“Why seek ye the living among the dead?” (Luke 24: 5) by John Stanhope, Art Gallery at New South Wales, Source/Photographer UAGDbjen5rNJDg at Google Cultural Institute (PD-ArtlPD-Age 100)
The undead are popular these days. They are featured in numerous films, video games, and television programs.
The concept of ravenous dead restored to a perverse version of life requiring that they devour human flesh has multiple origins. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are just two. Director George Romero’s much-imitated horror flick, Night of the Living Dead, is another. The Scandinavian draugr, the Chinese jiangshi, the Arabian ghoul, the Jewish golem, and the European revenant have all contributed to the lore.
Few enthusiasts of this genre realize that the dead walk among us. They fall into three categories: those worn past the point of exhaustion by the effort simply to make a living; those unmoved by the plight of their fellow man; and those unsaved, whatever their economic status.
On any given day, heading to work at 5AM or home from the job at midnight, millions of Americans living below the poverty level – and millions more overseas – struggle to get from one day to the next. On buses and subways, behind counters and newsstands, holding bedpans or brooms, these men and women are largely invisible to us. They fill a need, but are often overlooked. They might as well be furniture. Read more…
Declaration of Independence, Author Thomas Jefferson, Source http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html (PD)
“My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing…”— My Country ‘Tis of Thee, lyrics by Samuel Francis Smith
I am the proud daughter of immigrants who came to this country in search of a better life. As a child, I drank in the American Dream with every glass of milk, the promise on which immigrants still stake their lives and fortunes, that with hard work they can achieve a life with more possibilities, if not for themselves, then for their children.
Work hard my parents and grandparents did. Scrimp, save, and do without. Long before the word “recycling” ever existed, my grandmother kept a large can beneath the sink for the shortening she would use, over and over. Under her roof, paper bags and pieces of aluminum foil were carefully folded and put away, until they might be needed again. Socks were darned; clothing was washed, mended, then handed down to the next child.
Without a single 8th grade education among them, my parents and grandparents managed to purchase a home, and raise two daughters who actually finished college; a banker and a lawyer – girls yet! – who went on to make their way successfully in the world.
Growing up in an immigrant home, I had the ideals in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address fused into my bones. This was a country in which pedigree did not matter. This was a nation in which to dream BIG. So I grew up believing.
But I woke one day to find that the homeless could be seen on every street corner. To find that manufacturing jobs had been sent overseas to profit large corporations. I woke to find that someone searching diligently for employment could be out of work not just for months, but years. That, despite this, the unemployed were labeled unmotivated, slothful, and the disabled labeled malingerers.
I woke to find that American children in American cities were attending American public schools without text books. Read more…
“His truth shall be your shield and buckler” (Ps. 91: 4).
Truth is slipping away from us, and ignorance taking hold. This is a dangerous trend.
Opinion rather than accuracy governs public discourse. We applaud the clever sound bite, the pungent tweet, but must rely on search engines to locate the facts bearing on a subject. This makes for intellectual laxity. Children learn the rules to 15 different video games, but not the capitol of Nebraska.
According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, 42 million Americans cannot read at all. Others can read, but lack comprehension because their rudimentary education failed to provide them sufficient general knowledge for context.
Television programs about aliens now purport to be history; the search for “Bigfoot” and ghosts purports to be science. Paranormal abilities are seriously studied, with children encouraged to explore their own. Nostradamus has become a cottage industry. Psychic hotlines abound. Housewives claim to be clairvoyant.
The Founding Fathers feared mob rule, and justly so. An ignorant populace can be lied to more easily, whether by political or religious leaders. History can more easily be manipulated.
As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14: 6). Every other source of information is secondary at best. We must hold fast to that knowledge, as the tide of truth goes out.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Christ in Majesty (“Christ Pantocrator”) by Viktor Vasnetsov, Vladimir Cathedral, Kiev, Source http://www.picture.art-catalog.ru/picture.php?id_picture=3342 (PD -ARTlPD-AGE-80)
In architecture, He planned all things before time began (Isaiah 46: 10; 2 Timothy 1: 9), and is the architect of the city of God (Hebrews 11: 10).
In astronomy, He is the Dayspring (Luke 1: 78), the Bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22: 16).
In banking, He is the Redeemer (Job 19: 25), who forgave our sin debt (Matthew 6: 12).
In biology, He is the Son of Mary (Mark 6: 3), and the only begotten Son of God (John 3: 16), born without the normal conception (Luke 1: 34-35).
In brewing, He turned water into wine (John 2: 1-11).
In cartography, He is the way (John 14: 6).
In chemistry, He is living water (John 4: 10).
In economics, He disproved the law of diminishing returns by feeding 5000 with five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 14: 19-21).
In education, He is called Rabbi (Mark 11: 21), Rabboni (John 20: 16), and Teacher (John 3: 2).
In electronics, He is the light of the world (John 8: 12).
In engineering, He is the Maker (Psalm 121: 2; Psalm 146: 6; John 1: 3), who stretched out the heavens (Isaiah 48: 13) and laid the foundations of the earth (Job 38: 4).
In equestrianism, He is the rider on the white horse (Revelation 19: 11).
In fire rescue, He is the Savior (John 4: 42), who rescued us from hell.
In floristry, He is the rose of Sharon (Song of Solomon 2; 1); and the lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2: 1).
In funeral science, He is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11: 25).
In gemology, He is the pearl of great price (Matthew 13: 45-46).
In geology, He is the Rock (1 Corinthians 10: 4).
In government, He is called King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6: 15), the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6).
In herding, He is the Good Shepherd (John 10: 11), and the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1: 29).
In history, He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end (Revelation 22: 13).
In horticulture, He is the Root (Isaiah 11: 10), the Branch (Isaiah 11: 1), and the true vine (John 15: 1).
In law, He is our judge (Acts 10: 42), our mediator (1 Timothy 2: 5), the Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 3: 14), and our greatest Advocate (1 John 2: 1).
In literature, He is the Word (John 1: 1), the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12: 2).
In masonry, He is the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2: 20).
In medicine, He is the Healer (Exodus 15: 26), who cured the sick and blind without drugs or surgery.
In nutrition, He is the bread of life, and none who come to Him will ever hunger again (John 6: 35).
In philosophy, He is the truth (John 14: 6).
In physics, He is the Creator (Isaiah 40: 28; Colossians 1: 16), who brought the world into existence, then disproved the law of gravity by ascending into heaven (Acts 1: 9).
In prophecy, He is Immanuel (Matthew 1: 23), the Messiah (Daniel 9: 25).
In psychology, He is the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9: 6).
In religion, He is the Beloved (Ephesians 1: 6), the bridegroom (Matthew 9: 15), the head of the church (Ephesians 5: 23), and the High Priest (Hebrews 6: 20).
In seafaring, He is the anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6: 19).
In theology, He is the Holy One (Mark 1: 24), the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16: 16); no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14: 6).
In woodworking, He is the carpenter (Mark 6: 3), and the door (John 10:9).
In zoology, He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5: 5).
The greatest man who ever lived, He made Himself the Servant to all (Matthew 12: 18, Mark 9: 35).
He had no army, yet was feared by kings.
He won no military battles, yet conquered the world (John 16: 33).
He committed no crime (Luke 23: 4), yet was crucified.
He was buried in a tomb, yet lives today (Job 19: 25)!
He is Jesus Christ!
– Author Unknown
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Bench beneath snow, Paris, Photo by Pierre-Yves Beaudouin (CC-BY-ASA-3.0)
“…Jesus and His disciples went ashore in the country of the Gadarenes. Nearby was a cemetery where a wild man lived. No chains were strong enough to hold him. Night and day he wandered in this lonely place, crying and cutting himself with stones. From a distance, the wild man saw Jesus. At once he ran, fell at Jesus’ feet, and worshipped Him” (Mark 5: 1-6, ASL Bible).
The story of the madman of the Gadarenes speaks of a tormented man living in a cemetery which, itself, is described as a lonely place. Though we cannot be certain this man was grieving the loss of a loved one, there is certainly that possibility. The man cries and cuts himself with stones, behavior typical of grief [1].
All of us must face loneliness during our lives. We sit alone; feel out of place, even when surrounded by others. Our in-box is empty. Our phone does not ring.
Loneliness is particularly painful when coupled with grief. Read more…
Semi-precious gemstones: quartz, amethyst, blue topaz, spinel, Photo by Mauro Cateb (CC-BY-SAS-3.0)
What exactly is beauty? Painters, poets, philosophers, and lovers have pondered that question through the ages.
The Ancient Greeks believed the “golden ratio” governed beauty, i.e. that buildings, sculptures, even men and women, were most pleasing to the eye, if their proportions were such that a ratio between the whole and the larger of its parts was identical to the ratio between the larger and smaller parts. This relationship is expressed numerically as phi (the “golden number”) or 1.61803. The Parthenon, the building perhaps most imitated worldwide, is the exemplar for this.
During the Renaissance, artists and architects consciously adopted the “golden ratio” to achieve beauty in their works.
Modern scientists have taken up where Renaissance artisans left off. Read more…
“ ‘…[W]e will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it’ ” (Genesis 19: 13).
The Bible story of Lot is a difficult one. The issue of whether Sodom and Gomorrah were condemned for homosexual behavior has been the subject of intense debate [1].
Some have argued that the sin which brought destruction down on the cities of the plain was a lack of hospitality toward strangers – intolerable in desert regions, as it would have placed lives at risk. Others have been outraged by the treatment of Lot’s virgin daughters, offered to the crowd in place of the strangers under Lot’s protection. They maintain, therefore, that the sin was rape.
Whichever interpretation we believe is correct, we should be able to agree that the story indicates there is a tipping point, a level of depravity a just God will not tolerate.
Consider these recent news stories, and what they reflect about our own society:
• In Spain, a soccer coach was arrested after a burglar broke into his home. Searching for valuables, the thief uncovered video of child sexual abuse he then turned over to police. Read more…
“Big Ben” (Tower clock at Westminster Palace), Author Aldaron, Source Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand…” (Ps. 31: 14-15).
The practice of law involves a great deal of “hurry up and wait” – the rush toward urgent deadlines, conferences, trials, and other aspects of litigation then delayed by circumstance. Whether in court or in traffic; with clients, adversaries, or witnesses, the waste of precious time can be infuriating.
The Bible is filled with examples of delay. Abraham waited 25 years for the son he was promised by God. Sold into slavery, Joseph spent over 20 years in Egypt before being reunited with his brothers. The Israelites waited 400 years for liberation from bondage, then spent 40 more years wandering in the desert. Anointed by Samuel, David had to wait another 20 years or so before ascending to the throne.
Alot of downtime, assuming it was pointless.
Our own lives are packed with delay – the “in-between” days, months, and years when nothing important seems to be happening to us. We may have waited with anticipation for true love, that first big break, or our 21st birthday. We wait on job interviews and promotions; on exam results, verdicts, and diagnoses – good news and bad. Read more…
“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.
___
[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
https://avoicereclaimed.com
“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…
A Lawyer's Prayers 