Page from Dante’s “Inferno” (PD-Art l Art-old)
“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!” (Job 19: 23).
Those of us who write and/or minister naturally long for an audience, a congregation. Bubbling over with words, we ache to share our thoughts and feelings, even more so to share our faith.
Sometimes, we write simply to express ourselves, for instance, in a personal journal. This is “art for art’s sake” or private prayer. Other times, we want to make a splash! Sometimes, we speak in a representative capacity, in public prayer, articulating what many may experience but most find difficult to express.
We write on topics ranging from the secular to the sacred, the silly to the sublime, as God moves us. But, whatever the topic, we want a receptive audience, an engaged congregation – usually the bigger, the better.
Audience (and Congregation) Size
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count…” (Rev. 7: 9).
Online, the size of our audience is touted as its foremost characteristic. The goal, in that context, is material, specifically commercial, as in the sale of goods and services.
Politically, size again matters. We hear how many were present at a rally; how many tuned in to watch a televised debate. The goal, in that case, is the “sale” of a candidate and his/her ideas.
All too often, the Gospel (or what purports to be the Gospel) is peddled this way, too – as if it were another commodity. Step right up. Make your bargain with God. Get your blessings here, postage and handling not included.
These days audiences and congregations are, also, dissected by their component parts. Is a certain blog or ministry sufficiently appealing to millennials? What percentage of readers are over age 55? Does an article adequately target liberals? How about gun owners? Evangelicals?
Never mind the truth. Read more…
“St. Martin and the Beggar” by El Greco (c. 1598), National Gallery of Art (Accession No. 1942.9.25), Source Web Gallery of Art (PD)
“Socioeconomic status is the most powerful predictor of disease, disorder, injury and mortality we have.”
– Tom Boyce, MD, Chief of Division of Developmental Medicine, Dept. of Pediatrics, UCSF
Epidemiologists term poverty the “cause of causes” because it underlies so many illnesses.
The life expectancy of an adult living at or below the federal poverty level ($11,770 per one-person household) in the Rust Belt or rural South is 7-8 years less than that of an individual making the average American income of $55,775 [1].
Race, Poverty, and Chronic Illness
Race further widens the gap. Chronic illnesses (responsible for 70% of the deaths in this country) show earlier onset and greater frequency in minority populations living in poverty [2].
According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Americans living in poverty suffer from depression at twice the rate of those not in poverty. Asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and heart attack rates are, also, higher among the poor [3].
And the United States is second to last among 29 developed countries ranked by child poverty rates – scoring worse than Poland, Latvia, Hungary, and Lithuania [4][5].
A Complex Relationship
The available data barely scratches the surface of the relationship between poverty and illness.
The relationship between poverty and depression is, we know, complex. Depression can both cause and be caused by poverty [6].
Other health problems may be influenced by the limited healthcare available to the poor, and the environmental conditions under which they live. Lead pipes, for example, are common in America’s inner cities [7]. Read more…
This is an update from Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia (CLCP) http://www.clcphila.org/, a volunteer organization that has long been close to my heart.
Philadelphia has the highest rate of “deep poverty” of the nation’s ten largest cities [1]. The child poverty rate in the city is consistently around 40% [2].
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31: 8).
Philadelphia City Hall, Author Max Binder (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
“For four years, Senora Carmen had been waiting for her veteran benefits from her husband’s years of service [3]. After being denied once, she received another packet from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Twenty pages of fine print seemed to indicate more paperwork was needed. Extensive paperwork. Then her request–and financial need–would be considered, or denied again.
Senora Carmen had lived in the U.S. over twenty years, but her limited English was still a barrier for her. Anxious and troubled, she brought the packet to CLCP.
Attorney John Visher, a retired Navy JAG Officer and CLCP volunteer, used his…legal skills to decipher the document.
‘Todo va estar bien?’ Carmen asked. Will everything be okay?
As an attorney, Visher…cannot always guarantee resolution for every client he works with through CLCP, but…[much]of his work is providing comfort…Visher …watches over his clients, and at times, an attorney acting as the legal watchman for an impoverished client is the needed weight to resolve an issue.
With Visher’s involvement, the legal process picked up speed, and Carmen received her benefits check and the promise of continual monthly support.
As a Christian attorney, Visher counts it a privilege to demonstrate his care to needy clients as a watchman of justice, and Carmen, a devout Christian herself, not only had her financial need resolved, but in the process, she also received godly comfort through CLCP.”
—
[1] Philly.com, “Among the 10 largest cities, Philly has the highest deep-poverty rate” by Alfred Lubrano, 10/1/15, http://articles.philly.com/2015-10-01/news/67015543_1_poverty-rate-deep-poverty-philadelphians.
[2] NPR, “Unrelenting Poverty Leads to ‘Desperation’ in Philly Schools” by Eric Westervelt, 11/21/13, http://www.npr.org/2013/11/21/246413432/weighing-the-role-of-poverty-in-philadelphia-s-schools.
[3] The client’s name has been altered in the interest of privacy.
Anyone interested in Christian legal aid can find more information on that topic above
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Mir Diamond Mine, Yakutia, Russia, Author Staselnik (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
“I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel” (Isa. 45: 3).
Diamonds are one of the hardest natural substances known. Billions of years old, diamonds form deep in the earth, under tremendous pressures and temperatures [1]. They are considered among the most valuable gemstones in the world, and are mined only with great difficulty.
But the treasures of darkness which God promises us are infinitely more precious.
Literal and Figurative Darkness
The word “darkness” can be interpreted both literally and figuratively.
Strong’s Concordance informs us that darkness is not only to be found in mines (Job 28: 3). Darkness was over the surface of the deep at Creation (Gen. 1: 2). Darkness was one of the plagues God caused to fall on Egypt, giving it a supernatural dimension (Ex. 10: 21).
The word can, also, be used to signify ignorance;confusion/perplexity; doubt, depression, and mourning; secrecy; evil and sin; death, destruction, and judgment.
What treasures can these possibly yield? Let us examine them one at a time.
Ignorance
“…[T]he fool walks in darkness” (Eccl. 2: 14). But “…wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness” (Eccl. 2: 13).
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9: 10). Wisdom is, therefore, the first treasure of darkness.
Confusion/Perplexity
“[The wicked] grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man” (Job 12: 25).
The wicked grope in darkness, relying on their own devices. But the Lord is a lamp to the feet of the righteous. He enlightens the Christian’s darkness (2 Sam. 22: 29), so much so, that we are instructed not to lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3: 5).
Direction/guidance is, therefore, the second treasure of darkness.
Doubt, Depression, and Mourning
“For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead” (Ps. 143: 3).
Many Christians suffer from depression and/or doubts. Others wrestle with the question of faith as a result of losing a loved one. These factors do not diminish faith. In fact, they can ultimately strengthen it.
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned” (Matt. 4: 16).
This identifies faith as the third great treasure of darkness.
Secrecy
“Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You” (Ps. 139: 12).
Nothing can be hidden from the Lord. No secret plot, no hidden motive by others can harm us, if God does not allow it.
Whatever may befall us, God will use for good (Rom. 8: 28). He has numbered the very hairs on our head (Luke 12: 7). We are safely in His care.
Security is, therefore, the fourth treasure of darkness.
Evil and Sin
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness…” (Isa. 5: 20).
We may at times be discouraged. It may appear that the world is growing ever more dark, ever more evil. But Christ has overcome the power of darkness. And we are promised justice – if not in this world, then the next.
Justice is, therefore, the fifth great treasure of darkness.
Death, Destruction, and Judgment
“Near is the great day of the Lord… A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities…” (Zeph. 1: 14-16).
We have been saved through the death and resurrection of Christ, rescued from banishment to outer darkness for our sins.
Salvation is, therefore, the sixth and greatest treasure of darkness.
—
[1] This statement, admittedly, takes an “old earth” view of Creation.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Bangladeschi child labor, Author Niriho khoka (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
“Every day, millions of Americans use products or eat foods that are produced by slave labor. Rare metals from Africa are embedded in our cell phones. Harvested fish or fruit or fabric are thawing in our fridge or hanging in our closets [1].”
Human trafficking is among the fastest growing and most lucrative criminal enterprises [2]. Currently, there may be as many as 46 million slaves worldwide – more than at any time in history.
The problem of trafficking is closely tied to that of poverty. Ironically, trafficking is estimated to generate over $150 billion in profit annually [3].
Today’s slaves fall into three categories:
- Those including children forced into the sex trade;
- Those including children forced to engage in heavy labor, e.g. brickmaking, rock quarrying, and cocoa production;
- Those including children utilized as soldiers, involuntary organ donors, drug mules, etc.
Two thirds of the world’s slaves can be found in India, Pakistan, and China (18.3 million in India alone). However, the United States is, also, an importer. Some 300,000 children are thought to be trafficked in the United States (100,000 in the sex trade alone). Other large slave markets include Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Cambodia.
Deceit, Abduction, and Coercion
Trafficking is accomplished by means of deceit, abduction, and coercion. A recruiter will visit an impoverished village promising good jobs, good wages, and good living conditions. These promises are all false.
Children, since they are defenseless; those anxious to improve their lives; and refugees fleeing conflict, since they lack social support, are targeted.
Some children are actually trafficked by their own families. Two out of three children trafficked are girls, the most marginal members of what may be a desperately poor family.
Prostitutes outside a bar in Thailand, Author Kay Chernosh for the US State Dept., Source Images of Human Trafficking https://gtipphotos.state.gov/photos.htm (PD)
Slaves are instructed to hand over their passports and other identification to the trafficker [4][5]. Violence and intimidation are used to coerce compliance and prevent escape. Slaves may be denied food, kept in darkness, fed alcohol and drugs, and/or beaten. Threats may, also, be made against the families they left behind.
Close to Home
Human trafficking is often hidden in plain sight. It need not involve foreign nationals. Perhaps 8 out of 10 prostitutes on American streets are being coerced, whether or not they recognize and acknowledge it to authorities.
A pimp may initially have offered a homeless girl (or boy) a dry place to sleep. That “kindness” is quickly exposed as deceit, with a view toward enslavement. Keep in mind that the average starting age for prostitutes in the United States is 13 y.o. [6A and 6B]. Read more…
“So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matt. 20: 16).
There is a short story by the great American author and famed humorist, Mark Twain, which contains no humor at all. “A True Story Repeated Word for Word as I Heard It” is the life story of Mary Ann Cord, the family cook, as she told it one afternoon [1].
Born into slavery in Virginia, Mary Ann married and had seven children. Tragically, her family – like many other slave families – was torn asunder. Mary Ann’s husband and children were sold off in 1852, and lost to her. All connection with them was severed.
A dozen years later, in North Carolina during the chaos of the Civil War, Mary Ann was startled by a familiar face, while preparing a meal for black troops occupying her owner’s plantation. It was her youngest son Henry, now grown and fighting for the Union.
This is how Twain says Mary Ann described the scene:
“I was a-stoopin’ down by de stove, an’ I’d jist got de pan o’ hot biscuits in my han’ an’ was ‘bout to raise up, when I see a black face come aroun’ under mine, an’ de eyes a-lookin’ up into mine, an’ I jist stopped right dah, an’ never budged! Jist gazed, an’ gazed, an’ de pan begin to tremble, an’ all of a sudden I knowed! De pan drop’ on de flo’ an’ I grab his lef’ han’ an’ shove back his sleeve, an’ den I goes for his forehead an’ push de hair back so, an’ ‘Boy!’ I says, ‘if you ain’t my Henry, what is you doin’ wid dis welt on yo’ wris’ an’ dat sk-yar on yo’ forehead? De Lord God ob heaven be praise’, I got my own ag’in!”
After 150 years, we can still feel the grief – and incalculable joy – of this mother [2]. The patois Twain recorded is no obstacle at all [3]. If anything, it makes the moment more intimate. We are almost reluctant to intrude.
Federal Writers Project
From 1936 to 1938, the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) interviewed over 2300 former slaves, recording the details of their lives under slavery.
These first-person accounts are preserved in the Library of Congress. They speak of destitute conditions, staggering workloads, whippings and beatings, a prohibition against literacy, and rigid restrictions on travel.
Above all, they reflect the humanity of enslaved people – their strength, their pride, their spirit of resistance, and their faith.
Here are excerpts from a few:
Alice Alexander, age 88, Oklahoma –
“We lived in a one room log hut, and slept on homemade rail bed steads wid cotton, an’ sum times straw, mos’ly straw summers an’ cotton winners… Yas, we had a overseers an’ my mother said he was the meanest man on earth. He’d jest go out in de fields and beat dem n_s, an’ my mother tole me one day he come out in de field beatin’ her sister an’ she jumped on ‘im an’ nelly beat ‘im half to death an’ ole Marster come up jest in time to see it all an’ fired dat overseer [4]. Said he diden want no man working fer ‘im dat a woman could whip.”
George Fleming, age 83, South Carolina –
“Slaves started to work by de time dey was old enough to tote water and pick up chips to start fires wid. Some of dem started to work in de fields when dey about ten, but most of ‘em was older… Women worked in de field same as de man. Some of dem plowed jes’ like de men and boys. Couldn’t tell ‘em apart in de field, as dey wore pantelets or breeches. Dey tied strings ‘round de bottom of de legs so de loose dirt wouldn’t git in deir shoes… Us didn’t pay much mind to de clock. We worked frum sun to sun.”
Slave ship diagram: Africans transported like cargo, Author Jbolden030170 (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
WARNING: Graphic Images
“ ‘What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him…and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh’…[S]o the brothers pulled Joseph…out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt” (Gen. 37: 26-28).
Lonnie Bunch, director of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture, and anthropologist, Steve Lubkemann, a founder of the Slave Wrecks Project, have joined forces to excavate a long lost Portuguese slave ship, the first of its kind to be located and studied.
The Sao Jose sank in a storm, off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa in 1794. More than 200 slaves – men, women, and children – perished [1]. Over 590 ships engaged in the slave trade are known to have gone down [2].
The Middle Passage
Viewed as cargo, slaves were laid side by side in the hold, like lumber, during the Middle Passage. Often shackled – with limited light and air, no room to move, and little or no provision for sanitation – slaves were forced to endure a trip which could last months. Women might be raped by the crew at will.
The freed slave and author, Olaudah Equiano, had this to say about the Middle Passage in his autobiography:
“This wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, now become insupportable; and the filth of the necessary tubs, into which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene of horror almost inconceivable.”
Estimates vary, but the number of those transported like this may have been as high as 12.5 million. Many died en route, either from sickness, violence, or despair.
Valuable Property
Ships were equipped with netting that stretched from the hull to catch slaves who might attempt to jump overboard [3]. Slaves could though be tossed overboard to lighten a ship’s load, when weather threatened. This was a last resort, since slaves were recognized as valuable property.
According to Lonnie Bunch:
“In the years before the Civil War, the amount of money invested in slaves was more than the amount of money invested in railroads, banks, and businesses combined. This was the economic engine of Europe and the United States.”
Fifteen years ago today, the World Trade Center was destroyed in New York City, the Pentagon attacked in Washington, DC, and United Airlines Flight 93 downed at Shanksville, PA.
But the human spirit shone brightly in the days, weeks, and months that followed.
The post below (now updated) was originally published 9/11/12
Ground Zero Cross, Author Samuel Li (CC-BY-2.0)
WARNING: Graphic Images
“For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord…” (Is. 51: 3).
Covering 2200 acres and taller than the Statue of Liberty, the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, NY can be seen from space.
At one time the primary waste disposal site for the City of New York, Fresh Kills was closed to dumping early in 2001, but reopened to process the 2 million tons of debris from the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
Mass Destruction
“You could not comprehend the massive destruction [at Ground Zero]. Even though there was an enormous amount of toxic debris and smoke, your skin was on fire you couldn’t breathe your eyes were tearing, you just kept going on and on. You didn’t care – you just wanted to find somebody [1].”
– former EMS Paramedic, Freddie Noboa, now suffering from PTSD, asthma, and many other illnesses
Twisted girders, broken concrete, bricks, glass, shredded paper, and human remains were shipped by truck and barge to Fresh Kills.
A Miniature City
Work at Fresh Kills went on 24/7 consuming over 1.7 million man hours. A miniature city grew up to accommodate the NYC Police Department, FBI, 25 state and federal agencies, and 14 contractors sorting through the material.
Though recovery workers at Ground Zero toiled without respirators, those at Fresh Kills landfill were provided them, along with safety gear which included protective suits and gloves; goggles; hard hats; and steel-toe boots.
In view of the high stress environment, psychological counseling was, also, made available.
Like Being in Hell
“We found 150 full bodies and 20,000 body parts. It was like being in hell down there – arms, legs, people cut in half – a gruesome job. There were guys down there spitting up blood [2].”
– former FDNY Deputy Chief, Jim Riches, who found his son’s body on “the pile” at Ground Zero in March 2002
Under strict security protocols, piece after piece of material was passed along assembly lines and closely examined. Thousands of fragmentary human remains were recovered from which 300 persons were identified. More than 1600 personal effects were retrieved.
Toxic Debris
The toxic debris from the collapse of the Twin Towers was found to contain more than 2500 contaminants. These included glass and other fibers, asbestos, lead, and mercury.
About 70% of first responders developed cancers and serious respiratory conditions. Along with EMS and firefighters, construction workers, health care professionals, clergy, and others continue to suffer from medical issues a decade later. Read more…
“Skipjack” style fishing boat, HM Krentz, at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Author Acroterion (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
I have lived in the Chesapeake Bay area for a year now. Born and raised in New York City, I worked for many years as a lawyer there and Philadelphia. The shift from urban to rural was deliberate on my part. But it’s been dramatic.
Most residents here are farmers. There are chicken houses and cornfields right outside town. This time of year, the corn stands 7’ high. What with the heat, it’s a wonder the crop doesn’t pop in the field! But you can see the Milky Way at night.
The pace of things is slower here. There’s one mall in town, and a pretty little park with no name. People smile and hold the door. Businesses still close on Sundays.
There are few McMansions. You come across some homes so tiny that they’re basically studio apartments with a roof. People gather in the school parking lot to watch fireworks on the 4th of July. But we have the amenities. There’s a Walmart and a Home Depot.
Chains like Red Lobster and Longhorn Steak are about the fanciest restaurants around. But you can find water in any direction, and catch your own lunch.
Fishermen – called “watermen” locally – have a long history on the Chesapeake. Theirs though is a dying profession. They can’t compete with the huge floating canneries. Most kids go off to college, and pursue a different line of work than their fathers. The Chesapeake, itself, is under assault from pollution. Read more…
Anti-Irish political cartoon (“Usual Irish Way of Doing Things”) run in Harper’s Weekly, (1871), Author Thomas Nast, (PD-Age)
Between 1845 and 1854, 2.9 million men, women, and children fled to the United States due to economic and social hardship.
Characterizing these immigrants as unsavory and dangerous, the nativist Know Nothing Movement arose, in response. The goals of this movement were to safeguard “real” American values (including a Protestant heritage), and to end – or at least sharply curtail – the influence of immigrants and Catholics, whether native-born or not.
A Protestant minister described the Catholic faith as “the ally of tyranny, the opponent of material prosperity, the foe of thrift, the enemy of the railroad, the caucus, and the school [1].” Catholics were seen as trying to overthrow the government.
The Irish, in particular, were viewed as drunkards and degenerates, mentally impaired, and loyal to a foreign pope. The New York Sun ran 15 job ads labeled “No Irish Need Apply” in 1842 alone [2]. The practice continued for some 80 years [3].
Despite all that, over 150,000 Irish served in the Union Army during the Civil War. In Pennsylvania, they dug the canals and the coal mines. The Irish laid track for both ends of the Transcontinental Railroad (the western branch of which was completed by Chinese immigrants).
Irish immigrants established labor unions, charitable societies, and parochial schools. They eventually came to dominate police and politics in New York and Chicago. In 1960, they helped elect an Irish Catholic president in the person of John F. Kennedy. Read more…
A Lawyer's Prayers 