“Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery” by Nicholas Poussin (1635), Location Louvre Museum, Paris, Source https://useum.org/, (PD-Art, PD-Old)
In flagrante delicto (adverb): In the very act of wrongdoing, especially in an act of sexual misconduct.
The Latin phrase in flagrante delicto is a legal term used to convey that a criminal was caught red-handed. The woman caught in adultery, and brought before Christ for judgment, was caught in the act (John 8: 3-11).
We do not know her name or what she looked like. We do not know the name of the man caught with her. He seems to have escaped the consequences of his actions, at least as far as the Scripture story is concerned. Perhaps the crowd let him go. Yet his guilt was equal to hers, and should have merited the same punishment.
“The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death” (Lev. 20: 10).
This woman must have thought her lover would defend her, if their secret were ever revealed. Not only were they caught in the act of what she may have mistaken for love (a relationship for which she had risked her life); she was abandoned at the very moment of intimacy, and cruelly left to her fate.
Perhaps initially defiant, she must have been terrified by the time the crowd reached Christ.
The First Stone
What we should remember from the story is the mercy Christ extended to this woman. You will recall that He said to the crowd bent on stoning her, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8: 7).
One by one, the members of the crowd drifted away, convicted of their own sins. Read more…
“Bald Eagle” sculpture by David Turner, Newport University, Newport News, VA, Author Tony Alter (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
Eagles are powerful birds, capable of flying to heights of 15,000 feet or more. They can achieve speeds of 30-35 mph in flight. Adults have a seven foot wingspan. Fierce and strong, eagles are not afraid to share rising thermals with hang gliders.
The bald eagle was selected as the emblem of the United States in 1782 when the Great Seal was adopted. That a great nation would choose such a symbol is understandable. How we — who struggle with daily trials, large and small — might gain wings like those of eagles is more difficult to comprehend.
The car refuses to start the morning of a badly needed job interview. The children have outgrown their shoes again. Desperate for help, she sits on hold for an hour with some agency. He is suddenly coughing up blood. The list of trials is endless. We can begin to feel as insignificant as dust motes in a hurricane. Read more…
Homeless in Brazil, Author Henrique Pinto, Source Flickr (CC Attribution 2.0 Generic)
At Christmas, we like to think of Christ as an infant – cute, cuddly, and harmless. No confrontations with the Pharisees. No challenges for us.
The glossy pictures on our Christmas cards do not, however, tell the whole story. Christ was born to save us from sin. He took on flesh and a human nature for that lofty purpose. But He chose to be born into poverty, when the riches of the world were available to Him.
Not much has changed for the poor, in the interim. I ask that you keep them in mind this Christmas, and throughout the coming year. Christ does. He was one of them.
We know from the Bible that both shoes and sandals were in use in Jesus’ day. Ordinary people might go barefoot at times, but the absence of shoes could, also, be symbolic – whether of respect, deprivation, shame, or the transfer of property, depending on context.
These are the words God spoke to Moses, as he approached the burning bush:
“ ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground’ ” (Ex. 3: 5).
Compare them with the words of the prophet, Amos, regarding the sins of Israel:
“Thus says the Lord: … ‘[T]hey sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes’ ” (Amos 2:6).
Amos lived over 700 years before Christ, but his words still resonate with us [1].
Designer Shoes
What do shoes say about our own culture? Modern designer shoes can cost as much as a house or car payment – this when homes are in foreclosure, and “reality” shows depict repossession by way of entertainment [2]. Shoes have been wrapped in platinum fabric and studded with actual rubies or diamonds, running into the millions.
Shoes and Crippling Illness
Nearly half the world’s population exists on less than $2.50 per day. Many will never own a single pair of shoes. Two billion of our brothers and sisters suffer from painful, crippling, and potentially fatal parasitic diseases that could have been prevented (or their frequency reduced) by shoes alone.
Here are a few:
- Podoconiosis (a form of elephantiasis) arises when silica penetrates the skin of barefoot farm workers. It is found in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and elsewhere.
- Tungiasis penetrates the skin of those wading, washing, or swimming in infected water. The parasite, found in tropical Africa, causes painful swelling of the toes and feet. This can progress to gangrene and death.
- Hookworm causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss (in children, often retarding growth). Hookworm can be found in South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
- Schistosomiasis causes cough, muscle aches, fever, and chills. Repeated infections can damage the liver, lungs, bladder, and intestines. The disease is particularly prevalent in school children.
The relationship of poverty, limited access to education, and illness has been widely documented by UNICEF and other organizations. Samaritan’s Feet International http://www.samaritansfeet.org/ has taken on the ambitious mission of providing shoes to destitute children and adults worldwide. Read more…
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen – a great speaker and profound Christian writer, since passed on to his reward – said of paganism that it created idols out of man’s burning desire to see the gods face to face, to “force” them into this broken world of ours and hold them accountable.
As Christians, we know that man’s desire to see God in the flesh was at last fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ. We know that sin is the result of human action, but that the penalty for sin was paid through God’s action. The difference in viewpoint is crucial.
Jesus, Himself, explained that the righteous will ask at the Final Judgment:
“Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” (Matt. 25: 37-39).
And He will reply, “…inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these…you did it to Me” (Matt. 25: 40).
This then is the crux: we glorify God by serving others, for God is already here.
That this is a broken world is no indication we have been abandoned to it. Rather, we see His image in the face of every child left home alone by a working single mother. We see Him in the face of an injured laborer, as well as that of an abused woman.
We see Him through anguish and tears. We see Him despite fear, embarrassment or shame.
We need no idols. Our God is here, among us, in this fallen world. No stench of sin is great enough to keep Him away. He extends His hand of mercy, as no lesser god could.
May He use us as His instruments.
Originally posted 3/8/12
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
This is an update from Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia (CLCP), a non-profit I had a small part in launching years ago. The volunteer attorneys who continue to serve the poor of Philadelphia are amazing. Here are just two of their stories [1].
…To preach good tidings to the poor…to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives…” (Isaiah 61: 1).
The Men and Women We Serve
“Ms. Eva Rodriguez came to us for help. Earlier this year, she became entangled in a case where her aggressor filed a criminal complaint after she had responded in self-protection to his hostility. Through our attorneys’ involvement, the criminal charges were dropped.
For Mr. Luiz Rivera, family is his number one 
priority, and a matter with child custody hindered him from being involved consistently. ‘First and foremost, I am a father,’ he said. ‘My boys are everything.’
From a son without a father-figure to a dad who has chosen to leave a different legacy for his teenage boys, Mr. Rivera found legal help through several of our attorneys.”
—
[1] These clients gave permission for their names and images to be used.
Donations may be made to CLCP at http://www.clcphila.org/ or mailed to Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia, 4455 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
“Return of the Prodigal” by Guercino (1651), Wloclawek Diocesan Museum (PD-Art l PD-Old-100)
“You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?” (Ps. 56:8).
The old hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” was penned by Robert Robinson before the American Revolution. It contains the aching lyric, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love…”
The Bible speaks again and again of man’s wandering from the throne of God. For having murdered his brother, Cain was made a vagabond on the earth (Gen. 4:12). Hagar was sent to wander in the wilderness by Abraham (Gen. 21:14), at Sarah’s jealous urging (Gen. 21:10). Israel was caused to wander for forty years in the desert, for having offended God by little faith (Num. 32: 13). The Book of Job and Book of Psalms both characterize the wicked as wandering about in search of food (Job 15:23; Ps. 59:15).
Some four thousand years later, this flesh of ours longs to wander still. Read more…
Thanksgiving Dinner, Author Alcinoe (PD)
A fellow blogger shared this experience with me. It will bring tears to your eyes.
“I live in a low-income property with neighbors of varied disability. Years ago (now 8 or 10), I was in great distress for the man who lived below me – Tim had fairly well-managed schizophrenia, and kept to himself (shopping alone, going to weekly appointments alone).
However one day the local deputies came and took him away in cuffs (he’d missed a summons to appear) – I foolishly tried to explain that Tim was ill and they lied to me, saying he’d be taken where he could receive treatment.
Tim was probably gone a month, and it was nearing Thanksgiving. I recall standing out in the courtyard and saying, ‘Somebody needs to do something to help’ – as other neighbors just stared mutely at me. And then it was as though God spoke to me, ‘You are Somebody’. It was a turning point.
When Tim returned, I invited him to have Thanksgiving dinner upstairs with me. I knew little about him, though it was apparent that no one visited him. That dinner was a stretch for me, very emotional.
Tim was a very large man, ‘hygienically challenged’ with poor table manners, and didn’t speak much, though he was willing to answer my questions. His parents were dead, and he said he had a sister who phoned from time to time – that she had likely usurped his portion of their inheritance (she lived in a pricey area).
Then Tim said that his recent absence was related to a misunderstanding about a minor criminal issue – and that he’d been held in the county jail, where his eyeglasses had been withheld from him.
By this point, I couldn’t eat my meal and was trying not to burst into tears. He seemed very credible in the details he gave – not attempting to hide the criminal issue, when he could have omitted it.
During this time, as I would occasionally hear Tim screaming downstairs at the voices that were tormenting him, I would call him on the phone and gently ask if he was alright – did he need anything? That seemed to “break the circuit”, and he would be calm for the rest of the evening. Read more…
A homeless man outside the UN in New York City, Author/Source CGP Grey (CC Attribution 2.0 Generic)
We have learned to ignore them: the homeless. Fixtures on every street corner. Present but, for all practical purposes, invisible.
Population Size
On any given night there are over a half million Americans sleeping on the streets [1]. Slightly under half those are homeless families. Approximately 50,000 are veterans (down from a high of 76,000 in 2010).
About 15% of the total are chronically homeless.
Contributing Factors
“…for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in…” (Matt. 25: 35).
The problem of homelessness is complex.
A significant percentage of the homeless will, when questioned, reveal that they were abused.
A large number are children, made homeless along with their parents. This creates issues involving child safety and child custody, with fear of losing their children hanging like a sword of Damocles over the heads of homeless parents.
Veterans (both male and female) are at higher risk of homelessness than the general population [3].
A. Affordable Housing
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head’ “ (Matt. 8:20).
One factor contributing to homelessness is the lack of affordable housing.
Some 12 million renters and homeowners spend over 50% of their income on housing alone [2]. “…a family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States [3].”
The US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers 30% of monthly income the upper limit a household can devote toward housing without compromising on other essentials (food, clothing, transportation, and medical attention). The households spending more are at risk for homelessness. Over 450,000 veteran households fall into this category, teetering on the edge [6].
For those already homeless, shelters are often seen as a last resort. Shelters have limited availability, and may be perceived as too dangerous. In rural areas, services are even more scarce. There the poor, if they can, cope by moving perpetually from one friend or relation to another.
B. Mental Illness
“And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones” (Mark 5: 5).
In the USA homelessness is further complicated by mental illness.
As long ago as the 1970s, the policy of de-institutionalisation began discharging mentally ill men and women to the streets, without adequate medical support. There were and are too few half-way houses. Community opposition (“not in my backyard”), and limited funding have played a role in this.
Emergency rooms (unable to house the homeless and ill equipped to treat their long-term health conditions) and police “drunk tanks” have absorbed the brunt. Read more…
A wildfire in Bitterroot National Forest, Montana (PD – federal govt.)
God’s creation is stunning in its beauty and complexity. Fire, for instance, serves a purpose in nature we are only now beginning to understand.
The beauty of God’s creation extends to the best aspects of man’s character. The devotion and self-sacrifice of firefighters is amazing. “Smoke jumpers” actually enjoy their work!
However, human efforts by themselves are inadequate – whether to control fire in the natural world, or bridge the spiritual chasm between God and man. Every approach human beings have, thus far, taken toward wildfire management has failed over the long haul and/or given rise to new problems. Far more so with spiritual issues: we are nothing without God and no substitute for Him.
The small, inglorious tasks are often those which shape and define us. Despite technologic advancements, wildfires are still fought one man and one woman at a time. Underbrush, dried grass, and other potential fuels must be cleared laboriously and at great risk, by hand.
Heroism lies in continuing what – to us, at least – may seem a hopeless fight. Some wildfires are so vast and fast moving, they cannot be put out. Firefighters must fall back repeatedly, yet they fight on. Some of the spiritual battles we face are this daunting. But, as Christians, we fight in the knowledge that our war has been won.
“ ‘When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God…’ ” (Is. 43: 2-3).
Lord God, Your lessons are all around us. You seek in every possible way to teach us who You are, and draw us closer to You.
Again and again, we mistake Your glory for our own. Again and again, we see our own reflection where Your face should be. Forgive us, Father. Walk with us through the fire, despite that. You know our helplessness without You, even if we do not.
We ask this in His name who walked in the furnace with Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego.
Amen
Originally posted 7/7/13
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Pfc. Desmond Doss, Source http://history.amedd.army.mil/MOH/dossd.html (PD-federal govt.)
The new Mel Gibson film “Hacksaw Ridge” is the true story of Desmond Doss, a WWII conscientious objector. Doss – a Seventh Day Adventist – served as a medic to the 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division, ultimately saving the lives of over 75 men for which he won the Medal of Honor.
The documentary “The Conscientious Objector: Pvt. Desmond Doss – The Fearless Warrior Without a Rifle” includes moving interviews with Doss and those who served with him. You can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5JVQt-C8YE.
What first strikes the viewer is that Doss was a small man. For him to lift and carry even a single soldier must have been a challenge. Yet he repeatedly risked his life to transport 75 wounded companions off an exposed Okinawa ridge under heavy fire by the Japanese.
What is equally remarkable is Doss’ humility. He accepted little, if any, credit for his valor.
Here is how Doss’ citation describes the events and their immediate aftermath:
“Private First Class Doss was a company aid man when the 1st Battalion assaulted a jagged escarpment 400 feet high. As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machine gun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying all 75 casualties one-by-one to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands.
On May 2, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the lines on the same escarpment; and 2 days later he treated 4 men who had been cut down while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through a shower of grenades to within eight yards of enemy forces in a cave’s mouth, where he dressed his comrades’ wounds before making 4 separate trips under fire to evacuate them to safety…”
There is more – no Hollywood embellishment necessary. When Doss’ legs were shattered by an explosion, he instructed litter bearers to evacuate a more critically injured man first. Shot in the arm, as well, Doss used a rifle stock as a splint and crawled 300 yards to the aid station.
These were not acts of bravado. They involved no posturing, no chest pounding. They were instead acts of faith. For Doss entrusted his life wholly to God, whatever the outcome.
Few of us can say as much.
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15: 13).
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
A Lawyer's Prayers 