This last Friday revealed insights into why we, as the country, are in the messes that we are. Thursday brought ice. While not as much as expected, a look out the window Friday morning included a crisp, crystallized world.
Everything was canceled. Christmas concerts, sporting events, social meetings, the ice had stalled them all.
I, however, work in the health care industry where things cannot shut down because of weather. A half an inch of ice doesn't stop people from being sick. We, those who work for health care organizations, are still expected to be at work regardless of the current conditions. No excuses, you need to be here. If you can't we'll send someone to get you.
Since "calling in" wasn't an option, the thought never crossed my mind Friday morning. I didn't look out the window to see whether or not I would try to go to work. I peered through the glass to assess what had to be overcome.
After the morning rituals, I marched out to the car and completed a 20-minute workout scrapping the cold encasing that had wrapped itself around the car over the night. I carefully drove two blocks on what appeared to be smooth glass. Reaching the main roads, the rest of the journey was relatively simple. It took at least twice as long as normal, but I arrived without any incidents.
Here's the point: Expectations dictated that I was at work. No "I can't get out of my driveway". No "the roads are too bad". People will still need care, you will still need to be at your desk.
How many people who live in the same area as myself "called in" on Friday? How many individuals located near my co-workers homes were absent that day from their jobs? I know people who live at least an hour from the building who were there on Friday. A guy in my department lived in a rural area; he was there.
Now, the "emotional" may read this and say, "He thinks he is cool because he went to work on Friday. People shouldn't risk their lives to get to the factory production line!!" This is not my point. The point resides in the answer to the question, why is it that one person goes to work without hesitation, and the person who lives immediately next door did not because he contended that he was not able?
The answer is simple. It is the only difference between the two. Expectations. Both had the ability, one was allowed different options. One was allowed to determine that the weather conditions were insurmountable. The other had no choice, he must get to work.
My dad taught school for almost thirty years. Today's educators would classify his classroom management style as "authoritarian". Student's in his class did not have options, only expectations: arrive on time, sit in your desk, pay attention, take notes, complete assignments, pass tests, remain silent unless protocol permitted noise.
I graduated with a buddy that I had never seen do any of these things. I can't remember him ever taking a book home. I cannot reference any memories of him taking notes. I can recall, however, feeling sorry that I missed his performance in an high school math class, one where the teacher told him to do his work, and he proceeded to stand tall, clutch his crotch, and instruct the educator to "work this!"
I won't ever forget the feelings of incredulity when this guy referenced my dad's class, "Dude, I didn't mess around in your dad's class. I took notes, handed in my homework, and made sure that I studied for tests." Even now, it is difficult to imagine. He did homework? He took notes? I honestly can't picture it.
So what was the difference? How is it that he was doing a "work this" in one class and getting writing cramps taking notes in another? Obviously, it was expectations.
Compliance was not an option in my dad's class. Those who wanted to test the system met a swift demise and soon "fell in line".
How do you know? You never had your dad as a teacher?
True, but I can't count the number of times I have heard "man, I never messed around in your dad's class", "dude, your dad was a hard-ass", "your dad was such a prick!" Often these statements came from people who I know were pretty "rough" individuals, the kind that I wouldn't have "messed with".
My dad probably was a "prick" in class. He managed the classroom through intimidation. He wouldn't last one class period in today's liberal-infested environment. But I also can't count the number of times I have heard some of the same former students say, "your dad's class is the only time that I can remember learning something in school", "I don't know much about anything, but I can still tell you about US government", etc., etc.
These people had the ability. Unlike other environments, they had no choice but to use it in my dad's class.
Whether it's taking notes or getting to work, most of us have the ability (see A Thanksgiving Testimony). In today's society many of us choose not to use it. Instead, we lean on all of our excuses. The color of our skin, our terrible childhoods, our neighborhood, there is always something preventing us from trying, from succeeding.
It's not a surprise to this writer. While I work in IT, I studied to be a music teacher in college. So many of the classes included reasons why Johnny wouldn't have his homework done, why Sally would need to be excused from the standard expectations. Logic and reason have been replaced by "outcome-based learning". We are no longer interested in whether 2+2=4. How does 2+2 make Johnny and Sally feel?
Expectations. They are what will determine the future of this society, this country. A return to those that made this country great is my prayer.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A Thanksgiving Testimony
When I was around 11-years-old, I wanted a 10-speed bike. We were not "rich" by any measure, but my dad made enough money to buy me a bicycle. He was so mean!! He made me purchase the bike with "my own money".
It was no shock that the expectations were that I purchase my own "wheels". It was for this reason that, by this time in life, I was an experienced paper boy. I started delivering papers around age 8, so by age 11, I knew how to earn and save money. I would get the bike when I had enough money. I got the bike.
I used to think that my dad had a garden in the back yard so that there would be plenty of work for us (my brothers and I) to do. Almost every summer day included a list of "chores" that we were expected to complete prior to the day's "fun schedule" (i.e., playing baseball until the sun set).
When I was feeling brave, I confronted my father, "How come I don't get paid to mow the lawn?"
On a good day, I might have received a more reasonable explanation, "You have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a house to live in. Now, get your butt out there and mow!!!"
When his patience had receded, I could have anticipated a more direct response, "You will go out there and mow the lawn because I told you to!!" The expectations were clear. My dad expected me to mow the lawn. I had no choice. I wasn't entitled to anything.
Allowance. What was that? I may have been a teenager before I was even convinced that it was real, that there were kids who got paid to exist. Sure, there were strings attached in some households. The room had to be clean or the trash had to be taken to the curb. Regardless, this is what I discovered my allowance was, "I have allowed you to live this long."
Today, when we, as Americans, reflect on that for which we are thankful, it is this that comes to mind. I am thankful that I have had parents, teachers, directors, coaches, and bosses that have taught me that I am not entitled to a damn thing!!! God gave me two arms, two legs, two hands (with all ten fingers), two feet (with all ten toes), and a brain. If I want something, if I need something, I have been blessed with the tools to get it. If I don't, it is because I chose not to make the necessary efforts.
Today, we live in a society that sees success as luck. The sports figure that makes millions of dollars is lucky. The CEO who makes millions of dollars running a multi-billion dollar company is lucky. The recording artist, who makes millions of dollars from record sales, did so by being lucky. Hard work and sacrifice are never considered as part of the equation.
Guess what. The basketball player wasn't born with the ability to shoot a basketball. He spent hours and hours, days and days, years and years dribbling, shooting, running, sweating. While everyone else was still sleeping, he was at the gym working out. While everyone else was home watching evening television, he was out playing in pick-up games. People will pay millions to watch him play a game because he has paid years of his life to hone the necessary skills. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
Guess what. The CEO didn't win the lottery. He didn't "inherit" his job. He worked hard in school. He got good grades. He took risks. He made sacrifices. Company boards and stock holders don't turn the reigns of multi-million dollar companies over to the first person who asks. Elite qualifications are necessary. With the job, the money, and the benefits comes unimaginable pressures. It means that the kids and spouse eat dinner without mom or dad because, after the hourly workers have all gone home, he or she is still at work hammering out a new sale, finishing a project. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
The musician. Having studied music in college, it is always interesting to here people talk about a singer or instrumentalist as being so talented, as though she woke up one morning and realized that she was a concert cellist. Guess what could be heard in the basement of the music building before sunrise. Music students practicing. Guess what could be heard at lunch time. Music students practicing. At night, when other students hit the clubs, drank the beer, and got the phone numbers, guess what could be heard in the basement of the music building...
When I had been out of high school for a considerable period of time, I had an epiphany. Sometimes I won't always get what I want. Sometimes I won't always get to do what I want to do. Sometimes, I will have to make sacrifices in order to provide for needs.
-------------------------------
The batter swings and hits a smokin' ground ball to the shortstop. The fielder is prepared, glove in the dirt, head down. The ball takes a "bad hop". It jumps right into the nose!! A loud pop heard in the stands. He goes down.
I wasn't sure if he was going to get up. I had never heard ball on bone sound so gruesome!!
He did get up. After a trip to the emergency room, at least one surgery, and many doctor visits later, his nose was near its original condition.
This made me think. What if that ground ball had broken my nose instead of hitting my friend in the face? I didn't have any health insurance to cover such an incident. One misplaced rock at a church softball game could have change my life. How responsible had I been?
Abraham Lincoln said, "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." So simple and yet so profound. What makes a chance a chance, an opportunity an opportunity is preparation. Sure, maybe a little luck was involved when a "talent" agent happened to be at a club where the guitarist's band was playing; but had he not put in the practice time, it would not have mattered. Musicians don't get lucky and play well.
Or could luck even be considered a factor? Had the agent not been at that particular club, that particular night, would the band have stopped playing? Not likely. Persistence and dedication would have facilitated more gigs, more tours. Sooner or later, he would be noticed.
Since the softball game, I am thankful for all the doors that God has opened in my life. Each door, however, would not have been a door without preparation, without prior efforts.
The first door was a job at a company where the employer was looking for someone with computer application skills. By this time, I had read numerous books on these applications, spent countless hours online reading tutorials, stayed up many nights until I understood.
While at this company, I continued to read. I spent time with experts in the IT field learning what I could. More and more hours were spent on the computer developing programming skills. Again, God opened another door, this time in an actual IT department. Again, without the time and effort spent improving abilities, it would not have been an opening, not for me anyway.
Now, I am thankful that I have health insurance. While taking one of the face would be painful, it would be no where near as costly. Still, looking back, there was never one second that I felt cheated. Never a time that I considered that someone else was responsible for my well-being.
There have been many people and entities that have helped me along the way. For that, I am deeply grateful. But they did not owe me. It wasn't because I deserved the assistance. It was their kindness and selflessness that deserves the credit.
This outlook is almost non-existent today. Basic human needs and rights have gone from food, clothing, and shelter to cell phones, internet access, and cars. Someone else is responsible for our education. Someone else is responsible for our medical care. We sit. We wait. If it doesn't come, it doesn't happen.
What really blows the mind are those parents with kids who sit and wait. Its not fair!! I can't afford to take my kid to the doctor!! All this while the cable TV is on, some one in the house is surfing the internet...oh, a knock at the door. It is the FedEx guy delivering a new iPhone from Amazon.
Forgive me for being blunt. If I couldn't afford my child's medical care, the cable gets canceled. The internet service gets canceled. The TV is sold. The computer is sold. Unless Amazon distributes health care, there will be no orders.
If this isn't enough, I get a second job. If this isn't enough, and there is still time in the day not spent using the bathroom, I get a third job. If this isn't enough, I sell a kidney, give plasma, etc., etc. It is mind-boggling that parents exist that have two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, and a brain that, instead of taking action and making preparations and sacrifices to care for their children, they spend their time whining about fairness and waiting for someone to do something for them.
We Americans. We moan, we bitch, we complain, we whine. It's not fair. I deserve this. I am entitled to that. It's highly likely that some who read this now haven't absorbed anything since the CEO anecdote. CEO's do nothing but lie, cheat, and steal. How could he even imply that there is anything virtuous in such an evil capitalistic pig.
Consider this. True, this world is full of liars, cheaters, and thieves. Some of them are CEO's. Some of them are musicians, and some are ball players. Regardless of their morality, each of these individuals realized that they have two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, and a brain. Rather than waiting for hand-outs, they did something.
The world is also full of many human beings who are missing a hand, a foot, a leg, an arm, and in some instances, a fully functioning brain. How many more resources would be available to help these in true need if those who were born with all the necessary tools would stop lumping themselves in with those who were not, if helping the needy actually meant helping the needy?
Here is the sick irony. I have met, worked with, and spent time with many people who were not born with the basics for which I have been blessed. Hardly ever can they be heard moping and complaining about fairness. They are happy and content. At times, their contributions to society double that of those who have all their capacities, yet do nothing but consume.
Lets end with a prayer. Dear Lord, thank You for all that we have. The roofs over our heads. The clothes on our bodies. The food in our refrigerators. We especially thank You for our two hands, our two feet, our two arms, our two legs, and our brain. May we use these blessing to their fullest potential, and may we use these blessings to help those truly in need.
It was no shock that the expectations were that I purchase my own "wheels". It was for this reason that, by this time in life, I was an experienced paper boy. I started delivering papers around age 8, so by age 11, I knew how to earn and save money. I would get the bike when I had enough money. I got the bike.
I used to think that my dad had a garden in the back yard so that there would be plenty of work for us (my brothers and I) to do. Almost every summer day included a list of "chores" that we were expected to complete prior to the day's "fun schedule" (i.e., playing baseball until the sun set).
- Pick one row of broccoli
- Weed two rows of corn
- Mow the lawn
When I was feeling brave, I confronted my father, "How come I don't get paid to mow the lawn?"
On a good day, I might have received a more reasonable explanation, "You have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a house to live in. Now, get your butt out there and mow!!!"
When his patience had receded, I could have anticipated a more direct response, "You will go out there and mow the lawn because I told you to!!" The expectations were clear. My dad expected me to mow the lawn. I had no choice. I wasn't entitled to anything.
Allowance. What was that? I may have been a teenager before I was even convinced that it was real, that there were kids who got paid to exist. Sure, there were strings attached in some households. The room had to be clean or the trash had to be taken to the curb. Regardless, this is what I discovered my allowance was, "I have allowed you to live this long."
Today, when we, as Americans, reflect on that for which we are thankful, it is this that comes to mind. I am thankful that I have had parents, teachers, directors, coaches, and bosses that have taught me that I am not entitled to a damn thing!!! God gave me two arms, two legs, two hands (with all ten fingers), two feet (with all ten toes), and a brain. If I want something, if I need something, I have been blessed with the tools to get it. If I don't, it is because I chose not to make the necessary efforts.
Today, we live in a society that sees success as luck. The sports figure that makes millions of dollars is lucky. The CEO who makes millions of dollars running a multi-billion dollar company is lucky. The recording artist, who makes millions of dollars from record sales, did so by being lucky. Hard work and sacrifice are never considered as part of the equation.
Guess what. The basketball player wasn't born with the ability to shoot a basketball. He spent hours and hours, days and days, years and years dribbling, shooting, running, sweating. While everyone else was still sleeping, he was at the gym working out. While everyone else was home watching evening television, he was out playing in pick-up games. People will pay millions to watch him play a game because he has paid years of his life to hone the necessary skills. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
Guess what. The CEO didn't win the lottery. He didn't "inherit" his job. He worked hard in school. He got good grades. He took risks. He made sacrifices. Company boards and stock holders don't turn the reigns of multi-million dollar companies over to the first person who asks. Elite qualifications are necessary. With the job, the money, and the benefits comes unimaginable pressures. It means that the kids and spouse eat dinner without mom or dad because, after the hourly workers have all gone home, he or she is still at work hammering out a new sale, finishing a project. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
The musician. Having studied music in college, it is always interesting to here people talk about a singer or instrumentalist as being so talented, as though she woke up one morning and realized that she was a concert cellist. Guess what could be heard in the basement of the music building before sunrise. Music students practicing. Guess what could be heard at lunch time. Music students practicing. At night, when other students hit the clubs, drank the beer, and got the phone numbers, guess what could be heard in the basement of the music building...
When I had been out of high school for a considerable period of time, I had an epiphany. Sometimes I won't always get what I want. Sometimes I won't always get to do what I want to do. Sometimes, I will have to make sacrifices in order to provide for needs.
-------------------------------
The batter swings and hits a smokin' ground ball to the shortstop. The fielder is prepared, glove in the dirt, head down. The ball takes a "bad hop". It jumps right into the nose!! A loud pop heard in the stands. He goes down.
I wasn't sure if he was going to get up. I had never heard ball on bone sound so gruesome!!
He did get up. After a trip to the emergency room, at least one surgery, and many doctor visits later, his nose was near its original condition.
This made me think. What if that ground ball had broken my nose instead of hitting my friend in the face? I didn't have any health insurance to cover such an incident. One misplaced rock at a church softball game could have change my life. How responsible had I been?
Abraham Lincoln said, "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." So simple and yet so profound. What makes a chance a chance, an opportunity an opportunity is preparation. Sure, maybe a little luck was involved when a "talent" agent happened to be at a club where the guitarist's band was playing; but had he not put in the practice time, it would not have mattered. Musicians don't get lucky and play well.
Or could luck even be considered a factor? Had the agent not been at that particular club, that particular night, would the band have stopped playing? Not likely. Persistence and dedication would have facilitated more gigs, more tours. Sooner or later, he would be noticed.
Since the softball game, I am thankful for all the doors that God has opened in my life. Each door, however, would not have been a door without preparation, without prior efforts.
The first door was a job at a company where the employer was looking for someone with computer application skills. By this time, I had read numerous books on these applications, spent countless hours online reading tutorials, stayed up many nights until I understood.
While at this company, I continued to read. I spent time with experts in the IT field learning what I could. More and more hours were spent on the computer developing programming skills. Again, God opened another door, this time in an actual IT department. Again, without the time and effort spent improving abilities, it would not have been an opening, not for me anyway.
Now, I am thankful that I have health insurance. While taking one of the face would be painful, it would be no where near as costly. Still, looking back, there was never one second that I felt cheated. Never a time that I considered that someone else was responsible for my well-being.
There have been many people and entities that have helped me along the way. For that, I am deeply grateful. But they did not owe me. It wasn't because I deserved the assistance. It was their kindness and selflessness that deserves the credit.
This outlook is almost non-existent today. Basic human needs and rights have gone from food, clothing, and shelter to cell phones, internet access, and cars. Someone else is responsible for our education. Someone else is responsible for our medical care. We sit. We wait. If it doesn't come, it doesn't happen.
What really blows the mind are those parents with kids who sit and wait. Its not fair!! I can't afford to take my kid to the doctor!! All this while the cable TV is on, some one in the house is surfing the internet...oh, a knock at the door. It is the FedEx guy delivering a new iPhone from Amazon.
Forgive me for being blunt. If I couldn't afford my child's medical care, the cable gets canceled. The internet service gets canceled. The TV is sold. The computer is sold. Unless Amazon distributes health care, there will be no orders.
If this isn't enough, I get a second job. If this isn't enough, and there is still time in the day not spent using the bathroom, I get a third job. If this isn't enough, I sell a kidney, give plasma, etc., etc. It is mind-boggling that parents exist that have two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, and a brain that, instead of taking action and making preparations and sacrifices to care for their children, they spend their time whining about fairness and waiting for someone to do something for them.
We Americans. We moan, we bitch, we complain, we whine. It's not fair. I deserve this. I am entitled to that. It's highly likely that some who read this now haven't absorbed anything since the CEO anecdote. CEO's do nothing but lie, cheat, and steal. How could he even imply that there is anything virtuous in such an evil capitalistic pig.
Consider this. True, this world is full of liars, cheaters, and thieves. Some of them are CEO's. Some of them are musicians, and some are ball players. Regardless of their morality, each of these individuals realized that they have two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, and a brain. Rather than waiting for hand-outs, they did something.
The world is also full of many human beings who are missing a hand, a foot, a leg, an arm, and in some instances, a fully functioning brain. How many more resources would be available to help these in true need if those who were born with all the necessary tools would stop lumping themselves in with those who were not, if helping the needy actually meant helping the needy?
Here is the sick irony. I have met, worked with, and spent time with many people who were not born with the basics for which I have been blessed. Hardly ever can they be heard moping and complaining about fairness. They are happy and content. At times, their contributions to society double that of those who have all their capacities, yet do nothing but consume.
Lets end with a prayer. Dear Lord, thank You for all that we have. The roofs over our heads. The clothes on our bodies. The food in our refrigerators. We especially thank You for our two hands, our two feet, our two arms, our two legs, and our brain. May we use these blessing to their fullest potential, and may we use these blessings to help those truly in need.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Ring-A-Ling-A-Ling
Today, I walked out of a grocery store and was greeted by a Salvation Army bell-ringer. My first thought was wow, they've started kind of early. Maybe they begin every year at this time. I couldn't help, however, assume the bells had begun sooner than normal and consider why? At the risk of being accused of being a "conspiracy theorist" who sees the "black helicopters", I will share my suspicions here.
To many of us authentic Christian Conservatives, the most incredulous component of the recent election was the droves and droves of confessed Christians who flocked to Obama because they proposed that he and the government were the best avenues to address issues such as poverty.
Now as is often necessary, I must include a caveat for those who's lives are directed by emotion and have steam coming out the ears: I didn't say "authentic Christian"; I said "authentic Christian Conservative". Apparently, there are many liberal Christians in existence that do not subscribe to conservatism. Actually, this author would contend that many of these Christians do live conservative lives; they just don't know it, but that is another post. To see more about this topic, read the following posts: "Is Anybody Out There?", "Non Sequitur" and "A Christian Vote - Nah, Let's Move On".
Poverty. It seems to be the new hip and en vogue cause for Christians.
While the Christian Church attempts to separate itself from those elements of humanity that affect other entities (i.e., businesses, families, organizations, etc.), these things are often exemplified in Christianity. The desire to be avant-gard and nouveau are especially apparent. C.S. Lewis would trace these things to pride, what he considered to be the root of all sin, but again, that is another post.
Poverty. It has existed since the ability to get goods and services to all who had need became an improbability. The reasons for this are numerous and will be explored in a soon and future post; however, one reason that poverty exists is because there are people who actually are unable to provide for themselves (i.e., the mentally handicapped, the elderly, etc.). The Old and New Testament contains numerous commands to help these people, including those that came directly from Jesus during his earthly ministry. The Scriptures also list numerous methods and specific instructions on how to care for these people. None of them include the government or politicians.
The last sentence of the previous paragraph is what I cannot balance. It is what spawned my thoughts as to why the Salvation Army had bell ringers out so early this year (of course, maybe the "early bells" are a product of my own paranoia). I couldn't help but wonder about those who want to impose a Christian cause, such as the fight against poverty, on others. How many of these individuals had actually consistently done anything to carry out Christ's commands prior to Obama's ascendance to the national stage.
To this writer, the answer to the above question would qualify motives and credibility. For those supporters for who the answer was "no, nothing", then then a legitimate response could come from Matthew 7:3-5:
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Once these actually do something to help "the needy", then maybe they can consider making others do it...
Now, another paradox for this author is why if Jesus and the apostles didn't use the government and politicians as a tool to combat "poverty", why so many Christians want to do so. If entities, such as the Salvation Army exist, an organization that devotes itself to helping the hungry and the homeless, an organization that attempts to address the immediate needs and then facilitate independence where possible, why didn't these people get involved in the Salvation Army. Why didn't they campaign for others to support the Salvation Army? The Salvation Army exists primarily to combat poverty. Why don't they leave the government to do the things it was intended to do by the Founding Fathers (i.e., field a military, build roads, etc.)?
My primary concern, when seeing the bell-ringer was this: what happens to the Salvation Army's fund-raising (and that of similar organizations) when so many people have decided that it is the government's role to help those in poverty? How many people will walk out of the grocery store, see the bell ringer, think the government does that now and I pay taxes so I'll keep on walking, and cease to drop extra change in the bucket?
Here is another "unintended consequence" of the Obama voters' "good intentions": The dirty little secret is that, possibly unbeknown to the "detesters", the "evil corporations" give billions of dollars to charity each year, money that they can use as tax write-offs. When Obama raises the capital gains tax, when he socks it to those making over 250K...no wait, 200K...no wait, 150K, how much will these "no-good profiteers" continue to give to organizations like the Salvation Army? How much will they have left?
My final questions: Why, in the name of all reason and sense, would people transfer such an important task, helping those in need, to the government from charitable organizations? How successful has the Salvation Army been in fighting poverty? How many people are alive today because of the assistance provided by the Salvation Army? How many causes has the government managed successfully? ...crickets chirping, crickets chirping... How many times has the government run something into the ground? How's Social Security doing? How's Amtrak doing? What kinds of profits does the Post Office report? How many balanced budgets have we had in the last 20 years? Man, that "bail-out" has done wonders for the stock market; hasn't it...
My Prayer
Dear Lord, please help the Salvation Army and those groups like it continue to help those in need.
The line has been cast. The bobber buoyantly moves with the water ripples...
To many of us authentic Christian Conservatives, the most incredulous component of the recent election was the droves and droves of confessed Christians who flocked to Obama because they proposed that he and the government were the best avenues to address issues such as poverty.
Now as is often necessary, I must include a caveat for those who's lives are directed by emotion and have steam coming out the ears: I didn't say "authentic Christian"; I said "authentic Christian Conservative". Apparently, there are many liberal Christians in existence that do not subscribe to conservatism. Actually, this author would contend that many of these Christians do live conservative lives; they just don't know it, but that is another post. To see more about this topic, read the following posts: "Is Anybody Out There?", "Non Sequitur" and "A Christian Vote - Nah, Let's Move On".
Poverty. It seems to be the new hip and en vogue cause for Christians.
While the Christian Church attempts to separate itself from those elements of humanity that affect other entities (i.e., businesses, families, organizations, etc.), these things are often exemplified in Christianity. The desire to be avant-gard and nouveau are especially apparent. C.S. Lewis would trace these things to pride, what he considered to be the root of all sin, but again, that is another post.
Poverty. It has existed since the ability to get goods and services to all who had need became an improbability. The reasons for this are numerous and will be explored in a soon and future post; however, one reason that poverty exists is because there are people who actually are unable to provide for themselves (i.e., the mentally handicapped, the elderly, etc.). The Old and New Testament contains numerous commands to help these people, including those that came directly from Jesus during his earthly ministry. The Scriptures also list numerous methods and specific instructions on how to care for these people. None of them include the government or politicians.
The last sentence of the previous paragraph is what I cannot balance. It is what spawned my thoughts as to why the Salvation Army had bell ringers out so early this year (of course, maybe the "early bells" are a product of my own paranoia). I couldn't help but wonder about those who want to impose a Christian cause, such as the fight against poverty, on others. How many of these individuals had actually consistently done anything to carry out Christ's commands prior to Obama's ascendance to the national stage.
To this writer, the answer to the above question would qualify motives and credibility. For those supporters for who the answer was "no, nothing", then then a legitimate response could come from Matthew 7:3-5:
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Once these actually do something to help "the needy", then maybe they can consider making others do it...
Now, another paradox for this author is why if Jesus and the apostles didn't use the government and politicians as a tool to combat "poverty", why so many Christians want to do so. If entities, such as the Salvation Army exist, an organization that devotes itself to helping the hungry and the homeless, an organization that attempts to address the immediate needs and then facilitate independence where possible, why didn't these people get involved in the Salvation Army. Why didn't they campaign for others to support the Salvation Army? The Salvation Army exists primarily to combat poverty. Why don't they leave the government to do the things it was intended to do by the Founding Fathers (i.e., field a military, build roads, etc.)?
My primary concern, when seeing the bell-ringer was this: what happens to the Salvation Army's fund-raising (and that of similar organizations) when so many people have decided that it is the government's role to help those in poverty? How many people will walk out of the grocery store, see the bell ringer, think the government does that now and I pay taxes so I'll keep on walking, and cease to drop extra change in the bucket?
Here is another "unintended consequence" of the Obama voters' "good intentions": The dirty little secret is that, possibly unbeknown to the "detesters", the "evil corporations" give billions of dollars to charity each year, money that they can use as tax write-offs. When Obama raises the capital gains tax, when he socks it to those making over 250K...no wait, 200K...no wait, 150K, how much will these "no-good profiteers" continue to give to organizations like the Salvation Army? How much will they have left?
My final questions: Why, in the name of all reason and sense, would people transfer such an important task, helping those in need, to the government from charitable organizations? How successful has the Salvation Army been in fighting poverty? How many people are alive today because of the assistance provided by the Salvation Army? How many causes has the government managed successfully? ...crickets chirping, crickets chirping... How many times has the government run something into the ground? How's Social Security doing? How's Amtrak doing? What kinds of profits does the Post Office report? How many balanced budgets have we had in the last 20 years? Man, that "bail-out" has done wonders for the stock market; hasn't it...
My Prayer
Dear Lord, please help the Salvation Army and those groups like it continue to help those in need.
The line has been cast. The bobber buoyantly moves with the water ripples...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Enters Stage Right: Israel
So much of God's historical script has dealt and will deal with the nation of Israel. Up to this point (Genesis 12), Israel has not yet existed. It is in Genesis 12 that Israel is born, one of the production's main characters.
Israel starts with one man, Abraham, who was first called Abram (see Genesis 17):
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
...God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations...for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."
The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
These passages nearly summarize the Old Testament. It is the foundation of the first covenant, a "testament" of God's contract with Abraham (which became the nation of Israel). God promised Abraham that He would do those things listed above. Besides the fact that he was to follow God's direction, the rest of Abraham's agreement is described in Genesis 17:
Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
I'm glad that I was only a few days old and can't remember...
To miss this part God's screenplay (God's covenant with Abraham) would be like talking during the first half of an intense spy movie, one that actual requires thought, and then trying to follow the rest of the of the storyline. One may get the "gist" of the plot, but actually knowing "the why", "the who" (not the band), "the where" on a higher level would be unlikely.
Now is not the time to go to the rest room. Please hold it. Now is not the time to go and get popcorn. Wait until later. Turn off the cell phone and the TV. It is vital that God's covenant with Abraham is clearly understood.
Among God's commitments to Abraham are the following tenets:
To finish reading the book of Genesis, one discovers that Abraham had a son named Isaac. Isaac had a son named Jacob. God gave Jacob the name, "Israel". Jacob, or "Israel", had twelve sons who, after some replacements, became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the same twelve tribes that Moses led out of slavery from Egypt.
Much of the "land promise" is fulfilled when Moses' successor, Joshua, leads the nation of Israel (the twelve tribes) in conquest throughout what is now the Middle East, one of the most famous stories being "the battle of Jericho".
Promise #4 will be covered at a later date.
So what is promise #5, that the entire earth would be blessed through Abraham's family tree? This was the "offspring" referenced in Genesis 3:15, the entity that would "crush" the serpents head (see The Antagonist). This is the Messiah, the One prophesied by the prophets in later passages. This was and is God's Son, Jesus.
Genesis 3 records the story of humankind's original sin (see The Antagonist). It was the disobedience that meant certain and eternal death for the entire human race (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). But as will soon be explored in God's masterful drama, the Gospels recorded the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a death that paid the penalty for all who followed, follow, and will follow Him (John 3:16). Now, all those previously sentenced to "death" had a "way out".
Salvation for all from death. What could be a better blessing for "all the nations"?
Read the previous posts in this series:
1) The World Is Crazy: Now What?
2) Cue The Lights
3) The Antagonist
4) Sturm und Drang
Read the next post in this series:
6) An Interlude
Israel starts with one man, Abraham, who was first called Abram (see Genesis 17):
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
...God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations...for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."
The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
These passages nearly summarize the Old Testament. It is the foundation of the first covenant, a "testament" of God's contract with Abraham (which became the nation of Israel). God promised Abraham that He would do those things listed above. Besides the fact that he was to follow God's direction, the rest of Abraham's agreement is described in Genesis 17:
Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
I'm glad that I was only a few days old and can't remember...
To miss this part God's screenplay (God's covenant with Abraham) would be like talking during the first half of an intense spy movie, one that actual requires thought, and then trying to follow the rest of the of the storyline. One may get the "gist" of the plot, but actually knowing "the why", "the who" (not the band), "the where" on a higher level would be unlikely.
Now is not the time to go to the rest room. Please hold it. Now is not the time to go and get popcorn. Wait until later. Turn off the cell phone and the TV. It is vital that God's covenant with Abraham is clearly understood.
Among God's commitments to Abraham are the following tenets:
- That he would have countless descendants
- That he would become a "great nation"
- That he would acquire a large potion of land
- That God would "bless those who bless [Him] that whoever curses [him], [God would] curse"
- That "through [his] offspring all nations on earth [would] be blessed"
To finish reading the book of Genesis, one discovers that Abraham had a son named Isaac. Isaac had a son named Jacob. God gave Jacob the name, "Israel". Jacob, or "Israel", had twelve sons who, after some replacements, became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the same twelve tribes that Moses led out of slavery from Egypt.
Much of the "land promise" is fulfilled when Moses' successor, Joshua, leads the nation of Israel (the twelve tribes) in conquest throughout what is now the Middle East, one of the most famous stories being "the battle of Jericho".
Promise #4 will be covered at a later date.
So what is promise #5, that the entire earth would be blessed through Abraham's family tree? This was the "offspring" referenced in Genesis 3:15, the entity that would "crush" the serpents head (see The Antagonist). This is the Messiah, the One prophesied by the prophets in later passages. This was and is God's Son, Jesus.
Genesis 3 records the story of humankind's original sin (see The Antagonist). It was the disobedience that meant certain and eternal death for the entire human race (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). But as will soon be explored in God's masterful drama, the Gospels recorded the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a death that paid the penalty for all who followed, follow, and will follow Him (John 3:16). Now, all those previously sentenced to "death" had a "way out".
Salvation for all from death. What could be a better blessing for "all the nations"?
Read the previous posts in this series:
1) The World Is Crazy: Now What?
2) Cue The Lights
3) The Antagonist
4) Sturm und Drang
Read the next post in this series:
6) An Interlude
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