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Once upon a time, political pundits were not necessary because Christians conscientiously addressed almost every social ill and issue in our society.
Once upon a time, the church turned the world upside down with the mysterious and metaphysical power of the gospel, instead of political maneuvering and self-righteous name-calling.
Once upon a time, adequate and affordable health care was no issue because Christians took the time to build hospitals, orphanages, and asylums in Rome and Constantinople. What have we taken the time to build lately, aside from ignorance?
Once upon a time, Americans didnt fall into the indolence of fascism or socialism, because Christians were thoughtful enough to promote truth, and subsequently, maintain the delicate balance between responsibility and compassion.
Once upon a time, Americans did not worship or abuse the environment; they respected the resources, beauty, and contribution of the environment, and subsequently, they harnessed the whole with wonder and wisdom.
Once upon a time, institutions like Brown, Harvard, Yale, Penn, and Princeton offered a good, liberal education, but now theyve given in to the worst fundamentalism of all: believe, promote, and publish the spirit of the age (i.e., the politically correct opinions of a few), or perish.
Once upon a time, Americans were intelligent enough to realize that Politically Correct is an oxymoron.
What's it like to attend an Evangelical church in North America on a Sunday morning? Honestly, I think most people could attend a carnival or a fair and scarcely tell the difference. Personally, I would rather go through the "drive-thru" window at McDonald's and get a real "Happy Meal" instead of the spiritual/fantasy "fast food" (cleverly disguised as worship) served weekly in many a church in the U.S.A. Worship is not for our entertainment, nor is it a means to "conjure" up God (via The Holy Spirit) as if we were attending a séance. No, worship is giving God his due; nothing more, nothing less. Our level of happiness, or satisfaction, or approval of the whole is not the point; God's happiness, satisfaction, and approval is. Amazingly, when we focus on the Triune God seeking nothing more than an authentic encounter with him, we receive everything we need (via his presence) without asking for anything. Where will you worship tomorrow? More importantly, how will you worship? As one seeking to be entertained, or as one commissioned to entertain the presence of the Living God? The choice is yours, and be assured that the motive driving your worship will condition the outcome of the experience. Think about it.
Its 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 8 on the East Coast in the United States. Typically, I dont celebrate birthdays . . . I mark them. Today would have been my fathers 75th birthday, but he chose to end his life with a bullet to the head in 1965. He left behind two parents, a wife, and two children . . . me and my older brother. I was four-years-old at the time . . . now Im 45 and not a day goes by that I dont wonder, question, grope, etc. with regard to why he did it, and what life would be like if he hadnt. I am a Presbyterian minister, happily married for 22 years with four beautiful children; but the dark side of the family portrait is this: while my family is attractive and functional, and while I appear to be relational, well-adjusted, and normal (whatever that means); I have a hole in my heart large enough to put your foot through. I constantly question if Ive worked hard enough, loved my wife enough, if Ive cared for my children enough, etc. Suicide ends more than one life . . . it creates havoc and misery in the lives of everyone close to the person who is gone. I wont bore you with all my family shit, but I will tell you that I exist as one with no boundaries, standards, or markers save those Ive discovered in Sacred Scripture. It is here where Ive found hope, and the perfect man (the infinite God-man): Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and savior, and while Im by no means conformed to his image yet, I continue (by his grace) to strive to be every day. He shows me how to be a husband, a father, a neighbor, a minister, etc., and without daily interaction with him, I would no doubt be some sorry bastard in desperate need of institutionalization. My fathers suicide has destroyed much, but the crucified and resurrected Christ can reverse the effects of life in a sin-stained world. Is life perfect? No; actually it sucks on a daily basis . . . but Im dealing with it and Im not alone.
The smell of urine and pureed green beans; comatose nursing aids pondering whether or not they have the winning lottery ticket for Saturday nights drawing; numerous television sets with little-to-no reception blaring out a symphony of General Hospital, Lawrence Welk re-runs, and a Jerry Springer documentary about wife swapping with a touch of kinky sex. Welcome to the local nursing home anywhere in the United States; the proverbial dumping ground of the aged. Pity the poor, dumb, bastards who venture down these halls. Nevertheless, if you can get beyond the smells, the depressing sights and sounds, and the pitiful stuffed animals crusted with ancient saliva, then maybe, just maybe, you will catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. I go every Thursday to visit Mrs. V, a lady in her 90s with no short-term memory. The visits are brief, but very much appreciated. There is no glamour in this context; no one is watching, no one notices, no one except the audience of one. Jesus said, I was sick and you helped me; I was lonely and you comforted me; I was in prison and you visited me, etc. Why does Father Keen visit? Because these gentle creatures (in the twilight of life) bear the image of the Living God. If you want to experience the Kingdom of God in a real and meaningful way, you will often find it in the most unusual places. More than the excitement of the mega-church, more than the sensationalism of the electronic church . . . this is the real deal; the Kingdom of God in the midst of a human waste land filled with those too sick to live, too healthy to die, and all hungry to witness a display of true religion according to St. James (1:27). Check it out.
Consider all you've heard about the woeful negligence of federal authorities to respond (in a reasonable manner and amount of time) to the plight of those devastated by the worst natural disaster in U.S. History. Now, before you rush to judgment about "W", or Jesse Jackson's comments, or the noble efforts of L.S.U. and N.O. Saints football celeb's, or Gov. Kathleen Blanco, or Mayor Ray Nagin, consider this: If one has never lived in the "Crescent City" (a/k/a The Venetian Paradise on the Gulf), then one is not in a position to offer an intelligent opinion regarding the circumstances surrounding this tragedy. I lived in New Orleans five years (circa: 1990-1995), and currently; I have a daughter enrolled at Tulane University. Without a doubt, New Orleans is one of the most fascinating and frustrating cities in the U.S.! Where else can you find a party 24/7 and enough booze to make your kidneys float down the mighty Mississippi? Further, where else will you find worthless thugs who fire assault rifles at e-vac vehicles in the sky struggling to save hurricane victims!? Ah, but it wouldn't be New Orleans without all this weird stuff going on constantly. Again, if you haven't lived there, it is hard to understand. This "soup-bowl" city (25 feet below sea level) has been positioned for a disaster of this magnitude for years, but we all lived in denial thinking it would never happen. I lived in two homes during my time in N.O. and both received 8 and 9 feet of water, respectively. Why? Because the levee system broke. Why? Because like almost everything else in New Orleans, "lack, loss, or theft of funds" compromised the project a long time ago. Louisiana in general and New Orleans in particular have a long, long, long history of dirty politics, fraudulent practices, and genuine skullduggery!! From Huey Long to Edwin Edwards, New Orleans is a shrine to "stealing people blind," and the miserable failure of President Lyndon Johnson's so-called "Great Society". To my knowledge, no other city in America practiced the abject stupidity of planned developments of drug-infested, crime-ridden housing projects right next door to affluent communities. The idea (forcing folks to "get along") was good in principle, but the TRUTH of the matter is: you can't force people to love each other, or get along together . . . it must happen on a volunteer basis. The former is Communism, and the latter is Christianity. At any rate, I (we) can blame the Politians and bureaucrats all day long, but the Bottom Line is this: the "Response Failure" wasn't Bush's fault, or Blanco's Fault, or Nagin's fault, or anyone else's fault (individually); it was the fault of the Christian Community to care for this ancient "lost cause" of a city a long time ago. I am a Christian, and I take full responsibility for not caring for the poor, not caring for the children, not fighting the fraud, and other general crimes of apathy. We Christians have a long history of "talk, but no action." I no longer live in New Orleans, but I weep for the tragic circumstances faced by the thousands of good citizens who live there. As a Christian, the fault is mine, and so must the remedy be. That is the truth, plain and simple, and though painful to admit, it's time to repent.
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Take the blue pill or the red pill . . . you decide, but it really doesn't matter; most people don't really want the truth about a number of things like "Who am I?"; "Why am I here?"; "Where am I going?" Truth isn't found in a pill, but a number of other places if you're willing to look, see, and risk. I seek truth about a number of things such as confusion over human sexuality; the plight of the urban poor; the evils that plague orgainized Christianity (evangelical and liberal); the meta-message behind Rap music; the cry of the soul coming from a single mother struggling to make ends meet in the "teeth" of poverty; politics, power, and religion in the United States; the perverse things that come from within and ultimately find expression in what we say, do, and think. This blog isn't intended to be about one thing, but many things that ultimately point to the one thing that matters: truth. Come along for the ride; your input is welcome, but time is short so we dare not waste a moment.
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