Semper Paratus

I bought my first life insurance policy when I was 22 years old. I suppose the birth of my son Jason had prompted this old retired NCO to call on me and make his pitch. As a young Airman in the Air Force I knew I wouldn’t be able to scratch together much of a premium but there was no doubt about the need to prepare. When I reenlisted with the intent to make a career of military service it was again with an eye on the future and a provision for security. As the years continued on it became ever more evident that my earlier choices in education would fall inadequate to properly prepare for a second career to bring me into retirement from the work force and ease me into the gray days of life, so I reengineered my academic outlook and took on the groundwork of preparation. All along in life there are notices, hints, testimonies and declarations that if one fails to prepare for the inevitable the consequences will be bleak. Notwithstanding those who have decided to rely on the munificence and capacity of the government to come to their aid at the end of their working years (or the end of their years), I believe we’ve all been witness to the reality of the inadequacy of such a strategy, and now that the government has exercised the hubris to take on even more of a load I’m certain we shall all come to observe, in short order, the folly of our hope in government.

Jesus taught this same principle in the parable about the foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the wind blew, and the streams rose to destroy his meager attempts at preparing for the tempest. For, the storm is sure to come and your foundations will reveal your effort. This is an axiom in all parts of life, and it matters not if you have set yourself above the admonitions of God. On his death bed, Henry David Thoreau was asked by his aunt if he was at peace with God, to which his reply was, “I was not aware we had quarreled.” His flippant response in the face of such a serious embarkation revealed volumes about his preparation. Unwillingness to recognize the chasm that exists between my sin and His provision seems all the more preposterous when I realize that the work of preparation has already been accomplished and all I have to do is accept the gift. In preparing for my retirement in the senior years, it would be like someone left me an endowment so that my living costs and medical expenses would all be satisfied at no cost to me – I merely would have to acknowledge the source. I was prompted to remember this recently when I heard an old favorite Church hymn by Elvina M. Hall from her 1865 writing of “Jesus Paid It All.” The refrain goes like this: “Jesus paid it all; All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.”

If He knows . . .

My mom used to tell the story of when I was about eight or nine years old, someone had drawn (etched) pictures in the vinyl kitchen table cloth with one of those church key can openers. When she returned to the kitchen area and noticed the destruction she demanded to know who was responsible. No one confessed. She then asked me point blank, “Joe, did you do this?” “No mama, I didn’t do it.” Then she said to my brother, “Billy, did you do it?” “No mama, I didn’t do it either.” Finally, to my little sister, “Fran, did you ruin this table cloth?” “No mama, I didn’t do it.” With resignation mama then said, “That’s all right, the baby Jesus knows who did it.” Then with the apprehension of youthful anticipation I exclaimed, “He didn’t see me do it, did He?”

The dictionary defines “omniscient” this way: “having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things.” Yes, “He knows if you’ve been bad or good . . .” but He’s not Santa Claus . . . He’s God. You might be wondering about this very thing, does God know what I’m going through? Does He care about my needs? Is He aware of my desperate situation? Well, He can’t not know and still be God. The Bible assures us “God knows your hearts.” (Luke 16:15), and “Your Father knows your needs.” (Matt. 6:8) and “He knows the thoughts of everyone.” (Psalms 94:11). Further, He loves you beyond your capacity to understand; not just when you’re good but when you are acting the prodigal. Well then, you might wonder, if He loves me and He knows my need, why does He not help me? Perhaps, as in the case of the runaway son in Luke 15 He’s waiting for you to “look up” and cry out to Him. Be assured, “All that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).

The Absurdity of it All

When I was in high school, one of my favorite classes was “Speech and Drama.” It allowed us to act out our naturally whimsical teenage passions with approval. Popular during this time was an element of drama known as “theater of the absurd.” Growing out of the existential world view that was popularized by modern writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, the essence of the absurd plots is the proposition that man is born into a world without purpose, and that he must commit himself to a cause for his life to have any meaning. It’s easy to understand how this existential concept of life became so popular in the post WWII years. Never mind who introduced it to the world stage, it was Sartre that adopted its tenets and became the major influence for its impetus in the literary circles of post war Europe. When considering what the world, particularly Europe, went through in the preceding decade, what we discovered about the depths to which man was capable sinking, and by observing the landscape that remained, it’s not difficult to see that absurdity is a natural calculus. Surviving to this very day, I see the tentacles of absurdity in just about every endeavor of life’s theater. Elvis sang, “All the world’s a stage and each must play a part.” When one looks at the political stage, the world of entertainment, the biting confrontations between people in our own neighborhoods, one wants to shrug the shoulders and wag the head and wonder just where these people get their scripts for the parts they are playing. Just yesterday I noticed an article in the newspaper about a convicted murderer in prison who is seeking a taxpayer-funded sex change operation and has asked a judge to order electrolysis treatments to eliminate the stress of unwanted facial hair. The absurdity of this scenario goes even further. The judge is actually deliberating on the prospect of approval.

When one looks at the world from the inside – out, the only conclusion available is that life and existence are absolute absurdities. We are relegated to seeing from a finite human perspective that shows us nothing but what the capacity of our self-contained bodily systems will allow. But our design doesn’t end with our own limited reach. In his “Confessions” Augustine said, speaking of God, “. . . our hearts are restless till they find rest in thee.” Until we find our purpose in God, we will ever be searching and ever be disappointed. We will search the stars and hope for a signal; we will build ziggurats in our quest for significance; we will annihilate our kinsmen to prove our worth. But only God can satisfy the longing; only he can lend meaning in a world that seems too bizarre for description; only the designer can reveal the blueprint. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) We don’t have to be satisfied with absurdity. This world is not our destination. The sex-change loonies don’t have to define the meaning of our reality. When we turn our existence over to Christ, we will essentially transfer our citizenship to heaven; (Eph. 2:6) and “old things are passed away, the old life is gone, a new life has begun.” (2 Cor. 5:17) So, when the zanies start to close in on you, when it appears that the inmates are running the institution – rejoice and repeat after me: “Hallelujah! I’ve read the end of the book, and we win!!!

Loss of Shame

I enjoy playing guitar and singing to entertain myself and amuse others. Though, when I first began to take up guitar playing it was a struggle to make my fingers do what I wanted them to do and after a few moments on the strings my finger tips would hurt. The longer I spent pushing down on the fret the more painful it was. Nevertheless, I persisted in cultivating the guitar practice because the payoff was satisfying for me. After awhile my finger tips began to develop calluses, the discomfort of holding down the strings faded and I was able to spend hours and hours on the guitar with no pain or tenderness at all.

In the early 1970s George Carlin got a lot of mileage out of his LP monologue "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” Not only were there verbal restrictions then but there were prohibitions on what could have been considered proper viewing. Today, not only are those words permissible on TV but what is now condoned in the way of language, violence, gratuitous sex and horror is light years from those early proscriptions. What used to solicit a sense of shame in us now hardly makes a dent in our sensitivity. However, we didn’t go to bed on Thursday with a conscience and wake up on Friday amoral. We had to “practice” and cultivate this loss of shame. We deliberately built up calluses on our individual and collective consciences. In attempting to satisfy our voracious appetites it was necessary to start small and keep at it until those minor moral discomforts eventually dissipated and our consciences became seared. (1 Tim 4:2)

Is there any hope for our present condition? My wife and I are re-watching the wonderful 1980s television mini-series, Herman Wouk’s “War and Remembrance.” Yet, the scenes that depict the treatment and disposition of European Jews in Theresienstadt and Auschwitz serve as a reminder that the depths to we are capable of descending is almost unimaginable. Once thing is certain, once the conscience is disposed of we’re lost. Without shame we have become slaves to our appetites and eventual destruction. However, there is one – possible – escape. “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Rom 6:17-18) Christ will break those chains around your conscience and set your free. You can’t so it yourself – only He can. Ask Him and He’ll do it. Your choice.

Apathy or Peace

When I was doing first sergeant duty in the Air Force it was necessary at times to discharge personnel because of their incompatibility with military life. One of the phrases I used to see on the paperwork crossing my desk was “unsuitability, apathy, defective attitudes & inability to extend effort constructively.” The airmen weren’t necessarily ignorant, lazy, or insubordinate. Most often they just seemed to be incapable of discipline or orderly conduct. This presented problems within the unit for two reasons. First, if they were not pulling their weight, job completion was jeopardized. Second, if the job was to be completed, someone else had to pick up the slack. The unsuitable airman created a net drag on organizational effectiveness.

Lately I think of those airmen when I consider how to respond to today’s political insanity. Honestly, I often feel apathetic and incapable to making any kind of significant constructive effort toward resolution. Oh, I write my senators and my representative often and with zeal and serious concern. My congressman feels as I do and so writing him is simply an initiative in kudos. My senators do not share my views and indeed often respond with form letters that make me wonder if they actually received the letter I sent, since their responses bear no resemblance to the topic I mentioned or do not address the points I wanted addressed. Also, I make periodic contribution to political action committees that highlight my concerns and to candidates that run on issues dear to me. But, I’m often disappointed in the measure of difference my contributions seem to make. Further, I write letters to the editors, notes to officials, and essays on my personal blog. Still, I’m never certain about my usefulness as a citizen or how constructive my efforts are. Should I be discharged from the arena of public policy?

I have come to a conclusion: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:5-7) Jesus said it this way in His “lilies of the field” advice in Matthew 6:25-34, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matt 6:27) Certainly that doesn’t mean to simply sit on my keister and expect the Holy Servant to do my bidding. But it does mean I am to trust Him for my welfare. You can call it The Serenity Prayer or Que Sera, Sera but I’ve no doubt that He has provided me with gifts and talents to expend as far as they go yet the accomplishment is His and the peace should be mine. There will be times, perhaps often, that I will be disappointed in the political landscape despite my efforts and energies. Yet, in the realm of really important matters, I know He is my comfort and my shelter. So when you see that resignation on my face, it’s not apathy . . . it’s peace.

Made Of Wool

All throughout the endless ages
men have sought with fervor deep
to assuage with isms of every ilk
their bruised and injured consciences.
Taking upon themselves the mantle
of prophet, these self-appointed sages
like inspired heralds of the wind
seek to rescue the lost and wayward sheep.
These shepherds of worldly wisdom
attempt to corral the mass of mothers’ milk.

While in clothing made of wool
these wolves of ravenous appetite
bark their rubbish and ram their bile
upon the dwellers of ancient earth.
And the ants of the busy and comatose hill
wanting their neighbor’s tree and their tummy’s full
cast themselves upon the pyre
of the shepherd’s glowing light.
Crying “bread and circuses” in plebeian fashion
the wolf answers with a sardonic smile.

Then from the depths of liberty sought
a strange and kindred idea arises.
It percolates like wisdom not of man
and whets the yearning for breath clean and clear.
Then the conflict rages like thunder and rain,
the war is waged and the fight is fought.
The goodness of one is the bane of the other
yet which shall claim the victory prizes?
Aye there’s the rub, ‘tis for you to say
which is dissonance and which fits the plan.

The Face Of God

If the countenance of God be hid
Bid me speak in tones muted
Suited for just a somber sense
Whence cometh only the night.

Light, though, shines when He is near
Fear and mourning fade like dew
True to the sun’s abiding face
Grace be His nature and mercy mild.

Child of affliction made pure as gold
Bold I come to the bountiful throne
Prone in heart yet set on high
Nigh to Him that makes me His.

‘Tis only He that bids me come
From my estate to one so grand
Branded with a name that’s new
Through the face of God not hid.

Weeping May Endure

Weeping may endure for a night,
yet night seems millennia.
Distress and dissonance, the crimson
flow and torrent of freight,
like a siege, assaults the heart and mind,
from judges and magistrates,
drunk with shrewdness, dancing in the dark,
to slay mercy and kill the kind.
The cries, the yearnings, like sound and fury,
a tale of slim and meager significance
to a world infatuated with the celeb du jour
and deaf to all but a consecrated jury.
For joy to come at morning’s fresh light
and reign be given to justice,
for ashes to turn to breath and bones
and meekness to holy might,
the ransom paid must exalted be,
and mercy poured from heaven,
from the sides of the north to planet earth
must come the crown of victory.
Yet not on wings of wrath and ire
will morning see its pleasure,
but in the turning of heart and soul
to the crucible’s righteous fire.

Many Are The Gods

Many are the gods of this and that
self appointed idols and icons aplenty
with a vision in concrete like a movie plot
the atomic weight of Krypton and a cheap shot
and versions of the truth, maybe ten or twenty
‘cause that’s how it feels or that’s where it’s at.

Their mouths are full of malice like perfumed mace
and a scepter of peer praise is given in jest
for before their thrones lie an angelic chorus
singing phrases of doom that need a thesaurus
to rescue their wonder and kill all the rest
and shove it like rage back into your face.

From headline to dollar sign comes the weeping
and mourners pay the ferryman with coin of the realm
while spitting with venom is a concert event
and Isaiah’s caution is mangled and bent
as actors and players take charge of the helm
to lock our lost nation into their safe-keeping.

But the gods are hollow jesters of stage
and hubris is fertile like box-office winners
for desperation is an art and a skill
and some folks are stupid but know what they will
like who are the righteous and who might be sinners
and spurn the convoy to a smug tinsel cage.

So woe to the gods and woe to their train
and woe and alas must the echo be loud
to tell and exclaim of the toxins that flow
from the mountain of America’s minstrel show
and those that live on a sardonic cloud
we shun the storm and embrace the spring rain.

Gay Rights?

According to Wikipedia the term “gay” to describe “homosexual” has been a long time coming, though it’s shift as an antonym for “straight” seems to have picked up steam in the mid 20^th century (say, 1950s) as a defense against other pejorative terms such as “queer.” Today it is even risky to use the term “homosexual” in public discourse for fear of offending. In today’s (October 6, 2009) Washington Times article “Obama To Address Major Gay Rights Group” author Matthew Mosk uses the term “gay” seven times without ever using any other synonym, four times with the word “rights” as its modified noun. But when did “gay” (homosexual behavior) get to be a right? Oh, most certainly the right to choose one’s moral decisions was given in the beginning when God gave mankind a free will. In that sense gays have the God-given right to choose homosexual behavior as much as do adulterers, thieves, liars, murderers, and blasphemers to choose theirs. In fact, that would include all of us if we are candid about our sinfulness. Yet I suspect the rights in question aren’t referring to the code of conduct which is the subject of J. Budziszewski’s “Written on the Heart” but rather the legal claim of justified due that is granted to all citizens. In others words, homosexual activists insist that the right of same-sex behavior be recognized by law and by culture as equal to the recognition of rights by virtue of race, color, religion, national origin, sex and age. However, there are two important questions with respect to the homosexuals’ claim that must be answered. First, is there a moral equivalence between homosexuality and the other recognized groups? Second, what are the consequences to our national security and longevity in affirming the claim? Each of these questions deserves a treatise in answer and I won’t attempt that in this essay. Nevertheless, don’t be under the mistaken illusion that it doesn’t matter.

I think farting in a crowded elevator is wrong. In fact, the expulsion of body gases in any kind of confined space is, in my judgment, reprehensible. Of course, I labor over whether or not to impose my personally held judgment of this practice on those that do not share my position. The argument goes that it is as wrong to impose a restraint on others as it is to practice the dreaded behavior. Certainly I would never commit the act of publicly breaking wind because I believe it to be a violation of human dignity and an impolite imposition on society. Yet, to insist that others follow my own moral compass would be a violation of their right to follow their own ethical azimuth. So, here I am, having yielded to respect for the others’ right of self-determination, I am regularly and relentlessly bombarded with the odor de jour. How fortunate for the practitioners of this personal freedom that I have respected their rights. How could I have not understood that it could have been the other way around? They might have been compelled to honor my right of a stench-free environment. If I had understood that there is no such thing as an absolute vacuum -- not naturally anyway, it would have meant that I would have known that there could be no compromise on this issue. The law of non-contradiction [“It is impossible for the same thing to belong and not to belong at the same time to the same thing and in the same respect”) (Aristotle, Metaph IV 3 1005b19–20] illustrates the impossibility of compromise. Ergo, my acquiescence on this point has served to empower the opposing point of view. How did this happen? How was it that expediency became a moral right? Could it be that I don’t really hold to my own stand with honest conviction? Might it be that the constant, loud, and accusatory polemic from the gassers have put me on the defense and set me on my heels? Somewhere along the way I bought in to the prospect that insisting on the limitation of others’ personal freedom was selfish and unsupportable. And, in accepting such a prospect I wound up ceding the philosophical and legal landscape to the opposition. They certainly understood that compromise was impossible and demanded their rights instead of mine. They were not confused about what was at stake. In the rhetoric of debate, never has the other side been known to utter, “I believe in my right to fart in public but I don’t think it is right to impose my belief on everyone.” Thus has the dispute arrived at this juncture! It seems clear to me now that if I truly believe in the rightness of my position regarding public flatulence, I am bound to argue with confidence and sincerity that when two polar opposite freedoms are at risk, the law of non-contradiction demands one or the other. Compromise is simply agreement to the opposing viewpoint. And, if the subject of this brief essay actually was about farting in public, it would be near meaningless.

Last month I sensed an urge to render an opinion on the current eco-political state of affairs in America. Today I read with interest an article by Jon Meacham on “The End of Christian America” taken from the April 13 issue of Newsweek. In it he remarked on another author’s observation in which was argued that “Christianity’s claims transcend any political order . . . and that Christians should not have any illusions about the nature of human governments.” It’s distressing to note in the media that nearly half the country has placed its hope in Barak Obama and his new administration, and the other nearly half seems to place their hope in a political solution of the opposite approach. Sadly, few appear to subscribe to the admonishments of Scripture, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chr. 7:14) It’s an ancient promise but one that has proven true throughout the ages. I believe the people of God in our country need to transform their approach to “national healing” from a Moral Majority approach to government wherein we focus on electing good government, to a prayer closest approach wherein we repent of our own spiritual absenteeism and mention our presidents, senators, governors, representatives, mayors and others not with contempt but in contrition from a kneeling position. We are reminded, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God” (1 Peter 4:17). If we get our act together, it is so like the character of God to allow that overflow to bless the general population.

When looking at the history of modern western civilization it appears acutely clear the United States of America’s birth and nurture was providential. However, the question is no longer “What hath God wrought?” (Num. 23:23) but “Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come?” (Eccl 8:7) Simple observation reveals we are on the cusp of squandering our blessings while we put our generous benefactor to the test daily. It should be obvious that neither Democrat nor Republican, neither Libertarian nor Independent can restore us to the “city on a hill” status we once enjoyed. Neither tax reform, social reform, government reform, nor a constitutional convention can accomplish for us what must be accomplished in order to ensure our national destiny is neither collapse nor inconsequential on the stage of world affairs. Our shortcoming is not economic, not political, and not social – it is spiritual. More than ever, “the only way to avoid this shipwreck, and to provide for our posterity, is to follow the counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God.” (A Model of Christian Charity, John Winthrop, Sermon 1630) We must give up our addiction to political idols, cultural icons, and the drop-down menu of the “ism-of-the-day” mind-set and corporately and individually return to the source of our blessings. It’s not enough for the people of God to register and vote in greater numbers. God says “you have forsaken your first love.” (Rev. 2:4) It’s long past time to take responsibility for our condition and ask Almighty God to restore us to His favor. If we continue to rely on the arm of man we shall surely fail. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses . . .” (Ps 20:7)