Politics and Violence

When Jesus was born, Herod was the king of the Jews [their "president"]. He was so evil that Augustus said that his pigs were safer than his children (because his children potentially threatened his power.) In the Second Chapter of the Gospel of Luke we read about him. When the Magi traveled through Jerusalem, following the star that was leading them to what they had come to understand was the birth of a King, Herod said "Let me know when you find him so I can come and worship him also." His true intent was to murder him. Politics has always had a gruesome side--like life itself. Evil is real; and no arena of life is able to shut it out. Only the heart that has been redeemed and enlightened by the Christ (Who was protected by Divine intervention from the evil intent of Herod and Who has shown us the Way of Truth) can be perpetually protected from evil. This is true becasue we know, through Christ, that the Way of Life is the Way of Love--the Love that He manifested to the human family, and that He makes available to all who "seek, ask and knock".  Only to the degree that we are motivated by this Love are we free from the ravages and control of evil. His ultimate freedom was evident in His prayer from the Cross: "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." He was still loving! Nothing--not the hatred, mockery, cruelty, false accusations, abandonment, betrayal, physical torture or being nailed to a Cross and left to die--nothing could penetrate His soul of Love for the human family. And what a victory! Even today, on the streets of our violence-torn cities, divided by prejudice, fear and anger, those who are speaking with the clearest and most healing voices are speaking the language of Jesus the Christ. "Love one another! We're all God's children! Pray for one another! We got to stop killin' each other! Stop this violence! Stop it!" Martin Luther King, Jr., that Baptist preacher, knew that violence could never win the day. He was immersed in Jesus' teachings. Preached them repeatedly from the pulpit. Jesus has solved the problem of violence for all who hear and heed His voice: "You have always been taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemies, but I say to you, Love your enemies; bless those who curse you; do good to those who hate you; and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father in heaven." Mt. 5:44.  Remember: He not only spoke those words, He lived the reality of them!
Until we get to this place of heart and mind, all our solutions will be temproary and restrictive in nature.No politician can redeem the hearts of humans; and no military or police force can totally block evil. Education does not provide spiritual enlightenment. (Hitler was educated and intelligent!)
The solution to our social diseases will not be found in politics, law enforcement or education. These are only helpful to the degree that they are being enacted in a social climate of humans who have been and are being enlightened by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. All other goals and motives are distractions or palliative at best.
In America we have had an unprecedented opportunity to be a "Light on a hill" to the rest of the world; not by proclaiming ourselves to be better, more powerful or more righteous than other peoples, but by taking responsibility for the freedom that we have been given by "Divine Providence" (as our Founding Fathers clearly understood) and using it for the benefit of humankind. Not by selfishly grasping for more and more "rights" or sinking into a quagmire of hedonistic pleasure; but by practicing the spiritual disciplines that are a pathway to and manifestation of the only true freedom that exists: the freedom of the soul that Jesus expressly provides. ("I come to set at liberty those who are oppressed.") We still have this opportunity! But now, as always, the evils of fear and hatred threaten it. Fear and hatred are parasitical, draining away the life-force of Love. And Jesus delivers us from them! I beg you, as one who loves America and desires her to become what God has given her the potential of becoming, join the enduring revolution! Recognize the Lordship of Jesus! I challenge you to try to find a purer, more enlightened pathway than the one He walked and taught. If you can, walk in it! But if you can't, then why waste your time on anything less? Work on behalf of the Christian Faith. Support those who propagate the Gospel of peace around the world. This would be an enlightened thing for even an atheist to do, since the Christian faith infuses any society (like "salt" and "yeast") with freedom and life-enhancing qualities that are good for all--not just Christians.  And when the general population of any nation is predominantly enlightened by Christ, there is peace and harmony among the people. Jesus said, "They will know that you are my disciples by the love that you have for each other."
Please God! This is how we want to be known! May the world see America as a nation of people who sincerely love each other; and who also love the entire human family.
"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain" (Psalm 127:1).

Dinesh D'Souza: Conservative Politics

Below is a link to a speech given to Young American Force. His knowledge of American politics is broad and deep. A good listen.
I hope you will see his movie "Hillary's America..." opening Jul. 22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7hM1-amF44

Proverbs

The heart that does not want to know itself is a dangerous heart; as is the one who presumes to know and possess himself completely.

The purer your love for your people the more deeply you will discern what is in their hearts, and the the more powerful will be your ministries to them.

The unenlightened feel justified in their selfish, evil endeavors, and victimized by the consequences that befall them because of those endeavors.

The human heart is steeped in selfishness. We see others through the paradigm of our own personal agenda. We like them if they facilitate our agenda; and we ignore or despise them if they don't.
In this light, it's very important to know what your agenda is.

The Bible is unquestionably the best selling book in the world.  Why not read it? All those folks can't be wrong.

Exercise always seems like a good thing to do----at some time in the future.

Youth and the Elderly

Youth often perceive the elderly as quaintly "out there" somewhere; not really in the present. I have come to understand this to be partly true: The elderly have an incredible storehouse of life experiences stored in their minds--more past than future, from the worldly standpoint. The young frequently dismiss them because of this. This can be a form of unconscious condescension. And it is sad because the elderly also have an incredible storehouse of wisdom that they would love to share with the young but cannot do so because of that dismissive attitude.

Memorial Day Links

Here's a link to Abraham Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address, 1865. A good Memorial Day read.

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/lincoln2.asp

And here's a link to General MacArthur's amazing speech at the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/filmmore/reference/primary/macspeech04.html

Note: MacArthur recognized that "the problem basically is theological" and that "it must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh."

My Cat

My little cat knows that I don't always allow her to sit in my lap, so, when I'm on my deck and she comes to sit in my lap she at first assumes that I'm going to allow her to come, and she jumps right into my lap. And if I'm not in the mood to have her there I gently nudge her away and she hops down on the deck and doesn't seem to be disappointed at all. So she waits a while as I'm meditating, and starts, at some point to ease back closer to me, then jump up on the table in front of me; sits there for a while, waiting for my mood to change. At some point, with head held low and eyes half closed she puts one paw very gently on my knee as if to ask permission. It's as if she is the prodigal son returning home from the pig pen in a spirit of "I don't deserve to be your cat, but if you would just let me sit here in your lap, you don't even have to pet me, just let me lie peacefully on your knee"... and so I reach out my hand to let her know that she can come; and she comes, and sits peacefully and thankfully on my lap as I stroke her fur and we both benefit from it. And as I am benefiting from it, and thinking about the benefit that I am receiving, I look at this little creature and I realize that God made this little creature for me to be sitting here in my lap in this moment and the affection I feel for this kitty and the affection she feels for me [in whatever way kitties feel affection] are a manifestation of the Love of the God of this universe---the God Who created us both; gave us life; gave all life, and gave all love and all affection. And so this little creature, this experience that we are sharing is like a shaft of light that is the Light of this universe; like a beam flowing down through the forest of sunlight. And like a hologram, this beam contains the Whole.

Getting There

It seems to me that life can never be what we want and need it to be until we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord. And even when we receive Him we continue to have sadness and anger and fear and self-doubts and character defects that we cannot overcome; but we are able to manage these because we have the Power of Eternal Love living within us--Love that never abandons us, never gives up on us, constantly forgives and always encourages and empowers us to simply and peacefully take the next small step onward and upward. We can always take a small step in the direction of Christ's Truth and Love. We will always be able to do so. That is all we will ever need. "I am with you always, even to the end of the world":  This is the only true security that exists. And the only way to have peace as an imperfect human being.