Map of the “caliphate” proposed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria a/k/a the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Author and Source Debora Cabral (CC-BY-SA- 4.0)
A man was burnt alive this week. ISIS murdered Lt. Muath al Kasasbeh, a captured Jordanian pilot, by placing him in a cage and setting him alight. A slick video (since verified) was then released [1]. Jordan is a member of the American-led coalition against ISIS.
The world is still grappling with how best to deal with the so called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria a/k/a the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and respond to this travesty. The question arises what role Christians – especially American Christians – should play in the fight against ISIS.
Clearly, the shameful act was intended to provoke horror. It has done that. And, like other acts of terror and barbarism, it was intended to provoke fear. I would hazard the guess it has done that, too.
The savage event has not, however, provoked surprise. Nor is it likely to produce surrender. Since ISIS does not understand the concept of mercy, the so called Islamic State can hardly expect the rest of the world to fall to its knees and beg for that.
Christians though should fall to their knees in prayer. The world is facing a great evil, a contagion that must not spread. Our brothers and sisters abroad are in grave peril, if not yet martyred for their faith. Read more…
“Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian [African] woman whom he had married…So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them and…Miriam became leprous, as white as snow” (Numbers 12: 1, 9-10).
It is Black History Month again, a reminder to the world and black children, in particular, of the many accomplishments by African Americans. This is entirely appropriate.
I though am foolish enough to believe that color – black, white, red, yellow, brown, or green – should not matter. It is only skin deep, after all, less than a quarter of an inch thick.
There is history and heritage, suffering and achievement associated with skin in all colors. But underneath that fragile covering, we we are the same, whether we choose to believe it or not. Underneath the skin, we are nothing more or less than human.
If you or I needed a heart transplant, we could get it from anyone, regardless of color or race. And that happens to be what we need, a heart transplant. A heart transplant, so we can feel the pain of a little girl who will not have enough to eat tonight. A heart transplant, so we can know the anger of a boy whose future has been stolen.
The lives of too many children in this sad world are hemmed in by poverty, crime, drugs, gangs, hatred, and violence. The innocence of too many children is taken from them before the age of reason. Forced to make life and death decisions, they may become caregivers to their younger siblings, drug mules or sex slaves before reaching their teens.
It is not enough that we cluck sympathetically, and turn away. Whatever our skin color, whatever our religion, we must take action to save these children…before they are swallowed whole by darkness.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15: 57).
Christ through His death and Resurrection attained victory over sin, death, and the world. As Christians, we sing hymns about “Victory in Jesus”, “Standing on the Promise”, “Power in the Blood”, and “Sunshine in the Soul”; proclaim that “The Battle Belongs to the Lord” and that “Faith Is the Victory”.
But the world can be very hard on us. Like soldiers in battle, we may be wounded, maimed even. May lose or be denied what we once valued, once thought we could not live without. Those who expect victory as the world understands it – or victory painlessly – will be sadly disappointed.
We may be maligned and rejected, denied our dreams – a well-deserved promotion or the publication of a treasured manuscript. We may lose a precious child or a business at which we labored for years or a legal case into which we poured our talent and ourselves. We may be hated and reviled by the very persons we served to the best of our ability, to the limit of our strength. We may be betrayed by a dear friend, a spouse, or both.
Yet God upholds us amid the onslaught. He accomplishes His plan even when we do not understand it, even when we are sure we have failed in our efforts to do His will.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15: 58).
Only after defeat can we claim the joy of victory. Till then the word is empty for us.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Adelie penguin couple with their chicks, Image by BJ Sinclair from Hemispheric Asymmetries in Biodiversity (CC by 2.5)
“I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works” (Psalm 145: 5).
Clad in what appear to be black and white tuxedos (the camouflage which protects them in the water), Adelie penguins stand a mere 18”-30”, and weigh only about 10-13 lbs. But they provide an inspiring picture of parenthood.
Native to Antarctica, Adelies reproduce in large breeding colonies during the Antarctic summer. The high temperature during this “mild” season may be as low as -20 degrees Celsius.
Alternately sliding on their bellies and marching forward on small webbed feet, the penguins make their way inland across the ice as far as 30 miles to find a spot safe from predators. The birds then produce two eggs which must be incubated for 32-34 days. In lean times, only one egg will survive.
Penguin parents share the duty of keeping their eggs warm. Once she has laid the eggs, the physically depleted female must leave to seek nourishment or she will die. The male Adelie takes the first shift with the eggs. He will not eat until his mate returns.
Fasting male penguins lose 1.76 oz per day. After 34 days they may weigh as little as 7 lbs, 11 oz with just 20% of their fat reserves remaining. If the female has not returned by this point – if she has fallen victim to a leopard seal, for instance – the male must abandon the nest or die of starvation, himself.
When she does return, the female will regurgitate food for the chicks hatched in her absence, while the male heads off to feed.
Adelie penguins remind us that the young are precious, and need a commitment by both parents for the best chance to survive and thrive. Among the least of God’s creatures, Adelies remind us that God’s provision is all around us, even in the darkest of times and the most difficult of conditions.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
If there were a God – a good God, Who really loved His children – no little girl would ever again die of cancer or little boy be molested. In fact, there would be no illness or pain at all (none, at any rate, impacting good people). There would be no poverty, no crime or corruption. There would be no racism or injustice. There would be no war, no terrorism, no weapons of mass destruction. There would be no natural disasters, no aging, and no death.
Man as God
This the case against God. But those who argue for an empty throne readily place another deity there, in God’s stead. These are the secular humanists and New Age believers, with man and/or the universe as their god. This, truly, is self-delusion – that the creation should confuse itself with the Creator.
Oh, godhood is heady stuff. We have, after all, thrown off the yoke of a God unwilling to serve at our whim.
Never mind that we remain enthralled to sin. Or that our supposed “godhood” was tried before, by civilizations long gone. The Egyptian pharaohs claimed to be living gods. The Roman emperors (including that example of virtue, Caligula), also, claimed to be gods. The Mayan kings claimed descent from the gods. Many others making similar claims have since been forgotten.
Religious Hypocrites
Great harm has been done in the name of religion.
Although Christ was a Jew, antisemitism has frequently been initiated by those priding themselves on being Christian. The Justinian Code withdrew civil rights from Jews. Russian pogroms in the 19th and 20th Centuries targeted Jews. Hitler crafted a pagan cult of personality, initially adopting the trappings of Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church long shielded pedophiles. The Ku Klux Klan still claims to be Christian [1].
Those arguing against the existence of God or His goodness often cite such historic examples. But hypocrisy on a personal level can be as compelling.
Popes have fathered children, despite a vow of celibacy. Some of those ranting at the top of their lungs against homosexuality have, themselves, engaged in homosexual behavior with prostitutes [2] [3]. Certain televangelists live like rajahs while soliciting donations for the poor.
For Christians, these illustrate the sin nature we all share, and confirm the universal need for a Savior. Understandably, non-Christians do not see the matter that way.
When we hold ourselves out as “better” than the rest of mankind, we become the very Pharisees whom Christ rejected.
Amazing Love
“Jesus said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’ ” (Matt. 22: 37-40).
What Christians have to offer the world is not innately superior character, but the love of Christ as expressed in their lives. If we fail at love, we fail as Christians. But this love does not originate with us. Rather, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4: 10).
That amazing love – which asks nothing for itself – can heal shattered hearts and transform lives. It restored the relationship between God and man by Christ’s willing death on the cross and His subsequent Resurrection.
Evidence Enough
The world is so designed that it calls for a decision on our part, as to the existence or non-existence of God.
There is evidence from all aspects of the natural world, from conscience, from the longing in our hearts for a better world, and from the Bible in favor of God’s existence and His goodness. There is evidence against God’s goodness from man’s own evil and violence, from the problem of evil in this broken world (when the innocent suffer), and from death, itself.
To Christians, the arguments against God’s existence and His goodness ring hollow. On neither side, however, is the evidence conclusive. We can find reasons to believe, as well as reasons not to believe. We require faith to make a final decision, whether in favor or against.
Renowned Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. made the observation that, “Deep-seated preferences cannot be argued about…” The Bible, however, adds that “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Rom. 12: 3).
For those who will diligently examine the question of God’s existence and His goodness, there is evidence enough.
Free will, innocent suffering, and religious delusion are discussed in Part 1 of this article (posted last week).
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[1] Contrary to popular opinion, many Neo-Nazis reject Christianity.
[2] This article makes no comment on homosexuality.
[3] The hypocrisy is compounded by a lack of regard for the welfare of those engaged – and often trapped – in the sex trade.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
This post is by a man who has for 18 years suffered from ALS (Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also, known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”). Bill Sweeney is paralyzed, using a computer to write with his eyes. Yet he consistently writes about hope.
You can find the original post at Bill’s website, Unshakable Hope, http://unshakablehope.wordpress.com/. I highly recommend the site.
In the midst of a trial, the greatest temptation we face is to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. I don’t believe this is ever God’s will.
We tend to view trials as a kind of imprisonment, thinking our life is on hold until the day we’re released from the grip of the life challenge. ALS has made me a virtual prisoner of my own body for the last 18 years. It has been a very cruel warden. But I look around me and see other people fighting illness or trying to overcome addictions, depression, abuse, debt and so many other cruel masters.
We must continue to hope and pray for freedom from whatever is trying to “holdus,” and we should do everything in our power to move toward that goal. But, in the meantime, we should look for opportunities for God to use…
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Portia from Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice”, Painting by John Everett Millais, Metropolitan Museum of Art (PD-ArtlOld-100-1923)
If there were a God – a good God, Who really loved His children – no little girl would ever again die of cancer or little boy be molested. In fact, there would be no illness or pain at all (none, at any rate, impacting good people). There would be no poverty, no crime or corruption. There would be no racism or injustice. There would be no war, no terrorism, no weapons of mass destruction. There would be no natural disasters, no aging, and no death.
The Case Against God
This is the case against God. It is how many of us who have been deeply wounded reason. We lash out at God, holding Him responsible for all the evil in the world.
And there is some truth to this. God is the author of our existence. He knows the end from the beginning. While He does not inflict evil upon us, He does allow it to exist in our world.
When we feel overwhelmed, when our losses seem too great to bear, and we realize our helplessness in the face of calamity, we may rage at God, even deny His existence. This is, in effect, our way of striking out at Him. If we can do nothing else, we can deny Him our allegiance.
And God does through His permissive will permit trials to befall us. Believers though have God’s assurance that “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
Free Will and the Sin Nature of Man
The case against God overlooks the human tendency to sin (what Christians call the “sin nature”or fallen state of man). God is not the rapist or the concentration camp commandant. He did not profit from the slave trade or cause the Twin Towers to collapse on 9/11.
The evil originating with human beings could be removed from this fallen world only if free will were eliminated, as well [1]. God did not make us automatons, required to love Him. Love only has meaning, if given voluntarily. Mother Teresa’s devotion and sacrifice were made possible by free will. But Cambodian leader Pol Pot’s “killing fields” were, also. That is the dilemma of free will.
Perfect Justice
The Book of Revelation speaks of countless martyrs “under the altar” awaiting justice from God. The perfect justice for which we, too, long can only be attained against the backdrop of eternity. The fate of a criminal who escaped punishment in this life will be decided at the Last Judgment, from which there is no escape. The child who died young will have an eternity to spend with those who loved her here. Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and their ilk will spend eternity in hell.
Comfort v. Self-Delusion
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1: 3-4).
Some would argue that this is self-delusion, that we long for comfort in this harsh world, and so fashion it for ourselves. God, in other words, is an imaginary friend; and religion, the “opium of the masses” as Karl Marx called it.
Those of us who have experienced God can say without reservation that He is real, not a mere construct of man’s. Atheists might argue that Christians are all the more deluded for this. But we have watched Him work powerfully, both in the world and in our lives.
The full text of that quote by Marx is relevant, on this point. It reads: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions.” Intentionally or not, Marx has given us an accurate description of the human condition without God. The longing expressed all over the globe for millennia is, itself, evidence for His existence [2]. Christians would say it is the imprint of His hand on our hearts for all time.
Secular humanism, New Age belief, and religious hypocrisy are discussed in Part 2 of this article (to be posted next week).
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[1] Illness and natural disaster are, in a spiritual sense, the side effects of sin on this world. This is not to say that those who become ill (or suffer from natural disasters) have sinned, and are being punished. See, Luke 13: 4 regarding the Tower of Siloam.
[2] It is hardly worth mentioning that the “aliens” some credit with our existence these days are merely a substitute for God. They beg the question: Who then created the aliens?
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Let me share with you a letter I recently received from Peter Hileman, Esq. Pete is the Executive Director of Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia, a volunteer organization near and dear to my heart.
“Dear Anna,
I thought you might enjoy hearing a story about ‘The Lord’s Gym’, a court case I handled last month…
It was pouring rain. Cars flew by, splashing me with water. I had taken the subway to Center City and was hurrying the four blocks to make sure I arrived early for the 2pm hearing before the Zoning Hearing Board. I found the courtroom, went in, and waited…
Twenty years ago, [the Kensington Community Church] purchased a rundown row house across the street and fixed it up as an outreach for men in the community. For two decades it has been a refuge for those who struggled with addiction, a place they could go to stay straight and find a Christian mentor. It was known simply as ‘The Lord’s Gym.’ In an area that has so many bad things happening, I wondered why the officer [who had issued a citation against the gym] would choose to shut down one of the good things.
[Pastor] Ruben did the best he could to solve this legal problem himself, as the church couldn’t afford an attorney. He had fought the citation and lost. He applied for a variance, which had been denied, and he appealed. He went to a hearing unrepresented in this same courtroom a month earlier and they told him to come back with an attorney. Ruben heard about the legal clinic and called us. People at the church and in the community were praying that the gym would stay open. Ruben brought a petition with hundreds of names on it [and Hector who is confined to a wheelchair].
Hector made a compelling witness. He described the gym, how it worked, and the men they had helped. A local official told the board that the church was a beacon of light in that broken community. The judges were moved. So was I. We won the appeal!”
This is poverty law. Many have never even heard of it. But lawyers in this field are the last resort for those with no other place to turn. Read more…
Warm Hearts, Willing Hands – Aviation Support Technician Federico Munoz of USS Bataan and his son stack food boxes at Salvation Army Christmas Depot, Virginia Beach, VA, Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Christina Shaw, Source US Navy (ID 101211-N-5268S-016)
“Tonight I want to tell you the story of an empty stocking.
Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child’s cry, a blazing star hung over a stable, and wise men came with birthday gifts. We haven’t forgotten that night down the centuries. We celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees, with the sound of bells, and with gifts.
But especially with gifts. You give me a book, I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer, and Uncle Henry can do with a new pipe. Oh, we forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled, all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up.
The stocking for the child born in a manger. It’s His birthday we’re celebrating. Don’t let us ever forget that.
Let us ask ourselves what He would wish for most. And then let each put in his share, loving kindness, warm hearts, and a stretched out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on earth.”
— Bishop Henry Brougham, from the Samuel Goldwyn classic The Bishop’s Wife
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
MAY GOD FILL YOUR HOMES WITH PEACE,
AND YOUR HEARTS WITH LOVE.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Black student welders at Chicago Opportunities Industrialization Center, Photo by John White, National Archives and Records Administration, College Park (ARC Identifier 556267)
“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean’ ” (Matthew 8: 2).
Once the way out of poverty, education is no longer seen as paving the road to a viable future.
With inner city schools devastated, children are no longer provided the tools necessary to cope with an adult world. Basic math and language skills (vocabulary, grammar, punctuation) are foreign, as is the idea of gradual, steady improvement.
This is a poor start for anyone.
Few skills
As a result, young people raised in poverty possess few marketable skills. This includes the “soft” skills of regular attendance and punctuality, associated with job readiness.
Without the means of acquiring such skills, inner city youth are condemned to menial jobs offering few opportunities for advancement. Indeed, genuine opportunities may go unrecognized, since they would require time and patience which the young feel they cannot afford.
Work Ethic Undermined
The work ethic is, also, undermined by the fact inner city youth see few models of success around them. It is the drug dealer on the street corner who has cash.
Some choose to limit their options to public assistance. But children are not born with such limitations on their dreams.
Crime and Drugs
Certainly, some are drawn to crime. The streets offer the appeal of “fast money” in contrast to the time and effort required by legitimate employment. Many more individuals fall victim to crime, beaten into senselessness by the tragedy pervading their lives.
Mothers protest against the violence that has robbed them of their children, while daily still more children are gunned down or lost to the downward spiral of drugs.
The appeal of partying and drugs lies not only in the excitement they promise, but the temporary relief from reality they provide. Some individuals choose this bleak road.
A Lawyer's Prayers 