I grew up watching World War II movies. I can still recall cheering as the "bad guys" were killed by the "good guys." The movies that I watched were clear about good and evil. Americans were good and righteous while the German, Japanese, or Italian soldiers were evil. The framework was clear and I cheered for the righteous.
For me, the war was history, not experiential reality. Those killed were not people with families and loved ones. They were simply "bad" and deserving of death. The scenario was clear and I choose the correct side.
This image was reinforced by stories my parents told me. They were children during that war and recalled the fear of attacks coming to the East Coast. They remember the fear of Jewish neighbors who worried about loved ones still living in Europe. For them it was also clear that Americans were righteous and were fighting the unrighteous.
The reports of that righteous war stood against the images I saw as a child on the evening news. I saw the reports from Vietnam and heard of the Mai Li massacre. It was only later in my life that I became aware that World War II had its share of unrighteousness. Veterans told me of surrendering soldiers being shot and civilians, suspected of being Nazi sympathizers, being killed. Older men have told me of bombing known civilian targets under orders from commanders.
Others reported that their enemy consisted of young boys and older men forced to fight a war, which they opposed. Veterans have assured me that even though the war was a just one, the war had its share of atrocities.
Therein lies the problem of war. A blood lust lies within us as individuals and as nations. Too quickly a just war with righteous intentions can digress into an exercise of blood lust and abuse. I worry that we might be heading for yet another such exercise.
We are, I believe, on the verge of war with Iraq. I will be very surprised if we are not fighting there very soon. Are we doing it for the right reasons or are we experiencing the blood lust which is part of us as human beings? I don't pretend to know what intelligence information the government has available. Saddam Hussein is, by every account I have heard, a bad guy who had committed numerous atrocities. I don't doubt that he has bad intentions toward our nations and our citizens. Is he truly a clear, immanent danger or are we going to war based on our innate blood lust? Since the Gulf War, and the ease of our victory there, has war become too easy for us? I am forced to trust our current administration and congress in its assessment of the danger of Iraq. If we do go to war I hope that it will be for righteous reasons and not to satisfy our lust for violence and blood. Yet, even if it is just, I will grieve, for I know that even in a righteous war, blood lust will abound and atrocities will occur.
The bill in the state Legislature to require members of the clergy to report evidence of child abuse could go a long way toward keeping children safe. But it makes me sad that such a bill is necessary. If we who are clergy had been doing the job of protecting young people this legislation would not have been needed. Third Reformed Church, the congregation in which I serve, has a ministry to adults of childhood abuse and trauma. We work in conjunction with social workers from a local pastoral counseling agency.
Our congregation accepts these survivors of sex abuse without prejucide and gives them a community in which to heal. Many of these people were victimized twice as children, first by the pedophiliac and then by other adults who either did not believe their account, orwho believed what they said but did nothing to stop the abuser and the abuse. We certainly cannot assume that every report of abuse is true but we do justice a disservice by ignoring such reports.
When a report is verified, it is not enough for us in the church to deal with abuse administratively and internally.
When clergy are disciplined by the leaders of their faith, perhaps by suspension or expulsion, the community atlarge may not be made aware of the offense and remains vulnerable. A defrocked cleric is free to become a school teacher or perhaps a day care provider. Without working with police and prosecutors wemay permit perpetrators to move on to new positions and new abuse. Internal discipline for offenders is not enough.
I believe that all adults are responsible to report child abuse to the authorities. We who are spiritual leaders of the community have an extra responsibility to protect the innocent and to seek justice. Where have adults, especially adults who are ordained to be spiritual leaders, been in the fight against child sexual abuse? Have we been part of the problem or part of the solution? Have we been abusers by our silence and our passivity?All clergy suffer from the actions of the guilty few. I hope and pray that our days of avoiding child abuse and protecting perpetrators are over. It is past time for us to work hand in hand with police authorities. I wish that we had done this on our own simply because it is theright thing to do.
It is now the time for resolutions once again. Many friends I know are vowing to "exercise more," "lose weight," or "read more." These are the three resolutions that I hear most often. A few others, which I hear frequently, are: "save more money," or "learn to relax."
One thing that troubles me about all of these resolutions is that they are very self-centered. I long for the day when our resolutions involve our neighbors or God a bit more. I wish that people would resolve more to "worship God in church more frequently," "to pray more for others," or perhaps to "treat a neighbor whom I hate with a bit more respect."
If we center on ourselves we run the risk of being neurotically self-centered. We can become the center of our own universe, the source of our worship. In short, we sin by making ourselves into an idol. How much more reflective of God's glory would it be if we resolved to live the vision that Saint Paul offers in Colossians, "clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience." These traits effect not just the way we view ourselves, but also how we treat others.
In the wake of the attacks in September, thousands of people extended themselves in doing good. Millions of dollars were raised.
Thousands of pints of blood were donated. For a brief period our nation was united in a cause and acts of love and mercy abounded. These acts, like many traits of our country, soon faded as our memory of our horror began to fade.
What if we kept our resolve to bless others throughout our lives and resolved to live our lives blessing others? What if hospitals abounded with volunteers who comforted patients? What if we resolved to give blood regularly, not just in the wake of tragedy? What if we each supported local shelters and food pantries? What if we each volunteered to serve meals to the hungry? What if our resolutions involved blessing other instead of ourselves?
During this year I pray that we all will take worship of God more seriously. I hope that we will pray together with more regularity and diligence. I pray that we will take on these suggested traits by St. Paul and treat one another as Brothers and Sisters. What a great impact we will have by living such lives in this world. Our resolutions and our lives will bless others.
Strive to honor God and bless neighbors!
Happy New Year!
I had the privilege of meeting some of the most faithful Christians that I have ever met last week at Albany Medical Center. I volunteer as an overnight chaplain once a month at the center, looking after the spiritual needs of patients, their families, and also from time to time, the staff.
By luck, chance or the providence of God, I was the night chaplain on June 20, the day that the Brunswick Baptist Church collapsed in a violent wind squall, injuring more than a dozen volunteer workers who had given up vacations to come north to build a church building.
Three of the most seriously injured were taken by ambulance to AMC shortly after I started my shift. When I heard of the tragedy, I was horrified that such a thing could happen. Part of me was offended that a church would collapse. I know that being a follower of Christ is no guarantee against trouble or tragedy, yet the thought of such good, selfless people being injured struck me as being too unfair to be accepted.
The patients were being examined when I arrived in the Emergency Room. I waited as patiently as I could, wanting to see them, talk to them, assure them, pray with them. Before I could see them, some of the uninjured workers arrived to see about their friends. I spoke with them and was struck by how great their faith remained despite having experienced such a horrible event. They needed no assurances from me, their faith in God's care remained intact.
Several gave me accounts of what they had seen, how they heard the wind, heard the wooden tresses snap, and then saw them collapse. They told me of the falling rubble, the scramble to escape the avalanche of lumber, the dust cloud that impeded their vision. Several told me of the calm that followed this torrent and the scramble to search for the injured. Some told me of the Pastor, Mike Collins, who quickly organized the workers into rescuers, freeing people until the ambulances could arrive.
They were people who were grateful to be uninjured, praising God that there were no fatalities, and praying for the recovery of the injured.
In time I got to speak with two of the most severely injured men; one from Hudson, another from Alabama. Injured though they were, they never stopped being grateful that the injuries were not worse, and that no one had died. Friends from the work party gathered in prayer circles. They gave the injured the comfort of their presence. Pastor Collins arrived and prayed over the injured while also comforting their friends.
Several of the hospital staff were moved by what they saw. Some wondered how these people could praise God after such a tragedy. Others wondered why a God who was benevolent could allow such a thing to happen at all. Many were impressed by the peace that shinned from these faithful people.
Hospital staff members often see despair, anger, even rage. They see patients and families acting badly under stress. On June 20, the staff saw faithful Baptist Christians showing that in the height of fear, pain, and suffering, those who are disciples of Jesus Christ can find a peace which passes understanding, a joy that can lift them up above the pains of the world.
To those who try to endure the hardships of the world without God, I point out these benefits of living and walking with him. Only God can give us such peace in the midst of chaos. Let these people be an example of what peace you can have.
I applaud the faithful discipleship of Pastor Collins and the work crew of Brunswick Baptist Church. Their peace amid suffering was an example to those around them and a faithful witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I wonder how many seeds of faith were planted in others because of their faithfulness. I pray that God will reward their faithfulness greatly.
"Survivor fever" is now sweeping the country once again with the advent of "Survivor Part II." What is it's attraction? Why do so many millions of people tune in to this program? I recently heard an interview with Jeff Probst, the host of the television show. He expressed the opinion that Survivor is attractive because it is a microcosm of the world in which we live. Most of us can, at some level, relate to the interpersonal conflicts among the tribe members. It resembles real life. I can't argue with him.
As scary as it is, it is a microcosm of culture as it now is, not as I wish it to be. To survive survivor, one must prove ones value to the group. One must "do." Worth is only granted on the basis of doing for the tribe. How different is that from the Judeo-Christian ethic where esteem is given by God? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob created humans as the capstone of creation and "saw that it was good." Value, I believe, ultimately comes as a proclamation from God, not from our efforts to "do." True value is relational, not utilitarian.
A second way that this show resembles our culture rests in the way in which people that are too good are perceived as threats. In tribal councils, contestants who are particularly talented and appear to be a threat to win are also excluded. The game is set up so that achievement by one is a threat to others. People out in front are quickly cast off. How typical is that in our culture where leaders are ridiculed and placed under a microscope. Many people resent rich and successful people. Many campaign speeches play on this theme with class warfare rhetoric. God, I believe, sets a table for the rich and the poor, for the powerful and powerless. All can join in the fellowship of God.
A third draw for "survivor" is the ease at which people are "cast off" by the tribe. Participants vote others off with the cast of a vote and never have to see them in the game again.
Have you ever wished that you could have whisked someone away? I have from time to time. It is a lust for power. Don't we all at times want to be a powerful figure like Don Corleone who can eliminate someone with the blink of an eye? Survivor contestants have that power. They are capable of making the marginal simply disappear.
In a similar way our society marginalizes many people. We attempt to keep the homeless away from us. Many people would rather not hear from homosexuals. Many whites don't wish to live with blacks and move out of cities and into all white communities. Watching survivor lets us live out our fantasy of casting off those people with whom we don't wish to deal.
A final similarity that I see is that the game celebrates competition, not cooperation. Only one person can win. The goal is elimination, not creative bonding. Our world certainly celebrates this. Even from a young age our children are taught to achieve, achieve, achieve. Children are taught to strive to be "head of the class." Achievement is more honored than relationships. Many friendships suffer from this mentality. Many families suffer when parents are so busy achieving in the work place, that there is little time to nurture the relationships that children need in order to establish their worth.
We now live the game of survivor: jealous of the successful, evaluating people by what they can do for us, casting off those with whom we don't wish to deal, and placing competitive drive ahead of relationships. Is that really where we wish to live? Do we have the courage to change our culture and do things differently? Will we learn to honor relationships and "being" more than "doing?" Will we make sure that the top of the crust and the bottom are all given places at the table? Will we cast no one off but be willing to make our tents large enough to seat all? I pray that these are goals which we will strive for.
Then man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree and I ate." (Genesis 3:12)
The book of Genesis tells us that God caught Adam and Eve after they sinned and ate from the tree that was forbidden them to eat. God had told Adam that all the plants of the garden were fine for him to eat from. It was only the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that Adam was forbidden to eat from. God said these words to Adam. Presumably Adam was given the responsibility of telling this command to Eve.
The serpent persuades Eve to eat from this tree. She in turn persuades Adam to eat of it. Paradise ends for the couple. They become ashamed of their nakedness, sew aprons of fig leaves and hide from God.
When God finds Adam and Eve he confronts them. He asks why Adam and Eve were hiding and how they came to know that they were naked. Adam's explanation is less than forthcoming. He tries to make Eve, and God himself, responsible for his own actions. He tells God, the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree and I ate." Adam was not willing to admit that he knew that what he did was wrong yet he did it anyway.
Adam reminds me of many people in our era. Many of us to this day try to avoid responsibility for our actions. We want to blame others for our poor behavior and our disobedience of God and his law. How many times have we heard defendants excused because of their "dysfunctional backgrounds?" Despite our backgrounds, our wounds, the evils that we have been victims of we are still responsible for our own behavior.
I have indulged in this "responsibility shift" from time to time.
When I act poorly toward those around me it is because "I've had a bad day." When I break the speeding laws it is because "I am in a hurry" and I get annoyed when I am stopped by law enforcement officers. How easy it is to blame others for what I do.
The First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton is a recent and possibly the most famous example of this desire to shift responsibility. Recently she blamed President Clinton's poor behavior on the conflict between his mother and his grandmother while he was growing up. Now, according to the First Lady, the President has an insidious desire to please women. Is this an excuse for poor behavior? Is the President not still responsible for his actions?
Prior to this excuse, the First Lady explained that the reason that Mr. Clinton was being investigated was because of a "vast right wing conspiracy" and "prejudice against people from Arkansas." Never once did I hear it reported that she felt that the president was being investigated because he had indulged in poor behavior.
I am told by therapists that the wounds we bear affect us greatly and until these wounds are healed, make it harder for us to behave properly. Abusers, I am told are more likely to abuse the next generation. Children of drunks are very likely to also become drunks. Understanding our wounds are helpful in our efforts to heal those wounds but we cannot use our wounds as excuses for poor behavior. It is ultimately us who are responsible for what we do and how we behave.
It is not just Adam. It is not just me. It is not just President Clinton. All of us are responsible for what we do and someday we will all answer to God for our action for better or worse.
A friend of mine is an immigrant from Haiti who has recently received her Green Card and is very happy about it. She is perhaps the most loyal and patriotic resident of the United States. Her patriotism puts that of most Americans to shame.
One day several years ago she was expressing frustration over my complaints bout the choices of candidates on election day. I was less than thrilled with the men and women who were running. I received a lecture from her that I will never forget. "You should be thankful that you can complain," she exclaimed. "You are so lucky that you are able to vote. I remember Haiti." I was a bit troubled by her outburst and asked her why she was so worked up. She went on to explain and I got a lesson for Thanksgiving that I will never forget.
My friend started out explaining that in the Haiti she remembers, which was before the era of our military's intervention, armed soldiers stood at ballot boxes asking you for whom you would vote. Answering the wrong way might invite the chance of arrest or possibly getting shot immediately. Often, soldiers would hand a person a ballot with the name of the president already written on it for the individual to insert into the ballot box. Protests were, of course, met with force.
Such were the methods of Haitian governments maintaining power. She is amazed that no soldiers, only unarmed civilians, monitor our voting machines and no campaigning is allowed near the polls. She longs for the day that she will be a citizen and can participate in this process.
My friend continued talking about the living conditions here. She remembers in Haiti that noises of gun fire in the middle of the night were not generated by drug gangs and drive by shootings. They were the noises of the police arresting dissidents in the night. Such dissidents frequently would disappear and never be seen again, or at best would stay in jail for years or decades, un-charged with any crime.
As bad as drive by shootings are, she sees them as less of a threat than the violence of an oppressive regime attacking its citizens. She is grateful for the change.
This lady told me another part of her Haitian life which made my skin crawl. She told me that the poor of Haiti sit along the side of the road and beg. At night these same homeless people lay by the side of the road to sleep. Over night, many of these people die. In the morning sanitation trucks come and haul the bodies of the dead beggars away. She remembers no welfare system in Haiti.
"I don't ever want to hear an American complain," she tells me. "Here in America the poor can have apartments and food stamps. The poorest people here can at least get to a shelter and a soup kitchen."
"You have freedom here, and plenty of food. What more do you want?" my friend once asked. I did not have an answer for her. What more could any one want but freedom and plenty? I have both and too often I don't show much gratitude for these things.
Given this woman's perspective, November is the greatest month of the year. At the beginning of the month is Election Day, a time to be thankful for the freedom we have. At the end of the month is our feast of Thanksgiving, a time to celebrate our bountiful our lives are. Too often I take these things for granted. I need more people like my friend to give me a better perspective on things.
If you are not grateful this Thanksgiving, if you are having trouble celebrating, let me introduce you to my friend. Spend an hour with her and listen to her stories. You'll walk away with a new perspective and a new sense of gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving
I suspect that I am not alone in my abject sadness over the attack and killing of Matthew Shepard. This young man after being lured out of a bar and into a car was attacked brutally. He died several days later in a Colorado hospital. This crime sickens me more than most attacks that I have read about because of the seeming brutality and hate behind it.
Police now have two male suspects in custody who are accused of this crime. They, it is alleged, wished to attack Matthew because he was a known homosexual. These two, it is further alleged, beat him continually on the head with the butt of a gun. Later they tied him to a fence and continued to beat him as he begged for his life. After a night outdoors, unconscious and bleeding, he was found by two passersby.
It seems to me that for these two killing Matthew was not enough. To me it seems that these two wished to torture their victim. Violence was not enough for them. Torture was what these two wanted.
It appears to me that these two alleged attackers hated homosexuals. I wonder what is gained by such hatred of others. Does hatred of another group put food on the table? Does such hatred better our lives? Does such hatred make us live longer? Does it get us a better car or a larger house? What is the payoff for hatred except for having people of other groups hate in return?
I am reminded of the Bible story of Cain and Abel. In this story Abel, a shepherd, brings an offering of his flock to God and God finds this offering acceptable. Abel's brother Cain, a farmer, brings an offering to God and God finds this offering unacceptable. There has been much speculation as to why one offering was accepted and the other was not. Putting that aside, Cain felt anger at his offering being rejected. Literally the Bible tells us that his "face fell". He was angry.
God warns Cain that if he is angry sin is lying next to him and ready to consume him. God advises him to master his anger.
He does not however, and instead rises up to kill his brother. As a result of this anger and the murder that follows, we are told that the ground is poisoned with Abel's blood. Furthermore, Cain is separated from God and from others. He is pushed out of the fringes of society and given a mark which he must bear.
Do we do well when we passively sit and tolerate such attacks for reasons of hatred? I find such angry attacks to be inexcusable and evil. We can debate for years the nature of homosexuality. Some groups make the claim that homosexuals are born homosexual. Many therapists claim that such orientation comes from developmental difficulties in upbringing. I have heard it argued that an imbalance of brain chemistry is the cause of this orientation. Many Christian groups decry homosexuality as sin.
None of these arguments are relevant for this discussion, however. Any homosexual is first and foremost a human being and we must oppose such violence against human beings. All human beings are created by God. When we attack and assault humans we dishonor God, our creator. When our anger against homosexuals boils up within us we are like Cain standing before God with our faces fallen and God telling us that sin is crouching waiting to devour us.
I am not asking anyone to accept homosexuality as a proper lifestyle. I am not asking anyone to endorse homosexuality. I am not asking anyone to befriend homosexuals. I am asking all people to respect homosexuals as human beings and afford them the right to live without fear of assault. Violence against our neighbors is a sin against God regardless of whether our neighbor is homosexual or heterosexual; male or female; old or young; or any other category that we can name.
Violence against one another is a sin against God. Let us all stand against such sin.
I have just returned from two marvelous weeks as a volunteer at Camp Fowler, the Reformed Church's camp in Speculator. There I relaxed and enjoyed a Sabbath rest from my daily labors. Now that I have returned from this Sabbath rest I wonder why I do not take such rests more often. Such rests are wonderful. They are refreshing. They are blessings to people who take them. Why is it I get so busy with things that I avoid Sabbaths?
In the Judeo Christian tradition, taking a Sabbath rest is not just suggested, it is required. In this tradition God rested on the seventh day from the six day task of creating the universe thereby sanctifying this day as a day of rest. In the Christian tradition Jesus teaches that this is a day given to humans to be a blessing to us. In Jesus' teaching we are to take this day because it is good to take such a day of rest. Many of us who claim to be faithful to this tradition have shameful records when it comes to this Sabbath rest.
A Sabbath rest is something that we all don't take very seriously. Our culture demands more and more time of us. Stores are now open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Holidays, which are theoretically times to stop normal activities to celebrate great events, are some of the most active times for retailers. In our society, we don't ever stop.
What is even more tragic is that our desire to keep on such a pace keeps other people from having a Sabbath rest. The ten commandments given to Moses mandate that not only are we take a rest, servants and slaves are also mandated to receive a rest. Our insistence on retailers being opened for our convenience requires someone to work those stores. If we keep demanding to go to stores, how do our retailers get a Sabbath rest?
My Sabbath rest in the mountains allowed me to enjoy once again the marvels of God's creation. Each evening before going to bed I stood in an open field and stared at the stars. The stars which God created are a much greater wonder than any of the fire works that humans have made. I took time to sit and enjoy them. These are the same stars that rest over my head when I am in Albany. Why is it that I do not stop and look at them when I am home? Why is it that I allow myself to become so busy that I neglect looking at this part of creation.
In Speculator I took time to stand and watch two squirrels chasing each other up and down a tree. I watched this entertainment for at least five minutes as these two animals put on a show that money couldn't buy. In retrospect I wonder why I don't watch such sights here in Albany. I have trees here in Albany. There are many squirrels living in the trees near my house. If I chose to, I could certainly take some time to watch them. Yet I don't. Instead, I allow myself to get wrapped up in doing things and I don't take time to sit and enjoy what God has made.
Hearing God's commandment to take a day of rest and not taking such a rest is like hearing information from a doctor and not following it. God has told us in the law what is good for us. We are the losers if we do not follow this law. This law was given to us as a blessing to us. Why not follow it?
This year I hope to take my learnings from the mountains and transfer them here to the city. I'd like to pace myself and take time for myself and time to enjoy God's creation. I'm tired of missing out on the joys that God has made. I plan on taking Sabbath more seriously. I invite you to join me in this task.
I recently read in the local newspapers that Governor Pataki, Senator Bruno, and Speaker Silver are all supporting legislation which would open the door to legalized casino gambling on non-Indian lands in New York. Shame on you, Governor Pataki! Shame on you, Senator Bruno! Shame on you, Speaker Silver! Gambling is a curse which hurts all of us. I urge you three to oppose such legislation. I further urge you three to take steps to end our state lottery and force casinos on Indian land to be closed as well.
When I was in high school in New Jersey the debate concerning gambling in Atlantic City was raging. I heard pastors preach sermons against these casinos. In my ignorant youth I thought that they were exaggerating the curse of gambling and supported these casinos. I was wrong! After I was away at college and these casinos were legalized I saw what harm they bring.
Casinos bring poverty to many people as well as the social problems that come from poverty. Atlantic City was once a great city full of tourism and conventions. Now it is a city full of poverty which surrounds palatial casinos. I invite the Governor, Senator, and Speaker to come out of their executive dining rooms and come with me on a tour. I want to take them on a tour of churches around Atlantic City. I want them to look at the people, made paupers by the casinos, who are begging money at churches. They are often begging for gas money to take them back home. Since the coming of casino gambling to Atlantic City, many churches have been hit with poverty as they attempt to help those who have fallen victims to casinos.
I have some very real concerns about our lottery also. I remember the days when police departments raided people who were "bookies". At some point governments decided that being a "bookie" wasn't such a bad job after all. State governments are now "bookies", taking numbers from citizens. I know that this is supposed to help with state education but most of us are smart enough not to believe that.
The "bookie" dollars which go toward education free up other dollars which can now go toward "pork barrel projects". Education has had no net gain from the state numbers racket. The number of impoverished people has grown because the state is now a "book maker."
I invite the Governor, Senator, and Speaker to take another tour with me. Come with me to the south end of Albany when the lottery prize is really high. Come with me and look at who is spending a lot of money on lottery tickets. It is those who can least afford it. People near the edge of poverty spend a great deal on the state numbers rackets. Are these the people that we want to be taking money from?
My grandmother was a Cherokee Indian who left a reservation to escape poverty. She spoke of illiteracy, alcoholism, and poverty of the reservation. In the midst of this hopeless poverty we allow casinos to be placed. These casinos suck money from impoverished individuals and feed the stock holders of casino companies. I know that the promise is that new money is flowing into reservations because of these casinos but how much of it gets down to the impoverished people who live on the reservation? I suspect that most of this money stays with a few people on top and very little goes back to the people on the bottom of the economic ladder. Is this something that we wish to endorse or encourage?
Our government leaders have been elected to govern. They have been elected to look out for the benefit of all of our citizens. These individuals have not been elected to be bookmaking racketeers or casino floor managers. Shame on them for wanting these to be the functions of government.
I call upon these leaders, and all of our government representatives to oppose new casinos, close the existing ones, and do away with our state lottery. Our state and its citizens deserve government leaders who are not gambling racketeers. Shame on you who would increase our poverty by blurring the distinction between a state house and a gambling house.
This is the day (second, minute, hour, week, month, year) that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)
I open the weekly worship service of my congregation with this verse from Psalm 118. I think of it as a reminder to celebrate each day. Indeed, during each second of each day we have opportunities to celebrate the time that God has given us. Each moment of life that we have is a gift from God. We did nothing to deserve being born yet God gives us our lives as free gifts of grace and love. We owe our lives to God for God has given us these lives graciously.
Do we realize how precious life really is? I think that often we do not. Often we take our lives for granted. A century ago people were more conscious of how precious life really is. In the era of high infant mortality rates and high rates of mothers dying during child birth people were perhaps more conscious of the preciousness of life. In our era it is the exception when young women die delivering child. With our modern medicine relatively few infants die and many babies born prematurely are able to live to adulthood. Advances in medical science have helped us to take life for granted. We feel entitled to long, healthy lives. Somehow we feel that it is our right to life and health.
Recently several young people from the Capital District have died tragically through surprising illness and accidents. Within the past few months several of our members have died. The youngest of these was a woman only twenty eight years old. She left a husband and a daughter only a few weeks old. These deaths remind us of what previous generations were well aware of; life is fragile and precious. We cannot guarantee how long we will live.
During this past week, it is alleged that a child in Pennsylvania fired a gun at a school dance and killed a teacher. This reminds me of the shooting in Arkansas just a few short months ago in which another teacher was killed along with several school children.
Who could have imagined that these young teachers in the prime of life would die so tragically and so suddenly? Who could possibly dream that such young children would be killed so suddenly. When these people got up in the morning none of them could have dreamed that they were enjoying their last days on this earth.
Our region is currently morning the disappearance of Suzanne Lyall. We don't know what happened to her. I personally fear the worst. If she is alive somewhere, perhaps the victim of kidnapping, she still is facing an outrageous horror. She certainly never dreamed of such a fate when she got out of bed on the morning of her disappearance.
All of these tragedies teach us that life is short. Each day is precious. No matter how we guard ourselves, tragedy can strike us when we least expect it. Do we get the most out of each day or do we wait until "tomorrow" to enjoy the lives given to us? Sometimes "tomorrow" never comes.
All of these tragedies teach us that blessing others should not be left until "tomorrow". If we offend someone today we may never have the chance to be reconciled with that individual. If we have a good word to say to another, let us say it now. It may be our last chance.
These tragedies are reminders that "this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Each day we have is a gift from God. We do not know how many days are given to us. Let us live each day praising God for his grace. Let us each day live to bless those around us. Let us each day live to honor God in thanksgiving for these days that we have. Our days, no matter how many we have, are limited. Let us rejoice and be glad for each one of them!
"What's the difference between this presidential sex scandal and the others that the president has been involved in," I was asked recently. The questioner was a young person who knows that I am interested in politics and have an opinion on everything related to politics.
I began my reply by explaining that there are two differences, one is that this was current while the other allegations I have heard were from the past. The second difference that I see is that this is not a sex scandal, but an allegation regarding an abuse of power.
Power is something that must be taken seriously, especially by those who hold the power. Power is very easy to misuse. Those in power must be very careful about the use and mis-use of power. Whether we are managers with employees subordinate to us, teachers in charge of students, or clergy with power and authority over others it behooves us to be careful in the ways that we use or mis-use our power over others.
Too often, in the local level and the national level, I have seen clergy become involved in the mis-use of this power. This saddens me. I feel sad for the victims of this inappropriate power and I am sad for those of us who suffer from people who have difficulty trusting clergy because of the few who abuse their power.
To prevent Reformed Church clergy from indulging in activities which would lead to such power abuse, our Synod holds educational seminars which help us identify potentially dangerous situations and trains us to identify strategies for avoiding such situations. One of the treatises of these seminars is that clergy should not enter into a romantic relationship with anyone from the congregation or an employee of the congregation. Since members of the clergy have authority over church members and employees, attempts to date such people involves potential danger, thereby creating a power imbalance between the minister and the member or employee.
The wisdom taught to us is that if we are single and dating it is safer to date an individual with no affiliation with the congregation over which we have authority.
Here lies the difficulty of the latest presidential allegation. The president had significant power to effect the life of the young intern, Monica Lowinsky. If there truly were an intimate relationship between these two, then it was entered into not as a relationship of equals but from a stance of great power imbalance. Such circumstances lend themselves to further questions: Did the intern feel compelled to have this affair? Was she afraid to say no to such a powerful man? Did she fear for her job?
Whenever we enter into relationships with people who have less power than we do, we set ourselves up for the allegation of abuse. Were I single and seeking dates it would be inappropriate for me to date a secretary whom I have the power to fire or a seminary intern who depends on me to write an evaluation at the end of the internship. Such people with power less than mine could potentially be coerced by me and would, therefore, be inappropriate dates.
The misuse of power is nothing new. It is not a phenomenon that has come of age in our century. The Bible records instances of abuse committed by kings of Israel. Perhaps the most famous example of this is David lusting for Bathsheeba. He entered into an affair which led to his engineering the murder of Bathsheeba's husband. God's prophet Nathan confronts David concerning his sin and tells David that although his sin is against Bathsheeba and her husband Uriah, that ultimately David has "despised" God by his actions. Nathan reminds David that his power, influence, protection, and all his possessions were gifts to him from God. When David abused his God-given power he ultimately is insulting and despising God.
This is a warning to all those in positions of power. When we abuse our power we not only offend the victim, but we also show contempt for those who place us in positions of power. I do not know if the President is guilty of any abuse of power. The trial being brought about by Paula Jones has yet to be adjudicated and the investigation into the allegations of a relationship between the President and Monica Lowinsky has yet to be completed. If however it is shown that the President did indeed abuse his power then those of us who have placed him into a position of power ought to be truly outraged and offended.
"You look tired", I said to a nurse with whom I am acquainted. "I am", she sighed. The woman had recently finished her hospital shift. "It was a difficult night", she continued. "I think I am ready for Thanksgiving."
I was struck by the seeming discord of her sentences. In one breath she spoke of how difficult her night had been and also how ready she was for Thanksgiving. This somehow did not make sense for me. "How does a difficult night lead to being ready for Thanksgiving?" I queried. The response I got was one of the best gospel messages I have ever received. Someday I hope to put her response into a sermon. Here it is as best as I can remember.
I started last night being very tired. My kids were playing and I did not get much sleep during the day yesterday. Sometimes kids can be so lovable and sometimes they can be so annoying. Yesterday they were in one of their annoying days. All they did is scrap and make noise. I was ready to pull my hair out. With those frustrations and with very little sleep I arrived at work and helped coach a woman through a difficult delivery. The child's father was not there for the delivery. I felt a rage boiling up at the absent father, a rage which I worked at controlling while I helped with the labor.
In the midst of my anger I began to think about the births of my two children. I remember gripping my husbands hand firmly as tears ran down my checks and pushing my children out into the world. I needed my husband then and felt sorry for this woman who had found a man who was willing to get her pregnant but not willing to be there for the birth. In the middle of my anger I became thankful, realizing how blessed I am to have a husband who not only gives me children but stands next to me in raising them.
Later in the evening another woman was giving birth. It was a premature delivery. We had been trying for weeks to keep the woman from delivering but her body refused to accept our help. She delivered a child much too small and young to survive. The mother and father sat in grief as they saw the small baby that would never breath. The child that they had wanted to hold, hug, watch grow up would never even take a first breath. The small baby was blessed by the hospital chaplain and the parents grieved.
At that moment I was thankful for every noise my children made. At that moment I felt guilty for every time that I was angry with my two kids. I realized then how quiet a stillborn child was and thanked God that my children could breathe, make noise, and have the energy to be annoying. We don't appreciate our children enough. But since I dealt with that couple in grief I thank God for my wonderful children even when they don't act very wonderfully.
Later in the evening, as I was getting ready to go home, I lamented how much stress I deal with as a nurse and the tired feet that come from this occupation. My thoughts ran toward the subject of whether nursing was really worth continuing or whether it was time to look at other careers. There are times when I hate this job. As I drove home from work sitting in my warm car on that cold night I saw a man with just a thin wind breaker and disheveled clothes walking up the street looking through recycle bins presumably for deposit bottles. When I saw him I had a new appreciation for being employed. I remembered again that having a difficult job is far better than having no job.
This Thanksgiving I will be eating a wonderful turkey, sitting with my children on my knees and holding my husband's hand, and knowing that I am employed, I will be truly thankful. I need rough nights at times. They show me how blessed I really am. Without a rough time how can we appreciate the wonderful times?
"So how are you doing?" my friend asked me. A few minutes before I would have said that things were not doing so well. I would have told her that my car had cost me a lot in repairs. I would have shared with her that my family often gave me headaches. I would have told her of the difficulties of pastoring an urban church and how ungratifying that can be at times. Somehow I couldn't say those things because she had given me a new perspective. She had given me a sermon that I needed to hear.
"I'm fine," I replied. "Have a blessed Thanksgiving."
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me'. (Matthew 25:40)
My church building was burglarized. Actually it was burglarized twice in three days. I am angry about this. The items taken were not especially valuable (we don't have anything of great monetary value here) but we have many records on a computer that was stolen that will take time to type into the computer that remains. I feel angry every time I type in these old records. The burglar cost me a lot of time even though I don't think he earned much money from the crime. The computer that was stolen was a Macintosh Color Classic. A used computer of this type does not glean very much cash. It is rather obsolete.
Many people that I have spoken too have expressed to me their sympathy and horror at the crimes. "How can people steal from churches," I often hear. "I remember when churches could keep their doors unlocked without fear," many senior citizens tell me. "Stealing from a church is the lowest thing that someone could do," one woman told me. I certainly do not wish to argue with these good people. I appreciate the outrage that they feel because I feel the same outrage. Yet I am not sure that they are right in describing a burglary of a church as being worse that stealing from anyone else. Burglary and stealing is a sin against God and a violations of God's law whether it is done against a church, an individual, a corporation or anyone else. I am not sure there is a difference between stealing from a church and robbing anyone else.
Jesus taught his disciples that the way they treat other people has an effect on Jesus himself. In this quote from Matthew's gospel Jesus is very clear that our action toward others, the positive and the negative, are really actions toward Jesus. God has joined with humanity to such a degree that he feels the hurts and pains of the world. The burglars of my church building mistreated Jesus and will someday answer to him for their actions. This would be true if they had robbed a person, or a corporation instead of a church building. Any stealing we do to anyone causes Jesus pain and we will be answerable to him for our actions. This ought to scare all of us or at least give us pause for concern.
When the cashier of a store gives us extra change and we accept it we are taking what does not belong to us. We are robbers if we do this. When the cashier rings up an item for less than should be and we do not call attention to this, preferring to save a little money, we have stolen. We have not given the store the agreed upon price for an item. Whenever we take these liberties we cause Jesus pain in the same way that the church burglars have. It is a rare person who has never taken such liberties at stores. It doesn't matter that the store is part of a big corporation. We are stealing when we do this. Is our sin any less offensive to God?
How about when we work for an employer that we do not like and refuse to work up to our capabilities. Are we not stealing from our employer? We still expect our wage even when we are not giving our employer the full benefits of our labors. Giving less to the boss than is expected of us is robbing our boss. This too is robbery no less than a burglar has done. Is there anyone of us who has never done this?
I see many people lined up to buy lottery tickets whenever the prize money climbs into the tens of millions. Many of the people on line are spending what I consider to be excessive amounts of money. I have watched people who appeared to be struggling financially, spend fifty dollars on lottery tickets! One such woman was standing with two daughters who looked like they could use a meal and some new clothing. Was this woman stealing from those children? Don't those children have a right to expect Mom to use household income for their needs and not lottery tickets? When our children do without the necessities of life so that we can spend money on frivolous and unnecessary things, we are stealing from these children. Again, we are causing Jesus pain and are stealing like the church burglars did.
Robbing a church is wrong. It is a sin. Yet I am not convinced that robbing a church is worse than any other robbery. Let us be careful in our interactions that we may never be robbers, hurting others and offending God himself.
Father's Day used to be easier to celebrate than it is today. Lately it has become confusing.
I remember, when I was a young boy in Sunday School, there was only one student without a father. His father had died, and I felt it a tragedy that he lived without a father.
As I grew older divorce became more common, and I knew more people who had no fathers living at home. By the time I was in high school I knew many people my age who never knew their fathers. These young people were victims of what I like to call "hit and run" pregnancies. In such circumstances, a young man and woman get together for a passionate time. The man then takes off, while the woman is left with a pregnancy for which she is not ready.
I don't know all of the statistics or the numbers on single parent families, but I know that such family groups are growing in number. I don't think it is any coincidence that published reports indicate many of the people living in poverty in our country are children. As more children live with one provider instead of two, as more children are born to teenagers or young adults with limited education and job skills, I would expect more of these children to living in poverty.
It seems clear to me that it is our duty to God to confront these circumstances. If we do not do something to bless fatherless children, then we are not taking the teachings of Jesus very seriously. Jesus warned those that listened to him that a great judgment would befall those who did harm to a little child. Jesus told them "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble (Luke 17:1-2 NRSV). If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem. What are we doing to keep God's little ones from stumbling? Are we willing to teach these young men and women the consequences of engaging in adult activities? Are we willing to be role models for these young people?
Men, it seems to me, ought to sit down with young boys and tell them it is not cool to take a girl to bed until the couple is married and have jobs to support a child that might come from the union. Boys, especially those without fathers at home, are looking to older men to learn how to act.
Are we willing to sit down with those boys and make time for them? Our ability to teach these young people will be greatly enhanced if we are willing to spend time with them. They thirst for companionship from older men. They will listen to us if we give them our time and attention and be role models for them. Be a teaching father to these boys.
Boys don't produce babies on their own. We need to talk to the girls as well. Women should take time to talk to the young girls. Please tell them to stay out of bed until they are married. Please tell these girls of the consequences of a pregnancy before they are ready to be mothers. Please let them feel loved. Many young girls have become pregnant because they want a baby "who will love them." Perhaps if these girls find more love and attention, they won't make such horrible mistakes.
When I have advised young people to avoid adult intimacy until marriage, they have frequently called me "old-fashioned." They also point to adults they know who are living together but are not married. These young people have grown up seeing adults sleeping together without being married and wonder why they cannot do the same. Will these young people listen to us if we do not practice what we preach?
Why do we feel that we can teach our children to save intimacy for marriage if we as adults are unwilling to live the lifestyle we teach? Children are watching us and learning by our example. Are we willing to give them a good example?
For Father's Day this year, let us become fathers to the young men who need guidance. Let us together help prevent unwanted pregnancies. Ladies, you talk to the girls. We men will talk to the boys. Together let us keep our children as children until they are emotionally and economically ready to be mommies and daddies. Our children want to learn from us. Let us teach them by word and deed.
Maybe together we can make sure that in future Father's Days, all our children will have fathers caring for them, guarding them and loving them.
Mother's Day is coming and I am looking forward to it as I do every year. I was blessed with a wonderful mother and I will always be grateful for that. This year, however, news of three tragedies makes my celebration of Mother's Day even more special.
The first story broke last December when a Mark Ennis (no relationship as far as I know) beat his mother while robbing her of money to buy beer with. The woman eventually died. How can a man act so evil as to beat his mother? From what I have read, the legal system was thwarted in protecting Eloise Ennis by her refusal to press charges against her son during previous attacks. How sad it is to celebrate Mother's Day in the wake of a son killing his mother for beer money.
The second story on my mind is the murder of Patricia Santana in Troy. Patricia's young daughter Amber was found shaking the body of her mother trying to "wake her up." The alleged murderer of Patricia had previously spent time inn jail for murder in Florida and is an illegal immigrant, police say. Allthough I have never met Amber, I am sure that it will take a long time for her to recover from the fears that she now faces. How can seeing you mother's dead, bloody body not affect your sense of trust?
The third story which has struck me so is the tragic fire which claimed the life of Marie Washington and her child in Albany. I shudder to think of the terror that was in Marie's heart as she clung to her child too afraid to jump out of the window, but being pursued by fire and smoke behind her. What terror Marie must have felt, caught between hot flames and a window above a very long drop!
How are we in the community of faith to respond to such tragedies? The fire and the bloody murder left in their wakes children who need to be cared for. These children have suffered great losses and now do not have parents to care for them. We in the community of faith ought to be part of the caregivers of those children, even if they are living with family or friends.
Who knows how intervention in the lives of Mark and Eloise Ennis 20 years ago might have changed the course of events?
Perhaps some stability early on might have kept Mark from ultimately murdering his mother or empowered Eloise to press charges against Mark.
The care of mothers and children needs to be a concern of the whole community. I applaud the many ways that individuals and groups care for mothers and children. The Troy PBA and WGY radio have joined many concerned neighbors and friends in supporting Amber Santana financially. Well done! The Alpha Center in Latham and Life Saver Ministries in Amsterdam work constantly with girls in crisis pregnancies to help mentor them to be good mothers. Frequently, these groups contact girls at abortion clinics, show them an alternative, and help them to be good mothers. We should all applaud this work.
Often, we don't live in such extended family networks anymore and the lack of such extended families often places orphans, young parents and single parents at risk. Many individual congregations of faith, my own included, replace these extended families and become supports to these families and children at risk. I can only wonder if Eloise Ennis might be alive today if years ago she had become a part of a community who gave her help and support as a young mother in crisis.
By supporting mothers and caring for children, we can avoid many of the tragedies that befall children who have suffered from insufficient care, abuse or neglect. The violence that we hear of all too often in our communities frequently comes from young people who have suffered from deprivation, be it economic or emotional. I believe Hillary Rodham Clinton is correct when she quotes the old African proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child."
As we celebrate this Mother's Day, let us join in thanking those parts of our village who do support parents and children. Let us also all join in the work that these individuals and groups do. Let us as a whole community be mothers to families at risk and care for young parents and children. What better way can we celebrate Mother's Day and honor the mothers who gave so much to us?
Recently, we have all heard of the escalation of bombing committed against abortion clinics. Radio shows have carried interviews with clergy involved in the "Right To Life" movement who have participated in and/or endorsed such bombings. Such groups at times compare the deaths of children at abortion clinics with the Holocaust of Nazi Germany and feel that they are conducting a "Holy War" by bombing such clinics. I am not sure they are correct in these activities and I ask them to rethink this "war" against abortion.
Let me say that I do not endorse abortion except in the case of saving the mother's life. It is my personal opinion that the Supreme Court erred in its ruling of Roe v Wade,which guarantees a woman's "right" to an abortion. Abortion legislation, I believe, should be up to the states to make lawful or not lawful as the legislators decide. I am in the "Right to Life" camp.
I also believe that life starts at conception. I realize that this is not a unanimous opinion among Christians. For me, at conception, a baby is formed and this belief leads me to the opinion that abortion is not proper. Yet how do those of us opposed to abortion oppose abortion properly? That is the question. I believe many of the ways the "Right To Life" movement is using are incorrect.
Abuse is not unknown at abortion clinics. Although opposed to abortion, I do not see women who have had abortions as enemies. These women are children of God just as I am. I have counseled members against having abortions and I have dealt pastorally with women who have had abortions. These women described entering abortion clinics through a gauntlet of professing Christians who hurtled filthy names at these women. Do we show God's love by insulting such women?
Bombings are becoming more common at clinics. How does planting bombs reflect God's glory? Is terror bombing a practice Christians want to encourage? If one of these bombs kills a doctor with children, the bomber is responsible for making children into orphans. Will God be pleased by this? I think not.
I have some suggestions for different tactics to use in opposing abortion. I hope and pray that these be prayerfully considered. Here are a few:
1)Begin by viewing women who desire to have abortions as people. Even if we condemn the act of abortion, the young women who are seeking them are people made in God's image. They are not the enemy, the devil is. These are young women who are desperate and troubled. They need to see a caring love from Christians, not harsh abuse.
2)Set up an adoption network. Data bank the names of couples who wish to adopt children. Have these lists available outside the clinics. Bring a trailer. Stock the trailer with healthy fruit juices. Invite the women who have come to have an abortion to talk about adoption. Treat them kindly and lovingly and ask if they will consider adoption. Show them pictures of a local couple wanting to adopt a child. Don't condemn or abuse the women, offer them other options.
3)Raise money to hire a lawyer who could work through the legal process of adoption. Most of us do not know how to go about the adoption process. I call on the protesters to hire such a lawyer and advertise his services. I don't know how many children would be saved from death by this tactic, yet even one child saved is a victory.
Christians profess to imitate Jesus who we believe to be God on Earth. When we read of his behavior, we find that he condemned sin but loved the sinner. Our Bible tells us that Jesus spoke lovingly to adulterers and even prostitutes. I suspect he would speak lovingly to women who have had abortions. Should we not imitate our Lord?
The groups are correct that God will judge those who receive abortions and those who perform them. God will also judge those of us who oppose abortion. Will God be pleased at the insults hurled, the bombs exploded and the orphans created? I call on the protesters and picketers to use tactics which more clearly reflect the love of God as well as express love to these young women who were also created in God's image. As a Christian I ask these Christians to rethink what they are doing.
We are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. I have often wondered why we celebrate Thanksgiving so close to Christmas.
Does it make sense to celebrate Thanksgiving so close to the season of "wants" and "Christmas Lists?" Young people, especially are busy making out lists of things that they want. Does this put them in the mood for being grateful for what they have? Are we really thankful, or do we think that somehow we are entitled to more than what we have?
Adam and Eve were the first people on Earth and also the first people to not be thankful. We are told that Adam and Eve were given the food of every tree in the Garden of Eden except one, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This was the one that was forbidden to them. Yet it was a tree that they did not avoid. They took what was not given to them.
I suspect that most of us would be thrilled to have been given such a life as Adam and Eve had. They had no need to work. They lived in a garden that satisfied every need that they had. They walked together with God in that garden. Wouldn't we all like such a life? Instead of being thankful, they coveted the one thing which was not given to them. All the wonderful things that they had were not enough for them. Don't they sound like us?
Every Thanksgiving, we gather around the table to celebrate the bounty that we have. The next day we participate in the biggest shopping day of the year, buying all the things that we don't have but want. Is this a contradiction? How can we celebrate our bounty only to run out the next day on a major shopping binge? Doesn't that show how much we covet what we do not have?
Today, instead of comparing ourselves to our neighbors, we can easily travel to wealthier communities and see what we lack.
Today we see television shows showing families of great wealth and come ourselves to such families. Today, we are inundated by advertisements which show us things that we don't have. We now feel deprived because we compare our possessions to these images. Generations of previous people compared themselves to their neighbors. We compare ourselves to fabricated images given to us by our mass media. No wonder we feel deprived. Maybe we need to stop comparing ourselves to those richer than ourselves and take a moment to compare ourselves with those not as fortunate as we are.
If you really feel deprived, take an evening and volunteer at a homeless shelter. See how those people live. Drive into Albany and stop at the Rescue Mission or the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless, and speak to people who depend on these service agencies for their very survival. When we compare ourselves to people without homes, without families, without a place to call their own, then we realize how blessed we really are.
We fall into a trap of discontent when we compare ourselves and our possessions to the images produced for us by television shows and advertisements. A far more gracious comparison comes when we look at the truly deprived people of this world; victims of war and famine, the homeless, the mentally ill, and the unloved.
God has given us a great world. God has given us a great deal of prosperity. Only by God's grace do we live in a country that has such peace and prosperity. We have people who love us and people whom we love. What more do we want? Are we really thankful or do we still long for those few things that we do not have? Let us be truly thankful this year and save the wish lists for other years.