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