Black and White

One of the people I most admire is Condoleeza Rice (see info on Dr. Rice and the others in this blog at the bottom of the post). She was an accomplished professor and (later) provost of Stanford University even before she became the first black female secretary of state. Funny, though; her name seldom appears on those annual Top 10 Women to Admire lists posted by women’s magazines. Why is that?

I also have deep admiration for Thomas Sowell, economist, writer, and former Yale professor. He has a knack for explaining economics and the application of its principles in a way that even someone as math-challeneged as I can understand. In contrast, Robert Reich’s socialist rantings about minimum wage never made any sense to me.

Also on my personal “most admired” list is Shelby Steele, the historian who looks impartially at our past and writes about it with care and passion. There’s Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, whose clear mind and integrity should be used as a model for all aspiring lawyers. There’s Michael Steel, the former Maryland lieutenant governor, whose reasoned positions on the proper role of government should be included in college texts. There’s also Tony Evans, founder of the Urban Alternative, and Dallas pastor and teacher, whose biblical messages on society and relationships have inspired me and millions of others.

You may have heard in passing about Frederick Douglass, the former slave and abolitionist whose intellect stunned and shamed his contemporaries; and Martin Luther King, Jr., whose prescient letter from a Birmingham jail still gives me goose bumps because of its eloquence and substance (inconveniently for current-day activists, he was a – gulp – Republican, and you can bet your bottom dollar that’s one salient point never mentioned in liberal speeches). But you might not have heard of former ambassador Alan Keyes, who has yet to be bested by anyone with whom he has debated, black or white.

These are all distinctive men and women with impressive credentials; they’re role models for all Americans of every color who dream of living a good and successful life in America, and their names should be included on those February Black History Month lists of luminaries. The only name I ever see is MLK, because the politicians on the left have claimed him as one of their own. But the politics of these men and women were and are conservative, and most belonged to the Republican Party, so you won’t hear much about them. If you do, the coverage will be negative.

It is shameful that these black public figures are condemned by their contemporaries for their divergence from liberal philosophies. (The Democratic Party slogan – “We believe in diversity. Unless your views are different from ours.”) These conservatives are shunned by colleagues, are told they’re “acting white” (which, apparently, must be something really bad), and are ridiculed for their political views. Their achievements are dismissed or ignored by members of their own race, by liberals, and by the media.  Golly, if tolerance is such a lovely, world-changing experience, how come it’s not in full motion when liberals are discussing black conservatives?   

It is a disgrace that marginal and dubious characters like Angela Davis, Louis Farrakhan, Barack Obama and Jesse Jackson are celebrated, while people like the ones mentioned above are derided for their convictions and their courage, and undervalued as important contributors to our national heritage. When the next Black History Month rolls around in February, I’ll be watching, as always, to see if these competent, and extraordinary individuals will be celebrated by our country. But I won’t hold my breath.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condoleezza_Rice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sowell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_Steele
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Thomas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_S._Steele
http://www.tonyevans.org/site/c.feIKLOOpGlF/b.2017593/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Douglass
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=16500
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Keyes

Teachable Moments

This post is dedicated to the memory of Tony Snow;  joyful musician, journalist, writer, husband and father.  He went home to be with his father in heaven yesterday and will be sincerely missed here on earth.  RIP.

Driving through my neighborhood yesterday en route to the bank, I saw a mother and  son on a morning walk.  As I drew closer, the mother gestured toward the side of the road to make sure I saw the turtle that was moving toward the middle of the street.  After I’d slowed down and passed them, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the mother pick up the turtle and place it safely in the grass. 

I drove away turning the scene over in my mind.  Funny, isn’t that just like what God does for us?  He sees his children walking into a dangerous situation:  Sometimes he picks us up with his unseen hand and places us out of harm’s way.  Sometimes, perhaps because we need to learn a lesson, he allows us to experience the fruit of a poor decision. 

A good father instructs his children, guides them, encourages them, and when necessary to build their character, corrects them.  People who refuse to believe that a God of love would punish poor behavior show a profound lack of understanding about the nature of fatherhood and the attributes of our Lord. 

Interpretation of the Bible is not meant to be performed within the context of our secular culture.  In other words, in this age of pragmatism where “sophisticated” people believe that truth can mean something different to everyone, the Bible is frequently looked at as a loose collection of bedtime stories about a colorful character named Jehovah.  But it isn’t.

What if there really is a God who, as the Bible recalls, created the world as a good space, created man in the image of himself.  And what if man, using the free will given by God, rebels and brings evil into the world?  What if it’s true that God then sent his only son to live here and die here in our place so that justice could be served?  If it’s all a hoax, then we can do what we want, unrestrained by conscience or moral obligations.  Any good we do wouldn’t matter because nothing lasts – everything ends at death.  But if what the Bible says is true, the paradigm must change.

I accept that God is a personal being who loves me, and that every action I take is either drawing me closer to or away from him.  The Bible has become the basis upon which my entire life is built, so I cannot compartmentalize my faith to please those around me. It isn’t something I take out on Sunday mornings and put away the rest of the week, because it’s more than simply a religion; it’s life.  Among all the world religions, Christianity is the only one in which God reaches out to us first.  All others require some sort of work on the part of humans before experiencing the promises made to them.  Not so with the God of the universe.

When we believe that God loves us and we commit to living out his plans for us, certain changes will inevitably occur.  We’ll start to look at things through God’s perspective rather than the world’s.  We’ll begin to care about things we didn’t care about before, and we’ll realize that some of the things that we thought mattered, don’t really matter at all.  We all have an earthly father, but we will come to know and understand God as our holy father who takes care of us and nurtures us and loves us unconditionally. 

My father in heaven does indeed, like the mother lifting the turtle from the roadway, care for his children.  That knowledge changed my life and brought me a joy that passes all understanding, and I pray you will discover that joy, too. 

The Constitution, the Declaration, and our Rights

I’ve decided that the next time someone tells me they have a right to (whatever …), I’m going to hand them one of those miniature copies of our Constitution and demand that they show me where that right is elucidated. And then I’ll wait. It’ll take some time so I might have to have a book on hand for something to do while they search – in vain – for their imaginary right. Because, of course, most “rights” that people presume they have, are not even mentioned in our founding documents.  Here’s what our Bill of Rights gives us:

• Freedom of speech and the press,
• The right to assemble, to petition, and the right to religious freedom;
• The right to keep and bear arms;
• The right not to have troops quartered in your home;
• The right to reasonable search and seizure;
• The rights of due process, eminent domain, and a speedy trial;
• The right to civil trial by jury;
• Protection from cruel and unusual punishment;
• Protection of rights already retained by citizens;
• and the right of states and people to derive their own powers.

How about a right to transportation? Nope. Equitable pay? Not found (although I’ve heard rumors it’s somewhere in the Democrat Party Platform). A house of your own? Uh uh. Take an hour to read these brilliant documents and you’ll be in for some surprises. And some treats. I’ll make it easy for you:

http://www.constitution.org/constit_.htm.

http://www.constitution.org/usdeclar.htm

The truth, seldom acknowledged in today’s atmosphere of temporary fixes and go-along-to-get-along politics, is that our country’s constitution guarantees its citizens (not visitors, just citizens) three things: the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue happiness. It doesn’t even guarantee happiness, just the pursuit thereof. So what are we to make of all this talk about our government’s obligation to provide time off from work and automatic raises and free health care?

If you’re indolent and want someone else to provide everything for you, or if you’re a politician appealing to the most debased level of human nature in exchange for votes, you’ll say that the constitution is a “living document.” What’s that supposed to mean? It means that if they can con enough people into believing our constitution was meant to be changed whenever suceeding generations disagree with it, then they can alter it to accommodate whatever whims certain people have in mind. Instead of a revered, world-changing document, it’s treated like a poorly-worded contract with multiple loopholes.

Folks, if you really want free guaranteed extended vacations, health care, and all the other “rights” a self-respecting, law abiding citizen would earn through hard work and perseverence, I have a suggestion – emigrate to one of those European countries the liberal intelligensia are always citing as models of enlightened civilization. You’ll receive plenty of “free” perks in those countries. But just so you know – they’re the ones struggling to keep up with us. Their taxes are substantially higher than ours. The unemployment rate of the European Union hovers around 7.3% on average, (ours is currently 4.8%). To get decent healthcare in a timely manner, you’ll have to wait for it even if you have a life-threatening illness. You’ll get that 6-week vacation in the Azores, but at the expense of an economy that is sagging in productivity. Lately, they’ve started rethinking their immigration policies, though. Turns out their rising numbers of Islamic immigrants are making absurd demands and causing turmoil.

The motto of the European Union is United in Diversity. Now I know where American liberals came up with their ideas about multiplicity. Well, we see how well it works, don’t we?

Laus Deo, readers. Until next time.

Breakfast in Hell

Some years ago an Australian rock band recorded a fun little ditty describing their breakfast club and ending with the sobering phrase, “when the Big One finds you may this song remind you that they don’t serve breakfast in hell.” It’s filled with amusing lines like the one about a friend who “that day he wore those pine pajamas, his cheque was good with God.” The Newsboys have progressed from in-your-face Christian rock to more thoughtful, artistically strenuous songs now, but sometimes I miss those rousing choruses. Breakfast in Hell is requested at every concert they play, so apparently it strikes a chord with millions of others, too.

 And why is that? 

I think it’s because deep inside of everyone is the certainty that there is more to this life than what we see right now; and if there is, am I on the right side of the argument? 

Christians believe the assertions made by Christ that he was the only son of God, and that he came to die in our place for the sins we commit against God. He also said that if you refuse his invitation to live for him by living for yourself, then buddy, you’re on the wrong side.

Uh oh. This creates a quandary because all humans just want to live by their own rules. We don’t want anyone telling us what to do. And if we do something mean or selfish, we want it to be hidden. We try to prevent others knowing about our darkest desires and if they do discover them, we make excuses or pretend that everyone else is doing them too, so they’re really okay.

But God operates differently from mankind. He sees all. He knows everything you’ve ever done, every thought you’ve ever had. Try as we might, we cannot hide from Him.  When we live our lives as though he doesn’t matter, we are bound to go wrong because there is a missing component. In other words, a car that is intended to run on gasoline is not going to perform well or go far if you put Clorox in the tank. Sesame oil, fruit juice, and filtered water won’t work either. Humans were created to run on God. Without him, we run on a God-shaped tank that won’t be satisfied by anything.

Hard work won’t suffice, being nice to other people isn’t enough, and writing checks to the church won’t get your right with God. God is aiming for that personal relationship with every human being, and it has to start with giving up our own will to follow His instead. That’s a tough one, because all the messages around us, from school lessons to TV advertisements, tell us to be captain of our own ship and indulge our sense of entitlement.

But because He allowed everyone to make up their own mind about Him, the issue of heaven and hell will be decided by each us alone. Hmm. Do I choose to accept the invitation to live for God rather than myself? If so, I shall have peace of soul. Life may have its bumps and bruises, but God will always be there to help me through them. If we don’t accept his invitation, life may seem to go well at times, but there will always be that missing link, and there will never be true peace because deep in the back of our minds, we know, we know, that something is terribly wrong and we’re not equipped to fix it.

In the end, the believers will go to live in heaven with the one they loved in life and to whom they turned over control. Those who refused the invitation go to hell. Why? Because if they didn’t want God when they were living, they certainly won’t appreciate him when their life is over. Hell is total separation from God. I really hate the fact that some very nice people have made that choice, but it’s their decision to make. 

The choice requires careful thought. Do I really want to give control of my life to someone I can’t even see? That’s where faith and logic step in. Millions of people throughout history died terrible deaths because they believed in Him. Archeologists have shown that events in the Bible really happened. And I have experienced firsthand the changes that only he brought to my life. 

Nope, there won’t be breakfast in hell. And there will be no second chances, either. But God is in heaven with Christ, his son. And when I see their faces for the first time, I cannot imagine the tremendous relief that will flood my soul. Christ came and died to set me free from myself, and the joy that comes with it is better than anything this world has to offer.

Coming of Age in America

This post is dedicated to the memory of Senator Jesse Helms who died today, July 4th; the same date on which two of the founders of our nation died.  RIP, Mr. Helms.

“Compromise, hell! That’s what has happened to us all down the line – and that’s the very cause of our woes. If freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why should those who believe in freedom treat it as if it were a roll of bologna to be bartered a slice at a time?” – Jesse Helms, 1959  

There’s a wonderful poem by Henry VanDyke that goes like this:

Tis fine to see the old world, and travel up and down
Among the famous palaces and cities of renown,
To admire the crumbly castles and the statues of the kings,
But now I think I’ve had enough of antiquated things.
So it’s home again and home again, America for me!
My heart is turning home again, and there I long to be,
In the land of youth and freedom beyond the ocean bars,
Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars.

I never appreciated the poem more than when I returned to the United States after living in Europe for several years. I literally wanted to bend down and kiss the sweet Carolina soil when I emerged from that long plane ride. I very nearly did so, too, but propriety kept me from impetuousness. 

It wasn’t that I hated living overseas. As the poem says, there are picturesque villages and captivating mountains and stores with interesting objects in them. People there have charming customs. The food is delicious. Hey, in Germany you can actually take your dog with you into restaurants! In Greece, there are those wonderful statues everywhere of Greek men! 

But America is the land of freedom and opportunity and second chances. Ours are the most generous people in the world. (And yes, statistics prove it every year with boring regularity).  We’re known all over the globe for our warm smiles and hospitality.  We have so much to give and we like sharing it with others. So why do some people think America is a land of hate and denigration? 

That’s an interesting question. When I was a teenager, I had an argument with my father over my desire to live in Sweden because, I said, it was a more ‘tolerant’ country.  He was disgusted when I told him that I didn’t see what was so wrong with Socialism and Communism. He, a man who spent all night in the shark-inifested waters of the Coral Sea when his ship was sunk by Japanese during WWII. He, who lived the real-life story of The Sand Pebbles, rescuing missionaries in Communist China. I’m ashamed now of my disregard for his service and patriotism. But I’m older now, and I have seen the power of sacrifice for God and country. Back then, I was a selfish, ignorant little jerk who thought the world should revolve around her. 

Others made sacrifices for our country, too. Did you think the signers of our Declaration of Independence from England just walked away from the deal without a scratch? Historical documents prove otherwise. In signing the declaration, they were committing treason against the king of England and knew that he would retaliate. Most of them had a lot to lose. They had families, property, businesses; but as one delegate from Rhode Island said when he signed the document, “my hand trembles, but my heart does not.” 

We are a young country, but for over 200 years men and women have died for something greater than themselves. They died for freedom. Because of them, we don’t live under the tyranny of another nation. Each of us has been fortunate enough to be born into a country that is filled with promise, where each person can decide his or her own destiny. Young, immature girls of 15 who live pleasant lives in modern homes may not understand that gift, but millions of people all over the world understand it and grasp for it and die crossing oceans on overcrowded boats to get it. 

When I was young, I thought men who smoked reefer and flashed peace signs and talked about “going back to the farm” were cool. Nowadays, my heros are men who don’t make excuses but go out and work to support themselves; men who freely enter the military and who serve uncomplainingly in hostile countries to keep the bad guys from coming over here; men who look into the future and make hard, unpopular choices for the good of our country; men, real men who have dreams and work hard to bring those dreams to fruition. They don’t depend on anyone else to do things for them – they shoulder their tasks and do what needs to be done. Men like these made our country a great and prosperous nation. God willing, there will be more generations of men and women who take seriously the personal sacrifices of those who went before them, and they will carry the torch of freedom into the future. 

Oh, it’s nice to see the old world all right. I still like to travel, but I’m under no silly illusions about government being the best arbiter of what’s good for me. We are an imperfect nation only because we are imperfect people. But there is still no other place as wonderful on earth as the land of the free and the home of the brave.  Fly the American flag high today, and be proud of what our country stands for.  We are a beacon of light and freedom for all the world.  May that freedom never die and that light never be extinguished.

Before the Storm

All of us remember the stories of people who were caught up in Hurricane Katrina.  We saw the long lines of cars on freeways filled with people hoping to escape disaster.  We heard from others who decided to stay with their homes so they could guard them from intruders after the storm. 

To me, the saddest stories were tales about people who died trying to protect their possessions.  They were told about the incredible fury of the hurricane, and surely they knew there might not be anything left after the storm had done its damage.  Still they remained, clinging to what was most precious to them.

Don’t judge.  You and I do the same.  We cling to routines that are bad for us because we don’t like change.  We hang on to grudges long after we forget what started the feud.  We withhold parts of ourselves from God, even though we know he sees everything, and that all things belong to him anyway. The hard truth is, the longer we hold tightly to the things of this world, the more potential there is to lose perspective about what’s really important.

Could there be anything more frustrating than telling people they will be in mortal danger unless they act, and seeing them refuse to save themselves?  Police officers and other emergency workers must have hated those moments before the storm.  They knew that lives would be needlessly lost because people refused assistance and direction.

I imagine God must weep at many of our decisions.  He holds out his hand of forgiveness but people refuse to take it.  He offers us peace of soul, but enticed by what the world offers, people opt instead for temporary fame or money. He sent his only son to die for our sins. and he’s treated with contempt instead of gratitude.  How we must break God’s heart.  Still, he has compassion and allows us to make our mistakes; and when we at last run to him, he receives us joyously and with open arms.

In those moments before the storms of life, what do you do?  Do you shield yourself from the winds by prudently building up a life that cannot be shaken?  Do you refuse help because you’re so proud you think you can handle anything on your own?  Do you wait until the last minute and then curse the storm for ruining your plans? 

The Bible has a lot to say about character and making choices and abandoning our own egos to follow something greater than our ambitions.  It isn’t only people facing hurricanes that have trouble identifying what matters most.  You and I, no matter what the circumstances of our lives, make daily decisions that take us closer to or further apart from God. 

Some of us cling to our own notions of social justice without even considering what God has to say about these matters. Some of us are so preoccupied with earning a living that we neglect to spend time communing with God.  Others simply don’t care, because they’re living for themselves anyway.  There is a common theme that runs through these examples - when we follow our own path, refusing to subordinate our desires to Gods, we eventually pay a heavy price. 

One of dumbest songs I’ve ever heard is the old Frank Sinatra tune, “(I Did it) My Way.” That’s not the kind of thing one should be saying to God. On the other hand, I’ll bet no one has ever repented of being a Christian in the final moments before death. 

Some people will lose their life when the storms come because they failed to trust in the only one who is wholly trustworthy.  Others, having prepared themselves, will find their trust justified.  God never forces his will on us, but like people faced with a certain hurricane, we would be wise to place ourselves in his hands and allow him to steer our course.  The creator of the universe, the God who loves us, will never steer us wrong.