-Attacks universe where the obvious dangers around us keep assuring us that we don’t need to run because they’re friends?