Wanted: one punk and two stolen guitars

As the host of the GodTalk Radio Show on CJOB 68, I have an opportunity to reach a large audience on the air and on the web. On last night's radio show, I did something most preachers never do: I put out a $500 bounty on the thief who stole my guitars last week (see picture on the left).

The Gibson Les Paul and Heritage 535 were expensive guitars. They had sentimental value that is worth much more than dollars and cents. But the real reason I put out the bounty is that I can't sit back and do nothing. I can't put all the onus on the police to solve society's problems single-handedly. The Winnipeg Police Service is handling the forensic side of things. I'm focusing my efforts on reinforcing good citizenship and bringing perps and punks to justice. THAT'S what my bounty is really all about.

Some people think I've got it all wrong. They think I should be more forgiving and less materialistic. They think I should focus less on putting criminals behind bars and more on doing something about the social problems that lead to crime. They think I should do what Jesus would do.

For the record: Jesus wasn't a limp noodle or a wet blanket. He called it as he saw it. He offered truth to the deluded. He offered grace to the downhearted. I offer the same.

And I'm offering $500 to the person who turns the thief into the police and helps me get my guitars back in safe condition. I promise: I'll visit him in jail.

If you have any information leading to the solution of this crime, please contact Constable Machado at 986-8111 or dmachado@winnipeg.ca.

Press? Release? Both?

I sent the following press release to media today. Tell me what you think.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CJOB 68’S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PREACHER PUTS OUT $500 BOUNTY TO HUNT DOWN LOCAL THIEF.

Rev. Greg Glatz, otherwise known as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Preacher on CJOB’s GodTalk, is chasing down the thief that stole his guitars.

This week, two guitars – a Gibson Les Paul and Heritage 535 – were stolen from Glatz’s studio. Glatz has decided to fight back by putting out a $500 bounty for information that leads to the thief’s arrest and the safe return of his guitars. The guitar-playing preacher is the host of the GodTalk Radio Show on CJOB 68 (Sunday nights 9-11) as well the lead pastor of Central Baptist Church and the lead guitar player for two local bands.

“I'm tired of lying down and rolling over when it comes to crime in this city. The police are doing everything they can for me. Now, I’m doing my part. On Sunday night’s radio show (July 5), I’m offering $500 cash to the person who turns in the thief and gets my guitars back. This guy picked the wrong preacher to mess with. I’m turning the tables on him. Putting him on the run. I want to make him think twice before he steals again.”

Rev. Greg Glatz can be reached at 204-771-8290 or gregglatz@godtalkradioshow.com

A girl and her ukulele ... saving the world from itself one song at a time

Admittedly, I've added a few guitars to my "collection" this year. People who know me have been gracious. Very few have blurted out, "Why in the world do you need another guitar?" My wife still loves me. The bills are getting paid. I'm grateful.

FWIW: I DO ask myself one question before I bring home a new guitar: What can I do with this guitar that I can't do with the ones I already own?

Some similar kind of self-reflection might have been a good thing for the shoppers at a Long Island Wal-Mart who crashed through store doors this morning and trampled a Wal-Mart employee to death. Just a simple question: What am I actually going to do with the stuff I buy today? And maybe a follow-up question: Is the deal so good that I'm willing to kill someone to get it?

These ferocious Wal-Mart shoppers were lining up for "Black Friday" sales, the best day of the year to find a deal in the United States. It's typically a festive day: it comes a day after thanksgiving and kicks off the Christmas season. Best of all, it's the day that retailers (hopefully) see their balance sheets move out of the red and into the black. It's no easy thing being a retailer. There are huge risks and costs involved in opening stores, hiring employees, stocking goods, buying advertising, setting prices. My hat's off to anyone who owns and operates a retail store. They are the true heroes of a post-agrarian culture.

Retail spaces have usurped the dominant social spaces of the 19th and 20th centuries. The town hall, the one-room school, the community club, and even the church have been replaced by Starbucks, Cabela's ... and Wal-Mart. For better or worse, the passions and priorities of postmodern pilgrims are shaped by sales flyers (the new Bible) and sales clerks (the new pastors). This newfound influence comes with newfound social responsibility. Feeding the consumer culture may have short-term payback for retailers, but today's telling incident at the Long Island Wal-Mart should be sufficient warning that a consumer culture is ultimately a culture of death. It feeds our greed. It plays on our fears of inadequacy.

Retailers of the 21st century can make a different world by promoting a creative culture instead of a consumer culture. Start appealing to people's higher nature. Stop appealing to their baser instincts. Show people what they can create, instead of addicting them to consumption.

---

One of the most creative people I know is Hal Brolund. (He's also one of the least consumptive people I know, apart from a curious devotion to fast food for breakfast.) Hal is a jack of all trades ... and a master of all of them. He's just entered the 2008 Bushman World Ukulele Video Contest and his Paradise video is fantastic ... and creative. (Please check it out. Your visit improves Hal's chances of winning.)

The people at Bushman Music Works "get" creative. Their company tagline says it all: "Together, we make the music." And their annual video contest encourages their customers to do just that - make music. Be creative. This is way different than simply "consuming" more ukuleles.

BTW: last year's contest winner has captivated the world with her creativity. Rochester, NY's Julia Nunes won the 2007 Bushman World Ukulele Video Contest with her version of Destiny's Child Survivor. Since posting her dorm-room videos on YouTube, Julia has been opening for Ben Folds (!!!) and releasing a new record.

(Julia's cover of the Bright Eyes' First Day of My Life proves that creativity and vulnerability go hand in hand.)

The mega response to Julia's songs proves that what the world really wants IS creativity. Consumption is just a shadow of the real thing.