Urban Decay: Falsas Promesas/Broken Promises, Charlotte Street Stencils, South Bronx, NY, Author John Fekner (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
Tyshawn Lee, a 9 year old Chicago boy, was laid to rest last month, another victim of inner city violence. The child is thought to have been lured to his death by members of a gang competing with his father’s for drug turf. There have been more than 390 such killings in Chicago this year [1].
I grew up in a working class neighborhood of the Bronx, a short drive from the nearest public housing project. The high-rise apartments there were monoliths, devoid of any hint of humanity other than graffiti and the occasional Christmas lights draped from a balcony, twenty stories up.
My parents for years owned a small delicatessen in Harlem. My mother dealt daily with the working poor, barefoot children, prostitutes, drug addicts, and the homeless.
As an adult, a personal injury lawyer, I interviewed the victims of rape and mayhem in projects with lofty names like the Polo Grounds Houses. The irony was not lost on me.
Children amused themselves by riding skateboards against the elevator doors, for the clanging sound that made. A special police squad investigated the paralyses and deaths which resulted when the doors gave way, and children disappeared down the shaft.
Behind the desk of one project manager, I noticed a large jar of what seemed to be multi-colored marbles. He pulled the jar forward to reveal empty “crack” cocaine vials. “This is what I’m up against,” he said to me, somberly. “This is just a week’s worth from one of the stairwells.”
I rode the subways at all hours. Legless veterans would regularly roll through the train cars, flush with the floor, begging for spare change.
One frail young woman pushed a stroller along, calling out, “Milk for the baby! Milk for the baby!” as she pleaded for coins. Whether the money she collected went to the baby or her drug habit, I do not know. Read more…
“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates” (Deut. 24: 14).
The presidential race has turned a spotlight on the minimum wage. Adopting an overtly religious posture, Republican candidates uniformly oppose raising the federal standard. Democratic candidates happily make “pie in the sky” promises about it.
Here are a few things for Christians to consider.
Background
The federal minimum wage has not been raised since 2009, when it rose to $7.25 per hour. In the intervening years, it has lost 8.1% of its purchasing power to inflation [1]. However, the federal minimum wage would have to be more than $8 per hour to equal its buying power in the 1980s, and nearly $11 to equal its buying power in the 1960s [3].
- As of this writing, the price of a gallon of whole milk is $2.71 at Walmart.
- The price of a 33 oz box of Kellogg’s “Frosted Flakes” Cereal is $4.58.
- The price of a five-pack of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is $4.50.
Scope
There are some 3 million workers earning the minimum wage. About 20.6 million more workers earn “near” minimum wage (more than the federal standard, but less than $10.10 per hour) [2].
Fully 89% of those who would benefit from an increase in the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour are 20 or older; 56% (13.2 million) are women [4].
Impact on Jobs
There is a heated debate over whether raising the minimum wage would decrease the number of jobs available. Many economists – including Nobel laureates Kenneth Arrow of Stanford University, Erik Maskin of Harvard, Thomas Schelling of the University of Maryland, Peter Diamond and Robert Solow of MIT, Michael Spence of NYU, and Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University – dispute this [5], as do rigorous studies [6]. Read more…
Vineyards in Napa Valley, CA, Author Brocken Inaglory (CC BY-SA-3.0 Unported)
Grape vines have been cultivated since around 6000 BC for their fruit, juice, and wine. Phoenicians are thought to have been the first to introduce grapes for winemaking to the Mediterranean area. Greek wine jars have been located in Italy dating to 800 BC. Vineyards in Spain and Gaul were exporting wine to Rome by the Second Century.
Vineyards are characterized by their geography. Soil, elevation, and rainfall all play a role. On autumn days, the sight of vineyards in California’s Napa Valley turning scarlet and gold is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Jesus referred frequently to wine and vineyards. The Lord is described at Zechariah 6: 12 as the promised Priest-King (“the Man whose name is the BRANCH”). He described Himself at John 15: 1 as the true vine, and the Father as the vinedresser. As the lesser branches, we depend for our existence on Him.
“ ‘Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit’ ” (John 15: 2).
Lord Jesus, we ask that You bless our undertakings.
Keep us focused on You, not worldly rewards or advancement. Help us to bear with pruning, that we may bring forth much fruit to Your everlasting glory.
Amen
Happy Thanksgiving!
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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Early printing press, Author Thomas Quine, Source Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
“I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something
Something I can use
People love it when you lose
They love dirty laundry”– Dirty Laundry, Don Henley
Our culture clamors for dirty laundry; seems to feed on controversy, sexual innuendo, and lurid details about the rich and famous. Despite that, it has become fashionable in some quarters to attack the press. This is often done to distract from unpleasant truths the press has managed to uncover.
Currently, the press is in the process of vetting the presidential candidates. This will, no doubt, be painful for the candidates. That is as it should be. The people have no other means of determining the truth or falsehood of claims made by those seeking public office.
Power is a dangerous thing. It must not be handed over to anyone whose character has not been fully explored. The testimony of acolytes and true believers does not suffice.
When Adolf Hitler took power in 1933, Germany had 4700 newspapers. Immediately, the Nazis moved to commandeer the radio, press, and newsreels [1]. Newspapers associated with opposition parties declared illegal were forced to close or “sold” to the Nazis at vastly below-market prices. Printing plants and equipment were seized.
Yes, there have been excesses by the press. Few of us will forget the role the paparazzi played in the death of Princess Diana. But the press, also, played a critical role in disclosure of the My Lai massacre, the Watergate break-in, the Catholic Church sex scandal, and the absence of WMD in Iraq.
In 1735 – before Lexington and Concord, before the Battle of Bunker Hill – the trial of a printer took place in New York. The British Crown charged John Peter Zenger with seditious libel for having aided in the publication of the New-York Weekly Journal, the first independent paper in the colonies, a newspaper which had accused the governor of tyrrany.
Zenger was acquitted. But his trial highlighted the importance of a free press – the right to which was enshrined in the First Amendment, alongside freedom of religion.
The words of Zenger’s counsel ring true, even today. We forget them at our peril:
“The question before the Court and you, Gentlemen of the jury, is not of small or private concern. It is not the cause of one poor printer, nor of New York alone, which you are now trying. No! It may in its consequence affect every free man that lives under a British government on the main of America. It is the best cause. It is the cause of liberty.”
—
[1] US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust Encyclopedia, “The Press in the Third Reich – Establishing Control of the Press”, 8/18/15, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007655.
[2] Historical Society of the New York Courts, New York Legal History, Crown v. John Peter Zenger, http://www.nycourts.gov/history/legal-history-new-york/legal-history-eras-01/history-new-york-legal-eras-crown-zenger.html.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the latest victims of terrorism, their families, and the people of France
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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“The Apostle Peter” by Rembrandt (1632), Source http://www.pubhist.com (PD-Art, PD-Age-100)
The Lord when He restored Peter after the Resurrection asked three times, “Do you love Me?” Scripture tells us that Peter was grieved to be asked this often to attest to his devotion. Each time, however, he replied in the affirmative.
Heavy with regret at his denials of the Lord prior to the crucifixion, Peter may have thought that he was being mocked. In fact, the Lord was extending forgiveness to Peter. Just as Peter had denied the Lord three times, so he was afforded the opportunity to affirm the Lord three times. Such is the amazing mercy of the Lord.
We, like Peter, at times fail when put to the test. We lose heart. We lose hope. We fall short, despite our best intentions. We give in to temptation or despair.
Yet the Lord stands ready to forgive. May we take Peter as our example.
“He [Peter] said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You’ ” (John 21: 15).
Lord Jesus, You know that we love You. Over and over again, we stumble and fall. But we love You, Lord, and – unworthy though we are – we know You love us.
These are difficult times for us, Lord. We are tested in unexpected ways. We face ethical dilemmas no other generation could have imagined, and are challenged to be the light amidst great darkness.
Lead us, Lord. Give us the strength to go on, and the faith to answer Your call as Peter did. Yes! Yes! Yes!
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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Tel Es-Sultan, Early Bronze Age city walls and buildings at Jericho, Author Deror_avi (GFDL) (CC BY-SA-3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic, and 1.o Generic)
Jericho, or what remains of it, sits on an ancient lake bed in the West Bank. The site is today a “tel”, the Arabic term for a mound resulting from human occupation. Many of the world’s oldest cities are tels, with layer upon layer of debris accumulating over the centuries, as one city was built on the ruins of another.
The Jericho referred to in the Old Testament dates to the Bronze Age (approximately 3600 BC – 1200 BC). But archaeologists believe the first walls at Jericho were actually constructed much earlier, during the Neolithic or New Stone Age.
None of those residing in Jericho during its active lifetime anticipated that it would perish, and fade into history. Nor can we imagine that a great nation such as ours will reach an end to its life. But the lives of nations are dependent on the will of God, as are the lives of men.
When God spoke with Joshua about Jericho, He stated as an accomplished fact that Joshua had been victorious. The city at the time was still tightly barricaded against the Israelite siege; its mighty men of valor, still firmly in place.
God often speaks in the present tense when promising a future event, because He knows what will take place. America’s future has yet to be written. But our choices are being made even now. And not all are wise. Read more…
Smog, Shanghai (1993), Source German Wikipedia, Author DL5MDA (CC-BY-SA-3.0-Unported)
In today’s contentious political atmosphere environmental issues are hotly disputed. The Bible though offers us guidance.
Care of Creation
True, the Bible describes man as having been granted dominion over the earth:
“Then God said…‘[L]et them [mankind] have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle over all the earth and over every creeping thing…’ ”(Gen. 1: 26).
“You have made him [man] to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen – Even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea…” (Ps. 8: 6-8).
Nowhere, however, is man granted permission to destroy the earth. In fact, Genesis describes Adam as having been placed in the Garden of Eden “to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2: 15).
Jesus, Himself, told a parable about talents (Matt. 25: 14-29) [1]. Each servant was given a number of talents (coinage of the day) while his Master was away. Depending on how they used those talents, the servants were later rewarded or punished. Those who used their talents well were commended. But the servant who buried his talent was cast out into darkness.
Dominion and stewardship are two sides of the same coin. We should not delude ourselves that the earth is ours, to use as we please. It belongs to God. He has only lent it to us.
Not so we might worship the earth, at the expense of human welfare. But rather so we might use the earth to sustain ourselves, our children, and one another. That implies conservation for future generations.
Delivery for Creation
Because of sin, mankind’s relationship with God was shattered, and the very ground cursed (Gen. 3: 17). As God said to Adam, “ ‘Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground…’ ” (Gen. 3: 18-19).
Creation groans under the weight of mankind’s sin. Little wonder that pollution and the destruction of natural habitat are widespread; that thousands of species face extinction. Death, itself, was a consequence of sin.
But from the outset, there was a promise made of Redemption (Gen. 3: 15). In Paul’s words:
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom. 8: 20-21).
Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya or “the smoke that thunders”), Zambian-Zimbabwian border, Source http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/eclipse_2001/africaimages.html, Author John Walker (PD by Permission)
There is a great deal of discussion these days about the environment.
Politicians argue over the extent of climatic and ecological damage, the degree to which human activities contribute, and what (if anything) should be done. Depending on their target constituency (and the PACs supporting them), they profess allegiance to evolution or creationism, at will.
A growing number of people actually view the globe as a living entity – not merely a complex set of interrelated ecosystems, but a god (Gaia).
As this battle of ideas and ideologies rages, Christians can look to the Bible for guidance.
Creation’s Origin in God
“For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other…’ ” (Is. 45: 18).
Christians believe that all things ultimately originated with God. They regularly affirm this worldwide:
“I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.”
– Excerpt, Nicene Creed
The Book of Genesis describes the process of creation. Some Christians believe this description to be literal. Others view Genesis as using poetic language to teach profound spiritual truths.
A belief in Gaia – no matter how culturally appealing – cannot be reconciled with either interpretation. We are to worship God, not His Creation.
God’s Glory in Creation
Creation reflects God’s glory, pointing us toward Him. The language used in the Bible for this is especially beautiful:
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him…” (Ps. 8: 3-4).
“Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders…The voice of the Lord is full of majesty” (Ps. 29: 2-4).
The phrase “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders…” evokes the sight and sound of powerful waterfalls.
Yet God’s tenderness toward His Creation is repeatedly mentioned in Scripture:
“He [God] sends the springs into the valleys; They flow among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works” (Ps. 104: 10-13).
Volunteers from US Marine Forces Command and II Marine Expeditionary Force at Greater Boston Food Bank (2015), Source https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1828170, Author Lance Cpl. Calvin Shamoon (PD-federal govt.)
“Where a great proportion of the people are suffered to languish in helpless misery, that country must be ill policed, and wretchedly governed: a decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization.”
– Samuel Johnson
The polite term for hunger these days is “food insecurity”. But, in urban and rural areas alike, hunger is present at the table. One in seven Americans rely on food banks to help feed their children [1]. Fully 25% of military families – well over 500,000 households – require assistance with food needs [2].
Many of those relying on food banks are employed. They work as receptionists and janitors, as cashiers and nurses’ aides. Some work two jobs, but still cannot make ends meet. Often the choice is between food and rent, utilities, medical care, or transportation [3].
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as “food stamps”, provides assistance to millions. But that assistance is generally slim, and can be erratic. One government assessment of SNAP characterized “restricting food intake” as among the “coping strategies” the poor utilize to deal with recurrent shortfalls [4]. Benefits can be exhausted in 2-3 weeks; red tape and bureaucratic snafus abound [5][6].
With financial resources limited, a movement is gaining support to increase sustainable food supplies by growing food directly. In Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, Texas, and elsewhere across the country an increasing number of food banks like the Hunger Task Force and Forgotten Harvest have taken to running their own farms [7].
Though this promises a renewable supply of fresh, nutritional produce for the needy, it is no small task. Arable land, specialized equipment, reliable volunteer labor, and agricultural expertise are all required. Rather than operating farms, themselves, some food banks are making arrangements with farmers to share their harvest.
America’s system for feeding the needy is an imperfect one. Our role as Christians should, however, be obvious. Liberal or conservative, Democratic or Republican, we must take part.
“ ‘…for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink…’” (Matt. 25: 35).
—
[1] USA Today, “Hunger in America: 1 in 7 Rely on Food Banks” by Natalie DiBlasio, 8/17/14, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/17/hunger-study-food/14195585/.
[2] NBC News, In Plain Sight, “Hungry Heroes: 25 Percent of Military Families Seek Food Aid” by Miranda Leitsinger, 8/17/14, http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/in-plain-sight/hungry-heroes-25-percent-military-families-seek-food-aid-n180236.
[3] Feeding America, Hunger in America, Our Research, 2014 “Hunger in America” Study, Key Findings, http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/our-research/hunger-in-america/key-findings.html.
[4] [5] US Dept. of Agriculture, Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series, Family Nutrition Programs, “SNAP Food Insecurity In-Depth Interview Study – Final Report”, March 2013, http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SNAPFoodSec.pdf.
[6] Telegram.com, “Red Tape Glitches Cut Food Stamp Recipients” by Susan Spencer and staff, 6/7/15, updated 6/8/15, http://www.telegram.com/article/20150607/NEWS/150609329.
[7] NBC News, In Plain Sight, “From Field to Fork: Food Banks Start Farming to Feed the Needy” by Miranda Leitsinger, 5/29/14, http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/in-plain-sight/field-fork-food-banks-start-farming-feed-needy-n117471.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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Baltic amber necklace with a mosquito and fly 40-60 million years old, Author Broken Inaglory (CC BY-SA-3.0 Unported)
“He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53: 3).
Amber is an organic material, a “natural plastic” derived from fossilized tree resin. Amber is formed beneath the earth, under high pressures and temperatures for eons. The oldest amber recovered dates to 320 million years ago.
Amber has been utilized in jewelry and folk medicine, and widely traded since antiquity. It has been found in Neolithic graves dated to 8000 BC. Because amber in its original state is soft and sticky, it may collect small prehistoric insects and plant material. Such inclusions are highly prized.
Many of us seem to think that, as Christians, we should be exempt from suffering. Nothing could be further from the truth. Suffering is an essential tool God uses to conform us to the image of His Son, in the process of sanctification. Jesus was, after all, the Suffering Servant prophesied by Isaiah.
Only in the heat and pressure of the furnace – circumstances we might, in human terms, find insupportable – is our character formed and tested. Like amber, we are melded and transformed by no action of our own.
Sin-encrusted, we were yet precious in God’s eyes. Before the world began – or the first amber ever formed – it was planned His Son would be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities.
So that we might become jewels.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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A Lawyer's Prayers 