Hope Has Prevailed Over Status Quo

Hope has prevailed over status quo.

Tonight, Barak Obama becomes our next President.

Personally, I'm thrilled.

Obama is a symbol of hope, not just for Black American, but for ALL of America.

Now, the cynic in me is already saying,

Watch this, Obama has won, so the people who voted against him will start justifying and compartmentalizing him. Suddenly, he'll be "different" than the rest of our African-American Brothers and Sisters. His father was African, his mother was white. Somehow, there will be those that will put him into a different category than other Black men.

Yes, I know, it's pretty cynical to say this.

But I know how people are.

My youngest son is very fair. Some "overlook" that his father is Black, Mexican, and Italian. But my sweet child said, "I'm white on the outside and Black on the inside."

He knows who he is, no matter what others think, no matter how fair he is, he knows and embraces his heritage.

Thus is Obama. No matter what people may think and say, he embraces who he is, he embraces his heritage. And no matter what people may think or say, Obama is the President of all Americans.

McCain is speaking as I type, conceding the victory to Obama. He is gracious in defeat. He offers all his support to President Obama to find ways to compromise and bridge our differences. He hushes those who boo, speaking of love for our Country, wishing our new President well, and asking for God's blessings on America.

Yes, we will, once more, have a peaceful transition from one President to the next.

America will stand today, tomorrow, and for many more tomorrows, together as one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Today, many of our Brothers and Sisters of Color who were disenfranchised in the past have found new hope, new faith, new belief in America.

Hope has prevailed over status quo in America today.

It is a day to be proud to be an American.

Today, A Light Went Out In America

Yes, today a light went out in America, the day that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was murdered.

A light went out.

Yet at the same time, a torch was lit. America woke up to the true state of affairs of the Civil Rights movement and many good hearted (and previously oblivious) people were horrified at his murder.

I was listening to Good Morning America this morning and Dr. King's son and daughter were talking and it really made me think. Coretta Scott King's words to her children brought me to tears. How can a mother explain to her children that their father was murdered for doing the right thing? Not the popular thing, not the thing society thought he should do, but the right thing?

It brought another train of thought about sacrifice.

Dr. King sacrificed himself and when he did, it changed our whole society -- it changed America.

Like Jesus, he gave his own life for his people. And not just his people, but for all Americans of every color. His words are quoted often, "I have a dream". Today so many of us share that dream, that all people should be equal in America. Just like they are equal in the eyes of the Lord.

Yes, unlike Jesus, Dr. King was a man. A great man, but a man with flaws. Of course he wasn't perfect. He was a man, like every other man. He had weaknesses that his enemies tried to exploit.

Don't we all have weaknesses? Flawed thinking? Even prejudices and bigotry?

Yes, we all do.

As a Christian, Dr. King was held to a higher standard. Sometimes he failed and sinned, as we all do, but the point of being a Christian is that we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and try again. We are mandated to try again.

I know in my heart, my Faith tells me, that when Dr. King met Jesus at the throne, he was welcomed as a good and faithful servant.

How can I know this, beyond my heart's desire, beyond my Faith?

Look at America today.

Today, our children go to school together, play together, work together, live in the same neighborhoods.

There were many catalysts that brought this about, but the murder of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr brought an epiphany to America.

Thus here we are, April 4, 2008, forty years after his untimely death, reflecting on the legacy that he left his four little children as well as all of America and the world's little children.

Today so many of us share his dream. His dream that is still marching toward reality, step by step, day by day, year by year.

Today, we reflect on the man and the Cross he chose to pick up and bear. Each of us has a load that we can choose to pick up, or leave lying on the path of our lives, on our road to Heaven.

Dr. King paid a high price for his choice. But it was the right thing to do.

As we reflect on this day in American history, I look at the faces of my three children and reflect on how the world has changed.

They might not even exist if it weren't for Dr. King, Rosa Parks, the many who worked so hard to make the Civil Rights movement a reality.

We live in a neighborhood where the original CC&Rs say that we couldn't live -- before Dr. King.

My children go to a school that they wouldn't have been allowed to attend -- before Dr. King.

And today we follow the progress of Barack Obama, running for President of the United States of America, something that was unthinkable -- before Dr. King.

It's only been forty years since Dr. King left us, but see how far we have come.

Yes, there are many, many people who have worked to make this a reality. Dr. King didn't work alone, there were many who picked up the torch that was lit when his own little light went out.

Today, we reflect on Dr. King and his massive contribution to our society, our culture, our country.

There is still much to do, but I think Dr. King would be very pleased at our progress.

I think our Lord is too.

"Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done."

All The Children Of Abraham

In today’s world, the peoples who follow Islam are all too often vilified as followers of a violent ritualistic faith. Yet, according to Islam, they're the children of Abraham.

Hmmm, aren't the Jews and the Christians considered the children of Abraham? What's going on here? How is it that the three great faiths could all be children of Abraham? And why are we all fighting in the Middle East?

I can only speak as a Christian, and I think we should consider: If a person believes that the Bible is the literal Word, then how to understand the current crisis between Jews, Christians and Muslims? Bluntly, a true Believer would go back to the Bible.

So let's go back to the beginnings of the Great Faiths.

OK, not all the way back, we'll start with God's covenant with Abraham. I've paraphrased and condensed the verses, you can go back to your Bible to read the full text. Don't take my word for this, go back and read it for yourself!

In the Old Testament, God made a Covenant with Abraham, saying that his seed would be numbered as the stars in the heavens. Genesis 14:5

Now, Abraham was old at this point, he and his wife Sarah had no children. If you read Genesis carefully, they weren't always the nicest people, but they believed in God. That was their strength, they were Believers.

So when God said Abraham would have descendants, they Believed in God's Word. Over time, however, Sarah decided that if she couldn't provide an heir, Abraham WOULD have an heir.

As was the custom of that era, Sarah gave her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham as a second wife, hoping for an heir. Hagar was also a follower of God, and in the midst of the turmoil that was caused between Abraham, Sarah, and herself, an angel of God spoke to her, ordering her to submit to Sarah. By her submission, God forged a covenant with Hagar, promising her that her seed would also be too many to count. Genesis 16:9-10

Then, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, God again spoke to Abraham, promising them a son. God told Abraham that his first son, Ishmael would have many children, a great nation. Yet Abraham’s heir would be Sarah’s son, Isaac. Genesis 17:16, 20-21

Thus, despite her old age, Sarah had a son, Isaac. As was the custom, the son of the first wife is the heir, even if the other wife's child was the oldest. And unfortunately, human nature wins out over compassion. Sarah was jealous of Hagar and Ishmael. In today's words, she felt that they "didn't know their place".

After Isaac was born, Sarah demanded that Abraham put Hagar and Ishmael out. God reassured him that both sons would lead great nations, so Abraham did as his wife demanded. Genesis 21:10-13

DANG, Abraham put his own child out into the wilderness because his wife demanded it? That is some messed up stuff, now isn't it? Even if God reassured me about my child's destiny, I don't know that I have enough Faith to do such a thing. But then again, I'm a mom, not an old man with a big problem.

Hagar and Ishmael were cast out into the wilderness. Hagar was in despair, believing that they would die. Yet God heard her cries and His angel again reassured her that Ishmael would father a great nation. She opened her eyes and saw a well of water. They were saved. Genesis 21:14-21

Fast forward to the present:

Many Christians now accept that the Jewish peoples still have a covenant with God. Jesus said himself that he didn't come to set aside the law.

Now, if Isaac’s descendants are the Jewish people, then who are the followers of Islam? We already know that genetically, the Jews and the Arabs of the middle east are related peoples.

If we believe that the Arabic peoples are also descended of Abraham, then are they actually the descendants of the elder brother, Ishmael?

More than that, if the Arabic peoples are the descendants of Ishmael, then they are the brothers and sisters of the Jews (and Christians). According to Bible, Hagar and Ishmael also have a covenant with God, separate from Isaac's Promise.

Therefore, since all three great faiths of the world, according to their own beliefs, are descended from Abraham, the conflict today is far worse than the secular world understands.

From the ancient days, right to the present, the descendants of Abraham are still fighting over their place in God's Kingdom.

There is NOTHING worse than a family fight -- especially a family fight over an inheritance.

It's no wonder that the Middle East is such a mess. None of us can fully comprehend the good and the evil that happen when men believe that they are the single heir of God. God didn't tell Abraham, Sarah or Hagar any such thing, God said that both of Abraham's sons would father great nations. Ouch. Yes, one is "the heir" but the other also has a Promise. Ouch again.

Honestly, Sarah shouldn't have taken matters into her own hands, she should have left it up to God. That's what happens when we decide to push things along, instead of waiting on God's Time. But at this point, those thoughts are way too late. We can't change the past, we can only look to the future.

What future do we have if we continue to battle each other?

God has a covenant with each of the great religions. Yet we deny that. We deny our own Brothers and Sisters in Faith.

There is evil out there in the world that twists everything and everyone, until it seems that what's right is wrong and what's wrong is right. So, we actually assist the evil one.

When will we learn Lord? When will we learn the lessons You try to teach us? How long must Abraham's children pay for the sins of the father?

How many more years will we fight over God?

Until we stop fighting each other and begin to grow and accept that all of God's children, all of Abraham's children, have a place in the Kingdom, the world will remain in conflict. The Middle East will remain divided, torn by wars, as it has been through history.

How much longer must we suffer?

Until we stop letting the extremists reign.

Until we listen to the Father.

Until we follow His Word.

Until we have a family reunion.

Then we will find Peace.

Links:

Science Daily - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/05/000509003653.htm

The Scribe - http://www.dangoor.com/73page25.html

BeliefNet - http://www.beliefnet.com/story/136/story_13658_1.html

Ann Coulter And The Perfect Christian

Oh Lord, I'm praying that You'll give me self control!

What the heck is wrong with that woman? Does she even understand what she's saying when she says it, or is she just a mouthpiece for the ultra-radical right?

Now I do understand the context that she was trying to use the term "perfected". The proper context is that the [Jewish] prophesy of the Messiah was fulfilled in the perfect body of Christ and His sacrifice for us all.

And since we believe in Christ and accept him as the Lord and Savior, we are perfect and thus if everyone believed exactly what we believe, the world would be better too. So according to her, all the Jewish peoples need to become perfect Christians.

AYYYY! What is that woman thinking?

I find that so incredibly disrespectful to pretty much everyone, including other Christians!

First, of course, the Jewish peoples have a covenant with God. In fact JESUS was a Jew! Ann seems to think that Jesus wasn't a Jew, that He was a Christian. No, no, no. How incredibly ignorant! Jesus was a Jew. Period. He came to Save us all, but He was born and raised in Judaism. Not Christianity.

Next, we consider ourselves as Christians to be the next step in the Path that God laid before us all, BUT do the Jews? No, I don't think so. I believe that God's covenant with the Jews was not replaced by our new covenant with Jesus. And so it's not our place to be judging Judaism. God will decide, not me, not you, and certainly NOT Ann Coulter.

Now, let's move on. Where the heck did she get the idea that all Americans have to be Christians? OK, look, I'm a Christian and I think it'd be great if everyone was Saved. BUT, but, but, this is America, where we all have the freedom to Believe or not as we choose. You know, that Free Will thing that God blessed us with...

Our whole country was based on the idea that we wouldn't allow a State religion. That was the point of separation of church and state. However, we still have that human impulse to be prejudiced and bigoted against anyone and anything that's different. Our prejudice even includes those who practice different forms of Christianity. Look at JFK for example. People were just having fits because he was a Catholic, and "you know how those Catholics are, always following the laws of the Vatican and the Pope..." Even today, I cringe when I'm at church and I hear someone say, "well, I'm a Christian and he's a Methodist". Oh my, what is God going to say to us when we move on from this plane of existence??

Please people, use those brains for more than a hat rack! (Not that Ann wears hats, she probably could use one to keep what little is left of her brains from frying in the hot sun.)

And while I'm ranting, what the HECK makes her think any of us are perfect Christians? No, no, no, we are most definitely imperfect! Jesus was the only perfect human ever, and He's the Son of God. Hello???

We Christians are NOT perfect, we're NOT going to be perfect, that's the reality of being human. As a Christian, I'm held to a higher standard. It doesn't mean I'm perfect. It means that I'm supposed to try harder to be that reflection of the perfection of Christ.

Am I going to miss the target? Heck yeah I am! Many, many times. I struggle against my own base nature every single day. And all too often, I have the privilege of picking myself up, dusting myself off, apologizing, and trying to get back to work.

Now, unlike some of my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I'm not going to go utterly ballistic and accuse all of the GOP of being as small minded, bigoted, racist, etc, etc, etc, as I consider Ann Coulter to be. No. That would be unfair to all the good hearted people on the other side of the "line". And since I wobble back and forth in the middle, honestly, there are some topics I'm over with the more conservative middle-of-the-road folks. But not this one.

Ann Coulter is NOT the example that we should follow. She obviously thinks she's perfect. Huh.

The rest of us, we know we're not perfect and we're not going to be perfect, we're just striving, like everyone else, to do better.

So what's my opinion, as a dedicated middle-of-the-roader, former Republican, currently a Democrat?

Ann needs to get down off of her soapbox and stop with her pseudo-intelligent farce. The woman is a major embarrassment to the American people and Christians everywhere. As long as we let Ann and the people like her go unchallenged, we will continue to face the walls of prejudice, bigotry, closed-mindedness, of hate. We will continue to allow Satan to do his work here on this earth.

This country still has freedom of speech, she has the right to say what she wants, but WE also have the freedom and the duty to tell her that she's wrong, loud and clear, without any hesitation. And refuse to buy her books or support her positions in any way.

It's up to us -- especially we Christians -- to keep extremists like Ann from painting our Faith with the same brush that they use to paint swastikas and hate onto the walls of our churches, the synagogues, the mosques, the temples of America. It's our duty to be right in all that we do. And that includes stopping hate in its tracks, wherever we find it.

It's our duty.