Who is the person in your family who invariably shares a disgusting observation at the dinner table? The person who talks about seeping wounds, broken bones or the ever popularly 'poopy' stories? Ewwwww.... That person is often me, although my predecessors in this could top me on my best day.
Today, I have a disgusting analogy to share with you. Think of America as a relatively healthy person who has had a huge festering boil on her face. It is getting bigger and bigger. It disfigures her. It hurts and threatens to make her whole body sick. Friends and family have all sorts of suggestions, but nothing works to make it go away.
Along comes a doctor who diagnoses the root of the problem. The only cure is to get the pus out so that the body can heal. It will be painful, but the only solution.
The boil on America's face is racism. Imagine a leader who comes along and condemns white people who feel superior to blacks and Jews. Imagine a leader condemns blacks who want to kill white people, including white police officers. Imagine a leader who shifts our focus to what it means to be a whole and healthy America, and not a nation divided into white Americans, black Americans, or Hispanic Americans, and the rest.
Whether you like him or not, Trump's comments after Charlottesville have lanced the boil of racism in today's America:
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides. It’s been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama, this has been going on for a long, long time. It has no place in America. What is vital now is a swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent lives. No citizen should ever fear for their safety and security in our society. And no child should ever be afraid to go outside and play or be with their parents and have a good time." (8/12/17)
His words are painful, but true. Hatred, bigotry and violence have no place in America. In response, we are seeing all sorts of ugly things spew across our cities and towns, including my own, but we have to let it out if America is ever going to heal. My prayer is that by calling out the violence, bigotry and hatred for the evil that it is, we will come to our senses.
Things may get worse before they get better. But hope is on the horizon. Did you see how folks came together to watch the eclipse? Did you see how folks helped each other in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey? Where can you help rather than hurt?
That which unites us is infinitely more important than that which divides us. We are all created by God. We all bleed the same blood. We all live on this planet together. As Americans, we are strongest when we unite in our common belief that the best way for us to live together is by upholding the founding principles of our Constitutional Republic.
White supremacy has no place in America. Neither does a group that promotes "Black Lives Matter." Both are racist in their own way. America has come a long way from the days when slavery was legal. America has come a long way from Jim Crow laws and "separate but equal." In the eyes of God and the eyes of the law, all Americans are equal. Sadly, we still aren't equal in the eyes of each other.
Within each of us is that little bit of "I'm better than you" mentality. Football player Benjamin Watson is repeatedly quoted as saying, "It's a sin issue, not a skin issue." And he is spot on. And the cure for sin will not by brought about by laws, education, protests or violence - the only cure for sin, including the sin of racism, is found in the Gospel.
Let me leave you with an event recorded in the Gospel:
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” ( John 8:1-11)
My friends, America's race problem is a sin issue, not a skin issue.
Rather than condemning this group or that group, this person or that person, lance the boil on your own sinful soul that makes you think you are superior to your neighbor, to the protestors on TV - or even the president. We can disagree, but we shouldn't hate. Jesus says, "Love each other the same way I have loved you." (John 15:12).
Go and sin no more. Let America's healing begin with you.
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Making America Good Again: The Pursuit of Happiness
I am writing this with a big smile on my face. I'm remembering a day a week ago, before Charlottesville, when four big manatees swam down the river in front of my home. They are so cool. They make me happy and help me get some perspective on all the crap happening in the world. I'm not going to let others steal my happiness. You shouldn't either.
What makes you happy?
Sometimes the happiness we experience just happens, like the serendipitous appearance of manatees swimming down the river. Most often, however, the happiness we experience is happiness we create. One of the wonders of America is that our Founders thought the "pursuit of happiness" was a noble goal for humans to have and believed happiness is more achievable when people are free to make their own way in life. Not only is happiness a noble goal, but a God-ordained one. That is why the Declaration of Independence says: "We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights - that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
As I was thinking about happiness, I realized that it comes to me in different ways. Joy is not something that we should depend upon others to give us, it is something that we must find within ourselves.
There is happiness found in the "big issues" of life - like marriage, career and lifestyle. I am blessed that I have a spouse I adore. I have had careers that gave my life meaning and purpose and now I enjoy a lifestyle that gives me peace and comfort. All of these involve long-term commitment on my part and are why the Founders talked about the "pursuit of happiness" knowing that there are no guarantees. If you aren't happy with the direction of your life, change it. Make the commitment to pursue what will make you happy. It is no one's responsibility but your own.
Then there is also the happiness of the moment, like seeing the manatees. Or a rainbow. Or a child playing. How often do we miss out on these fleeting glimpses of joy? When we are attuned to what is going on around us, we are more apt to relish the serendipity of a beautiful moment.
Then there is the what I'm calling "everyday" happiness. For me, this is enjoyment I get when I make a home-cooked meal, read a good book, or take a nice nap. Do some small thing this next week that makes you happy. It will make a world of difference in your outlook and your ability to handle all the unhappy stuff. This will start you on your way again to pursuing happiness in big ways.
There is much to make us unhappy in the world today. Friends and family - and maybe even you - are struggling for a multitude of reasons. (Thanks for your continued prayers for my sister-in-law Kate!) There are wars and rumors of wars. Citizens continue to fight each other in the streets. There will be protests at a statue outside the courthouse in my hometown tomorrow.
I know this blog is about the pursuit of happiness, but I have to say that we all know these protests really aren't about statues that have stood for almost 100 years. They are not even about race issues. It is an excuse by those on the extremes of our society, be they on the right or the left, to undermine the history of America - the good, the bad and the ugly - and ultimately America herself. America has come so far in making the idea of equality and the other founding ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness a reality that I hate to see them being mocked and vilified by those who want to destroy our country. I am concerned about the potential for violence and the fact that this feels like the beginning of another civil war. Please pray for my city!
In the midst of all this sadness and anger, look for happiness and put forth the effort to create happiness yourself. Don't let someone steal it from you.
Happiness can be yours - in big ways, small ways, and unexpected ways - if you choose to pursue it.
What makes you happy?
Sometimes the happiness we experience just happens, like the serendipitous appearance of manatees swimming down the river. Most often, however, the happiness we experience is happiness we create. One of the wonders of America is that our Founders thought the "pursuit of happiness" was a noble goal for humans to have and believed happiness is more achievable when people are free to make their own way in life. Not only is happiness a noble goal, but a God-ordained one. That is why the Declaration of Independence says: "We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights - that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
As I was thinking about happiness, I realized that it comes to me in different ways. Joy is not something that we should depend upon others to give us, it is something that we must find within ourselves.
There is happiness found in the "big issues" of life - like marriage, career and lifestyle. I am blessed that I have a spouse I adore. I have had careers that gave my life meaning and purpose and now I enjoy a lifestyle that gives me peace and comfort. All of these involve long-term commitment on my part and are why the Founders talked about the "pursuit of happiness" knowing that there are no guarantees. If you aren't happy with the direction of your life, change it. Make the commitment to pursue what will make you happy. It is no one's responsibility but your own.
Then there is also the happiness of the moment, like seeing the manatees. Or a rainbow. Or a child playing. How often do we miss out on these fleeting glimpses of joy? When we are attuned to what is going on around us, we are more apt to relish the serendipity of a beautiful moment.
Then there is the what I'm calling "everyday" happiness. For me, this is enjoyment I get when I make a home-cooked meal, read a good book, or take a nice nap. Do some small thing this next week that makes you happy. It will make a world of difference in your outlook and your ability to handle all the unhappy stuff. This will start you on your way again to pursuing happiness in big ways.
There is much to make us unhappy in the world today. Friends and family - and maybe even you - are struggling for a multitude of reasons. (Thanks for your continued prayers for my sister-in-law Kate!) There are wars and rumors of wars. Citizens continue to fight each other in the streets. There will be protests at a statue outside the courthouse in my hometown tomorrow.
I know this blog is about the pursuit of happiness, but I have to say that we all know these protests really aren't about statues that have stood for almost 100 years. They are not even about race issues. It is an excuse by those on the extremes of our society, be they on the right or the left, to undermine the history of America - the good, the bad and the ugly - and ultimately America herself. America has come so far in making the idea of equality and the other founding ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness a reality that I hate to see them being mocked and vilified by those who want to destroy our country. I am concerned about the potential for violence and the fact that this feels like the beginning of another civil war. Please pray for my city!
In the midst of all this sadness and anger, look for happiness and put forth the effort to create happiness yourself. Don't let someone steal it from you.
Happiness can be yours - in big ways, small ways, and unexpected ways - if you choose to pursue it.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Making America Good Again: Have We Lost Our Ever-loving Minds?
I had another article ready to share with you today, but the news from Charlottesville, Virginia demands a response.
Have we lost our ever-loving minds?
I can be as passionate about the things I hold dear as anyone. I have participated in protests. I have waved signs. I have signed petitions. I have written letters to the editor and called my Congressman. But never, ever would I deny someone else the right to let their beliefs be heard. Never, ever would I throw a rock, shoot pepper spray or drive a car into a crowd, let alone destroy property or shoot someone as has happened at other protests.
It makes me uncomfortable to judge what is in other peoples hearts, but it seems to me that hate filled both the protestors and counter-protestors in Charlottesville this weekend. They all showed up spoiling for a fight.
A group of hate-filled white supremacists used the removal of a Confederate monument as an excuse to gather and protest. They admitted to being angry at how our politics is divided by race, gender and the rest and are demanding their "fair share." They insist that white people are better than anybody.
So who were the counter-protestors? Alas, they belong to another group of hate-filled folks that we have seen participating in violent protests before, including elements of Black Lives Matter and the Anti-fascist movements. While their cause is justice, their methods are anything but just. Remember the BLM and Anti-fa folks who have caused death and destruction in Ferguson, Baltimore, New Orleans, Charlotte, Berkeley, and Washington, D.C. in the past couple years?
Allowing these groups to come together was also an error of epic proportions. Why did the police let these folks get within throwing distance of each other? Why weren't more people arrested? Why did the city government allow them to protest on the same day?
Have we lost our ever-loving minds?
Yesterday made me feel like we are on the cusp of another Civil War. Haven't we learned anything from that bloody war and its aftermath? Don't we know our own history? Why are we still dividing ourselves up by race? Shouldn't we know by now that there is no place for racism and bigotry in the eyes of the law and the eyes of God? Shouldn't we have learned that there are better ways of resolving our differences than with death and destruction?
I want to believe, deep in my heart, that most Americans want nothing to do with the groups that showed up in Charlottesville yesterday, be they KKK, BLM or the anti-fascists. I want to believe, deep in my heart, that most Americans see their fellow citizens as human beings. I want to believe, deep in my heart, that most Americans want to resolve our differences without violence - through conversation, the Courts and Congress.
Before the rest of us lose our ever-loving minds, please pray. Pray for those who are filled with hate to be filled with love.
Pray for those who died yesterday and their families. Pray for the healing of those who were injured.
Pray for the people of Charlottesville who want to live their lives and raise their children. Pray for those attending the University of Virginia this semester and their anxious parents. What does the future hold for America's youth?
Pray for the tourists who were there to visit the home of Thomas Jefferson, our third president and the author of our Declaration of Independence. How ironic that such a protest would happen so close to the place honoring the man who wrote: "all men are created equal." We may not have completely lost our minds yet, but we surely have lost a firm grasp of America's foundational principles.
Pray that you don't become infected with the hate that swirls around us. All those who gathered in Charlottesville yesterday deserve our distain, not our praise. Do not pick a side in this fight, even if part of what they say resonates with you. Their hate destroys whatever good might be in their message. Pray for our country to solve its disagreements - and they are many and deep - without violence. Pray for healing in our country before another war within our borders takes hold.
Have we lost our ever-loving minds?
I can be as passionate about the things I hold dear as anyone. I have participated in protests. I have waved signs. I have signed petitions. I have written letters to the editor and called my Congressman. But never, ever would I deny someone else the right to let their beliefs be heard. Never, ever would I throw a rock, shoot pepper spray or drive a car into a crowd, let alone destroy property or shoot someone as has happened at other protests.
It makes me uncomfortable to judge what is in other peoples hearts, but it seems to me that hate filled both the protestors and counter-protestors in Charlottesville this weekend. They all showed up spoiling for a fight.
A group of hate-filled white supremacists used the removal of a Confederate monument as an excuse to gather and protest. They admitted to being angry at how our politics is divided by race, gender and the rest and are demanding their "fair share." They insist that white people are better than anybody.
So who were the counter-protestors? Alas, they belong to another group of hate-filled folks that we have seen participating in violent protests before, including elements of Black Lives Matter and the Anti-fascist movements. While their cause is justice, their methods are anything but just. Remember the BLM and Anti-fa folks who have caused death and destruction in Ferguson, Baltimore, New Orleans, Charlotte, Berkeley, and Washington, D.C. in the past couple years?
Allowing these groups to come together was also an error of epic proportions. Why did the police let these folks get within throwing distance of each other? Why weren't more people arrested? Why did the city government allow them to protest on the same day?
Have we lost our ever-loving minds?
Yesterday made me feel like we are on the cusp of another Civil War. Haven't we learned anything from that bloody war and its aftermath? Don't we know our own history? Why are we still dividing ourselves up by race? Shouldn't we know by now that there is no place for racism and bigotry in the eyes of the law and the eyes of God? Shouldn't we have learned that there are better ways of resolving our differences than with death and destruction?
I want to believe, deep in my heart, that most Americans want nothing to do with the groups that showed up in Charlottesville yesterday, be they KKK, BLM or the anti-fascists. I want to believe, deep in my heart, that most Americans see their fellow citizens as human beings. I want to believe, deep in my heart, that most Americans want to resolve our differences without violence - through conversation, the Courts and Congress.
Before the rest of us lose our ever-loving minds, please pray. Pray for those who are filled with hate to be filled with love.
Pray for those who died yesterday and their families. Pray for the healing of those who were injured.
Pray for the people of Charlottesville who want to live their lives and raise their children. Pray for those attending the University of Virginia this semester and their anxious parents. What does the future hold for America's youth?
Pray for the tourists who were there to visit the home of Thomas Jefferson, our third president and the author of our Declaration of Independence. How ironic that such a protest would happen so close to the place honoring the man who wrote: "all men are created equal." We may not have completely lost our minds yet, but we surely have lost a firm grasp of America's foundational principles.
Pray that you don't become infected with the hate that swirls around us. All those who gathered in Charlottesville yesterday deserve our distain, not our praise. Do not pick a side in this fight, even if part of what they say resonates with you. Their hate destroys whatever good might be in their message. Pray for our country to solve its disagreements - and they are many and deep - without violence. Pray for healing in our country before another war within our borders takes hold.
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Making America Good Again: Passion
No, I'm not going to write about sex today. Passion is about more than lust. The root of the word passion comes from the Latin that means "to suffer" and was first used over a century ago to describe Jesus' suffering and death. You have probably heard this referred to as The Passion of Christ. While the meaning of "passion" has morphed over the years to mean any kind of strong emotion, there is still a sense at its core that we are passionate about things we are willing to suffer for.
What are you passionate about? What stirs your soul and sparks your emotions? Where do you want to focus your time, thoughts, talent and treasure? What are you willing to suffer for?
As children start school, look to see where their passions lie. Are they intrigued by science or sports? Literature or mathematics? Art or architecture? History or hanging out?
As you look at businesses in your community, you will find people passionate about their professions and their products.
As you scan the news, you will see our President passionate about making life safer and more prosperous for average Americans. You will also see those who hate Trump passionate about destroying his presidency.
I am passionate about proclaiming God's gift of liberty to all mankind. That's why I write these articles.
Our passions and the suffering that goes along with them have a purpose. Students will suffer as they struggle to learn. Entrepreneurs will suffer as they build their businesses. Politicians suffer as they strive to make their ideas become law. Writers suffer each time they look at a blank page.
Jesus suffered, as the book of Hebrews tells us, for "the joy that lay before him." That joy is you. Jesus suffered, so you, and the whole world, could be forgiven and restored to our rightful place in God's family.
What are you passionate about? Not sure? It seems many folks find their lives so busy, or filled with boredom or despair, that nothing stirs their hearts. If that is where you find yourself, spend some time looking at the world through God's eyes. Where do you see the greatest need? What breaks your heart? Where can you pitch in?
I've recently heard a lot of great speakers talk, very passionately, about helping people learn from their failures, about the need for clean water, about discovering the talent that resides in each of us. For all of these people, their journey began with looking at their needs and the needs around them. They were open to the possibilities. They all discovered God was with them pointing the way.
Make America Good Again by finding your passion and pursuing it!
What are you passionate about? What stirs your soul and sparks your emotions? Where do you want to focus your time, thoughts, talent and treasure? What are you willing to suffer for?
As children start school, look to see where their passions lie. Are they intrigued by science or sports? Literature or mathematics? Art or architecture? History or hanging out?
As you look at businesses in your community, you will find people passionate about their professions and their products.
As you scan the news, you will see our President passionate about making life safer and more prosperous for average Americans. You will also see those who hate Trump passionate about destroying his presidency.
I am passionate about proclaiming God's gift of liberty to all mankind. That's why I write these articles.
Our passions and the suffering that goes along with them have a purpose. Students will suffer as they struggle to learn. Entrepreneurs will suffer as they build their businesses. Politicians suffer as they strive to make their ideas become law. Writers suffer each time they look at a blank page.
Jesus suffered, as the book of Hebrews tells us, for "the joy that lay before him." That joy is you. Jesus suffered, so you, and the whole world, could be forgiven and restored to our rightful place in God's family.
What are you passionate about? Not sure? It seems many folks find their lives so busy, or filled with boredom or despair, that nothing stirs their hearts. If that is where you find yourself, spend some time looking at the world through God's eyes. Where do you see the greatest need? What breaks your heart? Where can you pitch in?
I've recently heard a lot of great speakers talk, very passionately, about helping people learn from their failures, about the need for clean water, about discovering the talent that resides in each of us. For all of these people, their journey began with looking at their needs and the needs around them. They were open to the possibilities. They all discovered God was with them pointing the way.
Make America Good Again by finding your passion and pursuing it!
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