A few summers back, we were vacationing in Lake Tahoe when Sami and I saw the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile at a supermarket parking lot. We were chatting with the drivers who said they were planning to stop in Sacramento, so we invited them to our house for a home-cooked dinner.
A few days later, they pulled up in the Weinermobile, all 27 feet of it, much to the delight of ourselves and our neighbors. The drivers were very gracious and when Sami said she was sorry she had to leave for soccer practice, they offered to give her a ride!
Meanwhile, at Sam Brannan Jr. High School, soccer practice was just beginning. Coach Harris was reviewing the roster with his assistant coach, when a giant, bright orange and yellow hot dog rolled into the school parking lot. Without missing a beat, Harris looked up, said “It must be Guida,” and then returned to his clipboard.
Since the day she was born – literally nearly every single night for the past 18 years – I have kissed my daughter as she laid sleeping in her bed and told her, “Good night, angel.I love you.”There were times I was out of town and there were times when she was away at camp or at a friend’s house.But for every night she and I shared a roof, I told her I love her.
Samiis packing for school and will be leaving this weekend for college.I recall the instant she came into the world and remember her beautiful face when she went out the door this evening.And though she was almost always asleep when I kissed her good night, I pray that no matter where she goes and what she does, she will always know.I love you.
"I am good at catching and I'm good at swimming and I'm good at dancing and I'm good at running. I'm especially good at running. That's why my name is Chase."
- Chase Matthew Guida, six years old, August 29, 2009
My Father taught me an important lesson about vacation traveling. Before you leave, put all the clothes you plan to take on your bed. Then take all the money you plan to take next to it. Then put away half the clothes and double the amount of money.
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." As quoted by Samantha Guida from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in Samantha's High School Yearbook.
Samantha will be 18 on her last day of high school and her Father loves her very much.
This paper was written for a Church History class 2008. Prior to this paper, my experience with St. Francis was a plaster statue in my Father's garden. I am a better person after studying St. Francis. Perhaps you will be likewise inspired.
INTRODUCTION
Statues depicting St. Francis can be found in gardens throughout the world, often with a bird perched on his outstretched hand.There is the legend that if you bury a statue of St. Francis in your front yard, you will have good luck in selling your house.Statuary and superstition aside, St. Francis is so much more than the Garden Gnome of the Catholic Church and his contributions to Christianity are vast.It seems almost sacrilegious to focus on his relationship with the animals, when his spirituality goes so much deeper.But it is through this natural introduction that so many seekers in today’s world meet the man who continues to change the Christian world for the better, even 800 years after he was born.
Over 1500 books and articles have been written on the son of Assisi, beginning with a biography in 1229, just three years after his death.[4] This short paper hopes to share the history of this Christian leader, taking a small part of his amazing contributions as “an ecologist before his time (and) a friend to animals”[5], to explore his relationship with the natural world and, in turn, with God.
A brief biography may be helpful to those not familiar with the personal history of St. Francis.Born in 1181 in the Italian city of Assisi, the man known as Francis was originally baptized as Giovannie (John) Bernardone, given the name by his mother, Pica (though other biographers list her as Giovannia[6]), while his father, Pietro Bernardone was trading in France.Upon his return, the wealthy merchant gave his son the nickname Francesco, to reflect his passion for France, and it stuck.
Francis loved the good life that his father’s success provided him, and he proved adept at the family business.He enjoyed the many luxuries that were his, involving his friends in a lifestyle rich in merriment and mischief.
His dreams of becoming a knight changed after serving a year as a prisoner of war, followed by another year of illness.At 24, he joined another military expedition, but suddenly withdrew during his journey and returned home.Once home, his slow conversion to solely serving Christ found him demonstrating very odd behavior, including giving away his father’s goods, his clothes and horse to the needy and finally renouncing all the worldly possessions he owned, living as a hermit in an abandoned church under the most meager of circumstances.It is from this rebirth that his order was founded.
ST. FRANCIS’ UNIVERSAL NATURE
Although best known for his relationship with his avian brothers and sisters, Francis’ natural concerns went far beyond that limited border. Prior to the teachings of Francis, Christians interpreted Genesis as entitling them to treat all other forms of life as their slaves.It was Francis’ belief that God’s work “should be respected and loved no differently from men.”[7]Thomas of Celano, a 13th century Franciscan biographer of St. Francis, said that Francis “was filled with compassion toward dumb animals, reptiles and other creatures. . . . In the most extraordinary manner, never experienced by others, he discerned the hidden things of nature in his sensitive heart.”[8]Simply put,
Francis had a relationship to everything: to man, beasts of the fields and forests, the birds, the fish, trees, flowers, even stones, the sun, the moon, the wind and the stars, fire and water, rain and snow, storms, the earth, summer, winter, and the tender elegy of springtime.With all of these he dealt courteously and admitted them to the circle of his immediate family, for a man who believes in and loves his Creator with his whole heart must also dignify and love all of His creations.[9]
In spite of his deep devotion to God’s non-human creatures, Francis never exhorted against the meat-eater or the hunter, as long as the person could show he loved the living animal or showed humility in the presence of a game bird and its beauty.“Francis accepted and lived with the hunter, the fisherman, the farmer, the butcher.He neither humanized nor sentimentalized animals.But he did feel for them, admitting them to their rights of kinship with him and giving them the same courtesy that he bestowed upon his fellows.”[10]
Francis’ love for nature was not limited to animals.He asked a brother preparing a garden to leave a patch for flowers, so he could enjoy their beauty and scent.A woodcutter was reminded to make sure that enough of the tree be left for it to grow again. “He exhorted cornfields and vineyards, stones and forests, all the beauties of the fields and green things of the gardens, to love God and serve him willingly.”[11]It is the teachings of St. Francis that “one of the fundamentals of the universe was its unity; every component related to every other in a logical and harmonious pattern.”[12]
BIRDS
If someone were to be asked, “What do you know about St. Francis?” a likely response would be, “Isn’t he the guy who talked to the birds?”History tells us that, indeed, Francis of Assisi did talk to the birds and, what’s more, they listened!
Although the story has been “sentimentalized out of all proportion,”[13] Francis’ biographers tell of the time when he was on his way home, reflecting on his apparent failures.He announces to his companions that “he would probably have a more respectful hearing from the birds.”Spying a large flock of birds of various species, he runs toward them swiftly, greeting them with his usual cry of “The Lord give you peace.”Astounded that they did not fly away, Francis asked that they listen to him preach.He begins,
“My brother birds, you should greatly praise your Creator and love Him always.He gave you feathers to wear, wings to fly, and whatever you need.God made you noble among His creatures and gave you a home in the purity of the air, so that, though you neither sow nor reap, He nevertheless protects and governs you without your least care.”
The birds stretched their necks, spread their wings, opened their beaks and looked at him.He passed through their midst, coming and going, touching their heads and bodies with his tunic.Then he blessed them, and having made the sign of the cross, gave them permission to fly off to another place. . .And from that day on, he carefully exhorted all birds, all animals, all reptiles, and also insensible creatures, to praise and love the Creator.[14]
Another story tells of the time when Francis was to speak to the Villagers of Alviano.A large flock of swallows was making such a raucous noise that the people could not hear Francis.The preacher then implored the birds to be quiet, saying “My sister swallows; now it is time for me to speak, since you have already said enough.Listen to the word of the Lord and stay quiet and calm…”Not only did the birds suddenly grow silent, but they did not move from their perches until the sermon was over.[15]
When given a pheasant to feast upon, Francis instead tamed the bird.As proof of the animal’s ability to come and go as he chose, an out-of-town doctor was given the animal to take home.Soon, the bird was back in Francis’ cell.Another time, Francis persuaded a boy to hand over some turtledoves that the boy had trapped.Francis then made them nests, where they settled and raised their young for many generations.[16]Other stories include a wren that nestled for a long time in Francis’ cowl and Francis’ attempted duet with a Nightingale, which quickly outsung the friar.[17]
Francis so loved the birds that he wanted towns and corporations to take time off from levying taxes and scatter crumbs, instead, on the frozen roads.He pleaded for hostels where strays could be fed and housed, and he raged against the caging of larks. He declared, “If I ever talk to the emperor I will implore him, for the love of God, to decree that no one should trap or in any way harm our sisters the larks.Likewise the lord of every town and village should see that all their people scatter the roads with grain for the birds on Christmas Day.”[18]In fact, of all his feathered brethren, Francis loved larks most.He said they reminded him of friars in their habit and hood of brown feathers, humbly gleaning food from the fields and singing God’s praises.[19]Individually, however, it must have been a crow he adopted that, like all adopted crows, became fiercely loyal.This crow “sat next to him at meals and came on his visits to the sick; when he died it followed his coffin to San Giorgia, refused to leave or eat, and very soon died too.”[20]
OTHER ANIMALS
Francis’ love of animals did not focus solely on birds.Wild beasts would flee to him from their abusive masters, lambs and sheep were rescued from slaughter and even worms were removed from the roadway, for fear of being trampled.Animals were reported to smile when he petted them, grant his requests and obey his commands.He called all animals by the name of brother and sister.It is clear why St. Hubert is the patron saint of hunters and not St. Francis, for it is Francis who freed a rabbit captured in a trap and returned netted fish to the open water.[21]
Francis felt so strongly for the mistreated animals of his day, for the snared birds and the beaten horses and hungry dogs that he went to the burghers, to the governors, finally to the emperor, begging for a law against their abuse.He demanded that farmers be forced to treat their cattle humanely and give them an extra treat on Christmas Day.[22]
Francis quieted noisy frogs (not difficult in Italy where they don’t care for human company); and when given a large fish by a fisherman, he slipped it back into the water where it swam beside the boat until Francis sent it off with a blessing.Another fisherman gave Francis a fish which refused to leave his lap until he had finished a long meditation.[23]Francis purchased the lambs that were being taken to the butcher in order to save their lives.He fed the bees in winter that they might not perish.[24]Brother Leo, a companion of Francis, remembered Francis’ delight in a cicada, which sang in a fig tree next to his hut at the bottom of the garden.Each day he lifted it onto his finger where it sang for an hour before he replaced it on a branch.[25]
It is the story of the wolf which plagued Gubbio which best speaks of Francis’ love of animals and the respect he commanded from them.A large male wolf was ranging around the town of Gubbio during a very hard winter, when prey in the forest was scarce, domestic animals weakened or dying, and the townspeople found it difficult to bury their dead.Rumors about the wolf grew so grisly that no one dared leave the city walls.
Francis agreed to deal with this wolf and found that it was an elderly animal, perhaps reduced to taking any feeble livestock it found and occasionally scavenging limbs from corpses.The story tells how Francis, addressing him as Friar Wolf, said “Come to me, Brother Wolf, and I order you, in the name of Christ, neither to harm me nor the others.”[26]Francis then rebuked the wolf for his reign of terror but acknowledged this was due to hunger.He therefore proposed a pact between the wolf and the people by which they kept him fed, while he promised to stop his attacks on them and their animals.
By now a crowd had gathered, who shouted their agreement; and when Francis held out his hand to the wolf to seal the contract, the story goes that the wolf stretched out its paw in return, expressing its assent “with movements of its body, tail and eyes.”[27]
Some of the stories about Francis may sound apocryphal, like the tale of the grasshopper that on a winter midnight came to help him sing his office, leaving its tiny tracks in the snow to shame monks who had been too slothful to assist.Still, his heart truly brimmed over with such affection it had to scatter like rain onto animals as well as men.[28]
THE FIRST CRECHE
“For I would make a memorial of that Child who was born in Bethlehem, and in some sort behold with bodily eyes His infant hardships; how He lay in a manger on hay, with the ox and ass standing by.”(The words of Saint Francis quoted in The First Life of Saint Francis of Assisi by Brother Thomas of Celano, 1229)[29]
Although it is now a holiday tradition for Churches all over the world to present living crèches, it was St. Francis who created the first such tableau.He was inspired one winter night in 1223, as he and one of his followers were making their way to the tiny town of Greccio, to spend Christmas there.While walking, Francis looked out over the fields and saw some shepherds sleeping in the moonlight.They reminded him of the shepherds long ago to whom the angel had appeared, telling them to go and greet the Christ Child, born that day in a stable in Bethlehem. Francis created his crèche using only a straw-filled feeding trough as the manger, set between a real ox and a donkey.The manger served as the altar for Christmas mass.[30]
THE NATURAL ELEMENTS
Francis also embraced the elements of earth, wind, fire, and water as if they were living creatures.He saw the earth as our Mother and praised Brother Wind “for bringing us changes of weather.”Sister Water was so precious to him that when he was finished washing, he would not throw it arbitrarily to the ground, where it might get stepped upon. Fire held a special fascination for him and he “hated putting out candles and lamps or smother fires, and quenching their flames.”[31]When physicians were prepared to apply red-hot irons to cauterize his temples as an aid against his growing blindness, Francis asked of the element, “Brother Fire who art nobler and more useful than most other creatures.I have always been good to you and always will be so for the love of him who created you.Now show yourself gentle and courteous with me and do not burn me more than I can stand.”After the cauterization, Francis declared, “If that is not enough burning, then burn it again, for I have not felt the least pain.”[32]
THE PATRON SAINT OF ECOLOGISTS
Lynn White, a professor at the University of California in 1967, wrote that St. Francis was “The greatest spiritual revolutionary in Western history.”Lynn wrote that what St. Francis proposed is an alternative Christian view of nature and man’s relation to it, offering “the idea of the equality of all creatures, including man, for the idea of man’s limitless rule of creation.”Although Francis failed in achieving this goal, his efforts were in the right direction, since “the roots of our trouble are so largely religious, the remedy must also be essentially religious, whether we call it that or not.”In proposing St. Francis as “a patron saint for ecologists,” we must learn and be inspired by his example.[33]
Eight hundred years before the first “Earth Day,” Saint Francis lived a remarkable life in the name of Christ as a lover and protector of all God’s creations.His lessons then are more valuable today than ever before.
[1] Mary Jo Duffy.Francis, Brother of the Universe.MCG Publishers. New York, NY.1980.49.
[2] Julien Green.God's fool : the life and times of Francis of Assisi.Harper and Row, Publishers.New York, NY.1985
[26] Lawrence Cunningham, ed.Brother Francis:An Anthology of Writings by and about Saint Francis of Assisi.Harper & Row, Publishers.New York, NY.1972.75.
[27] Adrian House.181.
[28] Phyllis McGinley.81.
[29] Joanna Cole.A Gift from St. Francis: the First Crèche. William Morrow & Co.New York, NY. 1989.
Of the many sources I used for this paper, my favorite was G.K. Chesterton's “Saint Francis of Assisi, which is available for less than $5 at half.com or amazon. Of course, you could also always borrow my copy.
There is also an excellent move - "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" - which encompasses his story beginning with the time of his recuperation. And yes, you can borrow my copy if you want.
If you are interested in this subject, I encourage to read the book GOD IN THE WHITE HOUSE by Randall Balmer (2007), which examines how politics and religion have interacted from the time of John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush. Amazon.com and Half.com both carry it at a discount.
The paper below was originally titled "God in the White House." The title has been changed and the content slightly updated for this post. It was my first graduate paper and was written in 2003, when George W. Bush was still in the White House.
GEORGE BUSH AND THE BIBLE
INTRODUCTION
United States Presidents have called upon God from the very beginning of our nation. Thomas Jefferson, who would become the third President of the United States, wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
George Washington was not shy about calling upon a Supreme Being in the first Thanksgiving proclamation, decreeing that November 26 “be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country . . .” It was also Washington, who, when taking the oath of office as the first President, added this four-word prayer of his own: “So help me God.” Abraham Lincoln, 16th President, told his Cabinet that the victory during the United States Civil War at Antietam was a sign from God that Lincoln should issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which announced an end to slavery in the United States. Every President since Washington has acknowledged his Christian belief, some more fervently so than others. Woodrow Wilson, President during World War I, spoke publicly of praying “on bended knee.” Franklin Roosevelt, on the day of D-day, of the greatest military invasion of modern times, led the nation in prayer. Every President since Dwight Eisenhower took office in 1953 has addressed the National Prayer Breakfast each year. Jimmy Carter, 39th President, was a Sunday School teacher while living in his home state of Georgia and still publicly speaks about his faith.
This long history of God in the White House is offered as a platform, from which we will investigate its former occupant, George W. Bush and examine his use of God in his political actions. Bush’s comments and actions will be evaluated solely by how it compares to the Holy Bible. Other documents and writings will be considered, but the Bible will be the final arbitrator as to the accuracy of Bush’s statements. What will not be done is to examine Bush’s political actions outside of faith-based statements and actions, looking only at those things in which Bush explicitly invokes God and/or scripture.
GEORGE BUSH’S CHRISTIANITY
George Bush is an avowed Christian. In December, 1999, during his campaign for the presidency, Bush was asked during a debate “What political philosopher or thinker do you most identify with and why?”” Bush answered “Christ, because he changed my heart.” When asked to explain more, Bush continued “When you turn your heart and your life over to Christ, when you accept Christ as the savior, it changes your heart and changes your life. And that’s what happened to me.”
It was no less a religious personage than the Rev. Billy Graham who brought about the change in Bush’s beliefs. The Rev. Graham was spending a few days with the senior George Bush and his family. One morning, George Jr. and the Rev. Graham went for a walk together. In his autobiography, Bush writes that Graham “sparked a change in my heart. (He) planted a mustard seed in my soul, a seed that grew over the next year. He led me to the path, and I began walking. It was the beginning of a change in my life. I had always been a ‘religious’ person, had regularly attended church, even taught Sunday school and served as an altar boy. But that weekend, my faith took on a new meaning.”
The Rev. Graham would go on to be a friend of the Bush family by appearing in Florida, the home of Governor Jeb Bush, George’s brother, two days before the election in November 2000. The Rev. Graham, appearing with George Bush in a church in Jacksonville, the state capital, said “I don’t endorse candidates. But I’ve come as close to it, I guess, now as any time in my life, because I think it’s extremely important,” adding “I believe in the integrity of this man.” Eventually, Bush would be put in the White House based on a difference of 537 votes out of 5,825,043 . It cannot be stated that Bush won Florida and eventually became President because of Graham’s endorsement but it can be generally accepted that any endorsement from someone so well known and respected as the Rev. Billy Graham would make a positive difference in the number of votes cast for Bush, especially in so close a race.
BUSH AND CREATIONISM
Bush is a firm advocate of Creationism, the belief in the literal interpretation o f the Bible regarding how everything was created. In respect to education, Bush has “no problem explaining that there are differences about how the world was formed. I mean, after all, religion has been around a lot longer than Darwinism . . .. I believe God did create the world. And I think we’re finding out more and more and more as to how it actually happened.”
Examining Bush’s comment in respect to the Bible, he says “I believe God did create the world.” In Genesis 1:1, the Bible reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (NIV) The two statements are almost identical.
BUSH AND THE POSTING OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
The Justices of the United States Supreme Court, the highest judicial authority in the country, have made many rulings regarding the posting of the Ten Commandments on public property, most recently regarding Alabama State Chief Justice Roy Moore’s placement of a monument to the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Judicial Building in Montgomery, Alabama. The Supreme Court refused to block an order forcing the chief justice to remove the monument from the state’s Judicial Building, ruling that state support for the Ten Commandments violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
George Bush’s view are contrary to the views of the judicial branch of the US government. Bush has said he has “no problem with the Ten Commandments posted on the walls of every public space.” Unfortunately, when asked which version of the Ten Commandments he would like to see posted, he responded “The standard version.”
Unless President Bush was referring to the New American Standard Bible or the English Standard Version, there is no “standard” Bible and, hence, no “standard” interpretation of the Ten Commandments. In fact, there are countless available English translations, including the New International Version, The Message, Amplified Bible, New Living Translation, King James Version, Contemporary English Version, Reader’s Digest Version, New King James Version, Twenty-first Century King James Version, Worldwide English, Young’s Literal, Translation, Darby Translation, Wycliffe New Testament and the New International Version - UK . A sampling of two of these Bibles, taken at random, show differences in their interpretations of the Ten Commandments. Though the similarities far outweigh the differences, the differences must be considered and extend far beyond “Thou shalt” vs. “You will.” The New International Version reads, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. . .” The New American Standard Bible reads, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. . .” The difference between misusing the name of God and taking it in vain can be considered significant. One more comparison to make our point has the NIV reading “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” The NAS reads “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.” One version says the Sabbath day is already holy and is kept so by being remembered. The other version says that the sabbath (lower case “s” included!) must be kept holy through the ongoing working of remembering it. Subtle differences perhaps, but differences nonetheless and compounded exponentially when factoring in all the other versions of the Ten Commandments available. So when George Bush says “Surely we can agree as a society on a version that everyone can agree to,” he is not only grammatically flummoxed, but offers a challenge that cannot be met.
“FREEDOM IS GOD’S GIFT”
George Bush has often used a variation of the phrase “Freedom (or Liberty) is God’s gift to humanity.” He often phrases the statement as “The liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world. It is God’s gift to humanity.” In his 2003 State of the Union speech, he proclaimed that “the liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world. It is God’s gift to humanity.” After Saddam Hussein had been captured by American troops, President Bush announced, “You’ve heard me say this a lot -- and I say it a lot because I truly believe it – that freedom is the almighty God’s gift to every person, every man and woman who lives in this world.” Bush went on to say, in regard to Hussein’s capture, “Justice was being delivered to a man who defied that gift (of freedom) from the Almighty to the people of Iraq.”
It’s a nice sentiment. But is it Biblically sound? Does the Bible, in fact, say that freedom and liberty are God’s gift to God’s people? A concordance search of the words “freedom” and “liberty” only produce 19 passages from the Bible, none of which proclaim or imply that freedom or liberty is a gift from God. A more intense study of the Bible may find such references and certainly analogies can be made from many of the Bible stories. Also, as theologians, we can say that everything is a gift from God. But when the topic is specifically researched, the Bible is nearly mute. Galatians 5:1 reads “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to yoke of slavery.”(NIV) Though freedom through Christ is a very real experience for Christians, it is non-existent for the vast majority of the Muslim people of Iraq. The Old Testament reading of Isaiah 61:1 also comes close to touching this subject, in proclaiming “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me . . .to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.”
It seems almost picayune and mean-spirited to begrudge the President this comment. His thoughts are not far from those of Thomas Jefferson, who is generally accepted as one of the most intelligent presidents ever to occupy the White House. In 1774, two years prior to the nation’s Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote “The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.” Unfortunately, be it one of our earliest Presidents or our 43rd President, the statement does not stand the test of a basic Biblical examination.
“I BELIEVE WE WORSHIP THE SAME GOD”
In a joint news conference on November 20, 2003 with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Bush was asked, “When you talk about peace in the Middle East, you've often said that freedom is granted by the Almighty. Some people who share your beliefs don't believe that Muslims worship the same Almighty. I wonder about your views on that.” President Bush answered, “I do say that freedom is the Almighty's gift to every person. I also condition it by saying freedom is not America's gift to the world. It's much greater than that, of course. And I believe we worship the same God.”
This was not the first time a President made such a remark. Found amongst his personal papers after his death in 1972, Harry S Truman, 33rd President of the United States, was a handwritten manuscript. Truman wrote, “Jews, Mohammadians, Buddhists, and Confucians worship the same God as the Christians say they do. He is all seeing, all hearing, and all knowing." Though Truman’s comments are merely a footnote to history, George Bush’s same declaration has incurred controversy and discussion. Richard Lano of the Southern Baptist Convention told the Baptist Press that Bush’s comment was in error. Lano said “We should always remember that (Bush) is the commander in chief, not theologian in chief.” Theologians have argued on both sides of the fence as to the accuracy of Bush’s remark. To answer the question, “Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God”, requires an understanding of the Muslim faith.
Muhammad was a man born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, around 570 AD. He married at 25 and became a trader. According to the Muslim faith, about 15 years later, when Muhammad was around 40, he had an encounter with the Angel Gabriel, the same Angel Gabriel who came to Zechariah in Luke 1:18 and whom God sent to Mary in Luke 1:26. Although Muhammad was illiterate, the angel Gabriel, over the course of 23 years, gave the trader Muhammad the directions that would become the Qur’an (Koran), which is the holy book of the Islam faith. Because of this encounter and Muhammad’s spreading of the teachings he learned, Muhammad is recognized as “the Messenger of God.”
The Qur’an identifies Allah as the same God to whom Abraham offered his son Isaac in Genesis 22. Abraham then made the first pilgrimage to Mecca, which is now the holy city of Islam. Historically, the first Christians were Jews, whose belief in one Supreme Being is what separated them from the polytheists of the time. As these Jews were converted to Christianity, they understood that though they now worshiped Christ, the power of Christ came from his Father, the same Father which the Jews worshiped as God.
The Qur’an reads, in Chapter Two, Verse 163 “And your God is One God; there is no God but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful”. When Mohammad began preaching the Qur’an, he included Christians and Jews amongst his converts. It is not a stretch of faith by any means, then, to accept that, when the monotheistic Jews and Christians converted to Islam, that the one God of which Mohammad spoke is the same God under which the Jews and Christians practiced their faith.
Another indication that Muslims, Jews and Christians worship the same God is shown in the warring history of the Muslims, who battle polytheist – those who worshiped multiple gods – but did not battle Jews and Christians, accepting that they were all worshipers of the same God or, in Arabic, Allah.
The most telling evidence of Muslims worshiping the same God as Jews and Christians comes from the Qur’an itself. Chapter 5, Verse 69 reads “...[T]hose who believe (in the message of Islam), and the Jews, the Sabaeans, and the Christians – all those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and act righteously – no fear shall come upon them…” However, Timothy George, writing in ChristianityToday.Com, states that the God of Muhammad cannot be the God of Jesus. George reminds us that we are baptized as Christians in the name of the Creator, the Messiah and the Holy Spirit. Many worship services are dismissed with the blessing “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Though it may be one of the most difficult aspects of Christianity to grasp, Christians acknowledge that Creator, Christ and the Holy Spirit are all one as God. The Bible tells us that God and Christ are one in John , which reads “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. . . .The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Clearly, John was speaking about the Christ. This is in direct contradiction of the Muslim faith, whose first basic guideline is to “Eliminate any anthropomorphism (human qualities) from their conception of Allah. His attributes are not like human attributes, despite similar labels or appellations.” In short, the Islamic God cannot be human in any form, unlike the Christian God, who came to earth as Jesus Christ.
Although historically, Judaism, Christianity and Muslim may have come from the same Creator God, the holy book of the Muslim faith, the Qur’an, is in direct contradiction to the New Testament of Christianity. By the interpretations given to these two books, the God of Islam is not the God of Christianity.
BUSH AND THE WAR IN IRAQ
Every President since George Washington has had to send soldiers into combat. Most of these men who actively served as Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces have also proclaimed to be followers of Jesus Christ, the same Jesus Christ who taught us to “turn the other cheek” and who admonished the disciple who took up a weapon to protect the Messiah.
The world would be substantially better if everyone followed the Christian tenets of peace that are the founding of many other pacifistic faiths. Unfortunately, the short-term risks to life, property and liberties are too great to “lay down our plowshares and turn our swords into pruning hooks.” George W. Bush is no exception and he is a master at putting God on the side of the Americans. In his Easter and Passover radio address on April 19, 2003, President Bush said, in respect to a soldier who had died in combat in Iraq, “America mourns those who have been called home, and we pray that their families will find God's comfort and God's grace. His purposes are not always clear to us, yet this season brings a promise: that good can come out of evil, that hope can arise from despair, and that all our grief will someday turn to joy, a joy that can never be taken away. ” The Bible teaches us that we are all sinners and that by accepting Christ into our hearts, we can be redeemed. In the resurrection of Christ, we gain hope from despair. And that with peace through Christ, our joy is eternal.
In the same speech, Bush says, “This holy season reminds us of the value of freedom, and the power of a love stronger than death.” The “power of a love stronger than death” can be attributed to the love of God and the promise fulfilled, again, of the resurrection. However, when Bush tries to turn his war into a religious experience by claiming that Easter and Passover serve as reminders of freedom, he is only tangentially referencing the Easter message. Praising a Christian God for God’s help in battle seems to be paradoxical. The Old Testament is rife with God’s orders to “go and slay” the enemy. But as Christians, we must follow the directions of Jesus Christ.
George Bush is more of an Old Testament believer and never misses a chance to tie the war in Iraq into a religious battle. In his remarks at a White House dinner, with Ambassadors and Muslim Leaders , celebrating Ramadan - a time for Muslims for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control - Bush addresses the group, saying, “As we gather during this season, we are mindful of the struggles of the men and women around the world who long for the same peace and tolerance we enjoy here in America. Brave American and coalition troops are laboring every day to defend our liberty and to spread freedom and peace, particularly to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.”
The President’s speeches are filled with instances of his calling upon God to help Americans win the war. One more example is the National Day of Prayer Proclamation for April 30, 2003. Of the five paragraphs in the speech, two are dedicated to war: Today, our Nation is strong and prosperous. Our Armed Forces have achieved great success on the battlefield, but challenges still lie ahead. Prayer will not make our path easy, yet prayer can give us strength and hope for the journey. As we continue to fight against terror, we ask the Almighty to protect all those who battle for freedom throughout the world and our brave men and women in uniform, and we ask Him to shield innocents from harm. We recognize the sacrifice of our military families and ask God to grant them peace and strength. We will not forget the men and women who have fallen in service to America and to the cause of freedom. We pray that their loved ones will receive God's comfort and grace."
Calling upon the Almighty in times of war is a Presidential action that goes back to the beginning. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington, advised his troops that “The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army .... Let us therefore rely on the goodness of the cause and the aid of the Supreme Being, in whose hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble actions."
So whereas George Bush – and most every US President before him – has used prayer to advance the cause of war, Biblically it is not congruent with New Testament teachings.
SUMMARY
As a Christian, George W. Bush’s faith-related comments and interpretation and use of scripture are far from perfect. However, based on the examples above, his use is no different than his predecessors in office nor does his use waver, excluding the wars, from the intent of the Bible; that is, he is not speaking falsehoods to justify actions that are contrary to Christian teachings. He clearly has a layman’s knowledge of the Bible and the Christian faith and speaks it passionately. His use of God in his political actions is in keeping with biblical scripture. BIBLIOGRAPHY and footnotes available by request. But really...
Consider the lowly penny, ditched in a bowl on the dresser or tossed in a jar where it will eventually be … what?Deposited in the change-O-meter at the grocery story?Given away under the pretense of charity.Buried under a tree in the backyard with photographs of the family and a note for the future?(Okay, that last idea is pretty cool.I’ve done it more than once.)
But how much longer should we hang on to this antiquated, money-losing proposition.Money losing?Yes – ridiculously so.How much is a penny worth?One cent – which is the formal way the US Government recognizes the coin.And how much does it cost to make one cent?Estimates vary from 1.23 cents to 1.67 cents.But the key is in the numbers to the right of the 1.It costs more to make a penny than a penny is worth.
Maybe they make up the difference in volume, as the US Mint produces 8 b-b-b-billion pennies each year.Eight billion cents = 8,000,000,000 coins.Moving the decimal as Mrs. Larson taught me in the fourth grade means that it totals $80,000,000.00.Eighty million dollars, in case your eyeballs started to cross at all those zeroes.And how much can we estimate it costs to make 80 million dollars?Let’s split the difference and say 1.45 cents for each coin x 80 million and I think it’s $116,000,000,000, but my calculator erred out.One hundred sixteen million dollars to produce 80 million dollars worth of … well, dollars, in a sense.
So wotta ya gonna do about it?On the higher level, write your Congressperson and Senator and tell them that we don’t need the penny, we don’t want the penny and we can’t afford the penny.Then watch them leap into inaction. Or more likely, watch the lobbyists for the zinc industry, of which "copper" pennies are made, continue to pour over $100,000 into their pockets.
On a personal level, don’t take the pennies you are given in change when you are shopping.Throw them in the Tip Jar (cheapskate), leave them on the counter “for the next poor slob,” as I like to say, or give them to the next person in line, saying, “Here – in case you need these." Depending on your shopping habits, this may actually cost you as much as 15 cents a day, but remember – you are working towards a greater cause.
But frankly, none of this will make a difference. The only way the penny would likely be eliminated is if McDonald’s and Starbucks and Wal-Mart and the other major retailers began rejecting their use.I’m not saying they shouldn’t accept pennies – I’m saying they shouldn’t give them out.Work with me here.If you are buying your whatever and the penny total comes to 1 or 2 cents, the company should round down and charge you the lower price.If the total is 3 or 4 cents, the charge should round up to the nickel.If you want to pay with pennies, go ahead.Maybe they will leave them on the counter for the person who thinks they are getting cheated out of their two cents, while very likely spending dollars on something they don’t need.But if the larger retail establishments set this tone and it gains in popularity, the vote-seekers in Congress will eventually make the daring choice of doing the will of the people.And soon, those pennies will go the way of the two-cent piece.
By the way, did you know it costs almost seven cents to make a nickel? One step at a time, though.
I was raised in a church home with Mother taking us most every Sunday, but I came to accept Christ on my own through Young Life in High School. Unlike a lot of Christians who have made a conscious decision to accept Christ into his/her heart, I cannot tell you the moment I said, “Jesus – I am yours.” But since High School, I have been a follower of the teachings of Jesus.
My original studies came from reading the Gospels as they were translated in the “The Good News” version of the Bible. I have always been practical in all my readings, often missing the deeper meanings of John Steinbeck and even Mark Twain and the same failings followed me in my Gospel readings. I was not unlike the disciples, to whom Jesus explained many teachings by way of parables or stories – and then had to explain what the parables meant. My eating habits may be vegetarian, but my reading has to be “meat and potatoes.”
At the ancient age of 47, I chose to formally pursue an education in theology. Intellectually, it has been a gold mine for me. Academically, not so much. I have learned that everything we need to know about God – in all three forms of Creator, Messiah and Spirit - starts with the Bible. And reading the Bible is a good thing. But understanding the Bible is another thing – an undertaking that opens an awareness that is never finished. To know the Bible is to know God – who is unknowable. Yet that doesn’t mean the journey should not be taken. Reading the Bible will help us understand it as far as our existing knowledge will take us. But it is only through advanced study – of the culture and the geography and the history and the people and God help me, the languages – can our knowledge of those who wrote the Bible and, in turn, the Bible itself, expand.
My goal in reading the Old and New Testaments of the Bible is to explore how much Jesus Christ loves me and why. It is that encouragement that then moves me to be a better man, a better person and, most important of all, a better Christian.
Not everything I study at Seminary takes me to that goal. Some of the studies, in fact, seem to be an obstacle to my learning about Jesus. There are times in my studies when I’m ready to say “Furget it!” And the word I use isn’t “Furget.” But whatever the final outcome of my studies may be, it is my prayer that the knowledge that has been gained - a knowledge that comes at a price of personal sacrifice, of family time, finances, and, for very brief moments, self-esteem - will not be a light hidden under a bushel but will serve as a torch to light the path that all I know will trod upon, sharing a peace and love that is available to everyone for the asking and bringing to each of us a heaven on earth.
I share this mostly to encourage you to seek and walk this path and also in the hope that you will hold me accountable to these ideals as I try to walk it with you.
MY FATHER had only good things to say about the Veteran's Hospital in Palo Alto, California. He appreciated the staff and the doctors, many of whom were from the Stanford Medical School "next door." As often happens, he was assigned a new doctor and, to hear him tell the story, it went something like this...
HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR: Mr. Guida, you will be seeing a new doctor on your next visit, Dr. Hu.
DAD: Who?
HA: That's right, Dr. Hu.
DAD: Who is my new doctor?
HA: Yes, you'll be meeting with her next Thursday.
DAD: I'll be meeting with who?
HA: Yes, at 2:00 PM.
DAD: Who will I be meeting?
HA:
DAD: (At this point enjoying the joke very much) What is the name of my new doctor?
HA: Dr. Hu is your new doctor. DAD: Who?
and so it went. If you have ever laughed at anything I have said or written, you can thank my Dad. We lost him four years ago this week and we all miss him. To Dad, I'd like to dedicate this classic bit of comedy ...
Abbot and Costello's "Who's on First?"
Abbot: I’d like to recite the poem “Casey at the Bat.”
Costello: (From the audience) Hey, that’s baseball, isn’t it?
Abbot: Yes. Yes it is.
Costello: (Coming on stage) I have a question about baseball.
Abbot: You do?
Costello: Yeah. I got confused what with the World Series and all and I was hoping you could tell me who the players were.
Abbot: You want me to tell you the players’ names?
Costello: Yeah, you know stuff. Tell me the players’ names.
Abbot: Okay. Well, let's see. We have on the bags - we have Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third.
Costello: That's what I wanna find out.
Abbot: I say Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third -
Costello: You know the fellows' names?
Abbot: Certainly!
Costello: Well then who's on first?
Abbot: Yes!
Costello: I mean the fellow's name!
Abbot: Who!
Costello: The guy on first!
Abbot: Who!
Costello: The first baseman!
Abbot: Who!
Costello: The guy playing first!
Abbot: Who is on first!
Costello: Now whaddya askin' me for?
Abbot: I'm telling you Who is on first.
Costello: Well, I'm asking YOU who's on first!
Abbot: That's the man's name.
Costello: That's who's name?
Abbot: Yes.
Costello: Well go ahead and tell me.
Abbot: Who.
Costello: The guy on first.
Abbot: Who!
Costello: The first baseman.
Abbot: Who is on first!
Costello: Have you got a contract with the first baseman?
Abbot: Absolutely.
Costello: Who signs the contract?
Abbot: Well, naturally!
Costello: When you pay off the first baseman every month, who gets the money?
Abbot: Every dollar. Why not? The man's entitled to it.
Costello: Who is?
Abbot: Yes. Sometimes his wife comes down and collects it.
Costello: Who's wife?
Abbot: Yes.
Costello: All I'm tryin' to find out is what's the guy's name on first base.
Abbot: Oh, no - wait a minute, don't switch 'em around. What is on second base.
Costello: I'm not askin' you who's on second.
Abbot: Who is on first.
Costello: I don't know.
Abbot: He's on third - now we're not talkin' 'bout him.
Costello: Now, how did I get on third base?
Abbot: You mentioned his name!
Costello: If I mentioned the third baseman's name, who did I say is playing third?
Abbot: No - Who's playing first.
Costello: Never mind first - I wanna know what's the guy's name on third.
Abbot: No - What's on second.
Costello: I'm not askin' you who's on second.
Abbot: Who's on first.
Costello: I don't know.
Abbot: He's on third.
Costello: Aaah! Would you please stay on third base and don't go off it?
Abbot: What was it you wanted?
Costello: Now who's playin' third base?
Abbot: Now why do you insist on putting Who on third base?
Costello: Why? Who am I putting over there?
Abbot: Yes. But we don't want him there.
Costello: What's the guy's name on third base?
Abbot: What belongs on second.
Costello: I'm not askin' you who's on second.
Abbot: Who's on first.
Costello: I don't know.
Abbot & Costello: THIRD BASE!
Costello: You got an outfield?
Abbot: Oh yes!
Costello: The left fielder's name?
Abbot: Why.
Costello: I don't know, I just thought I'd ask you.
Abbot: Well, I just thought I'd tell you.
Costello: Alright, then tell me who's playin' left field.
Abbot: Who is playing fir-
Costello: STAY OUTTA THE INFIELD! I wanna know what's the left fielder's name.
Abbot: What's on second.
Costello: I'm not askin' you who's on second.
Abbot: Who's on first.
Costello: I don't know.
Abbot & Costello: THIRD BASE!
Costello: The left fielder's name?
Abbot: Why.
Costello: Because!
Abbot: Oh, he's center field.
Costello: Look, you gotta pitcher on this team?
Abbot: Now wouldn't this be a fine team without a pitcher.
Costello: The pitcher's name.
Abbot: Tomorrow.
Costello: You don't wanna tell me today?
Abbot: I'm tellin' you now.
Costello: Then go ahead.
Abbot: Tomorrow.
Costello: What time?
Abbot: What time what?
Costello: What time tomorrow are you going to tell me who's pitching?
Abbot: Now listen. Who is not pitching. Who is on fir-
Costello: I'll break your arm if you say Who's on first. I wanna know what's the pitcher's name.
Abbot: What's on second.
Costello: I don't know.
Abbot & Costello: THIRD BASE!
Costello: You got a catcher?
Abbot: Oh, absolutely.
Costello: The catcher's name.
Abbot: Today.
Costello: Today. And Tomorrow's pitching.
Abbot: Now you've got it.
Costello: All we've got is a couple of days on the team.
Abbot: Well, I can't help that.
Costello: Well, I'm a catcher too.
Abbot: I know that.
Costello: Now suppose that I'm catching, Tomorrow's pitching on my team and their heavy hitter gets up.
Abbot: Yes.
Costello: Tomorrow throws the ball. The batter bunts the ball. When he bunts the ball, me being a good catcher, I wanna throw the guy out at first base. So I pick up the ball and throw it to who?
Abbot: Now that's the first thing you've said right.
Costello: I don't even know what I'm talkin' about!
Abbot: Well, that's all you have to do.
Costello: Is to throw the ball to first base.
Abbot: Yes.
Costello: Now who's got it?
Abbot: Naturally!
Costello: If I throw the ball to first base, somebody's gotta catch it. Now who caught it?
Abbot: Naturally!
Costello: Who caught it?
Abbot: Naturally.
Costello: Who?
Abbot: Naturally!
Costello: Naturally.
Abbot: Yes.
Costello: So I pick up the ball and I throw it to Naturally.
Abbot: NO, NO, NO! You throw the ball to first base and Who gets it?
Costello: Naturally.
Abbot: That's right. There we go.
Costello: So I pick up the ball and I throw it to Naturally.
Abbot: You don't!
Costello: I throw it to who?
Abbot: Naturally.
Costello: THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!
Abbot: You're not saying it that way.
Costello: I said I throw the ball to Naturally.
Abbot: You don't - you throw the ball to Who?
Costello: Naturally!
Abbot: Well, say that!
Costello: THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING! I throw the ball to who?
Abbot: Naturally.
Costello: Ask me.
Abbot: You throw the ball to Who?
Costello: Naturally.
Abbot: That's it.
Costello: SAME AS YOU!! I throw the ball to first base and who gets it?
Abbot: Naturally!
Costello: Who has it?
Abbot: Naturally!
Costello: HE BETTER HAVE IT! I throw the ball to first base. Whoever it is grabs the ball, so the guy runs to second. Who picks up the ball and throws it to What, What throws it to I Don't Know, I Don't Know throws it back to Tomorrow - triple play.
Abbot: Yes.
Costello: Another guy gets up - it's a long fly ball to Because. Why? I don't know. He's on third and I don't give a darn!
Abbot: What was that?
Costello: I said I don't give a darn!
Abbot: Oh, that's our shortstop.
(My Note: This is very slightly adapted for a presentation at a church talent show. If you ever get a chance to perform this, even doing a "readers theater" version, you will bring down the house -- assuming you can get through it without cracking yourself up first. If you want to see this done professionally, here's a couple of fellas who do it pretty well - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M)
Adapted from a line in HOOK, the Robin Williams/Dustin Hoffman movie about Peter Pan and Captain Hook.
Last summer, my nephews, Chase and Dylan, were at a campground lake.Although the road between the campground and the lake was very quiet, we warned them to be extra careful while crossing.Chase assured Dylan that they would be safe.“Stay close to me,” he said to his three-year old cousin.“I’m five.”
Chase and Dylan
Big ones looking after the little ones is not limited to age or size.A young person who knows more about something than an older person or a small person with the tools to help a larger person do not belie this rule.
“Big ones” – however you wish to define someone in that respect – should always look out for the “little ones.”
"Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others."
Matthew 23:11
**********
Tangentially related, Chase knows his numbers and that he is 5. He also recognizes the number 52 - my age. During a time together, I asked him, “Do you know why we are such good pals? It is because you are five ... and I am five too!”
.
That number will change on January 20, 2009 and I would like to thank everyone who voted for Barack Obama in the swing states for the best present anyone could give me. The United States, for the past 100 years, has been "the big one who looks after the little one." That part, in the greater picture, never changed. What will change is that we will be the "good guys" again. I look forward to that.
Rule #1 for the employee can and should be easily adapted for the student by replacing the word "boss" for "teacher." The same could also be said of a child and a parent, but who are we kidding? Or you could attempt to make the swap for "husband" or "wife," but I wouldn't recommend it. Regardless of how you adapt it, here it is.
RULE #1 - THE BOSS IS ALWAYS RIGHT
Equally important to RULE #1 is RULE #2.
RULE #2 - WHEN THE BOSS IS WRONG...
SEE RULE #1
If you follow this rule, you will never get in trouble. It is that simple.
Another rule they don't teach you in Business School is
THE FIRST RULE OF A SALESPERSON
It is often said that "the customer is always right." This, of course, is nonsense. If the customer ordered something in red and then he said he had asked for it in blue, then the customer is not right. What the good salesperson must do, however, is make it right without costing the company their long-term profit. To that end, The First Rule of a Salesperson is:
THE CUSTOMER IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT - BUT THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS THE CUSTOMER
I WOULD PUT A WEST COAST SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AT THE PRESIDIO IN SAN FRANCISCO.The Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC is a treasure trove of Americana.What is on display is but a small percentage of what is available and currently kept in their basement or, in my imagination, a warehouse like that found at the end of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (which this curmudgeon refuses to call INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and completely dismisses the same warehouse in the unfortunate INDIANA JONES AND THE MOVIE WITH THE REALLY STUPID, LONG TITLE).But I digress.
Smithsonian – and by their nature, Americana – treasures, available for public viewing on both coasts.On a beautiful piece of federally-owned property.Which is currently being seriously under-used.
I WOULD MAKE THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL ANTHEM "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL" instead of that ode to war which nobody can sing, THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER.AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL represents all that is good about our nation.For those who cannot see that this is a nation built on a foundation of God’s principals and don’t care for the line “…God shed His grace on thee…”, you can change that line to “…come shed your grace on thee…”It works. But really, our national motto is IN GOD WE TRUST. Get over it. And if you are sensitive to our neighbors to the north, which are also part of America, then petition to move the United States border 100 miles north and you will encompass over 80% of the Canadian population.As for Mexico, they don’t complain as much and it is usually in Spanish so most folks don’t know what they are saying anyway.
THE UNITED STATES MINT WOULD MAKE A DOLLAR COIN THAT LOOKED LIKE A DOLLAR COIN AND NOT A BUS TOKEN OR A BRASS QUARTER.Make it a different size.Put a hole in the middle.Have it made of two different metals.Just get it right once! For example...
Those are just three of the things I would do.How about you?
There is something called "proof-texting," wherein someone has a thought and then they search the Bible to find corroboration of that thought. It is bad preaching and it is bad theology. And it has been used with venom against certain types of God's Children.
I believe that the civil rights being fought for today are no different than the civil rights that were fought for with marches in Birmingham and Washington, DC and came to its nadir on a hotel balcony in Memphis.
Many people, including friends of mine, believe homosexuality is a choice. I do not. But that not withstanding, I believe in the liberties of consenting adults. That is the politics of our country and the ongoing evolution of the "American Experiment." This issue, unfortunately, has become intertwined with religion, obliterating the line between "Church and State" - another important part of the "American Experiment." To those who believe that homosexuality is anti-Biblical and a threat to Christianity, I offer the following:
Those who tout Leviticus 22:18 “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." as their reason against homosexuality might want to read all of Leviticus. Whereas homosexuality is "detestable," adultery, according to Leviticus 20:10, is punishable by death. Homosexuality is "detestable," Adultery is "punishable by death." Quite a difference. And when three of the four Gospels of the New Testament tell us that "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27), it makes it difficult to apply these teachings of the Bible literally.
Add to that Deuteronomy 24's permission for a man to divorce his wife with a piece of paper ("If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house...") against Matthew 19's admonition from Jesus against divorce ("anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery") and the question becomes even more tangled.
I am a Bible-believing Christian who believes the greatest commandments - Love God and Love Your Neighbor - take precedence over all the other rules. I wrestle with the Bible daily in learning all it's passages and what they mean to me in today's world. I do know that the Bible is not to be taken in "sound bites" but needs to be understood in its greater context.
has been a genius for over half a century. Yet, for the first half, the world has been deprived of the greatness that is Jim. I plan to rectify that situation for the second half or, I hope, the greater part of it.
This is not a blog - it is an Almanac. An Almanac of Jim. I do not have the discipline to regularly post interesting tidbits of my life. But I do have a treasure trove of previously written papers, sermons, thoughts and stolen jokes which I will happily share.
I do not expect anyone to read all of my postings. Frankly I'm confused why anyone would be reading even this prologue. But if you find something of interest or value or humor, I hope that it brightens your day. Some of what is posted may seem very academic. Those are likely to be academic papers written for my Graduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. Some of the postings may seem "preachy." Those, I hope, are the sermons I have written and presented. I like to believe they sound better than they read. The rest - the short stuff you'll probably read, if anything - are the aforementioned literary detritus. Unless noted, it is original with me.
Enjoy!
A few summers back, we were vacationing in Lake Tahoe when Sami and I saw the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile at a supermarket parking lot. We were chatting with the drivers who said they were planning to stop in Sacramento, so we invited them to our house for a home-cooked dinner.
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