Most people assume that attorneys must be wealthy. Many law schools mistakenly laud wealth as the measure of achievement. Law Review is touted as the stepping stone not to public service, but Wall Street and private advancement.
We, who know Christ, follow in the footsteps of the greatest Advocate ever (1 John 2: 1). Our goal should not be to accumulate wealth in this world, but the next. Our glory is to suffer as He did.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12: 34).
Lord Jesus, You are our Advocate before the Father.
We seek to follow You…but only if the cost of discipleship is not too high. Only if we need not sacrifice our comfort or our pride.
Forgive our hesitation, Lord. Strengthen us for the task. Help us to remember that all we have, we have from You.
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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The working poor are those with one or more jobs whose combined income remains below the poverty level. For them, employment is a ceaseless grind – constant motion without any measurable progress.
In 2010, there were 10.5 million individuals counted among the working poor (7.2% of the labor force; 15.1% of all part-time employees)[i]. These are not insignificant numbers, and they only get worse as we dig more deeply.
Families
“ ‘But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children’ ” (2 Sam. 12: 3).
More than four times the number of working poor with children under age 18 live in poverty, than those without children. Women are more likely than men to fall into the category of working poor. These statistics derive, in part, from the fact that safe and affordable child care may be impossible to obtain in the inner city.
An unreliable grandparent or neighbor charged with watching young children can all too easily put the employment (or education) of a single parent in jeopardy, by generating absences or latenesses on the part of the wage earner.
When childcare is unavailable, children as young as 6 or 7 years may be left at home unsupervised while their mothers work. This is not a matter of disregard for the children’s welfare. It is a Hobson’s choice, one of many such choices the poor are forced to make. Read more…
“The Mayflower Compact” by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (PD-ArtlPD-US-not renewed)
A foundation stone for democracy on this continent, the Mayflower Compact was the first document under which the Plymouth Colony was governed. The agreement, which established an elected authority all would obey, was signed in 1620 as the Mayflower rode at anchor in Cape Cod Harbor.
For the Sake of Freedom and Equality
The Pilgrims were actually comprised of two groups: Separatists and non-Separatists.
The Separatists sought religious liberty, specifically the right to separate from the Church of England. They had initially emigrated to the tolerant Netherlands, but found the Dutch culture at odds with their own.
The non-Separatists — like many to follow them — sought economic and social opportunity, and the chance for a better life in America.
In the broadest terms, all risked their lives for the sake of freedom and equality. Read more…
View of North America from low orbit satellite, Source https://NASA.gov, Author NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring, (PD)
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain…You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail” (Heb. 1: 10-12).
Lord Jesus,
When our foundations are shaken,
When the work of our hands fails,
When change overwhelms us,
And we cannot determine
Which way to go,
We turn to You
For You remain constant.
Though we may plumb
The mysteries of the universe
From the atom to the farthest star,
We remain Your creation,
Your children,
And will find no truth
Or solace
Apart from You.
Guide us through
These tumultuous times.
Help us to bear
Even the unbearable,
Trusting that You
Will work all things for good,
So that when our years fail
We may meet You in glory.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed
Detail of Compound Microscope by Claude Passemant, Photo by Sage Ross (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic, 1.0 Generic, GFDL 1.2 or later)
Quick: Name a Christian scientist. No, not a member of the Church of Christ Scientist founded by Mary Baker Eddy (“Christian Scientist”), and not a member of the Church of Scientology founded by L. Ron Hubbard (“Scientologist”).
Give up? Consider a combination of the terms “Christian” and “scientist” an oxymoron? Then you, like many other Christians today, might benefit from a short science lesson.
Scientific Ignorance
Somehow, we have been convinced that the abandonment of reason is a requirement of Christianity, and that ignorance of science is a badge of honor among Christians. However, a large number of leading scientists over the centuries have been Christian. Georges Lemaitre, for instance, was the astronomer (and Catholic priest) who proposed the “Big Bang” theory.
On the Shoulders of Giants
Christian scientists have made enormous contributions in fields ranging from astronomy and physics to genetics and seismology. Here are just a few examples:
- Nicolaus Copernicus, Father of Modern Astronomy
- Andreas Vesalius, Father of Modern Anatomy
- Galileo Galilei, Father of Modern Science
- Johannes Kepler, Father of the Planetary Laws of Motion
- Carolus Linnaeus, Father of Taxonomy
- Antoine Lavoisier, Father of Modern Chemistry
- Michael Farady, Father of Electronics
- George Boole, Father of Computer Science
- Gregor Mendel, Father of Genetics
- James Maxwell, Father of Modern Physics
- George Washington Carver, Father of Chemurgy[i]
After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was the church which – almost single handedly – preserved literacy in Western Europe. During the Dark Ages, monks saved works of classical scholarship from destruction at the hands of barbarian invaders. The church established some of Europe’s earliest universities, along with thousands of smaller schools. Read more…
As legal professionals, we can become hardened – almost in self-defense.
We deal regularly with extremely difficulty life situations. A will is contested on the death of a loved one. An auto accident raises questions of liability. Criminal allegations must be contested or the viability of defenses assessed.
For the clients’ benefit as much as our own, we steel ourselves to the emotional context of these situations; become increasingly inured as situations recur.
At times, we become the focus of misdirected anger by individuals or families attempting to deal with crisis or tragedy. We must face down ruthless and unscrupulous adversaries, without sinking to their level; may work side by side with colleagues whose ethics are less stringent than our own. “Lawyer jokes” to the contrary, we are often unappreciated and underpaid.
Worst of all perhaps, we see injustice triumph. We see base tactics succeed.
As a result of this, we can become jaded and worn down over the years. One plaintiff, one defendant, can become much the same as another to us.
God, however, calls us to mercy. After all, it is on His mercy we ourselves rely.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5: 7).
Merciful God, You above all know how much it is we need mercy.
Remind us to safeguard the weak, and forgive even those who would harm us. Help us to remain effective advocates while extending Your mercy to clients and adversaries, alike. Give us the strength and the heart to do so.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed
ALIENS Logo Design by Terry Lamb/ Mike Salisbury Communications, LA, CA (1986), (PD)
These days the term “aliens” refers either to extraterrestrials or illegal immigrants. We find it easier to believe in the former, than deal with the latter. Human beings have a great capacity to see what is not there, while ignoring what is.
The Mosaic Law made provision for aliens, i.e. non-Israelites living among the Chosen People. Read more…
Author Ayn Rand is, of late, experiencing renewed popularity with her philosophy of self-interest (“Objectivism”) increasingly being applied to NeoConservative (NeoCon) and Conservative political policy.
While political views may differ, this essay will attempt to expose the errors and misassumptions in Rand’s reasoning, and the dangers inherent in her philosophy.
The concept of so called supermen was discussed in Part 1 of this series.
Compassion as Worthless
Rand denigrates compassion which, from a biblical perspective, has enormous value (more so than all or most measurable achievements).
Rand argues in The Virtue of Selfishness that all selfishness is morally good, and all altruism morally evil (“moral cannibalism” to use her phrase). She refers to those who do not agree with her philosophy as “lice”, “parasites” and “looters”.
Yet the Bible is filled with exhortations to assist the poor.
“You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy…” (Deut. 15: 11).
God is, in part, defined by His mercy toward the poor. Here are a few examples:
“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes…”(1 Sam. 2: 8).
“But He saves the needy from the sword, from the mouth of the mighty, and from their hand. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth” (Job 5: 15-16).
“ ‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns’ ” (Ps. 12: 5).
“He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy…” (Ps. 72: 4).
“He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty” (Luke 1: 52-53).
Christians hold that there is an affirmative obligation to use their ability and talent not only to benefit themselves, but to benefit those not equally blessed. Men and women with greater gifts will be held accountable for the way in which those gifts are used. It could be said that the challenge for those well off lies in giving generously; the challenge for the destitute lies in avoiding envy, bitterness, and despair.
Man as God
Herself an atheist, Rand argues that man is God and does not need Him. Human beings, in Rand’s view, define their own morality. This is an old argument – false, but as appealing as when first made to Adam and Eve. It flatters readers, minimizing the distinction between their creative acts and those of the Creator who brought them (and the universe they inhabit) into existence. Read more…
Tragically, 1 in 7 people on the globe – 925 million men, women, and children – go hungry daily.[i] The Sub-Saharan region of Africa – including the nations of Angola, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda – is particularly prone to famine. Famine on a large scale has, also, occurred in Russia, India, and China.
To say that famine involves great suffering is inadequate. But there can be spiritual famine, as well. When the prophet, Amos, wrote of a famine in hearing the word of the Lord, surely he spoke of our time, as much as his own:
” ‘They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it’ “ (Amos 8: 12). Read more…
Scales of Justice, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, Topeka, KS, Author Chris Light, (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
The Beatitudes are a set of teachings the Lord delivered in the Sermon on the Mount. Eight times the Lord cited people viewed by the world as afflicted, and proclaimed them instead blessed. There could be no better illustration that God’s ways are higher than the world’s, and His thoughts higher than our own (Is. 55: 9).
The eight are with us still. They are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, and finally those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5: 3-12).
All but the last of these give an impression of calm, gentleness, and resignation. Those of us who hunger and thirst after righteousness – attorneys, in particular – are not meek and mild. We are angry. That anger drives us. We are tormented by the injustice of the world; disconsolate that we can do so little, but determined to do all we can. Read more…
A Lawyer's Prayers 