Witnessing a Miracle

Witnessing a Miracle

October 6, 2006 would be the last day of life for Charles Roberts. On this fateful day the 32 year old milk tank truck driver from central Pennsylvania would take his own life. Charles grew up in a good Lutheran home. Having been home-schooled, he never attended public schools. His mother worked for a Christian theater and his father was retired. Charles was married with two children.

At 10:00 am on that horrible day, Charles carried three guns and 600 rounds of ammunition with him into a small, white school house in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. He released all the males and kept ten females hostage. When it was all done, he had killed 5 young girls and then himself. The Roberts family was mystified and devastated when informed that their son had committed such a heinous crime.

There lived in that community an older Amish man named Enos Miller. Enos was the grandfather of two sisters who were murdered that day. He was there with them as they drew their last breath. The Miller family felt the full weight of sorrow crushing their grieving hearts.

Later that evening something happened that astonished the watching world. At 9:00 PM there was a knock at the door of the Roberts home. There in the doorway stood Enos Miller. He said that he had forgiveness "in my heart" and "through God's help" I have come to offer forgiveness to your faimly.This sort of human behavior seems beyond possibility. Forgiveness under such circumstances is often expressed by the Christian because it is "no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." "Those who forgive are forgiven and the forgiven are forgiving"

Say It Ain't So, Mark!

Say it ain't so, Mark!

Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina, has certainly disappointed a lot of people including myself. I liked him because he told the federal government to keep their bailout money and stop interfering in South Carolina's business. I can't imagine how embarrassed he must be now that millions of people are reading his personal love notes to an Argentine mistress. He described it as a "hopelessly impossible situation of love". I don't know if its love anymore but its certainly a "hopelessly impossible situation" for Mr. Sanford.

The governor is no better and no worse than any of the rest of us. We all have done stupid and sinful things worthy of the condemnation of the Almighty. I find nothing in God's word that says we should tar and feather Mr. Sanford. Everything I read says we should attempt to "restore" and "forgive" and "pray for" men who fail or fall away.

I feel much concern for Mark Sanford but I feel great pity and sorrow for what he has done to his wife and children. Another thing disturbing to me is not so much that one man has pretty much committed political suicide, its the overall tone of the party I belong to that so troubling. The thing that keeps me in the party is the thing that seems to be more and more absent. It is the Republican Party that is suppose to be the party that stands for morality and family values. The one who said that GOP stands for God's Own Party is certainly taking it too far. Some of those preening loudest for family values have chosen NOT to live the life they preach. Remember Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois, and Rep. Bob Livingston of Louisiana. And what about the politician who attended Baker High School here in Columbus, Georgia, where I taught for nine years, Newt Gingrich.

Ralph Reed, very popular here in Georgia, is a very 'conservative' political activist and fund raiser who was involved in Jack Abramoff's lobbying scandal. Or, how about Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who resigned in 2006 after admitting to sending sexually explicit e-mails to underage males who worked in the congress as pages. Any married man can be overtaken by temptation but those who advocate for family values and then lie to their families reflect poorly on the socially conservative Republican Party as well as provide great fodder for the Democratic Party.

All human hearts lean toward sin. Republican hearts are no exception. Mark Sanford led the charge against Bill Clinton who lied to his wife, his daughter, his friends, his colleagues and the nation. "The issue of lying is probably the biggest harm, if you will, to the system of democratic government, representative government, because is undermines trust. And if you undermine trust in our system, you undermine everything," said Sanford.

I hope Mark Sanford will contemplate his own words. More than that, I hope Mark Sanford will listen to the words of Christ the Savior, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." A lot of people are never going to forgive Mark Sanford but Christ is in the business of dishing out forgiveness and giving to us what we could never deserve.

Iranian Pen Pal

Iranian Pen Pal

Dear Amir,I've been hearing just a bit about how you guys are having some kind of revolution going on. Hope that goes well for you. We had one of those here in the states awhile back. I think it was the Civil War, you know, when Franklin Roosevelt was president. Things are really cool here. My parents just bought me a big screen T.V. to put up on my wall in my room. I love watching MTV and American Idol and Bachelorette. Life is just too good.

My uncle told me about your trouble there in Iran. He is always watching the most boring channels, like FOX News.I got some new CDs last weekend. I love listening to "Hoedown Throw Down" by Miley Cyrus. I also love Lady Gaga.

I don't know if I could even survive if it wasn't for my cell phone. I bet I talk 4 or 5 hours a day. Just don't let my parents know. Speaking of parents, do you know they want me to get a job!! Are you kidding? I'm only 17. Why would I want to give up a whole summer of goofing off with friends to work. Besides, they give me all the money I need anyway. Maybe I'll do the job thing after I get out of college.

Amir, my uncle tells me that some Iranians are dying in the streets. Man, thats crazy. Just stay inside until the trouble passes. Why would anyone risk going to one of those silly demonstrations. My corny uncle admires those Iranians who have died in the streets...you know, he thinks they are noble or something. Like dying for freedom is the greatest thing. Dumb, man! Why would anybody do that? I just don't get it!!

Hey, man. I just got a call from one of my friends. He has been harvesting some ditch weed and he wants me to come over and fire up.

Later, Jeremy.

Amir never received this letter. He sits in an Iranian prison because he expressed his desire for freedom and fairness. His future is uncertain.

(I wrote this to try to express my concern that a younger generation seems to be oblivious to the fact that thousands died to purchase freedom for future generations of Americans. We take their sacrifice for granted. We dangerously assume we will always be free and I fear these attitudes will never change until we have freedom taken from us.

U.S. policy: We won't get involved lest the present regime accuse us of inciting those who want freedom. Why are we more concerned about what a corrupt regime thinks of us rather than liberty for the oppressed??)

They want legitimate democratic participation.

The Face of the Iranian Revolt

The Face of the Iranian Revolt

She is now the face of the rebellion in Iran. A fraudulous election has brought thousands into the streets. If the re-election of Ahmadinejad had been legitimate, do you think government thugs would be killing young innocents like Neda?

Women in Iran are treated like dogs. They have no rights since the revolution in 1979. Neda died at Tehran's Azadi Square when she stepped out of the car she was riding in after getting stuck in a traffic jam. Watch the brutality of her murder at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vtvCMhWuU. Take caution, this is very graphic.

Her lungs filled with blood and it poured from her mouth and nose. She moaned her last words as her friends looked on, "I'm burning. I'm burning." She was rushed to the emergency room of the nearest hospital where staff made a heroic effort to save her life but she was already gone. Family and friends are not absolutely sure who is responsible for her death but they strongly suspect that a zealous pro-government paramilitary group called Basijis may be responsible. Another suspect group is Ansar-e-Hezbollah.

Neda was a lovely 26 year old woman in her prime. She worked for a travel agency and she was very intelligent. She had an exuberance for life and a sense of humor that made her family and friends laugh. She now lies in a cemetary in Tehran. Her life cut tragically short.

Where is the voice of the world's women's rights groups? Where is the National Organization for Women (NOW) when they are needed? Are women's rights only worth fighting for in the U.S.? Where is our president's voice on the revolution in Iran? People are dying in the streets because they want to live free. It seems we as Americans should certainly be able to relate to that. Will we help those who love democracy and freedom...or will we take the cowardly route of sitting down with Ahmadinejad over coffee?

Last year I was disgusted to hear Michelle Obama say she had never really been proud to be an American but I'm beginning to relate to that feeling. I'm ashamed that my president isn't voicing strong support for freedom lovers!! Why is the strongest player sitting on the bench instead of participating in the game??

Neda Agha-Soltan

Perpetual Adolescence

Perpetual Adolescents

I discovered recently that the word 'teen-ager' didn't become a part of our vernacular until about 1941. Adolescence is actually a rather new development. Back in those days children grew into adults, not adolescents. Twelve year olds were expected to help support the family.World War II produced a lot of disconnected fathers trying to deal with the after effects of a great war. Our economy expanded into conspicuous consumption to replace a demand left void by the war. The prime age group targeted were 'adolescents'. Adolescence was considered a natural stage of development between the ages of 13 and 18. I talked to a nine year old the other day and he told me, "I can't wait until I'm 13. Thirteen year olds get to do everything." He was yearning for adolescence.

Since then we have stretched adolescence in both directions. The whole span of modern adolescence can stretch 15 to 20 years. In fact, John Stonestreet of Summit reported that the National Academy of Sciences now defines adolescence as "the stage of puberty (around 11 or 12) to age 30!! Do you know of any 30 or 40 year olds still living at home with mom and dad?

I teach in a private Christian school. The number one complaint I hear from many of the girls who are NOT dating is that they can't bring themselves to date a 17 year old who acts like a 12 year old. I hear similar complaints from a lot of college-age women. Young women are looking for stability and security. They want to meet a young man who has a plan. Instead, they are finding alot of 25 and 30 year olds who still live with mom and dad and haven't determined any direction in their lives.

This perpetual adolescence in our society has produced a lot of youth who are intellectually anemic. Most of the high school seniors I teach are weak in critical thinking skills even though I teach in an exceptional school. Our youth are ignorant in economic and political theory and they have little interest in studying the rules of logic. Learning how to think well is far less important than knowing who just got ousted from American Idol.

Perhaps some of our economic and political problems in this country are due to the fact that a generation stuck in perpetual adolesence has finally achieved power. Loyalty to those who would desire freedom (protesters in Iran) takes second place to the narcissistic desire to be admired by our European friends. The desire for immediate gratification overwhelms the reality that it sometimes takes decades to bring about political change in countries who have never experience democracy. The determination to avoid the consequences for bad decisions at any cost (bailouts) is very adolescent, sort of like taking the pill the morning after or aborting an unwanted pregnancy. I'm praying very hard for my country because I think we are regressing at a very, very fast pace.

When Bitterness Invades the Heart

When Bitterness Invades the Heart

Our local community here in Columbus, Georgia was stunned in March of 2008 when Charles Johnston walked into Doctor's Hospital and fatally shot three people. Johnston, 64, went on a shooting rampage to avenge his mother’s death at the hospital. Charles Johnston played God that day. He was driven by bitterness. At his sentencing the families of the victims spoke…A member of one grieving family looked at Johnston and said, “I hope you rot in hell!” A member of another family looked at Johnston and said, “You’ve brought indescribable pain into our lives but we have forgiven you.”

The real benefit of forgiveness is not so much for the one being forgiven. Sometimes, they could care less. The real benefit is for the one doing the forgiving. They let go of the past so they can move on in their future. They release themselves so they can love again.

"He (Jesus) committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to Him who judges justly.”1 Peter 2:22-23

Jesus knew that the greatest injustice in all of history was about to happen when they dragged him to the cross. The righteous nature of Christ must surely have called out that this be made right. Make this crooked way straight. He knew this crime would bring all of humanity crashing down. But, Jesus committed this injustice to the Father of all justice and by doing that he was set free to love.

It is difficult to forgive because we are much bothered by injustice. In some sense we feel our forgiveness releases our offender from justice. Injustice is dealt with either in hell or on the cross. For those in Christ, it is dealt with on the cross. If we refuse to forgive and determine to harbor bitterness toward another Christian we bring dishonor to the cross.

"If you do not forgive men their sins your Father will not forgive your sins." Matt. 6:15

Obama Worship

Obama Worship

I've never seen anything like this in my lifetime. The veneration, the awe, the worshipful adoration of Barack Obama is mysterious to me. Chris Mathews simultaneously expresses his fear of what the Obama policies are going to do to our economy and then expresses in gushy words how inspired he is every time he hears his voice! The thrill is still running up his leg.Why do they worship the man who is dismantling the free enterprize system, firing CEO's of private industry, softening our stance against terrorists and offering cover for a corrupt ACORN. It just makes my head want to explode!!

Newsweek's editor Evan Thomas deified Obama, "Reagan was all about America". "Obama is 'we're above that now'. We're not just parochial, we're not just chauvinistic, we're not just provincial." ""I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God."Should the cult of Obama amuse us or terrify us? Masses are responding to the rhetoric of a man who has no track record whatsoever. Is it mass hypnosis? Some speak of "coming to Obama". It sounds like an echo of the evangelical call I've heard in the church since childhood, "coming to Jesus."

Recently on messianic tour in France, the Obama's visited La Fontaine de Mars where they were served food fit for a king (god). Owner Jacques Boudon said of Ms. Obama, “I saw God before me because I saw this smile that a million people have seen around the world."

I know the masses are eagor to bow down and worship...but I don't know that Obama thinks of himself as a god. If he doesn't think he is divine then the near worship of his cultish followers should make him feel very, very uncomfortable. I don't know of one Christian who would stand by and say nothing if others were trying to elevate them to some pedestal of deity. The attitude of all Christians is that "He must increase and I must decrease".

President Obama, if this cultish worship makes you feel uncomfortable, please speak out against it and give honor to your Saviour.