New Life!

Hello baby girl! I've been waiting a long time to make this introduction. You are just three days old as I write this. I looked into your cherub face just minutes after you were born, and do believe that I had just witnessed the sweetest thing in the world. Both your mother and your grandmother are drop dead gorgeous ladies, but I still think that you are the prettiest thing I've ever lain my eyes on. I have often wondered what a grandchild of ours might look like. And though my common sense tells me that you had absolutely nothing to do with the way you look, you have out done my every expectation. The fact that you are here is one of life's most wonderful miracles. The fact that I am here to see you ushered into this world is another of life's amazing miracles. I never figured to remain alive long enough to see my own children brought into this world, much less their children.

As I waited in the lounge for you to be born, my mind went back over the last hundred years to when I married your grandmother. Though it hasn't been nearly that long, it feels as though it were over a century ago that I first laid eyes on her. I knew the very second that I saw her walk through the door that I had loved her all my life, but just hadn't met her yet. I felt the same way when I saw your mother for the first time....like she had always been there in spirit, in my heart, I just hadn't put a face to that form of love before. Now seeing you, the same fantastic wonder of it is renewed. This kind of Love isn't how we feel, it is life that exists within us, waiting to emerge. It is the spirit of all that is pure, that is joy, that is happiness that resides within us each day. Some folks only have the luxury of casting their eyes on it but once in a lifetime. I have the incredible joy of casting it on a third generation of beautiful souls made manifest in flesh.

Seeing you lying their, all pink, and rosy in your perfection, I couldn't help but wonder at the richness of God's love for us. That He would have created the capacity to fill to perfection, the void that each of us possess in our hearts, is absolutely amazing to me. My life was incomplete before I met your grandmother. I walked the face of this earth a half man. Though my heart beat in my chest, it pulsed without reason, nor purpose. Marrying her stamped a mote of completion upon my soul. Her giving birth to your mother lent purpose to my life. Your mother giving birth to you offers proof beyond doubt of His love for me. Flawed and foolish though I am, God loves me enough to give me a granddaughter to further my completion. You have uncles that are the very apples of my eye. They are my hands, my heart, and my mind carried to the next generation. Yet it is through the heart of the women in my life that God expresses the tender side of His love for me. Your grandmother amplifies the gentle side of me, your mother is proof that, though often hidden, it exists within me to pass on. You show that it is strong enough to survive the generations. Through the nurturing of your mother, supported by the strong hand of your father, you will grow to be a shining example of the love that this world so desperately needs.

My faith in God is renewed. My resolve to be more intentional with my relationship with Him is strengthened. My desire to be a better husband, father, and friend is fortified by your very presence. I have loved the thought of you for oh so long. And now that you are here, a new life for your parents, your grandparents, and this world, I find that my job has just begun. I do love you sweet baby! And because true love never dies, I will always be here for you.

Sincerely,
Grandpa "Pops" Keith

From the Ashes

I recently posted a question on facebook that asked, "Why is it that people blame God when tragedy strikes?" It was really a rhetorical comment based on feedback I had read recently referencing the earthquake situation in Haiti. I had read some responses to a news blog surrounding the comments made by Pat Robertson. In those comments he basically said that it was Haiti's own fault that tragedy had befallen them because of a "pact they made with the devil" back in the 1700's. What I find more interesting than Robertson's statement itself, is the variety of responses that come because of it. It's interesting in that, for all the religious apathy that seems to exist across the board, a lot of people have a lot to say about one persons religious opinion.
One person opined that people shake their fist at God when tragedy occurs for much the same reason that they praise Him when fortune falls. Which isn't really an answer as much as an observation. My son reasoned that it was because people tend to shirk responsibility for their own actions, but then he went on to say that no fault for the quake, as well as the ensuing loss of life could be attributed to the people of Haiti. That in any instance, whether we were practicing Christians, or practicing voodoo, we should set aside our beliefs, and that utilizing the "Golden Rule" to effect relief was our responsibility. While I certainly mirror his belief that we, as compassionate individuals with the means, have a responsibility to respond and help all we can with the effects of this "natural disaster", I must also agree that another comment he made..."Ignoring the effects that ones actions have on their own life as well as the lives of others, there are those who put on their blinders and ignore the likely possibility that we are more often than not responsible for the circumstances we find ourselves in, good or bad"...is true, and applicable here as well. He wasn't applying that reasoning to the Haitians, but rather to those who blame God. I think truthfully, we must apply it to the Haitians as well. To do this, however, one must peel the layers of that onion back many levels to understand the "responsibility" that exists. To be sure, the people of Haiti certainly did not cause the natural disaster any more than the people of New Orleans caused Katrina, nor do I believe they deserved it. But, as he also stated, "they were ill prepared for the effects of it". Truly then it must be asked, who/what is responsible for this state of being "ill prepared"? Preparation is affected by a lifestyle as well as a physical act. Being proper (or rather improper) stewards of the resources at hand is often the culprit. So one can't "exclude natural disasters" when you look at the total outcome of a situation referencing blame. Not that assessing blame helps in the situation at hand, but it might possibly avert the magnitude of it from occurring in the future. Again I fall back on the example of the natural disaster that befell the U.S. The leadership of New Orleans had resources allotted to them in prior times that could have been (and were designated to be) used to strengthened known weaknesses in the levies. However, they weren't. So, in that instance, the "uncontrollable" became more devastating because of the "controllable". Who is to blame for that, and what is the fundamental reason for the diversion of funds? Did they utilize the golden rule? I think it is safe to say that the people of Haiti have embraced a religious lifestyle for centuries that is not conducive to progress, and the obvious benefits of that progress. They have but two social/economic classes of people there. Those that "had" and lived in opulence, and those who "had not" and lived in poverty and ignorance. They've had more civil strife there since their "liberation" than virtually any country on the planet. Conversely, why is it that The United States is the most powerful nation in the world? Could it be that our religious and moral background has produced the schools, technology, and social infrastructure necessary to elevate a people to economic prosperity? And the benefit from the effects that prosperity has on things like architectural integrity, building codes, vehicle safety measures, laws, disaster plans, human rights, etc.? All of which are the physical results of a strong moral/social structure as produced by our Judeo/Christian beliefs, (which belief's incidentally, formulated the "golden rule"). While I do not necessarily subscribe to Pat Robertson's "pact with the devil" statement, I sincerely doubt that the comment was made from a state of senility, as my son suggested. But rather Pat's firm belief in the responsibility, or accountability if you will, of the Haitian people for their own predicament, as seen from a different perspective. Embrace the golden calf, and you become God's enemy. Enmity with God may no longer result in judgmental annihilation (as evidenced by the New Testament), but it is separation. God will not protect a people, as a whole, who do not recognize Him. And whether you believe in an unseen force of the universe or not, no matter how you drop the apple, it still falls down. Though my son quotes, "God IS our refuge and strength....and we don't fear though it's waters roar, and foam, and it's mountains quake", I'm not sure he understands it's not because we (Christians) believe it won't/can't happen to us....but rather, because we know that if it does happen we have a better place to go. Those that "believe on Him", possess a peace that promotes sensibility. A sensibility that says that though we do not fear death, we live our lives in such a fashion that we don't promote it unnecessarily. If you've read previous blogs of mine , you may begin to understand my perspective that, while as Christians we should be tolerant of the ignorance of unbelief, and the obvious social/economic outcome of that ignorance, we also shouldn't allow that tolerance to over shadow the truth of it's effects and our responsibility to combat it. Whether our effort be through religious invocation prior to it's outcome, or humanitarian efforts after it. A solemn fact is, the majority of the relief that will come to the Haitian people will come from organizations sponsored by the Christian Church worldwide,in one fashion or another. This same church has been sending missionaries to Haiti for three hundred years, attempting through religious persuasion, to bring a level of educational progress that might have softened the death toll. Now, there are no coo doe's that should be realized from this, but you can be sure there will be less media play for it than from the sports/media moguls that offer assistance, as well as less negative fallout after it's all said and done. And lastly, what religious state of mind does one suppose better edifies "The Golden Rule"? The blood letting of chickens, and burning of an effigy in ritual sacrifice for protection, or the solemn prayer, and efforts of a christian missionary to educate? My heart grieves for the massive loss of human life, as well as the chronic ignorance that made the majority of it possible. It also grieves for the general lack of understanding of the root foundation of "The Golden Rule". As well as the state of the spiritual (or non-spiritual) system that will exist in this country once we are socialized, and all traces of God removed from our national governing philosophy because believers are brainwashed into believing that to express ourselves "implicitly" is not "politically correct". Thereby dissolving the foundations of the golden rule, as well as the country that used it as its basic principle of inception. Lessons learned are lost if they are not taken into practical consideration. If Haiti can be taken as an example of a nation that has turned its back on the One True God, and has suffered for the ignorance of that position in the manner I've described, we in this country have much to consider about the path we are on. The "half full cup" side of the equation is that, given the total destruction of the infrastructure of Haiti's culture, and the proximity of the U.S. to her, the positive Christian nature of our influence in rebuilding our southern sister may serve as an example for the world to see. Where we failed in expressing our benevolence in waging war on another's behalf, rebuilding a third world country with little to offer in return after a natural disaster may show the world that the United States isn't the monster they perceive us to be, and that the backbone of our efforts truly are altruistic. We care. In any case, one can be sure that the Haiti that rises from the ashes will be better than the one destroyed. And as every good thing comes from God, He will get the Glory.

When it Rains

The Old Testament outlines a covenant based on judgment. Serve Me, or suffer the consequences. This is seen in the plagues, floods, and the genocide of war as noted in scripture. However, the New Testament ushered in a new covenant based on Grace. Love Me, and I will protect you and offer you hope. Acknowledge Me, do the very best you can to follow the rules I establish, accept that your failure to be perfect is expected and yet the debt of punishment that failure invokes is covered by Grace, and the Blood of Jesus. For this faith you will dwell with me for eternity. I do not believe that the loving God I serve deliberately sets out any longer to destroy thousands of innocents at a time. Especially when He promised in scripture it would never happen again. But push him away, deliberately, and one can no longer expect His protection. Kick Him out of our schools, and we pave the way for evil to come in and kill our children. Remove Him from our government, and we open the road for a moral collapse of the system we live by. Erase Him from our nation, and we are at the mercy of the random events of nature. Haiti pushed God away a long time ago...why blame Him now for not protecting them from a tectonic shift that occurred thirty five miles beneath the surface? We have received many wake-up calls in the last few years. We, as a nation, are not protected from the evils man inflicts on one another, witnessed by the 9/11 attacks, nor the ravages of nature, as witnessed by Katrina. And now, so very close by, we have witnessed the total collapse of an extreme example of a nation that has turned away from God. Whether He specifically caused it, or not, only He knows. We do know, however, that He didn't stop it from happening. If one believes He exists, one has to ask themselves why. I'd rather live my life as though His Word were true, and in the end never know it wasn't, than disregard it now, and exist forever wishing it weren't. Rain falls on the just, and the unjust alike....the question is, do you have an umbrella?

INVICTUS GRATIA

INVICTUS

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley

***

This is the poem that gave artistic license to the current movie “Invictus”. I’ve seen the critics copy of it, and am here to tell you that it is a fine movie. Centered around Nelson Mandela, the President of South Africa released after 27 some odd years in prison, and responsible for the democratic turn-around of that country from its Apartheid background, the movie renders a fine example of Christian Grace. I’ve not studied Mandela’s spiritual background, I suppose it to be Christian in origin, given the portrayal of his character in the movie, yet the movie isn’t touted as a religious vehicle. Any more so than the aforementioned poem is. The author William Ernest Henley, suffered from tuberculosis as a boy, and the poem appears to come from the inspiration lent by the fortitude that allowed him to conquer his infirmities. It’s final two lines…”I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” at first glance might tend to preclude a dependence on God, yet a master is not sovereign, nor a captain a creator, so I have no problem with the spiritual aspect of the poem. At any rate, given that this particular poem isn’t a factual representation of the literary example given by Mandela to the rugby team captain, but rather another quote from an American president is, it isn’t the Nexis of the movies inspiration to me.

For there is much about the film that does inspire. Twenty seven years in prison would definitely conquer most men. Mandela combating apartheid, bigotry, and prejudice successfully upon his release is monumental at the least. His use of a national sports team as a tool to chip away at the barriers between the past, and present was a stroke of genius. And yet there is one point, for me, that stands out more than any other. That is grace, and the forgiveness that comes from it’s expression.

During his campaign for the presidency, Mandela understood that his opposition was the “enemy”. Yet, after achieving success, he recognized that his opposition maintained control over essential aspects of the countries government, and therefore must be worked with, rather than against. To succor that oppositions good will, his plan was to support the one symbol of unity the preceding establishment had utilized, to wit, the rugby team.

Many of his own supporters lobbied to remove the team from existence, out of spite, and revenge, more than anything. Simply because, now, as the ruling power, they could. And yet Mandela, in spite of the fact that this very team represented the white political majority of the past, as well as all the persecution, prejudice, and pain that went along with it, chose to champion them, and in fact inspire them to do better. As a gift of balm for the wounds of the past, he made winning the rugby World Cup his mission for those first few years of his presidency. He understood the principle of “heaping burning coals on your enemies head”.

At first glance, that statement in itself reeks of revenge, and vindication. Yet, if a person were to conduct a valid study of the referenced Christian scripture, they would find the source of this strategy of doing good to overcome evil sound. “But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.” Romans 12:20

I have a mentor that I have had the pleasure of sitting at the knee of from time to time. He originates from Lebanon, is a converted Muslim, has a doctorate in Christian theology, is fluent in Hebrew, and describes this scenario from scripture as thus: In the ancient cities, and villages of the Middle East, due to the sparseness of these villages, as well as the importance of life giving fire, it was a common practice to offer passing strangers a coal from the communal hearth. This communal hearth was maintained by the village, and kept perpetually burning. Travelers often didn’t possess the means to start a fire, and when they ventured into town, whether they might later prove to be enemies, or not, they were presented with a bowl of embers from the hearth, which custom of the time involved carrying balanced on the head. They were offered a spot within the protective walls of the village, and treated as brothers. The Hebrew words for “enemy, and stranger” are loosely synonymous, and derive from the same root word. So when we treat a stranger, or an enemy, with kindness, rather than hostility, by giving them something so important of ourselves, as life sustaining fire, or the likes, we offer them an alternative to what they might have expected from us in view of the circumstances. A stranger comes, expecting wariness, or hostility, and is offered a place at the hearth, he becomes a friend. An enemy comes, expecting perhaps at the least hostility, and at the worst open warfare, yet receives instead kindness, he may very well change his perspective on the situation, and become an ally.

This is Grace applied. And while I admit that I have been aware of this explanation of the scripture, and it’s applied intent, for some years, this is by far the best example of it applied in the real world that I have observed. In fact, as I watched the movie, and Mandela explained to his constituents his reasoning for re-instating the rugby team, I turned to my wife, and exclaimed to her these very words….” Heaping burning coals on their heads, that’s what it means! " The success of the practice is history. A nation was re-united, and a shining example of ambivalence, and grace was presented to the world in real time. An ancient rite, applied in modern times, lends credibility to the golden rule…”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Would that we could, and would, continue the lesson………..Unconquered Grace

A lesson in irony

"Even in the midst of their denial of the validity of Holy Scripture, the actions of today's scholars, and those that adhere to the relative social moors they advocate, themselves ensure that the prophetic outcome depicted by those Scriptures for their own downfall, the collapse of civilization as a whole, and the eventual reign of chaos by those left behind, will come to be."

If you've followed anything I've had to say, you'll know that I have what would be considered a conservative Christian perspective on life, and how to live it. This isn't to say that I believe myself to be any better, or worse than any other living person. It only says that I believe in God, His inviolate Word, and the redemption of sins through a following of His Son, Jesus. It also says that, by definition, I am flawed. This should be most noteworthy in recent exchanges I've had with my son on Facebook. I made the mistake of believing that the passion of my discourse would be sufficient to make the content believable. In today's vernacular, my bad. For it is quite evident that the amount of information that is imputed into today's youth supercedes it's ability to convince via proof with sheer volume. It must also be understood that I hold no grudges against my son for the content, nor direction that this has lead us. No, in fact, I find that again, God appears, and works, in mysterious fashion. For though I possess a rudimentary knowledge of apologetics, the study of a defense of the Christian faith, I had no real idea of how deep seated it's opposition is in the framework of today's society. For we are bombarded from all sides by not only a belief in secularism, and it's so called rights of integration into society, but rather by a hostile push to remove any semblance of religious belief from the annals of history. A mind set that says that by simply stating that something doesn't, or didn't exists, is sufficient to remove it from fact. A harsh example is the response that secularists take to the role that the Judeo-Christian religion has played in the foundation of this country. Today's scholars simply say, "that's not what was meant" when God, and the moral standard His Word implies, is noted in virtually every single document associated with the establishment of American government. The fact that the Ten Commandments are posted in every government building constructed since the American Revolution appears to have no bearing on what the founders, as well as the laymen constituent had in mind for the direction in which the country should progress. A simple statement associated with "separation of church and state" in an amendment is taken entirely out of context and becomes the basis for the educational direction we travel as well. The sociopathic ravings of a man wallowing in grief over a lost child has lead to our children being taught evolution, to the exclusion of religion, in school as though it were established fact, rather than the hypothesis and theory it actually is. The boundaries established through maintaining a religiously achieved moral standard that enabled this country to become a world power have been overrun with a relative morality that says if enough people do it, it must be right. And this to the exclusion of common sense, or common decency. Few, if any, now days understand the phrase "common grace", that condition that exists that enables the ingrained conscience that natural man has to express compassion to his neighbor. A condition that also must be fortified daily with the power of an ambivalent God to be more than just compassionate, or else the capacity for "satisfying self" takes over. Without it, absolute power begets absolute tyranny. Politicians quit listening to the voters, doctors take lives instead of save them, and scholars begin teaching our children morals based on their own perspective of what right and wrong entail without the benefit of accountability to any higher cause. The supreme irony is this: That when a government constructed that embraces a moral foundation where the rights of the individual to fairly rule itself is overthrown by the very denizens of that creed in lieu of a social environment that trivializes that moral foundation, and the individual rights of those supporting it, and then in fact disavows those morals, it is doomed to collapse from within. Without an absolute moral standard to live by, man has only his own oscillating windmill with which to generate his ethics. This same ethical standard that two hundred years ago said that slavery was acceptable, and abortion was an abhorrence, and yet today says exactly the opposite. Two generations ago the Ten Commandments were taught in school, today they are outlawed. The result? Our children often don't survive the experience. Religion is separated from state, yet judges, instead of enforcing laws, make them, influenced by politicians bent on power. The result? Thugs rule the streets. The common man must protect himself, because the police haven't the manpower to respond, let alone protect. And the tiger eats it's tale by trying to take away his ability to protect himself on the pretext that he is a danger to the government. It is politically incorrect for our children to pray in school, but perfectly acceptable for teachers to teach Adam and Steve, instead of Adam and Eve. Livestock dies, and lively hoods are lost so that we can protect the spotted owl, and the red salmon. Farmers are paid to leave land fallow, yet people in this country go hungry. We spend millions to save baby seals, and yet allow our own children to be murdered. We send thousands "over there" to protect our rights, and further our beliefs, then allow those who take our lives here go free. We are a nation morally, and spiritually bankrupt, and yet we fail to see that we have only ourselves to blame.

The biggest irony? I hold myself, and those like me who profess a stern, conservative belief that God made me who I am, this country what it is, and mankind as a whole accountable to Him, and yet have allowed those who believe otherwise to dictate how and where I express that belief. I have been reluctant to stand up for what I believe for fear of being shunned by my peers, or being branded as politically incorrect. I have sat and watched the pond that I live in turn into a social cesspool, bound for a cleansing beyond prior biblical proportions. He said He was coming back. And then, my friends, will come a "change" you can count on.

Coincidence ?

"An event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental", or another, "the noteworthy alignment of two or more events or circumstances without obvious causal connection".
I've heard it said that in Christian Theology, referring specifically to movements, or actions taken, by the Holy Spirit, that there is no such thing as coincidence. In other words, nothing happens by accident. I have come to accept this as an action of faith. In times of extraordinary travail, God will have already given you the tools to overcome it. Or, at least, to battle it, if the war is yet to be won. Case in point:
The church I attend had a visiting speaker some weeks back. He is the president of a Theological Seminary close to where I live. His topic of speech was Christian Apologetics. That can appear to be a misleading term, as we usually equate apology with "making allowance for" for any variety of reasons. However, in this instance "apologetics" means argumentative defense, or specifically, the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of Christian Theology.
His name was Alex, and he spoke very inteligently about a subject I have heard of a number of times over the years, but never truly appreciated the necessity of. Namely, this "Christian Apologetics".
I am very comfortable with my Christian Faith. For I believe in God. I believe He created the Heavens, and the Earth. I believe He created you, and me, in His image. I believe that He desires a relationship with you and me, and to this end He came in the form of man, born of woman. He was born about this time of year, grew up as you or I would, ministered to us, taught us how to love, how to live, and sacrificed Himself for our salvation.
That, of course, is a gross oversimplification of the gospel message. But fortunately, He left us an epistle of His intent, as well as the Third Party of Himself to help us get through the difficulties of understanding what all that means, as well as life itself.
Here's the challenge though. The more comfortable we get with our faith, the more we associate, socialize, and proffesionalize with people of the same persuasion. Nothing inherently wrong with that, it's just not all we are expected to do. For, if you know anything of the bible, Jesus commands his disciples to "go forth and preach the gospel". Preferrably to someone other than the choir. That often involves folks who want to make an argument against the subject. That's where apologetics comes in. And that's where this particular chapter of my life starts.
So Alex came, and spoke on Apologetics. He could only skip across the surface of the subject during the limited time he had, so what he told us certainly wasn't comprehensive. It gave me just enough of a taste of the topic to realize that I didn't know enough. Oh, I know most of the common material to defend my faith. But these days there are some really well spoken, and knowledgeable individuals out there who like very much to refute the Christian Faith. And on a multitude of different levels. Some call it cultish. Some dispute the time line. Some complain of contradictions in the Scriptures. Some dispute the validity of a belief in God at all. There are a number of alternative theories out there that claim to make more sense than believing that God made the world, the universe, man, and all his friends here on earth. And apologetics covers them all. It's not a new program. It's been around for as long as the Bible has. The disciples had to defend their faith against a religious sect who refused to believe that the Messiah was walking amongst them.
I can tell someone, who knows nothing of faith, "about" what I believe, that's a simple matter of quoting scripture, articles of faith, and witnessing to what God has done in my life. I have fifteen years of experience gained through a passionate study of the Christian Faith. However, I have little in the way of ammunition to actually defend it against an adversary bent on tripping me up and disputing what I believe.
So Alex said what he said, and left what he left...which was an invitation to an upcoming seminar on Christian Apologetics. Ever hungering for more knowledge, or better said, understanding of the Bible, and it's precepts, my wife, and I, along with several others from the church, bought tickets to the two day seminar.
We heard authors, theologians, mathematicians, politicians, clergy, and former atheists who had researched, written, spoken, debated and filmed subjects varying from the lineage of Christ, comparisons to other religions, supposed contradictions in time line of the Bible stories, secular historical reference to biblical accounts, archeological studies of floods, fires, monolithes, and temples, all back up and defend the teachings of Christ, eschetology of the church, validity of bible characters, and in general, meet head on any, and all arguements against the Christian Faith. They even televised a three hour debate against a self proclaimed atheist of world reknown. Topics ranging from the Darwinian Evolutionary Theory to seeds from an off world civilization were covered as possible alternatives to Creation. Nothing heard, or seen, convinced me for a fraction of a second to even question what I already knew to be true. There is a God, He is perfect, I'm not, but I didn't come from a monkey either.
So what's all this have to do with coincidence? Well, I'm not an evangelist, so it's unlikely I'll find myself on a street corner preaching the Word of God. I don't speak at universities, conferences, or seminars, so why the need to know? Fate formulated the answer to that one.
Two weeks ago I engaged in a debate on a well known blog forum with my twenty eight year old son. It started initially as a comment I had made referencing my political persuasion, and some disparity over the current administrations policies. I found out something new. My son no longer carries the same basic political beliefs that I possess. That, in and of itself, really wasn't much of a concern. I've never carried much of a candle for politicians, or their policies. Nor have I been too concerned with how that directly effected me, or my family. To be sure, I believe that some of those policies have the potential to create a clear, and present danger to the stability of this country, but they are still far enough removed from my street to make them little more than a nuisance, at this time.
After several heated parries with each other, we decided that the age old addage that politics, and family, don't mix, was true. Best to just agree to disagree. We sheathed swords, and moved on. Or so I thought. The following day I posted a quote from Cicero, a Greek character, circa 50 BC, referencing the then current state of his country, it's foreign spending policies, welfare system, and politicians. The primary point of posting the quote wasn't so much the subjects in the quote itself, as it was the mirror image it presented with reference to those same subjects as seen as issues today. A "Nothing new under the sun" thought process if you will. What proceded afterwards can only be described as an aggresive verbal assault on several fronts, met by a back against the wall argumentative defensive, or "apologetic" reaction.
I don't know that either side won. If "winning" can be construed as one side convincing the other of their views, I'm sure their were no victors. But many times small battles are fought for the very purpose of testing the opponents resolve. I don't know that I can fully comprehend the strength of my son's possition at this point, but this I do know, he's not the person I knew when he walked out the door some years back. This I know as well, his possition has changed for a reason, and the fear this possition creates in my heart for his welfare angers me.
So here's the coincidence, or lack thereof if you will, from my perspective. Several weeks ago a man spoke at my church. Big deal. He spoke on the subject of defending the Christian Faith. Big deal. My son, and I, engaged in a debate on a subject comprising the corner stone of a foundation in faith. Big deal. His philosophy potentially removes that corner stone from his life. Very Big Deal.
When it comes down to it, I care very little for the religious bend of the President of the United States . Hypocritical as it sounds, although I pray for his salvation, I'm not sure I'd want to spend eternity with him anyhow. My son is a different story.
O Absalom, my son, my son! Please don't let me find you hanging by the neck in the tree of knowledge! And God, if You're listening in, I could use another coincidence or two about right now.

Whitehouse VS. Fox News

Manipulating the press is one of the first steps onto the slippery slope of a tyranny. Any ill intending government of the past has always tried to stifle, or control, any natural dissent of the programs they propose. Whether that is through controlling the electoral process, or stifling opposing news coverage, the cause and effect is still the same. When any leadership surrounds itself with "yes men", it can be sure that the lack of opposing counsel will eventually render that leadership weak, and thus, vulnerable to replacement. True leadership depends on opposing points of view, and alternative game plans. Those of us subject to the effects of whatever proposal is at hand must simply survive, or sometimes fight, as the occasion arises, until this natural deterioration from within completes it's cycle, and the waters of human nature again reach their own equilibrium. Shooting the messenger is often paramount to shooting ones self in the foot...it's ironic in that the message having already been delivered, the damage is done. The offending appendage may be useless, but so is the body. Any modern format of leadership that believes that propaganda and censorship are viable forms of control in this age of instant messaging, blogs and internet commentaries, carries within itself the seed of ignorance that should bloom out to self destruction given any reasonable amount of time. If nothing else, the proof of weakness is in the planting, and weeds of revolution are sure to soon choke it out.