THE CHUMP TO CHAMP CONNECTION

Greetings fellow Chumps....or is that Champs. It's like the difference between the good looking, muscular, bronzed keg-packed ideal of a real man...and me. One is a HUNK...the other is a CHUNK. I'll let you be the judge.

In the movie O Brother Where Art Thou?...you had three escapees from a road gang in Mississippi who were on an ODDESSY in search of a TREASURE. This movie is loosely based on the writings of Homer...as they encounter various things that keep them from accomplishing their goal.

The treasure seekers (which turned out to be a hoax) consisted of Pete Hogwallop, Delmar O'Donnell, and their leader Ulysses Everett McGill.

At one point in their journey...they encountered a church singing and walking into the water to be baptized...dipped wholly into the waters of the river. They were singing and being dipped. Delmar...surprises Pete and Everett as he runs into the waters to be baptized. Pete also joins the baptism but Everett...who considers himself an intellectual and above religious superstition. The times for this baptism was in Mississippi during the Great Depression of 1937. Here's Everett's observation on the event:




EVERETT: Well, I guess HARD TIMES FLUSH THE CHUMPS. Everybody's looking for ANSWERS. (He then asks Pete where Delmar is going as Delmar runs into the waters)

PETE: Well I'll be an S.O.B...Delmar's been SAVED!

DELMAR: Well that's it boys. I've been REDEEMED. The preacher's done warshed away all my sins and transgressions. It's the straight and narrow from here on out, and heaven everlasting's my reward.

EVERETT: Delmar...what are you talking about? We've got BIGGER FISH TO FRY.

DELMAR: The preacher says all my sins are warshed away...including that Piggly Wiggly I knocked over in Yazoo.

EVERETT: I thought you said you was Innocent of those charges?

DELMAR: Well...I was lyin'. And the preacher says that that sin's been warshed away too. Neither God nor man's got nothin' on me now. C'MON IN BOYS...THE WATER IS FINE.

Another viewpoint by Everett as he pontificates on spiritual things is:

EVERETT: Baptism! You two are just dumber than a bag of hammers. Well, any human being will CAST ABOUT in a MOMENT OF STRESS. No, the fact is...they're flooding this valley so they can hydroelectric up the whole durn state. Yes sir...the South is gonna change. Everything's gonna be put on electricity and run on a paying basis. Out with the OLD SPIRITUAL MUMBO JUMBO...the SUPERSTITIONS...the BACKWARD WAYS. We're gonna see a brave new world where they run everybody with a wire and hook us all up to a grid. Yes sire...a veritable AGE OF REASON. Like the one they had in France. Not a moment too soon.

In their travels they run across a young black man (at that time a colored)...named Tommy Johnson (based on real life blues man Robert Johnson who wrote the song Crossroads Blues made famous by Eric Clapton and Cream). Tommy had just sold his soul to the devil:

TOMMY: I had to be up a that there CROSSROADS last midnight, to sell my soul to the devil.

EVERETT: Well...ain't it a small world...SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING. Pete and Delmar just BEEN BAPTIZED and SAVED. I guess I'm the only one that remains UNAFFILIATED.

PETE: I've always wondered...what's the devil look like?

EVERETT: Well...there are all manner of lesser imps and demons, Pete, but the great satan hisself is red and scaly with a bifurcated tail, and he carries a hay fork.

TOMMY: Oh, no. NO, sir. He's white, as white as you folks, with empty eyes and a big hollow voice. He loves to travel around with a mean old hound. That's right.

EVERETT: What'd you SELL YOU SOUL FOR Tommy?

TOMMY: Well...he taught me how to play this here guitar real good.

DELMAR: Oh, son...for that...you sold your EVERLASTIN' SOUL?

TOMMY: Well..I wasn't usin' it.

What got me to ruminating about his rambling...was the phrase...HARD TIMES FLUSH THE CHUMPS. A CHUMP is defined as:

1. A stupid person; a dolt
2. A short, thick piece of wood (think blockhead)
3. The thick, blunt end of anything
4. The head
5. Crazy (off one's chump)

NOTE: I have a friend who has gone on to be with the Lord...who responded to someone calling him CRAZY..."I would rather be crazy the way I am...than sane the way you are."

6. A person who is GULLIBLE and EASY to take advantage of.
7. The thick end as the chump end of a joint of meat ie. chump chop
8. Insignificant, insultingly small ie. chump change.

Ulyssess Everett McGill is not alone in his assessment of people who choose to become Christians. Christians are viewed as stupid, ignorant, weak, gullible, blockheads, meatheads, dolts, crazy, insignificant, insulting small...in the eyes of NON-CHRISTIANS. They don't mind if you are a Christian...BUT heaven forbid that you bring your Christianity out of the four walls of your Chump Church building...and mention it in a conversation. Those who view us a CHUMPS...don't mind talking about how drunk they got the night before...or who they have been sleeping with...or yada yada, bla bla, woop woop....but don't mention Jesus. It's O.K. if you mention God...or the man upstairs...or the Good Lord....but when you start talking that Jesus crap...you have entered into the realm of OFFENDING.

NOTE: Not all non-Christians are like this...but there are militant Christian haters out there.

I am a proud CHUMP. As Paul said...I am NOT ASHAMED of the Gospel of Christ...for it is the POWER OF GOD...for SALVATION to everyone who BELIEVES...to the Jew first...and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) Gospel=Good News=Death, Burial, Resurrection... nothing more...nothing less.

"For God so love the CHUMPS...that He gave His only begotten Son...that whatever CHUMP believes in Him...the CHUMP shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16...Ruminator Style)

It appears to be God's Modus Operandi...to use the CHUMPS.

"But we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a STUMBLING BLOCK and to the Greeks FOOLISHNESS...but to those who are called, to the Jews and Greeks, CHRIST...THE POWER OF GOD...and the WISDOM OF GOD. Because the FOOLISHNESS OF GOD...is wiser than men...and the WEAKNESS OF GOD is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that NOT MANY WISE according to the flesh...not many MIGHTY...not many NOBLE are called. BUT...............................................................

GOD HAS CHOSEN THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD TO PUT TO SHAME THE WISE, AND GOD HAS CHOSEN THE WEAK THINGS OF THE WORLD TO PUT TO SHAME THE THINGS WHICH ARE MIGHTY...AND THE BASE THINGS OF THE WORLD AND THE THINGS WHICH ARE DESPISED...God has chosen...and the things which are not...to bring to nothing the things that are...that NO FLESH...should glory in His presence. But of Him you ARE IN CHRIST JESUS...who became FOR US wisdom from God...and righteousness...and sanctification....and redemption...that as it is written...HE WHO GLORIES...LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD."
(I Corinthians 1:23-31)

Only CHUMPS can experience this. Non-Chumps are too smart...too strong...too prideful to experience the foolishness of God.

NOTE: I have been educated with and undergraduate degree and a Master's degree in Education....but like the Apostel Paul...I count all things that I have gained as loss compared to KNOWING HIM. As the song DENOMINATION BLUES declares..."You can go to your college...you can go to your schools...but if you don't know Jesus...you're an EDUCATED FOOL...that's all...I tell you that's all...you better know Jesus...I tell ya that's all."

The last picture collage that you see...are Delmar...and Rodney...saying...COME ON IN BOYS...and GIRLS...THE WATER IS FINE. If you need refreshing from the HARD TIMES...if you need relief from the casting around in the MOMENTS OF STRESS. The next two pictures in the collage are a few of my CHUMP FRIENDS...and I have many.

Love and Chump Kisses
Rodney "The Water Really Is Fine" Boyd