Same Blog... New Blog Name... New Blog Place...

Well, maybe it could be argued that if it has a new name and is in a new place, it is not the same blog... but since in politics, all things are argued over anyway, even if candidates used to agree, then feel free to argue the point...

Be that as it may, this blog has evolved over time to become mainly about politics, and so last night, I renamed it and gave it a new home...  I hope you will come visit.

It has been renamed "politics... chaos in action".
Its new address is:  http://chaospolitics.wordpress.com.

You can either "take the bus" to come visit (copy and paste the new address into your browser)... or you can "beam" directly to the new address (click on the following link):

             politics...chaos in action

Whichever way you choose, I hope to see you there!!

It is unfortunate that our first reaction to other people is that of fear and distrust....
"A new commandment I give you, that you love one another..."  ~John 13:34

Trayvon Martin and Hermeneutics for Life...

(Originally posted by me on:  dear world... postcards from life... )

I'm guessing that you may be wondering what the word "hermeneutics" means...  in theology, it is a fancy word for how people approach the reading, study and understanding of the Bible...  are we unbelieving or suspicious of Biblical scripture even before we read it ... or do we approach scripture with a mind-set of acceptance and belief before reading it?  You can think of these as ends of the "hermeneutics spectrum" with a whole lot of ways to approach scripture in-between...

Now you are wondering, "So what?"... 

I suspect we all have a hermeneutic for how we approach other people - our family, our friends, our acquaintances, the people we don't know... that this hermeneutic is different and shifting for the various people we encounter and the times we encounter them... that there are other complicating factors we are not even aware of that influence how we approach others... factors that have been ingrained in us through family and/or societal expectations from the time we were infants...

We rarely even think of any of this, as we see another person and evaluate, judge and approach them...

Again, "So what?"

I think we need to be honest with ourselves... to recognize and pay attention to the underlying factors that guide how we approach others...  our "hermeneutics for life", as it were... and I believe that we need to push back against the ones that would have us immediately be suspicious and perhaps fearful of the people we don't know, the people who are dressed differently, or who talk differently, or who (       ) differently (you can fill in the blank)... the people who we think of as "those other people"... 

Maybe Trayvon Martin might still be alive if George Zimmerman had done just that...  

Maybe all the Trayvon's of the world might still be alive...

the end of the world...today?

It was only recently that I became aware of a street sign on one of the major roads through my city.  It simply proclaimed, "The Lord is coming.  May 21, 2011".  Also seen on the sign was a website, which I confess that I have not looked up, and will not mention in this post.  I wondered at the sign, but didn't really think much about it until yesterday when my colleague at work mentioned that his pastor friends were posting on facebook that they were going ahead with their sermon preparation for Sunday just in case the world didn't end on Saturday, the 21st of May.

So, last night I watched some of the cable news shows, and was not disappointed to see that each of them had a short piece on this supposed momentous upcoming "end of the world" event...  granted, there were not any who were taking this apocalyptic prophesy seriously, but they covered enough of the story for me to learn what was behind the sign I had seen.

In short, an elderly Christian gentleman, through his study of the Holy Bible, believes that he found passages that enabled him to calculate the exact date that Jesus will return and take the faithful believers to heaven, and at the same time that the judgement of the world will commence... that day being sometime today, Saturday, May 21, 2011.    

A few thoughts about this:

I am Christian and do believe that at some time, Jesus will return, as He promised.  That being said, I do feel it is important to point out a couple of things about this event:

1.  When Jesus' disciples ask when the time will be that He [Jesus] will return, and what will be the sign of His coming, and of the end of the age, Jesus speaks of many events that must happen before His return [see Matthew 24].  He cautions that there will be many who will try to mislead believers [Jesus calls them false prophets], but in answer to His disciples' question of when He would return, He says, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."  [Matthew 24:36]

2.  The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, echoes this, as he tells the believers, "... the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night" [1 Thessalonians 5:2]... In other words, suddenly and without warning.

3.  When this event does happen, it won't be in secret... all will know and see it take place.  Jesus tells His disciples, "...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory." [Matthew 24:30]  We will not need to be told that He has come... when it happens for real, all will know... there will be no questions or doubt in anyone's mind.

I think that there are far too many people who focus on and worry about the exact date and time the Lord will return.  In the past, people have come to my house to tell me that they know when Jesus will return, and to ask if I wanted to know.  My answer to that type of question is, "No."  I would rather do my best to live as a faithful servant of my Lord, Jesus the Christ, so that when He does return, if it happens to be in my lifetime, He will find me living a life that brings honor to His name and doing the things that He has called me to do.

Do I believe that Jesus will return again?  Yes.

Do I think he will return today, May 21, 2011?  I don't know... it is always a possibility.

Am I ready for His return?  I believe this is actually the most important question that each person needs to ask themselves... However, I can only answer that question for myself...  You have to examine your own heart and relationship with the Lord, and answer it for yourself.

Christmas...

may you each travel to the manger and worship the King this night...  for this is truly what Christmas is about...


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Honoring our Veterans

"The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."

                                                                         ~ Douglas MacArthur 

On this day during which we honor our veterans ... those who have served or are still serving in our armed forces ... on this day, even as we say, "Thank you"...  may we pray for peace in our world between all countries, all peoples and all faiths ...  and then after praying, may we begin, even if it is only in a small way, to find ways to help bring that peace about.

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Today.... Get Out and Vote!!!!

We who are citizens of the United States of America have a privilege that many Americans take for granted, because they have never known anything different...  we have the right to go to the polls and vote for the candidates of our choice.  Unfortunately, there are many who do not take advantage of this privilege...  no, not privilege...  this responsibility!!  It is our responsibility as citizens of the United States to vote for those who will be our representatives at all levels of government.

Why?

Well, it has been awhile, but somewhere in my education, I learned about The Gettysburg Address, in which then President Abraham Lincoln referred to the government of the United States of America as a government "of the people, by the people, [and] for the people."  He could refer to our government in this way, because we, as ordinary citizens of the United States, could go to the polls and choose our leaders!!

Granted, in President Lincoln's day, not all people over the age of majority who had been born in and lived in the United States had the right to vote...  or were even considered to be citizens...  it was not until the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified in July of 1868, that all persons, born or naturalized in the United States, were legally assured of citizenship status within the United States and within the individual state in which they resided...  and it was not until the 15th Amendment [ratified in February of 1870] and the 19th Amendment [ratified in August of 1920] that all people, regardless of sex, race, color, or previous condition of servitude, were given the right to vote.

But... we in the 21st century, all of us who are legal citizens of the United States of America, and who are above the age of majority [18 years old], no matter whether we are male or female, no matter what our race, ethnic background, socio-economic status or religious creed might happen to be...  we still have the government that President Abraham Lincoln described as "of the people, by the people, [and] for the people."  It is because of this very reason that we have a responsibility to exercise our privilege and our right to go to the polls and vote!!

Being able to vote for those who will be our representatives at all levels of government is what gives us Americans a government that is "of the people, by the people, [and] for the people."  Voting is the fundamental thing that gives us a "voice" in our government!!

So, take the time...  exercise your privilege... your right... your responsibility...  let your voice be heard...

Today...  get out and vote!!

sticks and stones...

The old saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"...   in my humble opinion, that is a lie we tell ourselves...  and maybe we adults even believe it...  but I think children sometimes are smarter than us...  just try to get a child who is being teased and picked on to actually believe the saying...  they know it's a lie...

Recognizing the lie for what it is just might be the first [very, very, very, very small] step towards finding a solution to the problem of bullying...

If your child comes home upset because she/he is being picked on, don't tell them this lie...  they won't believe you...  instead, listen to them, acknowledge their hurt feelings, let them know you love and value them, and work from there to help them find creative ways to stand up to the bullies...

It probably won't be easy...   no one ever said it would be...   but no one deserves to be bullied for any reason...   and your child's life just might hang in the balance...


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bullying = abuse = big problem...

Recently I have heard more in the news about young people who have killed themselves because they were being bullied by others...   picked on mercilessly because they seemed "different"...  or "gay"...  or "nerdy"...  or ...  well, actually, someone who is going to be a bully doesn't really need a reason...  I suspect they just feel as if they have a right to be a bully...  and if the person being bullied doesn't like it? Well, whose gonna make the "bully-ers" stop, anyway?

Bullying has probably been around as long as people have existed...  it is an old, old, old problem that has mostly been overlooked with its consequences underestimated...  by parents, teachers and school administrators alike.  The stock answers ... "its just a part of growing up" ... "it'll toughen you up" ... "oh, its just harmless fun" ... "they didn't really mean anything by it" ... just are not acceptable anymore!!

Even worse, the attitude that the victim of bullying "deserved it", because they are perceived as gay, or because they are gay, is unconscionable!!  Whether or not you like a person, their life-style, their religion, or even their favorite sports team... does not give you the right to bully someone else!!

Bullying and intimidation is abuse, pure and simple!!   How many more children, teenagers, and college students will choose to die because they see death as the only way to escape being bullied, before people will begin to choose to help those who walk around with a "target" on their backs?  Yes...  it is much easier to ignore the problem or talk about the ones being victimized in disparaging ways than it is to really try to tackle the problem...  but we must find a way to help the victims...  to end bullying... we are losing too many precious lives!!


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Telling the Truth

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."                                                                  ~George Orwell