Why We Should Love One Another

God created everything.

You.  Me.  Everything thing that we have known, will know, and all that is beyond our knowing, was created by Him.  An understandable response to this truth is praise and love from His creation.  However, God is not only worthy of this praise and love from His creation, He commands it.  When we consider His commands, it is amazing that God is not only concerned with our response to Him but how we respond to each other.

Not only is God concerned that we acknowledge that He is the only true God, but He is also concerned that we give each other proper honor and dignity.

Not only is God concerned that we worship Him properly, but He is also concerned that we preserve the life of ourselves and others.

Not only is God concerned that we use His name in a holy and reverent manner, but He is also concerned that we conduct ourselves in a chaste and modest manner toward one another.

Not only is God concerned that we reserve one whole day in seven for His service, but He is also concerned that we engage faithfully with one another in contracts and commerce, that we promote truth with one another, that we be content with our own condition and act charitably toward the condition of others.

In short, God commands us to love one another.

God could have simply commanded we acknowledge Him as the only true God, worship Him properly, use His name in a holy manner, reserve one whole day in seven for His service, and it would have been enough because He is the Creator, and a Creator owes His creation nothing.

As His creation, however, God commands us to love one another because He loves His creation.

This truth points to something far more shocking than the amazing fact that God cares about how we treat each other.   While God is under no obligation to make a promise to us, He is obligated to keep it once He has made it.  God must keep His promise because His character demands it and He promises that all in His creation that believe in Jesus Christ will not experience eternal torment for their sins against the Creator, but rather will experience eternal life.  This Jesus Christ is the Creator embodied in flesh, i.e. Incarnate.  

The scope of this post was not to get into the details as to why the Incarnation was necessary, but know that it absolutely was and it cost the Creator dearly.  The death of the Creator paid the penalty due for the sins of His people.  God is so concerned for His creation that He laid down His life for it.  This sacrifice is undeserved, but that is why it is called grace and it is truly amazing. 

Our Response to the Attack in Paris

I am not going to get into the long-term solution to Islamic-based terrorist attacks.  That is not the point of this post.  The point is to warn us from stepping into hate and radicalism ourselves as a result of such attacks. 

I intentionally waited to post comments about last night’s attack in Paris.  Some of the online commentary I have seen over the last 24 hours has been very concerning.  I have seen calls to kill all Muslims.  I have seen calls to round Muslims up and place them in internment camps.  I have seen calls from Christians for a new Crusade.  I am going to be blunt; these calls to harm Muslims are more than Islamophobic, it is insanity.  These calls are unchristian. 

I should point out that these calls are coming from people that are normally pretty rational, normally pretty “christian.”  This type of mob insanity happens, however, when we fail to control our fear.  A wise man once said,

“Fear is the path to the dark side.  Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering.”

Right now people are scared.  Do you know who else is scared?  Muslims.  Millions of non-violent Muslims right now fear retribution from both totalitarian acts of governments and vigilante “justice” from mobs of equally fearful people. 

Anger is an appropriate response to evil.  What happened in Paris was evil.  However, when we find our world crashing down we need to slow down, think, and keep our emotions in check, otherwise we will find ourselves making poor judgments. 

Hate breeds hate.  Radicalism breeds radicalism.  This also happens to be our enemy’s goal.  Their goal is for governments to respond with totalitarianism.  Their goal is for you and I to respond with pitchforks, torches, and a burning stake.  They want us to meet them on the field of hate and radicalism.  When we do that, they have already won.  The suffering continues.

I will work on another post that deals with the long-term solution, which entails a different foreign policy from the current one we have driven by fear.

Refugees Welcome - Flüchtlinge Willkommen

When refugees from the middle east are told they cannot stay in eastern European countries they all consistently reply, "We don't want to stay here. We're headed to Germany." Refugees will always head to the most rich and powerful countries. 

That includes the United States, which has seen its own share of refugees, primarily from Mexico. The US's part in the War on Drugs has created and empowered the cartels in Mexico, turning parts of that country into a war zone. 

The process of providing aid and absorbing refugees into a country can be daunting. Germany is doing a phenomenal job and are not even responsible for the middle east crisis. That is what great countries do.

Auf Deutsch:

Wenn Fluechtlinge aus dem Nahen Osten gesagt werden, dass sie in osteuropaeischen Laendern bleiben koennen nicht alle konsequent zu antworten, “Wir wollen nicht, hier zu bleiben. Wir sind nach Deutschland fuhren.” Fluechtlingen werden immer fuer die meisten reichen und maechtigen Laender leiten.

Dazu gehoeren die USA, die seinen eigenen Anteil von Fluechtlingen, vor allen aus Mexiko gesehen hat. Die uns das Teil im Krieg gegen Drogen schuf und ermaechtigt die Drogenkartelle in Mexiko, Teile dieses Landes in ein Kriegsgebiet verwandeln.

Der Prozess der Hilfeleistung und Aufnahme von Fluechtlingen in einem Land kann entmutigend sein. Deutschland macht einen phaenomenalen arbeit und sind nicht selbstverantwortlich fuer die Krise im Nahen Osten.  Das ist, was grosse Laender tun.

The Wisdom of Al Swearengen

The character Al Swearengen from the television series Deadwood once said,

“Every beatin’ I’m grateful for.  Every one of them.  Get all the beat outta you.  And you know what the world is.” (I took the liberty of omitting no less than three f-bombs from this quote.) 

I found myself thinking about Swearengen’s “wisdom” recently because there is some truth to be found here.  I doubt I am the only one out there that entered this world naively trustful and optimistic.   After a few years I got “the beat outta me” and saw “what the world is”; corrupted by sin.  That sin hurts and in the face of that pain trust turns to distrust, optimism to pessimism.  In order to not be disappointed or let down we simply lower our expectations and standards.  I do this all the time.  Swearengen trusts no one and assumes the worst intentions from them until proven otherwise.  His response is understandable, especially in the town of Deadwood.  This response starts off defensive, but eventually we are taking offensive action, as well, contributing to this world’s corruption. 

We end up with Swearengen wisdom when we forge our discernment from the beatings we receive in this world alone.  This is not what the people of God are called to do.  True discernment comes from the Word of God, which reveals the truth about good and evil.  God’s Word reveals that we are called to love our neighbor, which means that we are to assume the best regarding another’s intentions until proven otherwise. There is risk with this.  We might get hurt.  No, let us be honest.  We often will get hurt and that is not Swearengen pessimism, either.  God’s Word warns us of this reality and still calls us to longsuffering.  Longsuffering sounds bad, but here is one word we loath even more; patience.  We can hardly stand to wait in a line at the supermarket.  How much harder is it to patiently endure injury caused by those we love, let alone a stranger?  This kind of patience we are called to, however, is a reflection of the patience God had for us in the moment of our worst sin.  Consider the patience of Christ as he suffered for our sins on the cross.  Yet He did so willingly.  In fact, Christ also could have uttered the same words as Swearengen (without the f-bombs) yet the meaning would be quite different.

“Every beatin’ I’m grateful for.  Every one of them.”  Why?  Because with His stripes we are healed.  “Get all the beat outta [Me].  And [I] know what the world is.”  Why?  Because Christ’s suffering on the cross redeemed a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to Himself from bondage to sin and death.  The world is fallen and corrupt in sin, yet through the sacrifice and righteous works of Jesus Christ, those that trust in Him alone are empowered by the Holy Spirit to assume the best in others today and a have a sure hope in the life and resurrection to come.

Is Our Universe a Simulation?

One of the popular subsets of the field of space is cosmology, the study of the origin, evolution, and fate of the universe.  Space.com recently posted an article with a rather philosophical view on the topic.

The philosophical atheists in the article wrestle with the concept that our universe might be a simulated reality, created by transcendent, hyper-advanced beings, existing above and beyond our simulation.  They consider five premises to the simulation argument:

(i) Other intelligent civilizations exist

(ii) Their technologies grow exponentially

(iii) They do not all go extinct

(iv) There is no universal ban or barrier for running simulations

(v) Consciousness can be simulated.

If one of the above premises is to be rejected, then it must always be rejected, everywhere, for all time, in all universes, without exception.  That, of course, makes no sense.  The philosophers, therefore, conclude that our universe is very likely a simulation.

Yet, despite all this, the philosophical atheists in this article still refuse to accept that the maker of this “simulation” is God.

If our universe was a simulation created by transcendent, hyper-advanced beings, then who created those beings and the simulation they exist in, and so on?  If we went back far enough we would eventually, out of necessity, run into a supreme Being that is not confined to a simulation, but rather exists in a beginningless state.  That Being would be God.  And why a beginningless state?  Because something cannot come from nothing.  Nihil fit ex nihilo. Nothing comes from nothing.

Dresden Firebombings

On the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, it is worthy to note that it was not the first time that such a terror attack had been committed by Allied Forces in the year 1945. On February 14 of 1945 (ironically Ash Wednesday), Allied Forces firebombed the German city of Dresden, creating a firestorm that killed an estmated 25,000 civilians. The British Prime Minister at the time, Winston Churchill, was so appalled by the event that he had this to say:

"It seems to me that the moment has come when the question of bombing of German cities simply for the sake of increasing the terror, though under other pretexts, should be reviewed. The destruction of Dresden remains a serious query against the conduct of Allied bombing. The Foreign Secretary has spoken to me on this subject, and I feel the need for more precise concentration upon military objectives such as oil and communications behind the immediate battle-zone, rather than on mere acts of terror and wanton destruction, however impressive."

WWII was a dark time for all parties involved. May we never hide from the horror of war that we may seek the way of peace even just a minute longer when we are called to the test.

I Spoke On Behalf of the President of the United States

No, the above title is not hyperbole, but perhaps requires an explanation.  I recently narrated a military retirement ceremony during which the retiree received a letter from the President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama.  As narrator, I had the honor and privilege to read the letter to the recipient aloud before the audience.  As I read, I found myself focused on the pronouns, “I” and “you” and became imminently aware that I was, in fact, speaking for the President, using his words, to convey his personal gratitude toward the retiree.  Pretty cool, you may think?  It made me sweat.  I realized I was specifically authorized at that moment to be a messenger for the most powerful man in the country, for the most powerful country in the world. 

Now, in hindsight, perhaps I had put too much thought into the occasion.  My reaction nevertheless occurred and it had a lasting effect on me the rest of the day.   I also realized I felt a bit of guilt.  Why?  I wondered how it could be that I did not feel the same way when I read the Word of God aloud before others.  The letter I read at the retirement ceremony will decay and fall to pieces as it ages, was written by a mortal man that will one day return to the dust, and represented a nation that will also one day go the way of all the other ancient civilizations in the manner of ruins and artifacts.  If I am moved by being a messenger for such temporal things, how much more should I feel reverence and awe when I read aloud before others the very words of the Creator who made the heavens and the Earth?  May we all read God's Word with the seriousness and weight it deserves.

Why I Will Not Vote Next Year

The fact that I wrote the above blog title still surprises me.  I admit that I have held contempt for those that chose not to vote in elections.  My thought process was if you do not vote, then I do not want to hear you complain about the many problems that plague our country.  I also understood that there is no such thing as a perfect candidate, matching up 100% with my own political views.  For years this meant that I had voted for the lesser of two evils.  I would ask myself, “Who will do the least amount of damage?”  That implies that every candidate would cause some kind of damage that I would have to be willing to live with. 

I have recently wrestled with the reality that sometimes even the most minor “damage” could still be significant enough that I would not be able to vote for a candidate in good conscience.  I have broken down by party my significant concerns that I believe are so repugnant that they are non-negotiable.  While there are many other important issues not addressed in this short blog, the following are the most critical to me.

Libertarian Party

Abortion

I love the Libertarian Party.  I am currently registered Libertarian.  I am in favor of just about every position the party holds, except on the issue of abortion.  I would consider myself a pro-life libertarian, which I find to be a redundancy, as libertarian ideals essentially promote life, not destroy it.  The problem is that the party’s official position on abortion is one of pro-choice.  The institutional acceptance of abortion is already a mark of shame on our society.  The recent revelation that abortion clinics have profited in providing baby remains to research facilities is simply diabolical.  I can no longer support a pro-choice political entity or politician in good conscience.  A pity, as this party seriously has a lot of good going for it.  Should a pro-life libertarian be an option during the general election, I will gladly vote for him or her.

Republican Party

Foreign Policy

Republican foreign policy has enabled Christian persecution, specifically in the Middle East.  The most recent example is the party’s support of ISIS, aka "Syrian Rebels" in 2013.  Party leadership sought to provide arms and financial support to ISIS when the group was only fighting Assad in Syria.  The support existed even in light of the fact that ISIS was systematically killing Christians in Syria, because they were under the protection of Assad.  This is just one example of many where Republican foreign policy puts Christians at risk around the world.  As a Christian myself, I find their party’s foreign policy unacceptable and non-negotiable.

Democratic Party

Foreign Policy

Democrats may say they are anti-war, but actions over the last six years would say otherwise.  The Democrats have been in lock-step with the Republicans in their Christian persecuting foreign policy.  In fact, it was both John McCain (R) and John Kerry (D) that called for supporting ISIS in Syria just two years ago.

Abortion

See the above section on abortion under the Libertarian Party.

Constitution Party

Fanatical Nationalism

I love the U.S. Constitution and as a member of the Armed Forces I continue to uphold and defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic.  Because of this, I use to be registered as a member of the Constitution Party and voted for Chuck Baldwin for president in 2008.  As I learned more about the party and its supporters, however, I became concerned with its position on immigration, which is not just anti-illegal immigration, but anti-LEGAL immigration.  The party's 2012 presidential nominee, Virgil Goode, and the 2016 nominee, Scott Copeland, promote a kind of Christian nationalism that verges on fanaticism, racism, and Islamophobia.  Again, a pity as I agree with the party on so many other important issues.

Green Party

Abortion

See the above section on abortion under Libertarian Party.

Taking Care of Women in the Service

My wife, Allison, served in the Air Force as a Security Forces (military police) member from June 1999 to November 2002. She was notified in October 2002 that the US would begin its ground invasion of Iraq the following March and that she would deploy there as a participant.  She was also due to give birth the following February and would be provided with 6 weeks recuperation before deployment.  She voiced her concern with the short turn-around time and was given a choice: deploy or get out.  Leaving her newborn, 2 year old daughter, and active duty Air Force husband behind was asking too much of her.  The Air Force lost a motivated and talented airman.

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James recently commented on the change in policy of deploying women after pregnancy, which now provides women a full year adjustment before deployment.  The change alleviates the strain on “some of our talented airmen [who choose] to leave the Air Force as they struggle to balance deployments and family issues, and this is especially true soon after childbirth.”  Today the Air Force is a bit wiser and has taken some long overdue steps toward taking seriously the needs of airmen and their families.  I am extremely proud of my wife’s service and it pleases me to know that other women of her caliber of professionalism and technical expertise will now be afforded better opportunities.

Profession of Arms: Not for the Vain of Heart

I have been asked several times by civilians if I have seen the movie American Sniper. No, I have not.  I have no interest in seeing a movie based on a fellow military member's autobiography--published two years after leaving the service--where he brags about his killing exploits.  Drawing attention to one’s personal military accomplishments, no matter how extra ordinary they may be, and they truly were in Chris Kyle’s case, is found to be profoundly distasteful in the profession of arms.

 

Kyle had been duly recognized for his achievements by receiving two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, one Commendation, and two Achievement Medals.  There is nothing wrong with others recognizing us for our efforts.  We should seek out opportunities to publically note the accomplishments of those around us as often as possible.  The moment we self-promote our own deeds, however, we step into the empty realm of vanity, souring the inspirational lure of the original accomplishment.  Vanity is nothing unique.  The heart of Man is sinful and prone to yearn for the praise of men.  Social media like Facebook and blogs like this one are potential breeding grounds for vanity to thrive.  The American Sniper autobiography serves as an opportunity for each of us to take an introspective look in ourselves and root out the vain voice within. 

PEGIDA: Extremism Can Breed Extremism

Terrorist attacks conducted by Muslim extremists (henceforth referred to as psychopaths) breeds distrust of all Muslims.  Since September 11, 2001, there has been a growing distrust of Muslims in Russia, Western Europe, Australia, and the United States.  Fourteen years of war against Muslim nations has only further bolstered western society’s distrust of the Muslim communities that reside within their borders.

“What?  Muslims are planning to build a mosque in my town?  Unacceptable; I will have no terrorists in my town on my watch.”

“A man of middle-eastern looking descent stepped onto my train?  Better keep an eye on him.”  Never mind the fact that he is actually Israeli and is wearing a Shield of David around his neck.

The new war against the Muslim psychopathic group, ISIS (once friend, now foe of the United States because they are no longer pointing their guns where they are told), has fostered greater distrust.  Recent attacks by Muslim psychopaths in Australia and France have prompted an “I told you so” response from those most vocal about their anti-Muslim sentiment.

While Americans have suffered from anti-Muslim fever for years, the fever in Western Europe has been steadily rising.  The United States has not yet witnessed, but perhaps soon will, anti-Muslim rallies, thousands strong.  An example of this has been seen with the growing German political movement, PEGIDA, which is an acronym for Patriotische Europaeer gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West).  Their primary political aim could be best described as trying to protect Germany’s Judeo-Christian culture through stronger immigration policies.  Specifically, PEGIDA has been targeting Muslim psychopaths, but their rallies exhume a strong nationalistic and anti-Muslim air.

The intention here is not to alarm but simply draw attention to the warning signs of extremism that can rear its ugly head within our own midst.  Do you find yourself blaming immigrants or those of another faith for the woes of your society?  The Nazis did, too, back in the 1920s when life was admittedly hard on the Germans.  Their economy was shot and they blamed the Jewish people in their midst rather than the irresponsible, retributive Allied powers for their hard times.  Today, the Russian Ruble is dropping and the Euro has also taken a hit.  What is bad for the Ruble and Euro is eventually bad for the US dollar.  Should we all see economic hard times, I surely hope that we would not misdirect our frustration on our peaceful Muslim neighbor.