God Is In Our Response

"I Was Sick And You Visited Me"

When we watch or hear the news we can be a bit overwhelmed with all of the negative stories. 

Once in a while we see a nice "puppy story" or a report about a person or group of people that may be working toward a better community, but there still seems to be a lot of negative incidents.

Death and violence are part of our nature, but so is life and good people working hard to better the small part of the vineyard they are in.

One such situation came to mind while I was at work the other day.  

I noticed a woman sitting on a bench under the tree with a man in a wheelchair.  It was one of those really hot and humid days and I wanted to take a few moments to appreciate the good in the world.

With so much violence in this community, one homicide occurring just a few blocks from where we were, I saw God in action.

I finished my task and took a walk across the street to spend a few moments with the two.  As I approached the two became clearer and I saw that the woman was holding the hand of the man who was physically unable to move about freely.

It reminded me of the passages in St. Matthew's Gospel, The sheep and the goats, 

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?…

There in the midst of a busy day was the Face of God, Christ, was sitting with a man under a tree comforting and enjoying the breeze on a summer day and I was quickly reminded that, indeed, God is alive.

People ask me all of the time; "Where is God in this messed up world?" My answer is; HE is in your response. God doesn't ask us to fix the world in a magical swing of a wand. 

You see, evil actions and events will occur.  Situations like starving children and violent acts pollute or mind everyday and we can easily become hardened to the needs of the world.

How can we cure or fix the entire world?  We can't unless we are in a position to do so, globally any way, but for most of us we are not asked to fix the world globally.  We are asked to work right where we are.

Seeing the face of God in a fellow human can be hard to see, but I wanted to share what I saw and remind you that it is not in the big things, necessarily, where we see God, but in the responses to the small things.

Spending time with each other is a wonderful way to spread love and be an example for others.

We may not be able to change the world but we can make our little part of the world a better place.

Look and you shall find! 

Violence In America

There is this need for people to answer the question "why?" when events happen that we have no explanation for or that seems to go against the major consensus in a culture.

For example, youth violence has been in the media lately across the land and in my hometown a 14-year-old boy shot an 18-year-old boy because he wanted the boys bike and was told "No."

The obvious questions that have been asked were directed at the parents and why didn't they watch over or instruct better or maybe why didn't the community get involved sooner.

When we look at American History, it's violent.  The entire history of humanity is violent.

When I was growing up we would pretend to chase and shoot the Indians, but I never felt that actually shooting a gun at someone was OK or chasing a group of people to kill was acceptable.

So, what's different today that alarms us so much?  One may propose that there is a media frenzy when there is a youth shooting and here is the secret ingredient; Mainstream Media and their agenda.

Let's look at the current news and ask; "Why has it been prepared this way for us?"

There is a young man that is draped in a Confederate flag and kills 9 people at a church. There are police officers that shoot innocent, unarmed people for no apparent other than not agreeing to submit to the orders of police.

What do you see in your minds eye when I describe this scenario: "Hundreds killed and more wounded when a late night attack by Insurgents led to the capture and control of the citizens town of. . ."  "Wiretaps Reveal Criminal Activity and Plots"  "Concentration Camp Occupants Rally and Demand To Be Treated Fairly"
"No More Welfare For Those That Don't Need It"  "Drug Test To Be Used Before Receiving Governmental Aid."

Did you think about Christopher Columbus, Richard Nixon, Newt Ginrich, Power Companys and General Motors, and the last one I just thought would be interesting; If we tested the people that would benefit from the Federal subsidies and tax breaks, would they pass?

Here is the skinny- We LIE!  we lie to the kids in school about the murderous and felonious activity of a man we celebrate as a holiday, Christopher Columbus.  Newt Gingrich lobbied for support of "less government involvement" while what he really meant was less involvement when it comes to the rich, not the poor.  General motors and Electric companies (parent companies) have been given hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks and government subsidies.

We got all in arms over the confederate flag while ignoring the crimes of our own flag.  We branded Eric Snowden a treasonous felon because he, at the very least, brought the criminal U.S. activities to light.

The inner city and urban populations are no more than "concentration camps" that are crime infested because of the oppression.  Our economic growth is violent and survived because of slave labor.  Slave labor is working for minimum wages so there is a privileged sector that keeps the slave down and vulnerable.  Ask any parent that works for minimum wage if they can afford to challenge injustices and poor working conditions.

So, Where is God?  In the Truth that sets us free, accountability.  When Jesus said; "How do you notice the splinter in your neibors eye and ignore the plank in our eye" We need to see the truth and that is hard to do when we are not informed.
The youth of this world see violence from their first days in school, American history is violent, and the media confirms the continued violence.

Humanity is violent, so why are we surprised to see a 14-year-old shoot another over a bike, when we have been taught history through a clouded and dirty lens?  Is this any different than the way we have treated people in our history?  We want America, Indian, so we are taking it and killing you or putting you on segregated land.

Accountability will go a long way, and it may be violent, too.

Be Jesus for each other.