“Madonna” by Albin Egger-Lienz, Source Galerie Martin Suppan (PD-ArtlPD-Age-80)
“Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2: 4-7).
Every day 2715 children are born into poverty in America alone [1]. And every day 22,000 children across the globe die from poverty-related illnesses and deprivation [2].
We are surrounded by mangers. Surrounded, yet 2000 years after that first Christmas we still decline to see. Why spoil this festive season? Isn’t there another sale, another party somewhere? Pile those gifts high! We need no encouragement to put Saturn back in Saturnalia. We can manage that all on our own.
If pressed on the point, many of us would echo Scrooge’s sentiment: “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” Who brought all these children into the world anyhow? Why should we be saddled with their upkeep? Who gave them the right to impose on our comfortable lives?
“…[W]ho made lame beggars walk, and blind men see [?]” to use Tiny Tim’s words. As Christians we ought to know the answer to that. We ought to live the answer to that everyday. If we did, no billboards would be necessary urging that we put Christ back in Christmas. He would already be there.
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[1] Children’s Defense Fund, Research Library, “Each Day in America,” http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/each-day-in-america.html.
[2] Global Issues, “Poverty Facts and Stats,” http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
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“Jesus Heals the Blind and Lame on the Mountain” by James Tissot, Source Brooklyn Museum (PD-ArtlPD-Age-100)
“…[T]he Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1: 78-79).
The prophet, Isaiah, spoke of the Messiah as opening the eyes of the blind, and bringing the prisoners from darkness out into the light (Is. 42: 7). Jesus healed the blind (John 9: 6-7), intentionally referring to Himself as the light of the world (John 9: 5). The apostle, John, pointed out that no one since the beginning of the world had restored sight to those born blind (John 9: 32).
You may remember that John the Baptist, before he was beheaded, asked of Jesus from prison:
“ ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” (Matt. 11: 3). Read more…
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11: 1).
An interesting phenomenon is taking place. All across the globe, atheist churches are springing up. These for the most part conform to the mega-church model, providing participants with weekly services that can include music, a reading, a lecture on some topic, and “quiet time” for contemplation.
Atheists – or at least some of them, it appears – miss the trappings of organized religion, if not the substance of faith. They are, as a result, appropriating the language, ritual, and symbolism of religion. This hollow imitation of religion puts the lie to assertions that atheism is not, itself, a belief system based on the denial of God’s existence in any form.
What are Christians to make of this? Read more…
Some of the greatest intellects in the world have studied light, that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum we can see with the naked eye.
Pythagoras believed that light rays exit from the eye to strike an object. Epicurus argued the reverse. Aristotle wrote that, “Light is nothing of substance. It is indefinable, featureless, and it is therefore pointless to contemplate its nature.” Galileo attempted to measure the speed of light, but concluded that existing methods were inadequate to the task. Sir Isaac Newton developed the theory of color using a prism.
Albert Einstein used thought experiments to contemplate light. “What if one were to run after a ray of light?” Einstein asked, himself. “If one were to run fast enough, would it no longer move at all?” “What if one were riding on the beam?”
In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Watch a sunrise sometime. Watch the sunlight pour slowly over the mountains, like honey, filling each nook and hilltop, each crevice and ridge, with vibrant color. If you look hard, you can almost catch a glimpse of that first dawn. Read more…
Mural replica of one of Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” paintings. This depicts “Freedom from Want”. Author Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives. Source Oregon Historical County Records Guide. (PD as published w/o a copyright notice)
IRS statistics indicate that the gap between rich and poor in the United States is the largest in nearly a century. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that gap is widening. The average income of the wealthiest 5% is thirteen times more than that of the poorest 20%.
A few of the websites with figures relating to poverty can be found, below. But an onslaught of numbers is mind numbing to most of us. A snapshot may convey more.
Demographics
Picture yourself a single or divorced mother. You are more likely to be white than black. You and your children live in rural poverty, on an army base, or in what is now politely known as the “inner city” (apparently a more acceptable term than the older “ghetto”).
Employment
You work outside the home, in a full or part-time job (sometimes two). Since you have no more than a high school diploma, you are limited to minimum wage, blue and pink collar jobs. Never mind that you grew up in poverty, yourself. Never mind that you somehow survived a drug addicted mother and absent father, without succumbing to drugs or alcohol, yourself.
Childcare
Childcare is an ongoing challenge, sometimes costing you jobs. When a child is sick, you miss work. Child support is little more than a fantasy. Even if involved in their lives, the children’s father may be out of work, himself.
Health Issues
Poverty and all it entails is a recognized cause of chronic health problems. You may already be suffering from depression or heart disease. Your children still have their dreams. They, also, have asthma. Read more…
Bas relief at Federal Hall of George Washington kneeling in prayer, Photo by OptimumPX (PD-Self)
“By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor — and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be — That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks — for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war – for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted – for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us. Read more…
American flag with “Thanks” (“Merci”) at a grave in Normandy American Cemetery, Source Wikipedia (PD-Self)
As of this writing, the US Supreme Court is considering a challenge to legislative prayer.
Legislative Prayer and National Character
Thirty years ago, in Marsh v. Chambers, the Supreme Court ruled that legislative prayer was an expression of the national character, supported by historic precedent [1]. The argument being made in Greece v. Galloway is that the selection of Christian prayers over non-Christian to open town council meetings amounts to the establishment of a state-sponsored religion, prohibited by the First Amendment to the US Constitution [2].
Not all of us are historians or Constitutional scholars. We do though have a stake in the outcome of this case. Greece affords the Court – and, consequently, all of us – an opportunity to reassess whether the American character has changed sufficiently to ban prayer at public gatherings (identifiably Christian prayer, in particular). Read more…
“Cry of the Prophet Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem” by Ilya Repin, State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow (PD-ArtlPD-AGE-80)
Do a search on the idiomatic phrase “fire in the belly” and you will find synonyms like “ardor,” “ambition,” “motivation,” and “drive.”
We all know what the phrase means in the context of politics. “He does not have the necessary fire in the belly” refers to a certain strength of character and commitment; a desire to succeed despite obstacles, despite pain, despite unscrupulous tactics by an opponent.
Interestingly, Wiktionary uses the following sentence to illustrate appropriate use of the term: “I felt no conviction of a burning sincerity, of that fire in the belly which made some of the wilder nonconformist parsons of my youth appear almost incandescent.”
That is not a bad description of Jeremiah, the nonconformist prophet, almost incandescent with conviction. Jeremiah has, also, been called the “weeping prophet,” since he agonized over Judah’s sin and God’s impending judgment. Read more…
“Rahab Helping the Two Israelite Spies”, Illustration by Frederick Pickersgill from 1897 Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us, Source http://associate.com/photos (PD US)
New York is the first state to establish a court system designed to assist sex workers in escaping prostitution. Pilot courts have been in operation in Manhattan, Queens, and Nassau Counties for several years.
Eighteen states now provide services to children caught in the sex trade, rather than imposing prison sentences on them. Reuters quotes Georgia State University law professor, Jonathan Todres, on this topic saying, “There’s a real urgency here. We need to recognize as a nation that these children are victims and survivors of violent crimes and abuse, and they should not be treated as criminals [1].”
New York’s specialized court system will link defendants with resources such as shelters, drug rehabilitation, medical treatment, education, and job training. Sex trafficking is already a crime in New York. Read more…
Potter’s wheel at Erfurt, Germany, Photo by Oliver Kurmis (PD-self)
Pottery has been in use for at least twelve thousand years. The composition and design of pottery have become useful tools, enabling archaeologists to date cultures from the pottery shards associated with them. Inferences can be drawn from such shards about diet, social relationships, religion, and economic conditions.
The earliest forms of pottery were made at comparatively low temperatures, in open flame or covered pits, using whatever clays were available locally.
It is likely that the first need pottery served was to store food and liquid for later use, thus reducing waste. As such, pottery is likely to have been the invention of women. In some cases, fingerprints of the women who fashioned them are actually preserved on ancient vessels.
“Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand…’” (Jer. 18: 6).
Father, we are as the clay in Your hands. You know best the purpose for which each of us was made. Shape and mold us into the image of Your Son, Jesus, that we may serve Your ends throughout our days.
Amen
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 