If you know me, either personally or through my writing, you know that I have an intense commitment to truth.  Either things are true, or they are not true; any other view is irrational.  Those who deny absolutes live in denial, the most likely option, or they are insane.  To make any kind of sense of the world or its people, we need to know what is true.  Unfortunately, those whose job it should be to help us have decided that their job is to control us by manipulating information.  Such people can be found in several places:  the media, politics, and schools.

    Because of the first, those who supposedly report news in print an broadcast media, many don't really know what is going on.  They are ignorant of fact, truth, and reality; such ignorance is dangerous and must go.  This subject holds some degree of personal interest for me because I learned to report news, when objectivity and impartial presentation were the absolute norm.  I have written for newspaper and for radio, where I broadcast the news.  I find the present lack of principle and, therefore, credibility pathetic and harmful.  People must recognize the problem and demand a restoration of appropriate standards of reporting.

    The second group of people who seek to confuse by dishonesty are generally recognized, so much so that "honest politician" is practically an oxymoron.  What troubles me is the willingness or gullibility of those who ignore the half truths and other lies of a Barack Obama or any other candidate they prefer.  Elections offer us less choice and seem to limit our influence over dishonesty, but I suspect we get it because we tolerate it.  Consider Bill Clinton, parsing words like "is" to rationalize his flagrant deceit; it cost him his freedom to practice law, and yet people still admire him.  Perhaps that shows just how deeply our national character has slipped.

    The third group, like the others, ought to be people we may trust.  The difficulty here is that many are not so much dishonest and deceived themselves.  What an irony it is that those who teach have been mislead by those who have taught them.  I have gained a great deal of disheartening insight into the government-controlled system of schools, overshadowed by all manner of sociological mandates and burdened by a surfeit of highly paid bureaucratic agencies and administrators, none of whom teach.  Today, I learned why, and I will write more when I have digested what I have discovered.  For now, you might check out John Taylor Gatto, a recognized New York City and New York State "teacher of the year" and author of The Underground History of American Education, which you can read on his web site.  I highly recommend his American Education History Tour, which takes only a few minutes to take.  I also listened to a recording of his appearance on a radio program; I think it's worth the time investment, especially if you are a parent or a teacher.  One professor of education has called his books "scathing" and "one-sided and hyperbolic, [but] not inaccurate," a rather telling observation.

    How long can our nation and culture survive this deluge of dishonesty?  Why do we tolerate people who mislead us and, by doing so, lead us only God knows where?  Gatto might say that we are the victims of a decades long effort to make us ignorant and biddable, so that the movers and shakers behind the scenes, what some call the "shadow government" can take us into "a new world order."  He doesn't call it a conspiracy.  As one who believes in God and in His and our adversary, I could see a more "devilish" plan.  Regardless, to know is to gain power to do.  We don't have to let other mislead or mis-lead us.  We have the brains and, as yet, the liberty to take charge of the direction of our lives, to liberate the lives of the next generations, and restore truth to our nearly truth-less society.  The question is "Will we?"

    I see a tension between legitimate progress and patriotism.  The American ideal, while sometimes flawed in its execution, remains the best so far.  In a world populated by sinners, where we can never be sure of the character of a leader, our system prevents oppression and tyranny.  In that light, then, progress is refinement, making the the American system more free, more capitalistic, less centralized, and certainly less bureaucratic.  The progressive Left, who favor regression not progress, don't understand or don't care.  They have been working hard to indoctrinate successive generations to regret the American way in favor of something else; whether you call it European socialism or Soviet communism, it isn't American and it isn't progress.  The challenge, as I have written, is to find ways to explain and persuade those that the Left has manipulated, kept ignorant in many respects, and turned into blind followers.

    Listen to Barack Obama, the current crop of Democratic, and many Republicans, and you will hear defeat.  America's best days are gone, and we can only give up the things we love--cars, freedom, and even food--to "save the world."  When I worked as a programmer for a young company, the board brought in a new CEO who thought the best way to make a profit was to fire people.  Like many today, he couldn't imagine pushing forward to success, solving problems, and creating something new.  For so-called progressives, we cannot really "solve" the energy crisis; we can only stop using energy, a plan they insist on despite growing opposition from all sectors, regions, and political persuasions.  Our congressman Mike Rogers proposed a multifaceted approach--drilling for oil, building nuclear plants, and seeing new technologies.  I heard someone else suggest a "Manhattan Project" sort of commitment, pulling together the best and the brightest to find new answers to meet our energy needs.

    That's the America I love, and why I am a patriot.  I am not an isolationist, but I am a United States first kind of guy.  Elitist want to become Europeans, for some reason.  I don't see the success and progress there that has been the hallmark here.  Too many of our leaders seem to have suicidal tendencies, when it comes to this nation, which we elected them to serve.  Judges appeal to European or international law, instead of the Constitution.  I think Pat Buchanan has a point when he says we have lost our independence.

    To make matters worse, we have been forced to listen to candidates and party leaders make promises that they cannot or will not keep.  People are worse than gullible; they are uncritically accepting, naively optimistic, and foolishly presumptuous.  They don't ask what or how; they simply assume that what they want is what the candidates are promising.  They don't check to see if their record matches their rhetoric or confirms their character. 

    In a different vein but somewhat relevant, I had reason, recently, to ponder Job's friends.  Job, the oldest book of the Old Testament, tells the story of a man who God allowed to lose everything to prove that he would remain righteous.  Job's friends, after a week of simply sharing his grief, told Job that his sin caused his suffering, including the loss of his children in natural disasters.  I have had friends like that, but, worse, I have been a friend like that.  It's the danger in political conversations, too.  Even as we seek to prevent disaster and restore what we have lost, we must take care not merely to point the finger (I won't say which one).  Blaming does little to fix what is broken, if in fact those we blame are even responsible for breaking it, whether their personal lives, their families, their communities, their businesses, or even their country.  It is a piece, and a counterproductive one, of what makes some talk shows destructive rather than constructive.

    In my Independence Day blog, and in my contrasting progress and progressives, and even in the heading of this blog, I try always to balance what I consider to be the bedrock values of faith and freedom with a civil, constructive approach to advancing them.  Personally, I get tired of those who accuse others of hate; I personally resent a charge that is diametrically opposed to what most Christians are.  What can we do to counter the often aggressive efforts to destroy Christian influence and Christianity's very presence in this country?  I believe the answer, contrary to our natural impulses, is peacemaking.  In this case, I'm not talking about world peace, interpersonal peace, or inner peace, although I touch on all of these.  In the contentious, anti-religious, and often openly anti-Christian environment in which we live, we need to commit ourselves to "true peacemaking," which is the very soul of our faith and the very heart of our God.

    In these days following Independence Day, it can't hurt to remember, "(I)f the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).  In this freedom, is peace, joy, and love, virtues that are the very essence of a life of true peace.  In this freedom is real hope, the anticipation of good which God has promises to create, not a political slogan empty of meaning or substance.  In this context, we have the ability to change for the better, apart from political rhetoric and sloganeering, changing ourselves not our government or way of life.  Yet, in this spirit, we also have the tools to work toward the changes we truly desire though constructive engagement with the people we know and meet, in our families, at our workplaces, and in our neighborhoods.  As a patriot and a peacemaker, I feel pretty good about that.

That may not be a revelation to anyone, but my life has been especially crazy, lately.  I haven't posted anything here in over two months.  I know I had overdosed on political news.  Then, I found myself with no place to live, evicted after my landlord lost the property.  I had hints but thought things were under control; then, in a matter of days, I learned I had a month to be moved out after living in the same house for nearly 20 years.  During the same month, my 80-year-old mother had knee replacement surgery, my school choirs had a concert, and I had to figure out what I was going to do, where I was going to live, and how I was going to pay for it.

Because I tutor refugees, paid by the hour by government grant, underpaid I should say, I have less than adequate income and no benefits.  I have stuck with my students because I care about them and they have no one else.  You can read about that, if you'd like to know more.  I have been appalled by how poorly public schools seem to teach students who are not fluent in English.  As a teacher myself, I naturally assume that schools would test them to determine their various abilities and proficiencies and then provide appropriate instruction with those needs in mind.  As far as I have been able to determine, none of the schools where my students attend, except the private, Christian schools, do that.  They are supposedly required by law to do so, but they simply ignore the law.  Unbelievable!

During my nearly 2-month-long crisis, I picked up a book by John Whitehead, and that prompted me to check out his website.  I have been deeply concerned about what happens to my students in the immigration system, and I wrote Mr. Whitehead, looking for information or help, I'm not sure which.  He wrote me back and asked me to write my concerns into an article for their newsletter.  By then, I was partially moved but had a ton of stuff still left in my old house.  I asked how soon, and he said as soon as I could; so, I found time to write and submit my article.  It should be published in the next edition of their newsletter.

I liked my house, and I didn't want to move.  Basically, I have always hated moving.  I have thought that, if they could collapse my house on top of me and put a marker on top, that would be the best way to deal with my body and a lot of stuff important only to me.  For a time, I was overwhelmed by the seeming impossibility of the task; I was also feeling rather sorry for myself.  With a little help from my friends, I finally face the challenge of moving on, and that got me back to writing again.

I started blogging as a step toward something a friend and I were developing.  My postings really represent an attitude that I believe is necessary for us to challenge effectively the ideas, people, and movements that threaten the very basis of American culture and freedom.  The heading of this blog--keep it solid, civil, and simple--summarize that approach.  Solid, in this case, represents absolute truth of basic ideas that work; I write about those bedrock ideas and post them here.  My Table Talk Blog deals with the matter of civility--of reasoning without arguing, of making peace, and of winning other over to a better point of view.  I'm working on simplicity, which doesn't come easy for me.  I try to write summaries here of what I discuss in greater detail elsewhere.

My latest Bedrock posting encourages a more constructive method of conversation or dialog, recognizing that too many of us react to hot button words without really understanding what those words mean.  Such words or labels have divided people for generations, at least here in the West.  I feel we've reached a point in the disintegration of our culture and political system where we can no longer afford to argue, react, and condemn; we need to break through that sort of divisiveness and find better ways to win people over to the ideas we hold.  We cannot afford to fail; the results threaten the very substance of our culture and heritage.  We must start "Making our Case Successfully."

Speaking of nuts, I could write volumes on the current crop of presidential contenders, the looming prospect of accusations of racism, the need for a third option than either of the presumptive nominees, the insanity of the trendy preferences of progressive Americans as we face the consequences of those preferences--escalating gas prices, food prices, and lawsuits against everything.  My one comment is this:  Only people living in liberty and prosperity have the option to destroy their own liberty and prosperity.

Perhaps nothing is more relationally or culturally destructive than dishonesty and promise-breaking, a virtual hallmark of politicians, but sadly all too characteristic of too many of us citizens and even Christians.  That's another kind of crazy, but just as self-destructive.  My most recent post, to date, is called "Promises to Keep."  Please, check it out.

(Updated 06/10/08)

Having said that, here are some things to think about come time to vote, compliments of the Patriot Post:

"There are seven reasons for anyone to support the eventual nominee no matter who it is: The war and six Supreme Court justices over the age of 68."—Hugh Hewitt

"Kamikaze Republicans—those who say they'll never vote for John McCain because he isn't conservative enough—may get what they deserve. The Clintons... It isn't necessary to love everything McCain has done to vote for him should he be the nominee. But it isn't possible to argue that there's no difference between McCain and Clinton (or Barack Obama), as some Republicans insist."—Kathleen Parker

"A wise aphorism has it that the perfect is the enemy of the good. While conservatives tilt their noses expressively in the air at the idea of John McCain's representing a movement he votes with 85 percent of the time, Democrats offer the electorate two strong believers in the power of big government, two babes in the woods when it comes to foreign policy, two fast friends of every liberal interest from pro-choice to gay rights to let's-kill-the-Bush-tax-cuts."—William Murchison

"We are a movement that believes in personal responsibility, so it's time to take some. There are consequences to losing. Now is the time to rebuild and re-group, not whine or complain or sulk. Reagan lost many political battles along the way but never lost hope in the enduring nature of basic conservative principles. Neither should we."—Laura Ingraham

"Conservative principles are timeless, and will outlast any politician."—Alfred Regnery

"God still governs. The times and providence called forth the right man to lead America for such a time as this."—Rep. Mike Pence

Dare we trust God enough to accept that he will manage to see His will carried out regardless of whom we are foolish enough or wise enough to elect? Even when he tried, Balaam could not oppose God (Numbers 22-24). I wonder… Could Bill Clinton become “Balaam’s donkey?” He’s already acting a bit like one…

And I don’t want to know what this is about: “It’s part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama's speech.  My, I felt this thrill going up my leg.  I mean, I don't have that too often,” says Chris Matthews on MSNBC.

    Like most people, I have been on my own since I left home for college.  For you, it may have been the military or marriage or your first apartment.  It is normal for kids to want to separate from Mom and Dad and find their own way, although it is probably exaggerated in American life.

    What is not normal is to exchange the womb or the family for the dubious care of the government, but that seems to be what many Americans are seeking today.  It scares the living daylights out of me!  David Harsanyi has written a book called Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children, but I have yet to read it.  When I think of a nanny, though, it seems to me that government makes one nasty nanny!  I have written just why I think so.  Check it out, and let me know if you agree.

    Today, I heard Lars Larson discussing mandatory dress codes at schools, and it occurred to me that such requirement teach kids to accept government restrictions rather than learn to live responsibly in freedom.  I tend to prefer conservative school rules, personally, but I have to admit that somewhere we need to develop in young people the discernment and responsibility that freedom requires.  Otherwise, they cannot become citizens who love freedom but enjoy it wisely, a problem I fear we are already experiencing.  So, in writing this time, I made myself think...

    I listen to some talk radio, I read quite a bit, and I talk to people.  I'm not a political junky, and I'm relatively low key about catching the daily news, although I usually catch the highpoints while I'm in the car.  It's interesting to note the amount of fear, panic, and doom from report to report, conversation to conversation, and talk show to talk show.  We hear that Hillary has it all wrapped up, that the US economy is about to implode, that this or that candidate is finished, just before they win a primary, and that conservative talk radio is dead.

    I'm not surprised there are lots of anxious people and others who are angry, but I'd rather not tie my personal well-being to such things.  Can we function in the chaotic environment of news and politics and stay calm and upbeat. Of course, Rush Limbaugh seems to manage despite his critics and detractors and even when the conservative landscape looks a bit barren.  Sean Hannity, on the other hand, seems to operate on the edge of disaster on many of his programs.

    I like the word contentment, and I have tried for many years to be content in whatever circumstances I may be, to learn the secret the Apostle Paul speaks about in Philippians 4:11-12.  I'm convinced people can enjoy their lives amid the chaos and confusion of our noisy culture.  One lady I knew used to say "Worry works because most of the things people worry about never happen."  I may not agree with her method, but she is right about most of the things we fear...They never happen.

    My thoughts are a little deeper than that.  With the rejection of God and absolutes, people have nothing on which to anchor their hopes, except people like our current crop of candidates.  I feel sorry for them.  Not even the candidate I like best is worthy of such regard, and many of them are simply not to be trusted at all!  Sadly, some who still claim faith in God act like He has little power or compassion for us mere mortals, and they live in uncertainty too.

    You won't see me with some senseless smile pasted perpetually on my face, but I don't live my life in a haze of anxiety and doubt.  God is real, and He is sovereign, whether we acknowledge Him or not.  He gives us, who trust Him, perspective, and, in that viewpoint, we can all enjoy serenity and hope.

    

Can We Not Have Both?

    I believe the United States became a great nation, blessed by God, because of two things--individual freedom and a generous spirit.  The first created an environment where people could imagine, work hard, and achieve their dreams, among them a prosperity unrivalled anywhere or any time in our history.  The second, out of that abundance, provided compassionate to less fortunate people here and around the world.

    I oppose socialist schemes of redistribution whether they are part of a big government, high tax bureaucracy or of a power-grabbing United Nations.  Individual freedom and capitalism are responsible for our wealth, and sacrificing them will lead quickly to poverty.  The solutions to the economic troubles of the world depend on liberty and capitalism finding root elsewhere, not in rooting it out here.

    Unfortunately, too few of our citizens and leaders seem to understand this reality, and the schemes they create are destructive of the two very blessings that have made us a great people.  The immigration issue provides a good example.  Our policies regarding legal immigration as well as those dealing with illegal entry must first protect our American way of life, especially our heritage of individual liberty under the U.S. Constitution.

    Multiculturalism opposes this, in acting as if every culture is equally good.  Plainly, they are not.  Most of them have produced poverty and oppression that we are often involved in trying to relieve.  American public schools teach multiculturalism rather than our historic heritage, and immigrants are allowed to "preserve" their own heritage instead of embracing ours.  Frankly, most of them, had they preferred their own heritage, they would not have made such an effort to come to the United States.

    The tolerance or willingness to look the other way while millions of people cross our borders illegally has a similar purpose, I fear, in addition to a rather flagrant desire for votes on the part of politicians and an equally glaring desire for cheap labor on the part of some business people.  As a result, not only is our liberty threatened but our reputation for compassion, if what I suspect is true.

    As a citizen and a Christian, I want my government to provide both security and fair, compassion treatment toward people, even those trying to get into our country illegally.  As I have written previously, for the first time in my life, I suspect that what is happening is evil, not just wrong or stupid, because those involved are kids.  Recent experiences are not changing my opinion.  I rather hope that someone reading my thoughts will provide an explanation that proves me wrong.  Otherwise, I will be looking for answers myself and, where I can, providing alternatives to the failures of the system as it relates to the young people I tutor.

    As a Christian, in particular, I cannot do otherwise.  Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Regardless of my concerns about our American way of life, these kids are my neighbors, and I will do my best to show them the compassion of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As for closing the borders, we must do so, I believer, but we must also work hard to address the conditions that exist in the places illegals are trying to escape.  In this, I agree with our President that we must export freedom; that is the most compassionate thing we can do.

    As for refugees as well as illegal teenagers who come, we must not pretend to offer them our best, only to cleverly deny them the genuine opportunity to have it.  If we either bring kids or allow them to stay merely to have a cheap, low class labor force, then that is the evil that we must identify and stop.  Otherwise, the blessings of God will disappear because no wise person would expect him to ignore such evil.

    It isn't a choice between self-preservation and compassion.  Our history proves that both are possible; they have been the practice of Americans for most of our history.  They can be the effective choice of our future, as well.

    No!   I have no idea who would make the ideal President of the United States.  Whoever it might be, I don't think that person is running.  Even the best candidates are imperfect because we are all imperfect.  To what dream, then, am I referring?  Actually, on this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, I am somewhat thinking of his dream, but I fear he might regard it as having become a nightmare.

    Dr. King imagine a future where individual character was more important than skin color or some other basis for superficial judgment or discrimination.  In one sense, I think we have moved substantially toward that goal, despite the rhetoric of some in the civil rights establishment and in the Democratic party.  In many ways, we have indeed become a "color-blind" society, and the threats are no long merely those of narrow-minded, white racists.  In fact, few of us respect such people, but another kind of bias has risen, strangely twisting the way people think.  I have about that, but that's a small part of the nightmare.

    How will anyone judge character if the idea of character itself is scorned and neglected by our leaders?  When you listen to the field of presidential hopefuls, the question of character is one we all should be asking, for their is a notable lack of character being displayed by most of them.  Some promise change; others try to be the "conservative torch-bearer," the next Reagan.  Are any of them trustworthy enough to support?  What kind of character does a liar have?  The nightmare is in wondering if liars are the best we have?

    As a Christian in a land founded and shaped by Christians but now often scorning them, I find the efforts of Democratic candidates to be accepted as Christians strange, the attacks on a Mormon unpleasant and wrong, and the appeal to be the unchallenged "Christian" candidate juvenile at best.  I would love to vote for a Christian statesman, but I don't see any such person.  I would be happy to have someone like Ronald Reagan, warts and all, and hardly the ideal Christian.  I respect the last Christian President we elected, but I have a lot of issues with George Bush like immigration, over-spending, and the further federalizing of education.  Picking a good candidate who might become a good President is more than a label, even one I carry.

    I have a number of good friends who think Ron Paul is the answer, and I didn't even mention him there, although I believe what I have written does apply.  I didn't refer directly to the person for whom I voted in our Michigan primary, so you may figure out who that was, by process of elimination.  My purpose here isn't to pick the one I think is best; I'm not yet sure who I think that is.  My purpose is to challenge all of us to demand better from our leaders, perhaps be demanding more first from ourselves.  Without character, integrity, honesty, and virtue, we don't have a very bright future.  For all seriousness of the radical Islamic threat and the War on Terror, despite the fears of economic collapse which are well-warranted I believer, and no matter how much illegal immigration and open borders may change the very fabric of the United States, without character none of the rest really matters.  Certainly without character, we have no reason to expect the person we elect will do what they have promised; most don't!  Without character, we simply won't have much of a culture to protect and preserve.

    One of our forefathers said, “Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness.”  Our departure of faith and character already erode our freedoms and the pursuit of happiness.  Thomas Jefferson said, "There is no vice... so contemptible; he who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and a third time, till at length it becomes habitual."  Among a people who have become habitual liars led by leaders who are habitual liars, we have few we can trust.  What kind of life will we have with no one we can count on?  Ronald Reagan said, "I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandment's would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."  Well, that one need no comment.  Finally, Jesus said, "The truth will set you free."  That one is oh, so controversial, isn't it?

    I have no desire to minimize the suffering that real racism has created in the world.  Believe it or not, the United States is not the worst offender nor ever has been.  Many Muslim North Africans despise, enslave, and kill the darker skinned people in places like Sudan and Mauritania, and ironically the American black community show little concern for the African people from whom they claim a heritage.  Martin Luther King's reputation may well have grown beyond historical reality; such is the nature of our heros, but no one can argue the merit of his dream.  I just hope we may achieve it, in all that its words represent, a people free, equal, and measured by genuine character.

    Nothing like a break from the routine abetted by a cold to keep a person out of circulation.  Then, when the routine kicked back in, in kicked in with a vengeance.  When my students get hammered, as they do at semester's end, then their tutor gets even busier.

    Two items in the news caught my attention.  The first was another bad report on American public school effectiveness.  So what is the answer?  Unfortunately, like Humpty Dumpty, this broken system is beyond repair.  It took me 30 years to come finally to this conclusion.  If you are a parent or grandparent or just care about kids, you can't wait that long to catch on.  Their futures are at stake!

    The other item was a survey that found the majority of unchurched people think we Christians are phoneys.  The charge of hypocrisy isn't a new one, but the numbers in this one could seem daunting.  I see it as an opportunity.  One rather obvious conclusion is that people who don't really know us have a negative opinion of us, and giving them a chance to know a genuine Christian, warts and all, should give them a better opinion.  To do that, of course, you do need to be an authentic Christian, not just a nominal one.  You also need to be honest about your failings, what some call sin.  When we publicly decry the moral climate and the abandonment of absolutes, we easily create the impression that we don't sin or that genuinely Christian people cannot sin.  That is a misunderstanding that we may reinforce by acting more self-righteous than we are.

    I haven't written about the Presidential candidates, and the Michigan primaries have come and gone.  We get to hear a large number of people massage their records when they're not simply lying.  The refrain we hear often is the need for change and who will bring it.  Change to what?  Change for change's sake isn't just meaningless; it is scary.  Trusting people who can't be trusted to change things is irrational, and I hear plenty of insanity.  Don't you?

    My friend wrote this to me, "I can't help but think of your words that 'we Christians get the candidate we prayed (or didn't) for.'  Reminds me to start praying!"

 

Let's Straighten It Out

Christmas has become far greater and, at the same time, far less than it ought to be.  For genuine believers in the Christ of Christmas, a time of reverence and awe at the nature and events of Jesus’ birth may properly include many of the sacred traditions—singing, gifts, story-telling, worship, and even fun.  The birth of a human prince might easily warrant all of that; the birth of the heavenly Son no less!  As with the human event, some might enjoy the celebration with little appreciation of its importance or happiness at the birth itself—such is human nature.  However, any mortal ruler would draw the line at significant protests or demonstrations opposing the birth.  I wonder what God thinks about what goes on during this time that once was meant to honor the birth of His Son.  He has the right to object, but He may be more disappointed at the behavior of those who supposedly follow Him.

 

I have referred, more than once, to Bob Briner’s Deadly Detours, and I think he’d agree, that the ways some Christians deal with the controversy about celebrating the holiday, qualifies as a very deadly, very off-the-track, and counter-productive expression of Christian devotion.  Personally I am torn.  On the one hand, I’m sick of what I see.  I like the idea of suing various public institutions (like the ACLU) that seem to want to keep Christmas, a Christian holy day, but strip it of anything remotely religious or spiritual.  On the other, I feel like perhaps we should take our holiday and celebrate it on some other date and in a manner more appropriate than the highly commercialized, fantasized, and secularized season that it has become.  Certainly, fighting ungraciously to keep so many things that contradict or neglect the sacred is worse than pointless; it is counter-productive.

 

To be frank, I rather like some of the traditions.  Christmas music is some of the most beautiful ever written or performed, sometimes by unbelieving musicians (This makes me smile, every time I watch it).   Even with all the distortions of media, advertisers, and script-writers, the season still manages to honor the one whose birthday began it, by bringing out some of the best human impulses of kindness and generosity.   Many of the most secular aspects like Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and candy canes offer opportunity for spiritual explanation:  the generosity of Saint Nicholas, the symbolism of stars, lights, and many decorations, and illustrations based on other traditional Christmas elements.

 

Nothing is more appropriate than the nature of genuine gifts that represent so well the gift of God’s Son, as long as we avoid the super-spiritual, grossly inappropriate “giving” of some token of faith than the recipient will neither appreciate nor understand.  I’m not impressed if someone “gives” me a tree planted in the rain forest that I will never see and that does not represent my convictions; I wouldn’t expect someone else to appreciate an expression of my spiritual beliefs that he or she doesn’t share.  After all, a good gift will reflect our knowledge of the person to whom we give it.

 

The Magi chose intriguing gifts for the infant Jesus.  Gold certainly showed respect for the one the believed to be royalty, the promised “King of the Jews.”  Frankincense and myrrh were also precious and worthy for a prince but may have reflected awareness, at some level, of divinity, worthy of worship by incense, and death with spices used in embalming.  Prescient, spiritually inspired, or coincidental, they were truly awesome gifts.  I imagine Mary and Joseph discussed them on many a late night along with the other marvels of Jesus’ birth.

 

The adult Jesus drove money-changers and merchants from the temple.  I suspect He finds the crass commercialism associated with the celebration that bears His name equally offensive, but then the United States or a mall isn’t the temple.  As hard as they try, the opponents of Christian beliefs can’t eradicate the Bible stories, sacred symbols, spiritual traditions, or true meaning from the marketplace, where any child or adult, Jew, Muslim, or atheist may stumble upon it.  A few vocal critics express their offense at seeing such things; of course, they lie.  Their problem isn’t offense; rather it is contempt for those who genuinely believe.  I don’t find the books and symbols of other religions offensive.  How can things, which hold no meaning for me, possibly offend me?  No, the things that offend are the contemptuous blasphemies heaped on the things I believe and worship.  The claims of offense are a ruse that has been remarkably effective in driving majority Christian citizens and their faith out of the public square, even as Islam and Kwanza are welcomed in the name of multiculturalism and diversity, the religion of postmodern relativists.

 

Although I remain torn between culture war and isolationist withdrawal, not unlike the options we face with regard to political choices, I believe our best choice is creative engagement.  I am, at heart, a peacemaker.  I generally reject war as a desperate necessity when our enemies seek our destruction, and I generally reject pacifism as ineffective if the issues of conflict are not resolved.  So, for me, that lawsuit idea is still on the table, since the opponents of Christianity seem to be waging war against us; but bold, aggressive peacemaking must occur if we are to win more than an empty victory.

 

It all comes down to one question:  Do we celebrate stale, empty tradition or do we celebrate truth?  If it’s truth, as I believe, then we should use every tool, every creative idea, and every kind and thoughtful gesture to demonstrate and persuade our neighbors of the truth—that God became man (Chuck Colson makes a great point about that) and this “Immanuel” dwelt among us, that he humbled himself even to the point of death, that His name Jesus was chosen because He would save us from our sins, and that, in time, His death became the key to the greatest, unspeakably amazing gift of salvation, truly free, wholly unearned, and completely undeserved.  All other traditions are largely superfluous, fun, sentimental or even sappy, but beside the real point.  The most beautiful, authentic crèche is pointless without a loving interpretation.  Jesus is no more in that feeding trough than on the crucifixes that hang in many churches or on chains around many necks.

 

Certainly, “Merry Christmas,” spoken in a tone more in keeping with rude profanities brings no honor to the Christ of Christmas, and it will never win any converts.  It makes me think of parents who let little Johnny or Joanie have his or her willful way when they’re small; later, when parental permissiveness has produced an even more willful teenager, Mom and Dad are finally ready for the “rod of correction,” too late to work but just in time to make matters worse.  I thought I had said my last word, two years ago.

 

We Christians are equally remiss in complacently watching our culture behave badly, often not behaving much better ourselves.  Like the frog in a slowly warming kettle, we have been comfortable in our blissful ignorance, until suddenly we notice that it is getting rather hot.  Of course, that frog, soaking in the sauna, doesn’t have much energy or will left, and just escaping from the pot may be more than he can manage.  I don’t know how many Christians will escape, let alone find a way to convince the cooks to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”  If some do, I think we can straighten out our twisted Christmas and get the good news message out to this generation, that really needs it!

 

 

    Change is a funny thing.  Often we regard change as a bad thing, especially as we get older or as changes come upon us, unexpected and unwanted.  Recently, I have been facing changes I would have preferred to miss, but I cannot seem to prevent or alter them.  I recall being asked to speak to a congregation about accepting change, and I realized back then that it was a difficult subject to discuss, especially to people who would rather not change or accept change.

    So, I feel a bit conflicted (Now, there's a word I won't use often!) about promoting change.  That is the problem, in many respects; even making changes for the good places people out of their comfort zone.  That's why I am a conservative.  In many ways, I am trying to preserve or restore what is good about our country and our way of life, against threats that represent bigger unwanted changes.  That is also why, a couple of weeks ago,  I wrote about the value of asking questions to engage people constructively to resist unwanted and unacceptable changes.  I promised then to begin a list of the kinds of questions I thought would open up conversations about important issues, and I have posted my preliminary list of useful questions.  Look them over, and let me know what you think.

    We face the prospect of change being pushed and promoted by politicians, the media, and even educators.  My most recent experience with the latter happened yesterday.  It involved a short story called "The Lesson" and I believe the real lesson is the threat posed by the use of stories like this one.  I realize that good teachers may provide balance to the story itself, but I fear otherwise.  On top of the socialistic and resentment-inducing message of the story, the language is vulgar, something I regard an unnecessary and inappropriate in high school (Call me old-fashioned, but I think we have far too much vulgarity already).

    On the other hand, poverty and hardship do exist, and we have a duty to work to give people hope and the opportunity for a better future.  I don't think that's the government's job, and I wouldn't trust them with that kind of power, if I had a choice.  As citizens and, more so, as Christians, we have an sacred obligation to use our wealth wisely.  Instead, we too often act just like the secular culture--divisive, unkind, and selfish.  God doesn't bless us just to give us the goodies; He wants us to bless others in turn, something I fear we often fail to do.  "The Lesson" has street kids wondering why anyone would spend over $1000 on a toy boat, when that would put food on the table for a family for a month or more.  It's not a bad question; it's just not one that the government should answer.  I sometimes imagine my life as a rich man, although my life is already rich in many ways and better than many in the rest of the world.  If I were a rich man, as the song goes, I hope I would also be a compassionate and generous one.  How about you?