The Can Kicks Back

 

Politicians love slogans and one-liners.  “It’s the economy, stupid.” “Make America Great Again.”  “Hope and Change”.  “Don’t Stop Believin’”.  “No Kings.”  “(blank) is a Threat to Democracy”.  “Ask not what your country can do for you…”  “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”.  And it goes on and on as far back as one chooses to go.

 

However, these politicians who love slogans don’t care much about reality. Confronting real problems and what it’s going to take to solve them may not keep them in office very long.  So, they make sure they say and do whatever it takes to stay in office; assuring us that one of these days they will get around to solving problems.   

 

Up until now this song and dance has worked pretty well for many of our politicians.  But eventually the problems become overwhelming.  People begin to realize that the government cannot or will not solve them. And no matter whom they vote for things keep getting worse.  

 

The most pressing problems for most Americans are Housing, Healthcare and Education. These are so upside down it will take years, certainly more years than an election cycle, to set right.  And that’s a big problem in itself.  Politicians live for the next election. They are reluctant to risk their careers on programs that are likely to alienate lobbyists and special interests; especially when the beneficial outcomes of those programs are both uncertain and more than a year or two away.

 

In other words, it’s going to take courage and sacrifice to properly address the crises in Housing, Healthcare and Education.  At this point the only people displaying any courage and sacrifice are those who cannot afford these things. Those with the money, position and power to solve the problems are likely to continue kicking the can down the road until the can kicks back.  Indeed we seem to be getting very close to that point.

Commentarii et Sententiae IV...I’ll Take Cleveland.

 

_When one thought the bar could not get much lower, the United States Congress has managed to lower it even further by digging a deeper hole.  The record-breaking shutdown of our federal government is just another sad chapter in the story of an ever- failing legislative body. The latest survey shows the country is divided (no surprise) on who to blame for the shutdown.  35% blame Republicans, 32% blame Democrats, 28% blame both parties and 5% blame “Other”.  I’m in the 5%.  I blame “we the people”.  We voted for these yahoos and those who don’t vote are no less guilty.

 

_Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming the 21^st Century’s “Easy Button”.  Much has been written about the impact AI will have on how we work, how we solve problems, how we communicate and perhaps most ominously, how we think. Every major step forward comes with both a blessing and a curse.  The Reformation and the printing press totally disrupted and transformed Christian Europe.  It spawned wars and revivals; and played no small part in the migration of millions of Europeans to the Americas.  The Industrial Revolution transformed manufacturing, agriculture and how we do battle.  It also elevated the power of capital and drove labor to organize in self-defense.  Without the Industrial Revolution there likely would have been no World Wars, no Holocaust and certainly no weapons of mass destruction. The Digital Revolution was another leap forward, totally transforming how we live today from the way things were when us older folks were growing up. The Digital Revolution opened the door to AI and now there is no turning back.  It is up to us to adapt, adjust and overcome.

 

_And finally, there is New York, New York.  I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures.  So now New York City has a Social Democrat (in reality a Marxist) mayor.  It will be interesting to see how Mr. Mamdani runs New York City.  It will be even more interesting to see how many other Mamdani-like candidates run for other offices around the country. And there are several other cities, congressional districts and perhaps even a state or two where a Mamdani could win. Tennessee Williams, the great American playwright and screenwriter once said America has only three great cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans; and everything else is just Cleveland.  These days, I’ll take Cleveland.

The Unexpected

“Oft expectation fails, and most oft where it promises,

And oft it hits where hope is coldest and despair most fits.”

-William Shakespeare  ‘All’s Well That Ends Well.’

People sometimes say that in the end things tend to work out the way they were supposed to.  Some Christians put a finer point on it saying God has a plan and all things work according to His will. However, even as a Christian, I must confess that I don’t know how or why things turn out the way they do.  But I do know that seldom is the end what I expected in the beginning.  And when it hurts, I try very hard not to blame God.

We all start out with hopes and dreams which motivate us and create expectations.  Then life happens.  Look under life’s covers, anyone’s life, and you will see mostly unexpected events and unexpected outcomes.  Hopes fade.  Dreams die.  Marriages don’t last.  Jobs don’t work out and careers go in an unexpected direction.  Children from good homes with all the advantages go wrong and their parents never saw it coming.  Accidents, illness, bad choices or other people’s bad choices, a great wind or a bolt of lightning.  All unexpected, or at least unexpected until it is too late.  

We live in a broken, chaotic world.  Some of us contribute to that condition more than others. But even the best of us cannot avoid reality.  We cannot imagine, much less expect planes flying into buildings.  A global pandemic in an age of modern medicine and miracle drugs?  Unthinkable and unexpected. Donald Trump President? No one saw that coming 25 years ago. 

History is loaded with the unexpected.  No one expected America’s Civil War to last so long or kill so many Americans.  In the beginning most thought World War One would be settled and over in months.  That’s not how it worked out.  When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor I seriously doubt they expected that in less than 4 years the United States would develop the atomic bomb and actually drop it on two of their cities?  Who could have imagined much less expected that in the twentieth century millions of innocent citizens would be killed or starved to death by their governments (both Fascists and Communists).  Go back thousands of years and you will find that most of the world’s great empires rose quickly and unexpectedly.  And after a few hundred years, just as unexpectedly collapsed.

Expect the unexpected. What is left to us is to hope for the best while expecting and preparing for the worst.  If we are among the fortunate, reality ends up somewhere in between.  

Commentarii et Sententiae III

It’s been over a month since my last Comments and Opinions post.  And it has been busy out there.  

_1 The Government shutdown is one more example of a Congress that just doesn’t work anymore.  Everything has become so politicized that compromise is no longer possible.  The only way there is agreement is when everyone gets what they want which is the primary reason why we have a $37 trillion national debt rapidly enroute to $40 trillion.

_2 Trump’s tariff gambit continues to cripple our economy and there seems to be no end in sight.  This is becoming like an episode from The Twilight Zone. 

_3 Speaking of The Twilight Zone our friends and family members from the Left will be holding nationwide "No Kings" pep rallies for the Democratic party on October 18.   For those unable to attend, be sure to catch it on CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley.

_4 While it was great to see the ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, I remain skeptical about there being a lasting peace there. 

_5 Before last week, I didn’t know who Katie Porter was.  If her political career is indeed over, there’s always Roller Derby or Lucha Libre.

From The Good Guys to This

 

One of the nice things about growing old is that it gives you perspective. You don’t have to read the edited versions of post-WWII America.  You were there.  And if the lights inside your head are still burning brightly you remember.

 

One of the things I remember is when the Democrats were the Good Guys.  They were on the right side of most issues.  Civil rights, check. Equal Opportunity, check.  Protect the environment, check.  Women’s rights, Gay rights, Animal rights…Human rights….check, check, check, check.  The other side had Nixon…not good…check.  They even pardoned him.  And don’t forget Senator Joe McCarthy, he was on the other side.  Indeed, the Democrats were the Good Guys; and all of my kin save for one who married an oilman, were loyal, proud Democrats. 

 

So, what happened to the Good Guys? Some would say Sex, Drugs and Rock N’ Roll happened.  That would be an easy and obvious answer.  But it would be the wrong answer.  The cultural revolution that began in the 60’s changed a lot of things, some for the better and some for the worse.  But it’s not what changed the Democratic Party. 

 

If one were to point to a watershed moment it would be Roe v Wade.  The Abortion Battle became a dividing line.  Christians, in particular Evangelicals, Fundamentalists and practicing Catholics lined up on one side and the Democrats essentially said the Republicans can have ‘em.  

 

But they still had Jimmy Carter and he was a good man; one of the best human beings we’ve ever had in the White House.  But he inherited a bad economy and didn’t do much to make it better.  And he wasn’t great on the international front either.  So, the Reagan Revolution began and the Democrats circled the wagons. They decided to make a hard left turn, embraced the Rainbow coalition and got their butts kicked.  America wasn’t ready for that.  The adults came back and moved the party back to the center with Clinton/Gore. 

 

Say what you will, but they had a good run, Clinton and Gore; and if Bill had kept his zipper up, Albert would have won in 2000. He almost did anyway. By this time, the Christian coalition was solidly in place with the Republicans.  Democrats had a hard time accepting that they lost to George W. Bush.  The country came together briefly after 9-11 but then came the WMD fiasco and Katrina. The knives were out for Bush.  Then the economy craters.  The Republicans were going to lose big in 2008.

 

The Democrats’ dreams came true in 2008.  Finally, a Black President bringing Hope and Change.  The Republicans had baggage going back into the 90’s when far-right extremists made a lot of trouble, most notably the Oklahoma City bombing.  It seemed unlikely they would ever win another national election.  A new day had dawned for America.

 

But then Trump came along.  Talk about throwing a turd in the punch bowl.  The biggest upset in political history.  He knocks out Hillary and The Democrat Resistance begins.  Since Trump’s emergence and the MAGA movement, Democrats have been consumed with pushing back by any means necessary and in doing so they move further and further to the left. 

 

They played it safe and went with Joe Biden in 2020 who was perceived to be a moderate.  But in a concession to the far left, they were not sharp enough to pick someone other than Kamala Harris as his running mate.  They further compounded their error by aggressively pursing far-left policies for four years and then running Harris for President in 2024, essentially gifting the Presidency to Trump.

 

The demise of the Democratic party is not good for America.  With Trump 2.0 we may have changed course but that doesn’t mean we are headed in the right direction.  Those on the Left are losing their minds and most of their credibility.  They are convinced that the “new” Republican party is a threat to democracy while those on the Right believe they are doing the Lord’s work. There is no middle ground.  This is the biggest challenge America has faced since the Civil War. The World and the Angels are watching.

Beyond The Pale

 

While the assassination of Charlie Kirk is the latest and perhaps most notable event in a never-ending cycle of killings, what is most chilling is the response from those who hated his message.  

 

The cold-blooded murder of an insurance executive is met with cheers from the crazy crowd, and the assailant becomes a folk hero.  A madman attacks children attending morning mass at a Catholic school and the tragedy immediately becomes a politicized moment for gun control while denigrating those who simply ask for prayer.  Even those who died at Camp Mystic are fair game for those who never miss an opportunity to make it about their agenda (climate change) or worse yet to mock the Christian faith of the families who lost children and grandchildren in the flood.  And now we see people on Tik-Tok gleefully singing “they shot Charlie in the neck” and mainstream media vultures opine that just maybe Charlie had it coming.  These are sick people.

 

To be clear I don’t think these “celebrations” of death or callous efforts to politicize tragedy are exclusively left-wing behaviors.  But it seems clear enough that ever since Trump came along in 2016 and MAGA began its march to control all three branches of the federal government, many on the Left have decided to say and do “whatever it takes” to fight back.  If the shoe were on the other foot, I expect the far-right loonies might respond similarly as we saw on January 6, 2021. But for now, we are where we are and too many on the left are celebrating the death of those who have different ideas about what America should be.

 

We have lost our way in a maze of irreconcilable differences. There are simply too many fundamental issues where there is no common ground for compromise.  Our republic is broken.  States are divided; counties and cities are divided.  Not all, but more than enough Americans no longer share common values and with that it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to live under the same flag.

 

All of this will not end well, but it will end.  What will be left of America and what it will look like only God knows.  Some of us still hope and pray that He cares.

Remembering Genesis 3

 

The light was fading in Paradise

As the couple walked out the gate.

Animals wandered aimlessly

Uncertain of their fate.

 

In the shadows a creature crawled

Leaving a message in the dust.

A warning to all children

The price of broken trust.

 

In the twilight the wind was blowing

The hot dry smell of death

No more walks in the garden

No more peace or rest.

 

The Grievance Collectors

 

This is from a recent article in the National Review by Jim Geraghty:

“Time and again I have written about mass shooters and how many fit a psychological profile as “grievance collectors.” Willard Gaylin, one of the world’s preeminent psychology professors, writes about the dangers of “grievance collecting” in his book Hatred: The Psychological Descent into Violence:

Grievance collecting is a step on the journey to a full-blown paranoid psychosis. A grievance collector will move from the passive assumption of deprivation and low expectancy common to most paranoid personalities to a more aggressive mode. He will not endure passively his deprived state; he will occupy himself with accumulating evidence of his misfortunes and locating the sources. Grievance collectors are distrustful and provocative, convinced that they are always taken advantage of and given less than their fair share. . .

Underlying this philosophy is an undeviating comparative and competitive view of life. Everything is part of a zero-sum game. Deprivation can be felt in another person’s abundance of good fortune.

At the heart of the grievance collector’s worldview is that he is not responsible for the condition of his life; a vast conspiracy of malevolent individuals and forces is entirely at fault. There is always someone else to blame, and these mass shooters always find ways to excuse their own actions and deflect the responsibility to others.”

And so we get down to the heart of the matter. The human condition. Beginning with Cain and right up to the present day, grievance collectors have been responsible for much of the violence and chaos throughout history. At some level most all violence and chaos can be traced back to some individual or group grievance. I have often said that anger and fear are two of the three most powerful human motivators, the other being love.  Grievance collectors have no room for love in their heart, only hatred born out of anger and fear.

We can do things to limit the damage.  More restrictive gun laws, better security around soft targets, improved mental health treatment, closer monitoring of social media posts and the “dark web”.  But it will not change the sickest human hearts. The grievance collectors among us will continue to lash out and find ways to make a statement by killing people.  

As a Christian, I must consider that we may be in “the last days”.  At some point, God will say time is up. Satan knows it’s coming but not when it will come. He’s been working overtime since the beginning and most of all for the past two thousand years to transform or destroy God’s creation. We are now just living in the latest battleground of this cosmic war. Only God knows when the war will end.

Post It Not

 

Call me a slow learner, but I have come to realize that social media posts do not change the attitudes or opinions of those with whom one disagrees. Mostly they are just noise in the echo chamber made up of those who agree with you, an audience carefully selected by a particular social media algorithm. But on the occasion when your “opinion” post slips through to someone who does not agree with you, it tends to only increase their contempt for you and your opinions. It certainly doesn’t convert them to your way of thinking. People rarely agree with someone who tells them they are wrong, especially if they truly believe they are right.

Leading up to last year’s Presidential election I was a frequent poster or re-poster of articles, comments and cartoons which were critical of Democrats. As expected, they got likes and positive comments from those in my “tribe”.  Occasionally a left-leading rogue family member or a progressive friend of a friend might see the post and respond with the obligatory “Trump is a convicted felon” or “remember January 6^th” or similar barbs.  Even if they made a point that was factually correct, it didn’t matter.  I knew what was best for this country and they most certainly did not.  The back in forth did not change my mind or my vote, nor did it change theirs.

I still make comments or post an article that is favorable to the conservative cause.  But I also try to be more balanced and acknowledge where conservatives are going wrong. Still, it doesn’t matter much.  Some of my fellow conservatives will be angry with me because I not a being MAGA enough.  And the few progressives who may occasionally pay attention to what I have to say will just see me as patronizing.

I expect the world would be a better place if we stopped taking shots at each other verbal or otherwise. Perhaps it’s time to give the other side the benefit of doubt and appreciate their point of view.  My side is not always right.  Let’s face it, the Democrats have not cornered the market on bad ideas. They just don’t have many good ones. (OK, I couldn’t resist taking one last jab.)

And as I walked on through troubled times my spirit gets so downhearted sometimes.  

So where are the strong? And who are the trusted? And where is the harmony? Sweet harmony.

‘Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.

What’s so funny ‘bout peace love and understanding?

-Elvis Costello lyrics from the song “Peace, Love and Understanding”.

Commentarii et Sententiae II

_I. Putin is not giving up on taking a large chunk of the Ukraine unless it becomes too painful for him to keep trying.  He knows the West is not jumping into a full-scale war with Russia.  Not because Russia is a military powerhouse, but because the Ukraine isn’t worth it.  Europe, China and India all need Russian oil and gas, and Putin knows it.  Eventually the Russia-Ukraine war will end.  Putin will get most of what he wanted and Zelensky will be replaced by someone more acceptable to those who wish to determine the future of Russia’s neighbors.

_II. On a recent trip to the nation’s capital, I spent the better part of a day in the Smithsonian National History Museum.  Conservatives have been complaining that the Smithsonian has gone too far in promoting revisionist history and “woke” ideology.  For that reason, I seriously considered not going.  But, at the last minute I decided to go and I’m glad I did.  Indeed, a lot of America’s dirty laundry was on display.  Some of it was prominently displayed and “hyped”.  Likewise, many of our finer moments did not get the attention they deserved in my opinion.  But overall, I didn’t think it was that bad.  Perhaps because I am a history buff, I was well aware of the good, the bad and the ugly of America.  But for the benefit of the young and easily influenced, I’d prefer to see a bit more flag waving and celebration of our successes.  Let’s just not swing too far in that direction and ignore the bad stuff.

_III. It would appear that New York City is well on the way to electing a real Socialist mayor.  Zohran Mamdami checks all the boxes.  Young, dynamic, personable, has a great smile and is unencumbered by white privilege. He’s also playing to an audience of people who are struggling to survive, much less get ahead; especially in a high cost-of-living location like New York City.  And he has broad appeal with young voters who have been sold “soft” socialism in one form or another since grade school. Mamdami and the New York mayoral race is just the tip of the socialist iceberg.  Millions of people in this country have given up on capitalism and think it’s time to reset and re-distribute wealth and resources in ways which they consider to be more equitable. “The problem with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples’ money.” – Margaret Thatcher

Commentarii et Sententiae

“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” – Thomas Jefferson

 

Over the past couple of years I’ve shared my thoughts about various subjects under the heading of “My Two Cents Worth”.   Several readers have commented that the term “My Two Cents Worth” sounds really old and dated.  Considering that I am old and dated, I figured I might as well go all in.  Thus “My Two Cents Worth” is now “Commentarii et Sententiae”.

 

_I. That recent job numbers were massively revised downward comes as no surprise to those of us who are close to the front lines. I didn’t believe the numbers when they initially came out.  And the GDP numbers are just about as misleading considering that the major factor in the recent quarter’s GDP was the “favorable” trade balance as the result of tariffs.  We’ll see how this works out over the next few quarters, but I’m not seeing much good news on the horizon.  Trump’s Tariff Wars will benefit the few at the expense of the many.

 _II. Gerrymandering is just one more shady trick politicians have been using for decades to boost their careers.  Both parties have used it to gain the advantage and it has only served to divide us even more.

 _III. My Texas Tech Red Raiders are the poster boys for the new “money ball” and now everybody hates us.  We all know the money game has been played for years under the table.  Back in the good old days the “blue-blood” programs could stack up talent by offering pathways to championships and professional careers.  But start throwing million dollar deals out there and we see that “pay me now for real” beats “pay me later maybe”.

 _IV. I recently joined the Creatine craze and the results have been positive. Even though I’m old, I still workout and I can tell the difference in recovery and energy levels. It also seems to help a bit with mental sharpness and focus. The only downside is that it tends make your body hold water and you’re likely to carry a few extra pounds.  

 _V. North Texas’ infrastructure has forever failed to keep pace with population growth, and it seems to be getting worse.  I suppose our politicians are so intent on increasing their tax base in the short run that it doesn’t matter much what it’s doing to the quality of life for those taxpayers in the long run.

Cheap Grace and a Bowl of Soup

 

"And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me, cannot be my disciple."- Luke 14:27

I grew up in a mostly Baptist family.  I also got a good dose of Methodism and a few warning shots from Church of Christ relatives.  But the message I heard loud and clear was to believe that Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, that He died for my sins and rose on the third day…confess that or spend eternity in the fires of Hell.  So, at the ripe old age of ten, after hearing a sermon about a selfish Rich Man and a poor beggar named Lazarus, I walked down the aisle and “accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior”.  I was as sincere and as a frightened as a ten year-old boy could be; therefore I did what was necessary to avoid punishment.  I accepted Christ and He accepted me.  What a relief.  If only I had known what it really meant to be a Christ-follower.

As I grew older and discovered things like beer and girls, I grabbed the wheel of my life and proceeded to systematically move Jesus to the passenger side, then to the backseat and finally put him in the trunk.  I was still a “believer”, went to church occasionally; and might even read the Bible and pray when times got hard.  But my priorities were not God’s priorities; and in the end, as it says in The Book, you cannot serve two masters.

I ran in circles where most people didn’t talk much about God other than in profanities.  The few who admitted to being believers were mostly like me, content to stay on “the front porch” of the faith enjoying the blessed assurance of salvation and counting on their fire insurance.  Some still gave time and money to their church.  Those who were serious about their faith did more.  The Baptists were all about witnessing.  Do you know Jesus?  Say you believe, get baptized and go bring some more folks to church.  Cheap grace.  The Methodists and most of the other “mainline” denominations seemed to be more interested in charitable activities and just being respectable citizens who could check the right boxes.  Show we are Christians by our love… and give them a bowl of soup.

Witnessing, sharing your faith and being a good neighbor are foundational to being Christ-followers.  These are surely good things. But something was missing. When the covers were pulled back most believers’ lives weren’t much different from the non-believers.  Certainly mine was not. We clung to our “belief”, to our “faith”; but our actions betrayed us.  We might say the right things and even do some of the right things; but most of us were just Christ fans, not followers.  We were hypocrites at best, heretics at worst.

Now late in life, I realize that one can waste their life doing the wrong things while still believing the right things.  Cheap grace is not what God is offering.  The grace He offers costs Him everything.  While we can do nothing to earn God’s grace and mercy; if we are to accept it, we must accept it on His terms…and that is not cheap.

 

If A Man....

 

Once upon a time when it was acceptable to use He/Him/His pronouns, I had an old uncle who liked to introduce his thoughts and observations with this conjunctive phrase: “If a man….”.   My uncle would say things like “If a man wanted some fresh tomatoes, I’ve got a bunch of them out there ready to be picked”.  Or “If a man wanted to make some money, I could us a little help with…”.  Or “If a man was honest, he wouldn’t go into politics.”

Most of the time an “If a man” comment opened the door to a longer conversation that might end up with an unexpected conclusion such as “I just think air conditioning is making people soft.”  Or “sometimes people can get too much education”.  An “If a man” conversation might end up with a conclusion that there was no such thing as too much salt in your diet or the Dallas Cowboys would never win another Super Bowl so long as Jerry Jones owned the team.  Sometimes my uncle was right.

Political correctness was not a priority in those days, but some things were off limits.  Don’t discuss religion or how much money someone was making or even how much they paid for something.  And stay away from sex-related subject matter.  “If a man” chose to tread into those deep waters, he would soon find himself alone on the porch.

These days my uncle would be an anachronism, a man from a time and place that has all but disappeared.  But he was one of the good ones.  “If a man is honest and works hard, color don’t matter.”  “If a man lays a hand a woman he needs a butt-kickin’.“ “If a man lies about a little thing, he’ll lie to you about a big thing.” “If a man thinks he’s better than you, just leave him alone. It don’t matter.” “If a man is willing to learn, you ought to be willing to teach him.”

And I would add, “If a man is raised right, he needs act like it.”  My uncle would have agreed.

Waiting for the Whirlwind

 “So, Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”  Job 1: 9-11

The Book of Job is considered by most biblical scholars to be the oldest book of the Bible. It’s the story of a rebellious spiritual being, Satan, who confronts God with a challenge.  The challenge takes place in front of the heavenly hosts called the Sons of God. God is convinced that Job honors and obeys Him for no reason other than He is God. Satan claims that Job’s worship of God is based entirely on the blessings he is enjoying in the here and now.  Take away his wealth and family; and ultimately his health and Satan is confident that Job will shake his fist at God and spew out curses against Him.

 

For reasons only He knows, God accepts the challenge and turns Satan loose on Job.  Satan is permitted to destroy Job’s worldly possessions, his loved ones and his health.  God says, “Do your worst, but do not take Job’s life.” Indeed, Satan does his worst. Job is left with nothing but a lonely and bitter wife. He is covered in painful sores and wishes he’d never been born. Things get so bad that his wife tells him to just curse God and die.  Advice which Job summarily rejects.  

 

His life-long friends show up ostensibly to comfort him. But their visit turns into an inquisition as they are convinced that Job is being punished for sinful behavior and his only salvation would be to confess and plead guilty before it’s too late. Job refuses to admit wrongdoing.  He knows that he has been faithful and obedient to God. Up until these disasters fell upon him, Job and God were close and he was blessed in every way. Job doesn’t understand why all of this has happened, but he knows it’s not punishment for some sin he has committed.  He demands an audience with God. In Job’s mind, God has some explaining to do.

 

Eventually God has had enough of Job’s friends’ bad theology and Job’s demands for answers. God does show up, but not before a young man by the name of Elihu rebukes Job and his friends.  He had waited patiently for his turn to speak and when Elihu cuts loose he not only tells the older men and Job where they are wrong, he also offers up a powerful introduction for what is about to come. It’s worth noting that in Hebrew the name Elihu translates as “my God is He”.

 

God then shows up in a whirlwind and sets the record straight not by answering Job’s questions, but by asking Job questions.  After brow-beating Job with questions about His power, how it is He who created all that exists and how it is He who sustains it; God ask Job, “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.” Job offers a weak response and admits that he is simply a vile human being and will speak no more. Then to put a fine point on His message, God asks, “Would you indeed annul My judgement?  Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?”

 

There it is, the non-answer answer and the only answer that matters. When tragedy strikes us and it will strike each of us in this life, likely more that once; we must come to terms with it and how we can believe there is a good and merciful God out there somewhere. Is He there? Does He Care? If He does care, why did He cause or allow this to happen?

 

Job’s eyes were opened.  He replies to the Lord, “I know you can do everything and no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. … Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things to wonderful for me which I did not know. … I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

 

Job’s story has a happy ending.  Everything he lost is restored to him and more.  He truly was a blessed man.  Unfortunately for most who suffer great loss, they are not restored in this life. They are left with the memory of what once was and is no more.  They can choose to keep the faith and look to the hope of resurrection and restoration.  Or they can turn their back on God and lose that which is left and is to come as they drift into the darkness of unbelief.  Or they can keep asking God for answers and wait for the whirlwind.

Fair Warning

 

Texans tend to be independent, fearless and stubborn; especially the older, native-born Texans and those living outside of major urban centers.  We’ll spend money on pipe and cable fencing that cost four or five times more than barbed wire because we like the look of it and it makes a statement.  We’ll buy $100,000 pick-up trucks because we can (and they make a statement).  If it’s football-related, we don’t even question it.  Just write the check.  We spend massive amounts of money on mega churches, plastic surgeries, swimming pools and outdoor kitchens.

We’ll drop our pants and give millions of dollars in financial incentives to attract new businesses to our state.  We love our agriculture, oil and gas and defense industries and are ever ready to grease the financial wheels as necessary.  And we’ll spend money to provide water to our industries and our people. But, we have not seen the need to spend a bit of money on flash flood warning systems; not even in a place like the Hill Country where the Guadalupe River has a recorded history of extreme flash flood events dating all the way back to 1838 and as recently as 1998.

Whether one believes we live in a world broken by sin, the forces of nature, time or climate change; one must face the risks and manage them as best they can.  We can and should pray to be spared; but even more so, we should pray for the wisdom and foresight to prepare.  Sadly, it’s too late for the victims of the deadly flash flood of 2025. But there is no excuse for not being prepared for the next one.

Letting Go

As the years stack up, I find myself letting go of things.  Some I’ve learned to live without.  Some I no longer need and many I didn’t need in the first place.  And there are those things which I have grown tired of dragging along behind me.

What does one hang on to? And what does one let go of?  Ah, those are the questions one asks when lying awake in bed at 3 o’clock in the morning.  Now what matters?  Someone tell me, tell me now so I can go back to sleep…or stay awake.

I think it comes down to three key considerations.  First, is this thing good for my relationships with those who truly make a positive difference in my life, and I in theirs? Secondly, is this thing good for me; good for my health and my sanity?  And lastly, is this thing good for my soul, might it make an eternal difference and not just for me?

Take stock, consider, reflect.  Letting go is more difficult, but hanging on is more dangerous.  What things have made your life and the life of those around you worse?  What things have separated you from God?  You may not care.  But here you are, nonetheless, made in God’s image whether you believe it or not.  And one day you will care.

Let go of those things which hold you back. Understand that those most difficult to let go of often do the most damage.  We all have our demons.  We let them in and with God’s help we can let them out.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” -Hebrews 12:1

Then What?

 

“No, his mind is not for rent to any god or government.

Always hopeful, yet discontent. He knows changes aren’t permanent."

 - from the song Tom Sawyer by Rush

 

It has been said that the one constant in this world is CHANGE; always has been, always will be. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said it well, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he is not the same man.”  Change is inevitable. But to a significant degree the rate and direction of change is up to us. Over the past 200 years the rate of change has increased exponentially.  At some point it will come to an end as will everything, but the timing and means of such an event are well above our human pay grade. In the meantime, we must deal with change.  

Change should come to us with a “Then What?” warning label.  Fail to ask that question or fail to come up with reasonable answers to it, and you will suffer the consequences. History is replete with bad outcomes that could have been avoided if those driving change had seriously considered the “Then What?” that comes after the change.  A lot of people pushed for the prohibition of alcoholic beverages. and they got it.  Then what?  Forced busing to integrate schools.  Ok you got it.  Then What?  Go find those WMD’s.  Then What?  Get rid of those nasty old fossil fuels.  Then What?  Make America Great Again.  Then What?  Open the borders, it’s the humanitarian thing to do and besides we need someone to do the work we are too fat and lazy to do.  Then What?

Most of the news today is about people seeking to make big changes.  Changes which, in some cases, will do less good and more harm than expected.  And there is nary a moment taken to stop and ask, “Then What?” if we get the change we are demanding.  Of course, there are changes that have been for the better.  Civilization has only advanced by changing. Without change we would still be walking or riding animals as opposed to moving about in cars, trains and airplanes.  Without change we would not live as long or as well.  Without change we would still be ruled by monarchs and struggle just to survive. Changes in the law as well as in hearts and minds ended slavery.

Change is necessary.  God commands change and it is required if we are to be good stewards of this planet and live righteously.  But change comes with risks and there are always consequences...Then What?

La Cruzada Insensata

"We asked for workers.  We got people instead" - Max Frisch

Guess what? When the authorities decide it’s time to round up all the undocumented immigrants we discover that includes millions of people who have been in this country for years.  Enough years to have children and even grandchildren born here.  We also find there are millions of family members, co-workers, friends and neighbors who are undocumented, or their work-visas have expired.  

 What should come as no surprise is that when laws and regulations are not enforced, be it immigration or anything else, people will ignore them.  It becomes a simple cost/benefit decision.  We have kicked the immigration can down the road for decades. I do not blame people for slipping into this country to work and have a better life for themselves and their families.  I blame our government for failing to manage the process.  And by “manage” I do not mean building a bigger wall.  I mean investing in the resources to manage immigration and passing legislation that makes sense for immigrants as well as citizens.

So, when we go on a crusade to clean up the mess that’s developed because we allowed it to happen; a lot of technically guilty but otherwise innocent people will suffer.  And that’s more than enough to bring out the protesters along with those who will take advantage of the moment to push their radical agendas.

Contacts

 

I don’t travel as much as I used to but recently I made the mistake of taking a flight out of DFW on a Saturday morning in early June. The terminal was crowded and chaotic; packed with families and infrequent air travelers. The TSA and airline employees might as well have been robots.  I take that back, robots would likely have had more personality and been more efficient.  Even the flight attendants were just going through the motions, avoiding eye contact and mostly huddled up in the galley. The flight was completely full and like the passengers, the flight attendants just wanted the whole thing to be over as soon as possible.

 

It got me to thinking about how we relate to other people. I believe our contacts with others are either Transactional or Relational.  Most contacts tend to be Transactional, more so for some of us than others. For example, on the flight back home I got an upgrade to first class. I sat next to a gentleman who was probably about my age. I boarded ahead of him and had an aisle seat. When he came on board he nodded toward the window seat. I got up and let him in. During the flight he got up to go to the bathroom and was nimble enough to step over and around me. Not a single word was exchanged between us…ever during the entire flight. 

 

I know he could talk because he spoke to someone on his cell phone before we took off.  And he told the flight attendant what he wanted to drink and later his choice for breakfast.  He knew I could talk because I spoke with the flight attendant as well.  We were both readers.  He had a real book, a thick paperback about the American Revolutionary War.  I was re-reading Mere Christianity on my Kindle.  Perhaps he caught a glimpse of that and thought better of speaking to me lest I try to convert him. But neither of us made any attempt to speak directly with the other.  It was a silent transactional relationship. We happened to be sitting next to each other on an airplane. We respected each others’ space and privacy.  There was no other transaction to be had nor was there any interest in a relationship, however brief.

 

In my experience, when it comes to “contact”, most people tend to be either Initiators or Responders. At my core I am a Responder.  I rarely initiate contact unless it’s necessary.  In my work life it has been necessary and I do it rather well. But if a contact is primarily transactional with no apparent reason for it being more, I rarely go beyond saying what is necessary to complete the transaction. If you are waiting in line behind me you’ll be happy. I won’t be chatting up a ticket agent, a cashier or the person behind the counter taking my order.  

 

But I’m also Relational when it comes to contacts. If the opportunity presents itself I will make an effort to know more about you. If it’s on track to being a “relational contact” I will share quite a bit about myself. However, I cannot stand pretense and if I sense someone is not being honest and genuine, or it’s all about them...we’re pretty much done.

 

My wife on the other hand is an Initiator. She will strike up conversations with total strangers and proceed to shower a lot of attention on them. I think she gets away with it because she’s an attractive woman and just has a way of making people feel important. I am certain that she restrains herself when I’m around to avoid my “What the hell was that about?” questions afterwards.

 

My advice, know yourself and be prepared to know your audience. Some people are Initiators and some are Responders.  Some will never move beyond Transactional and some will rush to become Relational.  Be wary of Initiators if you aren’t sure about their motives. Some are like my wife, outgoing and just love people. But many simply want something from you. So watch out and pay attention.

 

Whether you are an Initiator or a Responder, avoid pretense and just be yourself if you wish to move beyond the Transactional level. And if you happen to be sitting next to me on an airplane, don’t be afraid to ask where I’m from or what I do. We’ll have a nice chat.