Monday, July 16, 2012

Springsteen Inspiration!

I write listening to Bruce Springsteen's newest CD: "Wrecking Ball".  Great music even without Clarence and Danny and the full E Street Band.  The songs describe the present situation within the USA.  

I used the words to Bruce's first song "We Take Care of Our Own" for devotions at our latest Joint Peace with Justice meeting.  Describing the struggles of living today, each verse concludes with "We take care of our own, wherever this flag's flown, we take care of our own."  I linked it with Acts chapters 2 and 4 where Luke talks about Christians gathering and sharing for the common good.  I see it as more of a belief, a hope, a commitment we make as Americans, rather than as a political reality.  The political reality is that working together for the common good is nearly dead.  Instead we have special interests which heap loads of money upon politicians for influence.  But Springsteen holds out a hope that in our core, our Constitution, our ideals, our faith we do "take care of our own."  I like to believe that and will work towards that goal.  I believe this value is a central Christian ethic, with "our own" being everyone.

As you know, I was part of a group that had a teleconference with an aid from Michelle Bachmann's office.  As a result, I got a letter from Michelle saying "Thank you for taking the time...."  Then she said "I agree with you that the multi-faceted problem of poverty in America is one that must be addressed.  In 2011, 46.2 million people were counted as living below the poverty line, including 16 million children.  As you know, the federal government administers several large-scale assistance programs for the neediest among us.  However, it is also spending money at an unsustainable rate...."  

My interpretation is that because we cannot afford to keep spending, the neediest must pay the price so the "job creators" can keep producing jobs so the neediest can get their act together and get a real job and not be so much of a drain on the rest of us.  Protect and enable the "job creators" to provide opportunities for the rest of us.  Extend the Bush tax cuts, adopt the Ryan-Romney budget, privatize Medicare and Social Security, privatize prisons while the "owners" demand a 95% occupancy guarantee, expand defense spending, drill and frac, cut back on regulations for banks and Wall Street, refuse to prosecute banking and Wall Street thievery, allow banks to continue being "too big to fail", forget about global warming while we roast. 

I think this reality is the anti-thesis of Springsteen's "We take care of our own" and that of Christ.  This is not the way we "take care of our own."

A former Sky Ranch staff member, Mark Frickey, affixed on his Facebook a piece about THE AMERICAN PATRIOT'S BIBLE.  I haven't read it, but I catch the gist.  My guess is that it trumpets a Libertarian, individualistic, right-wing conservative, less government, less regulation, free market with no regulations, more military spending, you are on your own ideology.  Forget about the common good, but "rah, rah America!"

On the receptionist's desk in Rep. Bachmann's office were copies of the U.S. Constitution.  I picked one up because I helped pay for it.  I am often brought to tears when I read it, especially the first words: "We the people...."  I love the "We".  Yet, I feel it drifting away, no, being ripped away.  Why do I feel this Constitution is worth fighting for?  Because I think it goes a long way to freeing and calling us to "take care of our own."  Because it goes a long way in being consistent with the Christian ethic of the "common good."  Because I remember a revolution that produced its truth.  Because I remember an African-American woman, Barbara Jordan, standing delivering the keynote address at a Democrat Convention saying, "I am standing before you because of the Constitution."  Because even Ho Chi Minh copied parts of the Constitution for the constitution of Viet Nam. 

The theme song of Bruce's album is "Wrecking Ball".  One of the phrases is: "So if you've got the guts mister, yeah, if you've got the balls, if you think it's your time then step to the line and bring your wrecking ball.  Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you've got.  Bring on your wrecking ball."

Me think it is time to "bring on the wrecking ball" in order to "take care of our own."  Nonviolently, of course!

Peace!

Ron

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

TELECONFERENCE WITH REP. MICHELLE BACHMANN

I was asked to participate in a teleconference with Rep. Michelle Bachmann this Thursday in her office.  Yes, THE Michelle Bachmann.  I have been pondering what to say as the participants have been informed that this is primarily a "listening session" on the part of the congresswoman.  

Rep. Bachmann is a former Wisconsin Synod Lutheran who now attends a nondenominational church. I have no doubt she is a sincere Christian who bends to the Far Right, think Tea Party, in her politics.  Yet, she is our representative who has a mouth and a following.  Thankfully, we live in a country that still has whiffs of democracy, meaning she still has to listen to her constituents, even those from the Far Left who happens to be an ELCA Lutheran.  What should I say?  I think it will be part sermon because I will speak as a Christian and we have common ground, and part policy comment.

First the sermon.  I will urge her to remember Romans 13:1-7.  Paul writes of the function of government as being "God's servant for our good."  There is a legitimate place for government, and that place is to provide for the common good.  The issue is not more or less government, but the proper duty of government to do its proper job for the sake of the good of the people.  Less government is not necessarily good government.  The government has a duty to "order" society in a manner insuring equal justice and opportunity for ALL.  Interestingly, Paul frames these verses with urgings to "love."  I would suggest that the duty of the government is to facilitate love for and among the people.  

I will lift-up sections of Acts 2 and 4.  The verses focus on the people of God gathering to pool their resources and share with each other according to need.  Call this socialism or in the words of Jose Miranda of Liberation Theology fame, COMMUNE-ISM!  God wills everyone to have enough to live. We all have a responsibility for each other.  Ayn Rand selfish individualism is contrary to the Spirit of Christ and the purpose of the Church.    

I will refer her to the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:13-21.  This guy was a first century CEO who had done well.  He probably had a villa over-looking the Sea of Galilee and an early version of a yacht in his private harbor.  He was wondering what he was to do with his wonderfully abundant crops.  He decided to build new and larger barns to hold all of his wealth.  He decided to keep it for himself so he could "relax, eat, drink, and be merry."  Luke writes that God called him a "fool" and told him he was going to die that night, meaning he would not have any use for his new barns and wealth.  "So it is with those who store up for themselves but are not rich towards God."  To be rich towards God is to be generous towards the common good.  Unharnessed capitalism is anathema to God.  No one has the right to suck wealth and resources out of the world and leave the rest of us breathless.

I will speak of the "Blessings and Woes" in Luke 6:20-26.  The poor, the hungry, the weak are blessed. On the other side, the rich, the full, those who laugh are given the "woes."  In Luke's Sermon on the Plain, greed is not good.  The greedy are given the "woes."  Greed is the greatest sin in our society and is the prime reason for our economic disparity.

Finally, I will tell of Jesus' version of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46.  Jesus is saying that the stranger, the hungry, the thirsty, those in prison, the naked, the poor are "members of my family."  Jesus zings us with "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."  Jesus does not mean life to be a joust of survival of the fittest.  The faithful life is about caring for ALL.  People before profit.  Or, profit for people!

Then I will turn to policies.  I will urge her to support and improve on the Affordable Care Act.  The ACA is a strong yet incomplete step towards health care for ALL.  Don't waste time getting rid of it.  The vast majority of parents like being able to keep their children on their insurance until they turn 26. People like not having any pre-conditions eliminating them from coverage.  People like having no limits on coverage.  Seniors like the closing of the donut hole, giving them cheaper drugs.  I will urge her to support a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, to urge conversation with no pre-conditions, to halt settlements on the West Bank, to not blindly bow to the injustices committed by Israel against the Palestinians.  I will urge her to not privatize Social Security and not cut benefits because Social Security doesn't add one cent to our national debt.  Quit stealing from the Social Security Trust Fund.  I will urge her to improve on Medicare and health care reform by instituting the health care models of the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.  I will urge her to reject the Ryan-Romney budget because it unkindly and unjustly harms the middle and lower classes and makes the rich even richer.  I will urge her to support legislative humility, to work with those across the aisle, to compromise, to unite the best of our ideologies for the sake of the common good.

Pray for us.

Peace!

Ron