Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Enough!

There comes a time when people say, "Enough". We think we have heard enough, thought enough, discussed enough, researched enough, experienced enough, to conclude the debate and press forward.

This is what has happened in Iran. Hundreds of thousands have said, "Enough". Enough of alledged election cheating, enough of suppression of speech, enough of denial of freedom for women, enough of being cut off from the rest of the world, enough of being prevented from assembly, enough of being denied many basic human rights. Enough!

Likewise, with health care. The people are saying enough to high premiums, enough to high deductables, enough to no insurance. Enough!

In Luke 22:38, Jesus is giving final instructions to his disciples for what they are to do when he is gone. In this context he tells them to buy swords. A disciple tells him, "We have two swords". Jesus responds, "It is enough". Indeed there is a strong dose of disgust in his response. If Jesus believed all of his disciples needed to be armed to protect themselves, he would have insisted on each having their Second Amendment right to bear arms! He did not. Don't be rediculous! There comes a time to end debate and move on to what is truly essential. Enough.

Within the health care debate, it is clear that the vast majority of people are demanding a public option. I support this demand. The public option will cause a lowering of health care prices because it will provide quality, affordable, and accessible options. Capitalism works in part by the market charging what the people will pay. If the people refuse to pay for a product because it is priced too high or doesn't meet their requirements, the people will refuse one or more products and buy the one that fits their needs. Yes, this means some businesses go out of business. But it also means that businesses must be sensitive to the needs and resources of the customer. In this way the people, the customer, are in charge of the resources. Those providing the resources are required to respond to the needs of the people. This usually levels the pricing and quality of the resources. This is healthy competition. Who can provide the best product for the most reasonable cost? This is consistent with what Frank Rich wrote recently in his NYT editorial, words to the effect of "health care is supposed to be about serving the medical needs of the people, and not about the profit of the corporation." (paraphrase). Enough!

I would agree that a national, single-payer system would be more efficient and less costly. I believe the public option would be an important step towards this end. It seems the public option could be a way to unite all insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, hospitals, and doctors in a comprehensive medical care program, with everyone making a fair profit. The winners would be everyone. The sacrifice would be less huge profit-taking and less huge salaries. But the people would be better served. It seems one of the major problems is weaning the powers away from the greed bucket, the desire to have more, the scourge of "excess". We are a bloated and overweight nation in so may ways. We need to get skinny! Enough!

Likewise with Iran. There is an excess of control over the people. Call it power greed, religious greed. This means that the focus is on maintaining a cultural-political-religious structure that is detrimental to the well-being of all the people. The "business" of the government, the Ayatolas has become insensitive to the expressed demands of the people. The people are marching and dying for a "public option". Their political and religious "health care" system is not working adequately anymore. They march to be heard. They march for change. They are saying, "Enough"!

As Jesus tells his disciples, "Enough", so is it time to say "Enough" to ways that are counter-people. Our "enoughs" must turn towards putting the legitimate, life giving needs of the people first. Then we will discover that there is "enough" for ALL!

Enough!
Ron

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

In This Troubled Time, Remember....

This Sunday, I will baptize our granddaughter, Milla (Meela). This holy event will be followed by a cook-out with family and friends. A gathering of love, of grace.

What does baptism say to us in this historical time? What can the sprinkling of water, the gathering among a congregation, the confession of faith, the anointing with oil, the symbolism of salt, and the lighting of a candle, mean today?

Like many, I have been following the drama of the Iranian election. Ghosts of U.S.A.-2000 appear. Corruption? People finally having enough of repression. A cry to be open to the West. Freedom for women to develop their lives more fully. Democracy. A progressive, 21st century Islam. What can Holy Baptism say to this yearning?

President Obama speaking before the AMA, calling on a reformed health care system. Pushback from the insurance companies. Bailed-out banks lending less. More people out of work. California broke. America living off foreign loans. Two wars draining borrowed resources. Gays demanding rights. Right wing malcontents killing the innocent. Corporate greed. Challenges to going green. What can Holy Baptism say in this environment?

We are brought to the font by family and friends. We are carried. We are loved. Family and friends have taken the time to present us to God, to tell us that the relationship with God is vital and central for living!

Come the sacrament. "God, who is rich in mercy and love, give us new birth into a living hope....By water and the Word God delivers us to new life in Jesus Christ,....and joined in God's mission for the life of the world." There is grace and call.

And there is more. In Holy Baptism we are graced to be responsible: To bring the baptized into the community of the Church, to bring them to worship and the Lord's Supper, to teach, to nurture in Christ, so that the baptized serve and work for peace and justice. We have a most holy purpose in life that does not require employment, but commitment and promise to faith and love.

And more. We stand and renounce the power of evil "and all the forces that defy God....the powers of this world that rebel against God....and the ways of sin that draw us from God". We are graced and called to stand up, step up, to face the winds of life. God gives us what is necessary for the task.

More. We are graced to confess our faith in God, in Jesus, in the Holy Spirit. It is a gift to confess faith in the One who creates, liberates, and enlightens. In Christ we can create, liberate others, enlighten each other to faith, hope, and love; towards justice and peace; towards reconciliation.

More. We are forgiven. We are welcomed into the Family of God, the community of the Holy Christian Church. We have a place of love, and people with whom to connect in love.

More. We are anointed to remind us that we are protected by God from the power of anything to keep us from the love of God. We are given a candle to remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world, and that we are now called to reflect Christ's Light. We are given grace and we are called to costly grace.

Bishop Wayne Weissenbuehler once told a story he heard on a trip to Africa. An African church leader told him: "The only way to be safe in an unsafe world is to be part of a large family". In Holy Baptism we become part of the huge Family of God! We are embraced, we are loved, we are nurtured for the sake of making real the Reign of God in the world!

In this troubled time, let us remember our Holy Baptism.

Peace!
Ron

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Direction Home

I recall a line from Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone": "How does it feel, to be on your own, with no direction home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?" One rock survey put this song as the number one R and R song in rock history. There must be something to its questions and message.

Regarding our nation, our world, are we headed home? Do we have direction that is hopeful? Are we as a nation, or as a world, acting like we are alone, whose only secutity is ourselves? Are we fast tracking towards the "dustbin" of history?

DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL: Obama needs to keep his promise of eliminating this test. I suspect he is holding back due to political considerations, particularly concerning the health care debate, fixing the economy, addressing the Israeli-Palestinian reality, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Supreme Court nomination process, and.... It is refreshing to see a president who believes he is not a dictator and that our democracy is just that, with checks and balances, and that we live in a country of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and.... So many "ands". Yet, he needs to put this practice to rest. Gays can and are serving honorably. Let them be honest.

ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN REALITY: His Cairo speech was masterful, balanced with a clear call for justice for all. It was right to use the word "intolerable" when speaking of the conditions within the Palestinian refugee camps. Some of these camps have been in existance since 1948! They look like the slums in "Slumdog". It is time for Israel to yield to and respect the 1967 border agreement and cease from building more settlements. Land for peace seems to be the direction home. The two state solution seems fair. There is positive movement within Palestinian leadership to respect Israel's right to exist. By all parties, Jerusalem needs to be recognized as an international city as much as possible. Indeed, Jerusalem has a uniqueness unlike any other city in then world, being the epicenter of three religions' historical roots. These histories need to be recognized for the sake of justice and peace.

ECONOMY: It is right to designate this summer as "Stimulus Summer". People need work. People will work. Spending for the sake of meaningful labor, on projects that will rebuild America and move us into an energy conscious future is money well spent. Money spent to line pockets for the sake of another yacht or lake home, at the expense of the common good, is waste. Stimulus money needs to be sent out, now. There are too many foreclosures, too many closed businesses, too many.... It is good that more banks are feeling more confidence in lending, but they too must loosen credit terms. Certainly, more regulation is necessary, and this appears to be forthcoming. It is heartening that Wall Street is recovering (and so is my pension account!). Yet, the big piece is JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. The most obvious areas of focus are infrastructure and energy conversion.

HEALTH CARE: There needs to be a public option. Over the decades, insurance companies have not shown good enough faith in providing coverage for all people. They have too often abused their power by refusing to cover the most needy, refusing to cover those with pre-conditions, and pricing their coverage beyond what is affordable. Too often, profit has supplanted compassion. There needs to be a major "tweaking" in health care coverage. A public option can help to keep private insurers honest and under cost control. The public option can also help keep costs for procedures and hospitals stays under control. Costs run out of control due to the choices made by the powerful within each care layer. They set the prices. A public option will provide a sane competitive marker to make health care affordable for all. The public option also ought to provide care on one's ability to pay. Health care is a right, not an option.

EDUCATION: There can be no short-changing education. As education goes, so goes the nation. Increase taxes to get this done! More teachers, more resources, more specialists, better facilities, better and fairer college loans, and more experimentation with what is a more effective education philosophy. I am impressed with the KIPP program which includes high quality teachers, school from 7:30-5:00, including extra-curriculars, plus two hours of homework, Saturday school twice a month, and some summer classes. 48 out of 48 seniors have been accepted into colleges!

EARTH CARE: It is important to focus on going green. Our future depends on the choices we make today. We cannot keep using and abusing the earth's resources as if they will last forever. We must think of leaving a legacy of environmental hope. More fuel efficient vehicles, clean energy, protection of wilderness areas, animal protection, rainforest protection, non-dumping of garbage into the oceans, continued recycling, but also reuse of what we have, and.... Let us not just keep creating more junk to fill landfills!

Are we headed home? Do we have direction? Are we just acting like we are the only nation in the world, accountable to only ourselves? Or do we see the United States as a light among lights, accountable to the world, committed to common efforts for the sake of peace and justice? This is the commitment that will lead us home. This commitment will give us direction towards a hopeful future for all. This commitment is honorably Biblical in scope. "For God so loved the WORLD...." "Blessed are the peacemakers...." "Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God."
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will
of God-what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
Let's go home!
Peace!
Ron

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Standing Guilty

I confess, I am guilty. Abortion and stem cell decisions have exposed my vulnerable underbelly. I support abortion by choice and stem cell research and cure possibilities. Does each destroy life in some stage of development? Yes. This is why in making decisions relating to these situations, it is important to rest on: 1) The grace of God; 2) Forgiveness and repentance; 3) Biblical witness; 4) Accountability to God and Each other; 5) Commitment to a life ethic; 6) The big picture.

THE GRACE OF GOD. God's grace is the unmerited love and mercy of God. God takes the initiative to love the world. The basic nature of God is love. God embraces the world. God's affection consistently renews. God is profoundly pro-life! We are not created to destroy life because all life is that created in the Image of God. The Image of God is nurtured by the grace of God. It is this grace of God that loves the one who chooses to carry a child to term and the one who chooses to abort. It is the grace of God that frees a woman and her spouse, or who alone chooses to donate her embryo to stem cell research for the sake of the other needing cure. God's grace is radically pro-life!

FORGIVENESS AND REPENTANCE. Yet, we are broken and sinful. We push God away. We make choices contrary to God's will. Yet, God's will is not our possession. God owns it and we are the humble borrowers. We make mistakes. We do not see clearly. We do not understand as we ought. So we confess our incompleteness. We admit the faultiness of our choices. We start again, choosing and hoping to make decisions that will cause God to smile upon us. Our humanity is humbled. Perfection is the property of God and we catch only glimpses. We are dependent upon God's mercy for getting us through to live another day. Our pride is crucified with Jesus. Likewise, our resurrection is through Jesus, and not by the rightness of our decisions. We turn around and try again to obey, confidently yet humbly.

BIBLICAL WITNESS. We look to scripture. Paul reminds us that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Is there any pure choice by which we can stand cleanly before God? Are not some hurt by our choices? How is it possible to always avoid being a barrier to another's confession? How about "None is righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10)? Paul writes that we are justified by grace through faith (Romans 3:24, 28). It is not our works, nor the wisdom of our decisions that make us worthy of God's salvation; but grace and faith. Jesus says "We shall love God, love each other, and love ourselves" (Mark 12:30-31). Cannot the decision to abort or seek stem cells as treatment, to donate your embryo which you choose to not allow to grow into a child for the sake of curing another be an act of greater love? What happend to the notion of dying so another can live? Paul writes to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). Who says these decisions are without travail? Without questions? Without discomfort? These decisions compell us to walk through the valley. Why? Because they are about love and life. Let us remember that Jesus died on the cross. Ought our decisions expect anything less? Paul writes that "Now we see in a mirror, dimly...." (I Corinthians 13:12a). We do our best. We pray, we seek counsel, we worship, we struggle, we study scripture, we.... Then we decide, taking responsibility for our decision, and standing naked before God's mercy. We are both faithful and human. Finally, the prophet Micah writes: "...do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God." (Micah 6:8). Justice is always messy because conflict is an outgrowth of its decision. Bliss is not always possible, nor necessary to the faithful. Is there not a place to be kind to others and ourselves by what we decide? Who defines the parameters of kindness? Of justice? We stand and kneel humbly before God, yielding to God's greater understanding of our hearts and intentions.

To be honest, those opposing abortion can also list many "proof texts" to counter the above. This reality underscores the drama and difficulty of the abortion/stem cell debate. Each side makes valid points. This is ground for listening to each other, loving each other, struggling together to always seek the better way. Who can stand wholly righteous before God? Not I, nor you, my friend.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO GOD AND EACH OTHER. Decisions to abort or donate and use stem cells ought not be made in a vacuum. While the person most directly affected will make the final decision, they need the in-put of family, clergy, counselors, friends, and others. We can help each other look at options such as adoption, carrying to term, having the familty gather round and help rasise the child together. What we decide affects others. All things are connected. All people created in the Image of God links us all in a common humanity, a common holiness. Together we can promote birth control and encourage sex education. We need to help each other live life fully for the sake of the other.

COMMITMENT TO A LIFE ETHIC. Abortion and stem cell issues are essentially about an ethic of life. Our decisions ought to center on honoring the gift of life given by God and liberated through Jesus Christ. What are the best ways to honor life?

REMEMBER THE BIG PICTURE. I have trouble categorically saying that the life of a pregnant woman is less important than the child she is carrying, and who believes to the core of her being that what is happening to her is contrary to her life dreams and ability to deal responsibly with caring for the child. Is there not a valid life ethic for this woman's understanding of herself, and choosing to take responsibility for her decision? I think there is. Likewise, for the woman or couple choosing to donate her/their frozen embryo for the sake of another person suffering from a disease, knowing the embryo will be destroyed for the sake of giving life to another, I think there is a valid case for this decision. Who draws the line on which life is more valuable? Who dares to stand righteous in an imperfect world? Is there not a time and place for sacrificial love?

I must admit to a personal buy in. Our son is legally blind. Doctors tell us that his hope for seeing clearly rests with stem cells. When matters get personal, one looks deeper and asks more profound questions. Black and white become gray. I believe this is why God came to us in Jesus. In Christ we are reminded of the challenges within our humanity, and the gracious presence of God with us as we address these challenges. The cross of Jesus reminds us that life is not an easy road, and that with Jesus we are given grace to help us see, the courage to decide, and the forgiveness to repent and keep going. To paraphrase Bonhoeffer, "We must have the courage and humility to stand guilty before God".

Peace!
Ron