The Christian Vocation
If you are a Christian, Jesus told you your “vocation.” It does not matter if you are a man or a woman, an American or a Mexican, a worker or a CEO, straight or gay. Your actions speak louder than words. Your behavior shows what you believe, not the Church you attend. You can have a GED or a PhD. Whether you believe you are saved or not, you still have to face the Last Judge, the Final Boss. Are you going to listen to an NFL kicker or the Son of Man? Change my mind.
35 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, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Trump Has the Reich Stuff
The Trump campaign propelled discussions of NAZIs into the news again. It released a video with a fake newspaper reporting a fictional Trump landslide and the future “creation of a unified Reich.” Overtly mimicking NAZI language is essential to Donald Trump’s appeal. Many Americans don’t want to face this reality.
What then is a NAZI? You need to look no farther than the words of Adolf Hitler. Hitler created the National Socialist Party and explained its platform in Mein Kampf (My Struggle, 1923). He wrote Mein Kampf in prison after he was convicted of leading a failed coup against the Weimar Republic.
Hitler designed National Socialism to destroy the Weimar Republic. The Weimar Republic was a representative, parliamentary democracy. It rose from the ashes of World War One.
The Second German Empire (Deutsches Reich) had committed suicide by joining Austria’s war against Serbia in 1914. The Reich found itself trapped between Russia and France. The Reich army collapsed under the weight of total war, and the Emperor (Kaiser) fled to the Netherlands.
In 1919 German parliamentary leaders were left to pick up the pieces and created a new constitution for a defeated Germany. The new constitution rested on multiparty elections, freedom of speech/press, and religious toleration. Feminists also gained rights for women to vote, earn money outside the home, and overall legal equality with men.
Hitler hated the Weimar Republic. His NAZI party sought to restore the traditional German Reich, a Third Reich. Restoration required National Socialism. Hitler’s “socialism”, however, had little in common with the Marxist idea of public ownership of resources, production, and distribution. In fact, Hitler blamed the Marxists and the Socialists for the collapse of the Empire in the First World War.
Hitler redefined “socialism” by combining it with “nationalism”. His definition is pretty simple to understand. It had nothing to do with economics and everything to do with racial purity.
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, 1923
Donald Trump’s lies about immigration tap directly into this NAZI rhetoric. Trump’s language is the Reich Stuff.
Donald Trump, December 2023
Trump, like Hitler, hates democratic institutions. He hates multiparty elections. He hates freedom of speech. He hates a multiethnic, free America. Trump scapegoats immigrants. Trump wants your permission to turn back the clock just like Hitler turned back the clock. Will you let him?
When is Easter?
Easter is a festival rooted in the Gospels and Exodus. In the Gospels, the Romans execute Jesus during the Jewish Passover feast. The Greek name is Paschal feast. The German word is Easter.
Exodus tells the Jews to celebrate the night the Angel of death “passed over” the Hebrew houses smeared with the blood of new born lambs. This was the last of the plagues and convinced the Pharaoh to liberate the Hebrews from slavery.
Since the Jews follow a lunar calendar, their year does not follow a regular patter like the Julian/Gregorian calendar. The Julian/Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar and more regular except for leap years. Muslims also use a lunar calendar. That is why Ramadan moves too.
The Jewish year begins with the first new moon after the Vernal equinox. Astrologers used to carefully watch and predict this celestial event. Sundown on that night begins the day of Nissan. It does not happen on the same day every year. It can be almost a month off.
Exodus requires an annual sacrificial lamb on the 14th of Nissan. That night Hebrews share a Seder meal and reflect on captivity and liberation. Three of the Gospels say that Jesus shared a Seder, broke bread and was betrayed. The next day the Romans hung him.
The fourth, and “youngest”, Gospel claims that Jesus was crucified on the 14th of Nissan, or the day of sacrificial lambs. This is a profound theological statement.
Jesus is the pascal lamb. He defeated death, not for a night, but for eternity.
The Catholic Church set the celebration of Easter as the first Sunday the Spring Equinox. After the Roman and Greek Orthodox Churches split, the Greek Orthodox Church refused to recognize Pope Gregory’s updated calendar and the days of the two calendar’s don’t line up anymore. They don’t have the same “Sundays”. For both Churches, it s a moveable feast.
Bonus: The Church in Jerusalem also created celebrations for Holy Week. These rituals follow the last week of Jesus. There are specific sites associated with these event.
Shrimp Tacos
Mixed about 1 1/2 cups plain Greek Yogurt
1 table spoon chili powder
1 table spoon garlic powder
1 table spoon paprika
1/2 table spoon chipotle powder
1/2 table spoon salt
1/4 table spoon cayenne
1 table spoon agave “gel”?
This was all late in the day. I put the shrimp in a zip lock for about 1 1/2 hrs
Grilled about 6 mins each side. high heat. .
I call it Indian/Cajun/Tex-Mex fusion
Civil War and Reconstruction
It seems there is a fundamental lack of knowledge about the American Civil War and Reconstruction.
*Why did the relationship breakdown? Slave owners wanted the right to EXPAND slavery. US voters elected Lincoln because he promised to stop the EXPANSION of slavery.
*Why did most of the Slave states attack the USA? They were the loser in the election, and they feared Lincoln would take away their heritage. White believed Lincoln and the Federal government would discriminate against them. They fought to preserve white supremacy. The slave owners designed the to protect white supremacy and slavery.
*What was the result of the Civil War? The USA strengthened the Union and diminished the power of state governments. To enter the Union, states that participated in the the insurrection had to A) give up race based slavery B) allow all men, including slaves, the same voting rights C) treat all persons born in the USA as a citizen with equal rights and due process D) bar insurrectionists from public office.
Feel free to watch a series of my lectures on the Civil War and Reconstruction. After watching, feel free enter a conversation.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQmKIT8SNRRZkgKuK0k4ChvTrCxkmNRiN&si=yk6ahU2yu_GJ-Sew
Trust
One of the big questions about “faith” is the modern use of the word. It has come to mean, especially in the Non-Darwinian states, “belief”. These Bible Belt Christians will whip you with the Bible and proclaim their own salvation because they believe Jesus is their personal Lord and Savior.
One of my favorite songs is Amazing Grace. It is beautiful and moving, but it also helps spread confusion about theological words.
It begins with “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!” Grace saves, but what is Grace. The word come from the French word “mercy.” God is kind and merciful.
The second verse takes it into a slightly different direction. “’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!” Here we have two new paths to salvation: fear and belief. If you believe, grace will relieve your fear.
This emphasis in belief entered the Christian debate early. At the Council of Nicaea, the Roman Emperor Constantine wanted to use Christianity as a political force. He couldn’t use them if the Christian communities argued about beliefs.
Constantine called Christians together at Nicaea, and the leaders of the “Catholic”, or universal, church agreed on a creed. The English word comes from the first word of the Latin document: “credo”. It began with “I believe in one God…” and then introduced a whole heavenly host of complicated theological concepts.
Accepting the creed was the first step to entry into the Church and path of salvation. If we fast forward to the Twentieth Century, American evangelicals shortened this creed to “I believe Jesus is my personal Lord and Savior.”
The “faith” of the scripture, on the other hand, means “trust.” God told Abraham to leave Ur, and Abraham trusted God that it would turn out better. This life would be materially better not only for him, but his family and his descendants.
Jesus came from this “trust” tradition. He emphasized a radically different part of that tradition. Following in the footsteps of Amos, Jeremiah, and Isiah, Jesus preached that God heard the cry of the poor, the sick and the stranger.
The Jesus of the Gospels emphasized the trust commandments and asked his followers to self-sacrifice. If Christians sacrifice themselves, their lives will be better. This is the mystery of the cross. Feed the Hungry. Cloth the naked. Be kind to the stranger and immigrant. Love your enemy.
Your life might not get better immediately. In fact, you may suffer more in the short run. Christianity is NOT a prosperity message. Trust leads to a better eternal life. There is no way to prove what happens after death. You simply must trust. Love you neighbor.
Kissinger Paid for Nixon’s Reelection
Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, like W Bush and Dick Cheney, lied about wars. They all threw American lives away to advance their political careers. They were deplorable before it wore a Red Hat.
Nixon and Kissinger conspired to prolong the war in Vietnam War. Their reason? Win an election. They traded American and Vietnamese lives to win an election.
Cost of Veteran’s Day
Western Europe hasn’t seen a war between states in 78 years. The United States hasn’t seen a war between states in 158 years. Peace is possible once politicians and people stop trying to control each other, stop trying to steal from each other and stop trying to cheat each other.
Liberty and Justice for all, not guns, create peace. Millions in Europe had to die to accept this lesson. Can’t we just learn from the dead? Your duck god and my chicken god might need to live off of our blood, or your duck flag and my chicken flag might demand a fresh grave, but Justice and Liberty allow us to Live, not rest, in Peace.
Please remember when you vote, you either Live with Liberty and Justice, or you die with control and bigotry. We can have a happy veterans day when there are no longer families grieving their dead relatives. Until then, we should allow remember what it costs to be a veteran.
Elections Have Consequences
As we wake up to another day of chaos and unwillingness to compromise, it might be helpful to remember that elections have consequences. Elections are not a game. Elections are not about teams. Elections are about the future you want for yourself, your children, and your neighbor.
In 2006 the voters in the Gaza Strip voted for a theocracy at home and perpetual war against Israel. Hamas told their voters that they would neither compromise with other Muslims nor compromise with Christians and Jews.
This ideology looks a lot like European fascism. While it is using a language of liberation, it is not offering others freedom. Hamas is not willing to let others make choices. Hamas asked its voters for the power to build a militant theocracy and the majority of voters in Gaza gave it to them.
Once elected, Hamas did what other fascists did before them. They shut down internal dissent. They eliminated other Palestinian voices and told their people that perpetual war was the only option until Israel no longer exists.
Hamas does not represent all the Palestinians. Israel made peace with the elected leaders of the Palestinians on the Westbank. Is it a perfect peace? No. Does Israel always treat Palestinians with justice? No. Should Israel stop new Settlements? Yes. The issue today, however, is Hamas’ war.
Hamas represents Gaza. Hamas chose war. Hamas started a war by crossing the border and killing unarmed men, women, and children as well as soldiers. Gazans are paying the price for their votes.
Hamas lost the battle it launched. Hamas was driven back. On the way back, Hamas took hostages into Gaza. Hamas did not view the defeat as a loss but as another fight in their perpetual war. Hamas continues to send rockets into Israeli cities.
Israel is now fighting back. The death, destruction, and loss of innocent life is horrible. Gaza is starting to look like Atlanta in 1864 and Dresden in 1945. When a people elect a pro-war, militant government with uncompromising politicians, the results are devastating.
Hamas choose to build its military infrastructure under innocent people. It built its rocket factories under women and children. Hamas stores it weapons under women and children. The civilian devastation is the direct result of choices Hamas and its voters made long ago.
Hamas could end this today by surrendering and asking for peace. Hamas will not. This war, like wars before it, will come to an end. Thousands will die. Men will die. Women will die. Children will die. We know this, because fascists always glorify a violent struggle.
The only question left is how quickly this war will end. This is the war Gaza voters wanted. They voted for it. They prayed for it. How many more must die for it?