Everyday we encounter immortals. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, every person we meet is on a trajectory to everlasting glory or eternal shame. They will either dazzle with dignity or repulse with reprobation. We are (mercifully) not the judge of anyone's destiny and we are called upon to offer hope for the best eternal and and temporal life possible as each person decides which path to pursue.
Part of America's greatness rests upon liberty of conscience and religion and limited governmental or social interference in private adult behavior. We argue passionately about ethics and religion, but we do so safe in the knowledge that our Founders secured the freedom to practice any or no faith and live peaceably with our deepest differences.
In a future essay I will comment on the importance of a pluralitic nation defending heterosexual monogamous marriage as a vital economic, moral and social institution. In this brief work, I want to encourage greater civility and mutual respect by reordering our thinking about one another. This does not mean a compromise of deeply-held values or suppression of debates over public policy.
To my friends in the GLBTQ movements: Your adult choices are yours, but insisting that everyone approve all of them is a form of intolerance just as onerous as the traditional prejudice you have been subjected to by others.
To my traditional friends: Some of your neighbors have feelings and make choices contrary to your beliefs. But they are more than their choices in some areas of life. They are artists and engineers, laborers and professors, the folks that serve your lunch or send out your paycheck.
The immortals we encounter are first human beings with a vocation from God to care for the community and planet and use their gifts well. Second, these neighbors are men or women. Third, they have histories and hopes worth exploring. Fourth, they have feelings and thoughts on life worth listening to. THEN, fifth, they have their particular orientation. If we can learn to think in this order, life will be more enjoyable even as we debate the nature of personal and social choices.
Recently a friend commented that our sex-obsessed culture has made erotic passions more important than ethical choices. Whether bi, gay or straight, being human means we are more than mere instinct. We are creative, moral, relational and spiritual beings able to channel affections and actions in ways that create a better future for others.
Let's never lose the wonder of the immortals we meet every day. Let's live the words of I Corinthians 13 bearing and believing, enduring and hoping, exercising patience and rejoicing in the good. Such love that seeks God's glory and the good of others is the only foundation for civil debates and decisions affecting millions of people and our civilization's future.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Friday, June 01, 2012
Laughter and Tears
We need to laugh more.
Not the cynical chuckles of the chattering classes or the derisive digs of cable TV narcissists. I am speaking of joyful, spontaneous, from-the-belly laughter that comes when we are with good friends observing and reflecting on the human drama. Life is just funny sometimes. Watching children play in the mud, teenagers try to impress each other and the not-so-subtle rituals of daily life evoke smiles and guffaws. Hearing a good pun - intended or not - is a cause for grinning. Great comedic acting and physical comedy, from Dick Van Dyke to Robin Williams, helps us forget our stress and marvel at what our brains and bodies can do.
We need more tears.
There should be a lump in our throats when "Taps" is played and we remember our fallen soldiers. Watching soldiers reunite with their families moistens our eyes. When we hear or see the oppression of the vulnerable anywhere we ought to taste bitter tears flowing from a heart of compassion. Joy can bring tears as unexpected kindness comes our way. Self-control is a noble discipline. It does not mean the absence of tears, but the ability to guard our reactions to the tears. America needs to weep for the missing 55 million since Roe v. Wade. But tears are also in reserve for the desperate ones looking for a way out of poverty and violence. It is good to cry during happy endings and weddings.
The antidote for all the anger we observe - from political rhetoric to the uncomfortable verbal joust next door - is a renewed commitment to live fully and well each day. If we will wake up and think about the glory of God and the good of others, we will laugh and cry more. If we defer some gratification we will enjoy the rewards of our sacrifice at the proper time. If we turn off the gratuitous nonsense and tune into great literature and music, the deepest wellsprings of our being are liberated.
Yes, we must work, vote, and fulfill other duties. We face enormous personal stress. But we can decide to live from the inside out, directing our affections and actions toward transforming our world instead of just surviving another day.
Let's laugh more. And cry more. When we do, we will love more as well.
Not the cynical chuckles of the chattering classes or the derisive digs of cable TV narcissists. I am speaking of joyful, spontaneous, from-the-belly laughter that comes when we are with good friends observing and reflecting on the human drama. Life is just funny sometimes. Watching children play in the mud, teenagers try to impress each other and the not-so-subtle rituals of daily life evoke smiles and guffaws. Hearing a good pun - intended or not - is a cause for grinning. Great comedic acting and physical comedy, from Dick Van Dyke to Robin Williams, helps us forget our stress and marvel at what our brains and bodies can do.
We need more tears.
There should be a lump in our throats when "Taps" is played and we remember our fallen soldiers. Watching soldiers reunite with their families moistens our eyes. When we hear or see the oppression of the vulnerable anywhere we ought to taste bitter tears flowing from a heart of compassion. Joy can bring tears as unexpected kindness comes our way. Self-control is a noble discipline. It does not mean the absence of tears, but the ability to guard our reactions to the tears. America needs to weep for the missing 55 million since Roe v. Wade. But tears are also in reserve for the desperate ones looking for a way out of poverty and violence. It is good to cry during happy endings and weddings.
The antidote for all the anger we observe - from political rhetoric to the uncomfortable verbal joust next door - is a renewed commitment to live fully and well each day. If we will wake up and think about the glory of God and the good of others, we will laugh and cry more. If we defer some gratification we will enjoy the rewards of our sacrifice at the proper time. If we turn off the gratuitous nonsense and tune into great literature and music, the deepest wellsprings of our being are liberated.
Yes, we must work, vote, and fulfill other duties. We face enormous personal stress. But we can decide to live from the inside out, directing our affections and actions toward transforming our world instead of just surviving another day.
Let's laugh more. And cry more. When we do, we will love more as well.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
A Tribute
Memorial Day began as Decoration Day, honoring the dead soldiers on both sides of our American Civil War. As with any holiday that becomes a three-day weekend, the original vision becomes obscured as feasting and travel overtake memory. The celebrations should continue - but they must be joined with solemn reflection on the many men and women who have died in our nation's service. Regardless of politics or policies, this is a good day to reflect on the fallen and remember the sacrifices of our service women and men. Here is my tribute.
Thank You
We do not know why the bullet found you
And your buddies made it home
But we remember.
Your red cross did not stop the shrapnel
But a another soldier lives today
Because you were there.
You jumped on the grenade
And saved all the platoon
These flowers are for you.
In two days you were going home
To meet your new daughter
And the sniper found your heart.
We buried you with honor
Handed a flag to a tearful clan
Thank you for loving us more than life.
We will recall your smile
Through misty eyes we will wait
Until the Day we see you again.
Left or Right, Black or White, rich or poor, we are all enjoying the freedom secured by the brave. Let us take a moment of silence, listen to Taps and offer prayers of peace for the families picking up the pieces of dreams shattered by the visit of a chaplain. And let us labor daily for a world without war.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Looking Beyond Ourselves
As I listen to the political debates, there is a missing component in the "retail" politics that fluctuate hour to hour in our data-saturated (but wisdom-deprived) world. There is much talk about Obama inheriting a terrible situation and "how much worse things would be" if he had not racked up $5 trillion in new debt. The Obama machine attacks the Romney record at Bain Capital incessantly because they have nothing significant to show for their amateurish efforts of the past four years.
The Romney campaign is a bit clearer, especially on deficits and foreign policy; however, they are also missing the larger point, though it leaks out in apocalyptic phrases.
The missing issue is, "What needs to be done for a better long-term future?" Yes, we need immediate relief for many. What is being lost are the strategic and structural decisions that will empower a future that is bright for our nation and global community.
Private-public partnership opportunities abound to rebuild infrastructure, truly reform health care, open new energy markets with both current fossil fuel resources and advanced research and unleashing ethical and effective decentralized education reform.
We can ensure the pensions of public employees by embarking in a determined and fair process of privatization with public oversight.
With best practices employed, we can save 15-20% on domestic spending programs without depriving a single person in need. We can realize the same savings in our military without harming our hurting veterans or weakening our ability to respond to crisis.
If we ask what is best for our future, we will be fiscally-disciplined, unleash entrepreneurs, shore up our infrastructure, insist on educational effectiveness and stand with all people of conscience against Islamofascist global terror. We will preserve traditional marriage while allowing all citizens to arrange their domestic situation justly. We will stop the holocaust of the unborn and open avenues of domestic adoption to qualified people. We will hold fathers and mothers legally and morally accountable for their decision to welcome a child into the world, while offering compassionate, non-judgmental care to all in need.
President Obama, and Governor Romney, how are you going to lead us into this healthier future? Do you have the courage to do what is necessary or will you continue to take the easy road of cliches and polemics? Please inspire us...but inform us as well.
The Romney campaign is a bit clearer, especially on deficits and foreign policy; however, they are also missing the larger point, though it leaks out in apocalyptic phrases.
The missing issue is, "What needs to be done for a better long-term future?" Yes, we need immediate relief for many. What is being lost are the strategic and structural decisions that will empower a future that is bright for our nation and global community.
Private-public partnership opportunities abound to rebuild infrastructure, truly reform health care, open new energy markets with both current fossil fuel resources and advanced research and unleashing ethical and effective decentralized education reform.
We can ensure the pensions of public employees by embarking in a determined and fair process of privatization with public oversight.
With best practices employed, we can save 15-20% on domestic spending programs without depriving a single person in need. We can realize the same savings in our military without harming our hurting veterans or weakening our ability to respond to crisis.
If we ask what is best for our future, we will be fiscally-disciplined, unleash entrepreneurs, shore up our infrastructure, insist on educational effectiveness and stand with all people of conscience against Islamofascist global terror. We will preserve traditional marriage while allowing all citizens to arrange their domestic situation justly. We will stop the holocaust of the unborn and open avenues of domestic adoption to qualified people. We will hold fathers and mothers legally and morally accountable for their decision to welcome a child into the world, while offering compassionate, non-judgmental care to all in need.
President Obama, and Governor Romney, how are you going to lead us into this healthier future? Do you have the courage to do what is necessary or will you continue to take the easy road of cliches and polemics? Please inspire us...but inform us as well.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Questions for Our Nation
The Presidential campaign season is here. Even before the conventions, we are subject to hourly pronouncements and trivia created to distract us from the compelling issues that demand a referendum in November. I do not care about high school pot-smoking or pranks; I am deeply concerned about the constitutional, economic, moral and social issues that demand attention from all our leaders in all branches of government. Rather than regale my readers with polemical profundities (smile), here is a series of questions for all the candidates as thoughtful people consider their choices. These queries are addressed to the women and men that aspire to "public service" - a notion that I hope can be revitalized from its current permanent ruling class.
"Ms. or Mr. [insert title and name here], what are your plans for...
...creating a hospitable environment for all people desiring to come here legally, while ensuring that only citizens vote?
...reducing government waste (including over-bloated Pentagon budgets) while making sure the poor and vulnerable are served?
...delivering health care in a just, decentralized fashion where doctor and patient are the focus, not a massive redistribution of wealth?
...facilitating private-sector economic growth without unnecessay regulation and totalitarian legal tactics, while refining a 21st century understanding of environmental stewardship?
...respecting the rights of those with deeply-held moral and religious convictions as well as those who differ greatly?
...supporting the fundamental institution of heterosexual, monogamous marriage while creating ways for adults in other living situations to care for each other and enjoy legal rights?
...confronting radical Islam and the insidious dhimmitude perpetrated by those who insist of separate rights and promote violence against their critics, while respecting our moderate Muslim neighbors?
...supporting Israel's right to live in peace and security while creating a democratic Palestinian state that renounces violence and unequivocally acknowledges Israel as a legitimate state?
...restoring power and responsibility for more governmental functions to the cities and states and reducing the size of the federal governnment, thus reversing an 80-year trend that saps our resources and effectivness?
...reigning in the power of public employee unions and privatizing pensions so we can actually afford to care for the elderly?
...insisting on a full audit of the United Nations' budgets and programs?
...balancing our federal budget and stimulating equitable global trade?
...confronting China, India, Russia and the 57 Islamic states concerning their human rights abuses?
...creating a hopeful view of the future?"
Thoughtful women and men are not looking for bumper stickers and cliches. We have proven to ourselves that minorities and women are equal partners; therefore, let's make November about ideals and issues, principles and practical work, values and vision. Our wonderful nation deserves our best, Ms/Mr. Candidate!
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