Mothers Day

From time to time you are forced to look at various aspects of your life along with the people in it. As we approach Mother’s Day, I am reminded of my own mother’s death a little more than a year ago. It is hard to believe that she is gone because she was such a looming personality in my life. Where would we be without our parents? It is an interesting thought.

Today I ran across an article in the New York Times with the title, “Actors Son Gets Five Years on Drug Charges.” The actors son is Cameron Douglas, son of Michael Douglas and his ex-wife Diandra Douglas who has been sentenced to five years in prison for distributing large quantities of Methanphetamines, Cocaine and Heroine. He had been an unemployed addict with a five time a day Heroine habit.

There are many to take the blame for this. The article said that his life was one of loneliness in which his parents were often absent or feuding. He turned to drugs at age 13. Some of us could think that he had taken a great life of money and celebrity and blown it. At age 31, you can’t really blame your parents for your problems. At some point you have to take responsibility for them yourself.

What I did find interesting was Michael Douglas who said that he cherished his weekly visits with his son at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan. Maybe Michael Douglas should have had more visits with his son a lot earlier. Who knows?

All I know is that I am glad that I was able to see my mother every day. Time may not have always been quality time but without it, I really wonder what would have happened to me. So I just want to raise my glass to all those mothers who tuck their kids in at night, read them stories, teach Sunday school, get everyone up and moving for church and are constantly a taxi service driving their children from ball games to music lessons to school plays. Here’s to you mom. Thanks for everything.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

(Mark 10:13-14)

Sometimes when you have done something for many years, such as receive the Eucharist or say the Lord’s Prayer or the Apostle’s Creed, its meaning can be taken for granted - buried somewhere in your “belief box” which lies dormant in the back of your brain. But then, there is an awakening that can take place in situations of trauma, when you find yourself reaching for comfort and assurance, or in moments of great joy, when you see two people looking into each other’s eyes and say, “For better, for worse.” It can also take place when you look into the eyes of a young child who is preparing for his or her first holy communion. Questions come at you in new and fresh ways that you remember you once asked yourself. You also see the anticipation in their hearts and the sincerity that can inspire, along with the awe and wonder that can get knocked out of you by the time people call you an adult.

As I met for six weeks with a bunch of ten year olds I was reminded how new and fresh the world is and how awe and wonder are still a part of the “MO.” It is too bad so much gets knocked out of us by the time we are ready to have children. There is a quote that Jesus says You Must Become Like A Little Child To Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven. May our inner child not diminish, as we grow older.

Are we our own worst enemies…..

It doesn’t take long as a Pastor to begin to realize there are people in your congregation who are no different than people in the world--they have gifts, talents and opportunity but they are hiding in the pew or in their homes. They just don’t come forward. Someone else will take care of this for me. Someone else will make sure that the church keeps going, someone else will serve on the school board, in the community and vote the way I want them to. It is always someone else. So when I came across this quote by a pastor I somehow was able to relate.

This poem is ascribed to the German pastor Martin Niemoeller (1892–1984), who protested Hitler's anti-semite measures in person to the fuehrer, was eventually arrested, and then imprisoned for eight years at Sachsenhausen and Dachau (1937–1945).

First they came for the Communists,

- but I was not a communist so I did not speak out.


Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists,

- but I was neither, so I did not speak out.


Then they came for the Jews,

- but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.


And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.

Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies.

The things that make for Peace

"If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Luke 19:42

In recent news articles we are seeing some audacious things being done by the Netanyahu Government that ignores U.S. wishes that they cease building settlements in East Jerusalem. Israel continues under Netanyahu to make a land grab of territories that belong to the Palestinians. Israel has had a history of just ignoring the tepid request of our government and other governments around the world that have asked it to cease building settlements especially in places like East Jerusalem.  

Most recently, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton objected to these settlements suggesting that it undermines U.S. creditably as a U.S. Peace Maker in the region. On the other hand, no one can sanction Palestinian violence, which also does not make for peace. The constant building of settlements on the West Bank is not something that makes for peace either. It can only make for frustration, anger and add more fuel to the argument that Israel is only interested in making peace on their terms.

Finally, I agree with columnist Tom Friedman who said that Joe Biden should have turned around and gone home instead of putting up with the humiliation he suffered by coming to Israel at the same time as they announced the building of new settlements.

I hope that the Obama Administration remains vigilant in their effort to find a true peace in that region. We can only pray that they will do, “ the things that make for peace.”

Who Was the Greatest Generation?

I am a baby boomer and I have always been proud of it. However, as time goes by I am feeling the next generation biting at my heels. I am sure that history is going to judge us as they have judged generations from the past. I am reminded of all this because of Tom Brokaw’s (one of my favorite newscasters) recent interest in my generation. Brokaw in the past has argued that the greatest generation was the one that fought World War II, lived through the great depression, rebuilt America and sacrificed by living without. They grew up in circumstances that required enormous sacrifice only to leave their children entitlements that we take for granted. 

I suppose that is true but the greatest generation also opposed working women-the notion that husbands belong at work and wives belong at home was the rule. They were part of the generation that supported discrimination and was against inter-racial marriage. They forced their kids to revolt against them as the Vietnam War took thousands of American lives and our cities burned upon the death of Martin Luther King Jr.

On the other hand, when I look at boomer’s I think of Woodstock and a generation that has not sacrificed very much. It is my generation in which our mothers had to tell us, “Finish your meal because kids are starving in China.” I doubt that ever happened in the generation before me.

The boomer generation was a generation in which all of us went to college. We are most education generation in history and probably the most addicted to drugs of all kinds. Our generation brought the world Bill Clinton, only the second President to be impeached in history and George W. Bush the only President who couldn’t put two sentences together. We may not have lived through a great depression but last year we nearly started one.

I suppose at the end when we boomer’s have climbed to the top of the mountain chasing the Michelob Light slogan, “Who says you can’t have it all?”, will discover upon reaching the summit a McDonald’s. Or, in the words of Peggy Lee, “Is that all there is?”

Do We Really Want Peace in the Middle East?

I’ve been to Israel several times and have always enjoyed being there. It is like no other place in the world. This year I once again went with my friends and with a question that my friend Tim wanted to know. His questions centered around whether Israelis and Palestinians saw hope for peace in that region of the world because of our new President Barak Obama. We asked Taxi drivers, waitresses and guides who we ran into along with shop keepers what they thought of the possibilities for peace under the new administration. The overwhelming response was one of cynicism and doubt. They have seen no change and anticipate that he too will be stuck like past Predisents in the muck and meyer of intransigence of extremists who have no interest in peace.  

I was saddened this morning to read that our Vice President Joe Biden who was visiting the region to promote peace was slapped in the face by the announcement that Israel’s is intending to build more settlements in disputed areas of East Jerusalem. To me, that was a clear message to everyone that the current government of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t really want peace but it is all about a land grab.

The fate of Jewish settlements is one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. With peace talks dead locked why is it that Israel under Netanyahu continues to ignore the things that could make for peace?
APRIL 2010

Do We Really Want Peace in the Middle East?

I’ve been to Israel several times and have always enjoyed being there. It is like no other place in the world. This year I once again went with my friends and with a question that my friend Tim wanted to know. His questions centered around whether Israelis and Palestinians saw hope for peace in that region of the world because of our new President Barak Obama. We asked Taxi drivers, waitresses and guides who we ran into along with shop keepers what they thought of the possibilities for peace under the new administration. The overwhelming response was one of cynicism and doubt. They have seen no change and anticipate that he too will be stuck like past Predisents in the muck and meyer of intransigence of extremists who have no interest in peace.

I was saddened this morning to read that our Vice President Joe Biden who was visiting the region to promote peace was slapped in the face by the announcement that Israel’s is intending to build more settlements in disputed areas of East Jerusalem. To me, that was a clear message to everyone that the current government of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t really want peace but it is all about a land grab.

The fate of Jewish settlements is one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. With peace talks dead locked why is it that Israel under Netanyahu continues to ignore the things that could make for peace?

It's About Redemption

There are various aspects of the Christian Faith that shed light on the human experience. One such category is the idea of redemption and forgiveness. Nothing could be more central to what the Christian message is all about.

I recently saw the movie Crazy Heart. Jeff Bridges gives a stunning performance of an over the hill country western star who is now forced to play small venues like bars and bowling alleys. One of his hit songs aptly describes him, “I used to be somebody, but now I am somebody else,” and it is that somebody else who really leaves us on the edge through out the film. Just watching him kind of stagger around drinking and smoking is painful to even watch. You are wondering if he is going to die from lung cancer or liver disease. On the other hand you can see glimpses of what a great performer and song writer he used to be. When he is asked about where he gets his inspiration to write country songs he responds, “from life unfortunately.”

During the course of his playing one gig after another he runs into a woman reporter and her son that force him to take a deeper look at what life is all about. While not wanting to spoil the outcome for you let me simply say that he finally finds redemption.

Redemption is an interesting word. As my Sunday School teacher said, “to redeem something means to buy it back.” Maybe like country music songs you end up getting your wife, your truck and your dog back. That is redemption. Seriously, Jeff Bridges character “Bad Blake” gets another shot at life and decides to take it.

The word redemption and forgiveness was also used by television commentator Brit Hume. With a surprising comment he made on a new show, Hume suggests that Tiger Woods would do well to embrace his Christian faith in an effort to find redemption from all of the things that he has done. He felt it was a way Tiger could respond to how he has destroyed his family by his infidelity or as he puts it, “ his transgressions.” Transgressions is another good word for doing the wrong thing from the Christian vocabulary. Truth be told I found it refreshing that Hume made that suggestion in our politically correct world. You don’t expect someone on a news program to suggest that one of the greatest golfers ever to play the game should seek repentance and redemption as found in Christianity. On television, every one around the table was speechless by this suggestion. However, I had a smile on my face and completely agreed with Hume. It was not bad advice.

In the end, Tiger embraced his Buddhist background on his mothers side rather than his Christian background on his father’s side. I am not sure what Buddhism has to say about redemption. I do know that it is a wonderful discipline when it comes to prayer. In the end, I have my doubts about how much Tiger knows about either Buddhism or Christianity. Many of us have doubts whether a leopard can change its spots. Change and forgiveness require enormous work. I know it takes a lot of work to be a great golfer. It requires enormous time and energy. It requires also days of practice. We know Tiger can do that but can he find the energy to change and to take his call for forgiveness seriously. He did say that he was sorry in his short speech. Let’s hope he means it.

Allow me to share with you one of my favorite quote’s from Reinhold Niebuhr:

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore, we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint or our friend or foe as from our standpoint. Therefore, we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.