We Are the Light of the World – This is How We Will Shine

Matthew 5: 13 – 20

Isaiah 58: 1 – 12
Psalm 112

Even though Jesus delivered his “Sermon on the Mount” to his disciples, living in first century Galilee, to his disciples who were peasants and poor laborers of Israel, this passage has been frequently cited throughout the history of American political speech craft. It wasn’t about us, had nothing at all to do with the United States of America, but we have, for better or worse, appropriated it as our own.

In 1630 Governor John Winthrop, while still aboard the ship Arbella, spoke to his fellow Puritans as they made their way to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the  “the new world.” He said that they would make a “city on the hill” of their new home, and that both the eyes of the world and the ever present help of Almighty God would be upon them there. (Winthrop “A Model”)

John F. Kennedy used the City on a Hill theme in his last formal address before becoming president in January of 1961:

“Today the eyes of all people are truly upon us—and our governments, in every branch, at every level, national, state and local, must be as a city upon a hill—constructed and inhabited by men aware of their great trust and their great responsibilities.

For we are setting out upon a voyage in 1961 no less hazardous than that undertaken by the Arabella in 1630. We are committing ourselves to tasks of statecraft no less awesome than that of governing the Massachusetts Bay Colony, beset as it was then by terror without and disorder within” (Kennedy  “City upon a Hill”).

President Ronald Regan, in his farewell address after two terms said:

“…in my mind [that city on the hill] was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still” (Regan “Farewell”).

President Barak Obama, and numerous other American politicians through the years – Republicans and Democrats alike - have referred again and again to these words from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (though Reagan attributed the phrase to John Winthrop, not Jesus). But, no matter how much we might want to describe the Unite States of America as this “city on the hill,” we are not.

No nation is. The city on the hill is made up, not of nation states, but of the many followers of Jesus no matter where or when they live, or have lived, or will live. The city on the hill is you. The city on the hill is me. The city on the hill is us – if we are following the precepts that Christ taught, living by this code. It’s not just a matter of intellectual assent to a prescribed doctrine, but an adherence to a standard of living that exemplifies, and demonstrates, and puts into vigorous action the good news of the gospel, a life that brings peace and freedom to everyone around. That city on a hill is a city of light, and peace, and freedom.

In addition to comparing his disciples to a city on a hill, he also said that they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world. “You are the light of the world,” he said to them. When Jesus said this to his disciples, and when Matthew recorded it in his gospel, for his Jewish audience, they would have remembered the words of the prophet Isaiah:

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
(Isaiah 42:6)

and from the second of the Servant Songs (that we read just a couple of weeks ago) 

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
(Isaiah 49:6)

The people of Israel, God’s chosen people, were to be a guiding light to the nations of the world. And on that mountain side, Jesus repeated the pledge to his disciples. They would be the light of the world. And now, we here this morning take the words as well: we are, or can and should be the light of the world.

We live in the midst of darkness. The darkness surrounds us, envelops us, threatens to overtake us. These are dark and desperate times, filled with the tremors and rumors of war and many, countless troubles – political, economic, racial – both foreign and domestic, far abroad and close at home. There are many who feel that the light has gone out, the candle has been extinguished and they are ready to curse the darkness (to invert the quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt). But we are the light of the world and our light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overtaken us. (John 1: 5)

Yes. The world seems dark. Yes the world seems broken. Yes, we might even affirm with singer Leonard Cohen, that “there is a crack in everything – that’s how the light gets in.” (Cohen “Anthem”) We are, like the Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, going to “kick at the darkness ‘till it bleeds daylight” (Cockburn “Lovers”). We’re going to “Storm the Forts of Darkness and bring them down” (Johnson “Storm the Forts") because we are the light of the world.

There is a Jewish tradition originating in the Kabbalah of the 16^th century that said when God created the universe he put part of himself into vessels of light – something happened and these vessels of light were shattered, trapping the light of God within the material of creation. The tradition also says that it’s up to us to restore that light. This is called tikkun olam, “repair of the world.” (Karesh 520) It’s a late tradition, yes, that has gnostic affinities, but I rather like the idea that we, each one of us, created in the image and likeness of God, have a splinter – a shard of God’s eternal light hidden within us, and that we can do something to fan the flame of that light in others.

To be the light of the world is to repair the world, it is to restore justice, and to protect those who are powerless. With our prayers and our good works, our acts of righteous justice we can release those sparks of the divine light into this world of darkness. We bring light to the dark world by standing with and alongside the poor and marginalized. We pierce the darkness of the world by rescuing the perishing and by caring for the dying (Crosby “Rescue the Perishing”). We shatter the darkness by sharing of ourselves with those in need, by feeding the hungry, by sheltering the homeless, and caring for the sick. We repair the world and restore light to the darkness by letting the oppressed go free, sharing our bread with the hungry, bringing the homeless into our house, and covering the naked. Then our light will shine – will break forth like the dawn of a glorious new day. (Isaiah 58: 6 – 8) We are the light of the world; this is how we will shine.

The Roman naturalist and philosopher, Pliny the Elder said, “Nothing is more useful than salt and sunshine” (Pliny). If we are that city on the hill – the example to the world – then we are to be salt and sunshine to a dark world, the light of the world.

"Jesus bids us shine," (Warner) so let your light shine. Let your light shine so that the people around you might know some kindness again (Schwartz) . Share. Give. Help. Care. This is how our light shines, and how we enliven the spark of that divine light in others.We are the light of the world; this is how we will shine.

Cockburn, Bruce. “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” Stealing Fire. True North Records. 1984.

Cohen, Leonard. “Anthem” The Future. Columbia Records. 1992.

Crosby, Fanny. “Rescue the Perishing.” The Song Book of The Salvation Army. London, England. The Salvation Army. 2015. Print.

Johnson, Robert. “Storm the Forts of Darkness” The Song Book of The Salvation Army. London, England. The Salvation Army. 2015. Print.

Karesh, Sarah E. & Mitchell M. Hurvitz. Encyclopedia of Judaism. New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc. 2006. Print.

Kennedy, John F. “City upon a Hill” Boston, MA. January 9, 1961.

Pliny the Elder. Natural History. Xxxi, 102.

Reagan, Ronald. “Farewell Address” Washington D.C.: The White House. 1989.

Schwartz, Stephen, "Light of the World," Godspell. 1971.

Warner, Susan Bogert, "Jesus Bids Us Shine." The Song Book of The Salvation Army, London, England. The Salvation Army. 2015 Print. 

Winthrop, John. “A Model of Christian Charity” 1630. 

Of Inaugural Addresses and Enthronement Oracles (A Sermon)

Isaiah 9: 1 - 4
Matthew 4: 12 - 23
Psalm 27

It is highly unlikely, altogether improbable that those individuals who compiled and organized the three year cycle of lectionary readings for the Church were aware that today’s reading from Isaiah 9: 1 – 4 would coincide with the very recent inauguration of the 45^th president of the United States of America. So it is a fortuitous – a serendipitous – a providential text, fitting for today even if by nothing more than coincidence. Many biblical scholars believe Isaiah 9 to be part of an enthronement event, a “dynastic oracle uttered on the occasion of the anointing of a new king or at the anniversary of the event” (Scott 231) and, as such, is a fitting text to read as we reflect upon the recent transition of power in the government of the United States of America.

Speeches and songs are part of the pageantry of government – for better or worse. They can be used to inspire and encourage. They can be used to frighten and intimidate. They can be used to uplift and ennoble. They can be used to blame and harass. In his inauguration speech on Friday (January 20, 2017) President Donald Trump described a bleak picture of the way things are as he takes office – of “rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.” He described it as an “American carnage” (Trump “Inaugural Address”). 

Now whether or not he painted an accurate word picture of way things are or not (I’d say not; his description is either wildly hyperbolic or grossly dishonest), it is not uncommon for new government leaders to describe differences between the outgoing and the incoming administrations in the starkest and most dramatic terms possible. All that is behind was darkness and destruction, and all ahead will be light and glory.  For better or for worse, this is the way that propaganda works.

And it is the way that our passage from Isaiah works as well.  Although historians and biblical scholars cannot say with certainty whether this passage describes the rule of a particular King of Judah or if it is intended to describe the rule and reign of an idealized king of the future, and Christians have interpreted the passage to speak of Jesus Christ, it seems likely that the “oracle was composed to celebrate the ascension of an actual Judean king” in the 8th century B.C.E. (Scott 232). Isaiah describes the way things were as gloomy and filled with anguish. The people were walking in darkness and living in the land of the shadow of death. (Isaiah 9: 1- 2) They were under the heavy yoke of an oppressive foreign invader – the Assyrians. (Isaiah 9: 4) But the new king would bring light, would bring glory; he would change contempt into joy and rejoicing. The new king would be a magnificent figure, a messiah on the throne of David.

Now, please note that I am not equating President Donald J. Trump with the messianic figure of Isaiah 9 – Trump is not a messianic figure. And neither is he the Antichrist. And, let me continue, the same is true of his predecessor: President Barak H. Obama was neither the Antichrist nor a messiah. We read this text today without praising or demonizing either of those men, but to reflect on the ways that we can understand our world today. What makes this passage from Isaiah something more than persuasive political propaganda? What can our president do, and –more importantly- what can we do to make this reading something more than the inflated rhetoric and empty promises of political propaganda?

We can’t say everything that might be said this morning so we will limit our thoughts to two points – a two part plan for bringing light to a once darkened land.

First: We must lift off the burdensome weight of the oppressor. In Isaiah’s case the oppressor was obvious – it was the Assyrians led by Tiglath-Pileser III. The Assyrians were the evil empire of the day, the forces of darkness. In our own day the oppressor may not be the army of a foreign invader, but still threat, still a danger.

In recent days I have been struck by the prescient words of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. He described the oppressors of our day by saying:

I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin...we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered. (King “Beyond Vietnam”)

Any political or economic system that favors profits over people and products over persons is an oppressive system. Any law, or practice, or tradition that favors one ethnic or gender or sexual identity over another is part of that oppressive weight that must be lifted, part of the burden that must be removed if we are going to live in light and glory instead of dark gloom and anguish.

Theologian James Cone wrote, “Yahweh is known and worshiped as the Lord who brought Israel out of Egypt, and who raised Jesus from the dead. He is the political God, the Protector of the poor and the Establisher of the right for those who are oppressed. To know him is to experience his acts in the concrete affairs and relationship of people, liberating the weak and the helpless from pain and humiliation. For theologians to speak of this God, they too must become interested in politics and economics, recognizing that there is no truth about Yahweh unless it is the truth of freedom as that event is revealed in the oppressed people’s struggle for justice in this world” (Cone 62).

The weight of the oppressors must be lifted from the shoulders of the poor and the afflicted.

Second: We must put away our reliance on military force. We must be prepared to burn all the clanking footgear and the blood-rolled clothing; the signs and symbols of that darkness of death are ritually burned as the new king comes to power.

Again from Martin Luther King Jr:

A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, "This way of settling differences is not just." This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. (King “Beyond Vietnam”)

   

We have been at war for a long time, for far too long. We have been at war for my teen-aged son's entire life. I cannot wrap my mind around that fact. And more warfare will not make an end to our warring. We must make the hard choice to give up our reliance on military might. It has not made us safe. It has not brought prosperity to our nation. It has not brought light to the world, only more darkness. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that” (King “Strength to Love”). We must put an end to our warring. We must burn away our weaponry.

But I should stop here and be very clear to note that it was not king who did these things. Whoever the historical king in view in Isaiah’s text may have been, he did not do these things and bring light and glory to the people living in the land as dark as death. God did. “This is God’s own action. It is God who is the cause of the rejoicing, God who has given bountifully, and God who has broken the oppressor’s rod” (Lang). The king was God’s representative, his adopted son (Psalm 2:7), but it was God himself who brought about the redemption and deliverance of the people.

We "praise the One who breaks the darkness with a liberating light" (Edwards) for he is our light and our salvation. (Psalm 27:1)

And this is still true today; President Donald J. Trump will not - cannot - save us; he will not deliver us. Our hopes cannot be in individual who occupies the presidential office. We cannot put our trust in princes or presidents who cannot save us. (Psalm 146: 3)

But if we would like to live in that kingdom of light and glory instead of the land as dark as the shadow of death, this must be our plan and program – to lift the away the weights of the oppressors so that everyone is free to share in the good gifts that God has given us, and to burn away our reliance on violence and military force. If we cannot do these two things then we will continue to live in the gloom and anguish of that land of death. Jesus began his ministry in Galilee of the Gentiles by saying "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Today we repent of all our oppressive systems and structures; we repent of our militancy and violence. We repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, the dawning of that great light is near even now.







Cone, James H. God of the Oppressed. San Francisco, CA: Harper San Francisco. 1975. Print.

Edwards, Rusty. "Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness" 

King jr. Martin Luther. “Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence” April 4, 1967. Riverside Church, New York, NY.

King jr. Martin Luther. Strength To Love. New York, NY: Harper & Row. 1963. Print.

Lang, Dirk G. “Commentary on Isaiah 9: 2 – 7.” December 4, 2012 Workingpreacher.org

Scott, R. B. Y. “Isaiah: Exegesis” The Interpreter’s Bible Volume V.  Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press. 1956. Print.

Trump, Donald. “Inaugural Address” January 20, 2017, Washington D.C.   

Trump Will Swear on Lincoln’s Bible and I Don’t Care

Tomorrow afternoon Donald J. Trump will place his hand on a Bible and take the oath of office to become the 45^th president of the United States of America. And he will do so using a bible once owned by the 16^th president, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln arrived in Washington D.C. for his inauguration without his own copy of the scriptures; the so-called “Lincoln Bible” was given to him by William Thomas Carroll, clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court. The same bible was used by the 44^th president of the United States, Barack Obama, for both of his inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.

And while I understand the historical resonance of America’s first black president swearing his oath on the same copy of the scriptures once held by “the Great Emancipator,” I don’t really care that President Obama used and that President-elect Trump will use “Lincoln’s Bible.”

Neither that particular copy of the bible, nor any copy of the bible-no matter how storied, or noble its provenance is a magical book. It will not make Trump’s promise any more or any less trustworthy. Let him “swear on a stack of bibles” (as the kids say, and as President Obama did in 2013) – let him swear “on his mother’s grave,” let him “cross his heart and hope to die, stick a needle in his eye” if he wants, it doesn’t make his words any more credible or trustworthy.

Trust is earned. Honesty is demonstrated. And liars will lie – even on historically significant copies of the scriptures.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one. – Matthew 5: 33 – 37 (NRSV)

The Holiday Tree Doesn’t Matter

It is one of those urban legends of the internet age, a fake news outrage that will not go away; the story has circulated for years. It’s not true, of course, but that doesn’t inhibit the story’s circulation: President Barack Obama has not ordered that the traditional White House Christmas Tree be referred to as a “holiday tree.” It is not true this year. It was not true last year or the year before or the year before that.

I can imagine that next year we will have memes floating around on the Facebook and the Twitter about the fact (ha!) that we can have Christmas trees at the White House again now that Donald Trump is president. It still won’t be true, but … (sigh) … whatever.

But I’d like you to imagine something with me, just for a moment. Imagine an even grimmer scenario. Imagine that President Obama had announced that there would be no White House Christmas Tree at all – not merely that the tree would be referred to as a “holiday tree,” but that there would be no decorated evergreen tree with lights, and tinsel, and baubles at the White House at all. Can you imagine the outrage and fury of those who believe that there is, in fact (there isn’t), a war on Christmas?

If the legends are true (and they probably are not) it wasn’t until Martin Luther (1483 – 1546) that the evergreen tree was connected with Christian celebration of Jesus’ nativity. So for some twelve hundred years Christians were perfectly able to celebrate the miracle of Jesus’ birth without a holiday tree.* Ϫ

But who cares? The tree is not the important part. Call it a Christmas tree, an Xmas tree, a Holiday tree, or a Tannenbaum (which means generically “fir tree” (and I notice that no one freaks out at the carolers singing oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter…)) or don’t have one at all. It doesn’t really matter.

*Yes, twelve hundred, not fifteen hundred. Christians didn’t even celebrate Christmas until around the year 300…  

Ϫ And why not call it a holiday tree?  If we’re putting them up as early as Thanksgiving (as many people do) and leaving them up until New Year’s Day or Epiphany - the tree is part of the decorations for several holidays. And the word “holiday” itself means “Holy Day” for crying out loud. If Christmas Day isn’t a holiday holy-day, I don’t know what is…

No- The President Did not Condemn the Words of Jesus

It’s just a little word, just three letters, but it really means something when you see it sitting there in the middle of a sentence.  Ignore it, and you’ll misunderstand what’s being said. 

And.

A handy conjunction – it combines two separate things into one whole thing.  That’s a big responsibility for such a little word.

For example:  Earlier this week (May 12, 2015) President Barak Obama spoke about poverty at Georgetown University.  During his remarks he said,

“And so one of the things I’m always concerned about is cynicism.  My Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough -- we take walks around the South Lawn, usually when the weather is good, and a lot of it is policy talk, sometimes it’s just talk about values. And one of our favorite sayings is, our job is to guard against cynicism, particularly in this town.  And I think it’s important when it comes to dealing with issues of poverty for us to guard against cynicism, and not buy the idea that the poor will always be with us and there’s nothing we can do -- because there’s a lot we can do.  The question is do we have the political will, the communal will to do something about it.”

Full Transcript

Good stuff there, I think.  But the good folks at the Conservative Tribune are disgusted; they’re just sickened by what the president said.  In their self-righteous fury they claim,

“This latest statement both insults Christians everywhere — the largest group of charitable givers in the world — and exposes Obama’s abject ignorance of biblical teaching.”

When the writers at the Conservative Tribune quoted the president’s words, they emboldened the first part of the president’s phrase, ‘And I think it’s important when it comes to dealing with issues of poverty for us to guard against cynicism, and not buy the idea that the poor will always be with us’ but not what followed, ‘and not buy the idea that the poor will always be with us and there’s nothing we can do -- because there’s a lot we can do.’

They missed that little word “and” that joins those two bits together. 

President Obama did not “Openly and Proudly Condemn the Words of Jesus Christ Himself.”  He did not try to “correct Jesus on the issue of poverty.”  What the president did is condemn the cynical attitude would refuse to act against poverty because the poor will always be with us.  Which is exactly what the folks at the Conservative Tribune say this verse from Matthew 26:11 means.  

That little word “and” is small-just three little letters.  Maybe it’s easily overlooked.

Or maybe the good folks at the Conservative Tribune are just so committed to their rage, and to their perpetual disgust, and their contempt for the president that they can’t see when he gets it right.

A Dangerous Expression of Christianity in America

You may have already seen some of the brouhaha on the internets over a homework assignment given by a Wisconsin teacher to her 10th grade US and World History class.  The students were challenged to write a typical five paragraph essay (a “hamburger essay”) imagining themselves to be a Muslim living in the US. The three body paragraphs of the essay were to describe the challenges that they might face and the struggles of their daily life. 

The outrage being expressed by some is as expected as it is lamentable. 

“I would go in, dressed all tattered and torn and turn in a charred piece of paper and say "I'm sorry but my assignment blew up before I could finish it."

“first off, my kids or grandkids wouldn't be learning about mulims, my assignment would of been IM AN AMERICAN, IM CHRISTIAN, THROW THEM OUT OF MY COUNTRY, gang rapers, murders, child molsters and this what you want to teach our children, shame on you, and this sh** they are teaching our kids now a days has got to stop, your the teacher, teach them our american ways, learning about culuture is one thing not about muslims, teach them the truth then”

“Most innappropriate! This has no place in a public school. [The teacher] needs to be suspended pending counseling on appropriate behavior and teaching methods.”

These comments were found at the Fox News Blog

Pair this story with the recent outrage and fury unleashed by those in response to President Obama’s remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast:

So how do we, as people of faith, reconcile these realities -- the profound good, the strength, the tenacity, the compassion and love that can flow from all of our faiths, operating alongside those who seek to hijack religious for their own murderous ends?

Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history.  And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.  In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ.

People responded with the same kind of vitriolic comments that we’ve come to expect: they denounced him as a Muslim, as anti-American, and on and on and on…

It seems to me that this combination of 1)an unwillingness to consider the point of view of “the other” as well as 2)an inability (or more accurately – a refusal) to think critically about our own history, our own failures – makes for a very ugly and a potentially very dangerous expression of Christianity in America.  

A Non-Responsive Response from the President

Several weeks ago, during the height of the violence in the most recent outbreak of violence between Israel and Palestine, I wrote to President Barack Obama. I wrote to encourage him to not allow Israel to have access to the massive stockpile of weapons and armaments that the United States keeps in Israel. 

I received the following response today.  It thanks me for writing, without actually addressing the specifics of my letter. 


Dear Jeff:

Thank you for writing.  There are no easy solutions to the challenges facing the Israelis and the

Palestinians, but I want you to know that when you send me an email, I am listening.

We cannot give up on the search for an end to this conflict.  Too much is at stake, and it is the right thing to do.  Our Nation’s commitment to a just and sustainable resolution is unwavering, and we will continue to offer constructive approaches and encourage the Israelis and the Palestinians to work together to resolve this conflict.  To move forward, both parties must face hard choices and make difficult decisions.  Only they can accomplish the compromises necessary for two independent states to live side‑by‑side in peace and security.

Again, I appreciate your thoughts.  Please know my Administration will keep looking for steps both the Israelis and the Palestinians can take to build the trust and the confidence upon which lasting peace will depend.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

A Letter to President Obama Concerning the American Stockpile of Weapons in Israel

President Barack Obama, 

I read today that the United States of American maintains a stockpile of munitions and armaments in the nation of Israel – the War Reserve Stockpile Ammunition-Israel (WRSA-I).   

And while Israel has not yet requested permission to access this stockpile in the course of their recent hostile actions against Hamas in Gaza, they have in the past – in 2006, for example, in their conflict with Hezbollah – there may come a time when the leaders of Israel do ask for permission to use these weapons.

I am asking you, Mr. President, to refuse. You should not allow the United States of America to become more complicit than we already are in the aggressions perpetrated by the nation of Israel.  Human rights organizations have been critical of Israeli attacks in Gaza for their disproportional violence, and for the number of civilians being killed.  

The United States is already embroiled in this conflict.  Please do not further exacerbate our role by supplying even more weapons for Israel to use against the Palestinians.

Please, Mr. President, do not make the United States a party to more deaths.

Jeff Carter
Newton, Iowa

I Have Two Words For You: Predator Drones (You Think I'm Joking)

I don't think it's funny that he's not joking - and making a joke of it at the same time.

You can download it here.

Created in Ableton Live (8) using a few sounds from the Freesound Project: 

Totalwreckmix
Military Helicopter
Norwegian F-16 Passing Overhead
Whistling Firework
Police Siren
Distant Tank Shots
Ghost Carnival
Glitch Speech Beep

A Limerick for Victoria Jackson

Oh Victoria, Victoria,
your crazy grows ever morea;
you once had a sharp wit
now you’re just full of shit;
I fear you have mental chorea.

She once performed comedic satire - now she's just a joke and can't recognize satire.

Obama Removes References to God from Gettysburg Address and the Bible

Conservatives were irked yesterday by President Barack Obama’s reading of the Gettysburg address – omitting the phrase ‘under God.’  The reading was part of a project, directed by noted historian Ken Burns, to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the famous speech.

"Lincoln added 'Under God' as he was looking out over battlefield. Why would Obama remove?" Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on Twitter. Conservative Christian leader Bryan Fischer added "Obama's omission of 'under God' is more evidence of his anti-Christian bigotry. He honors Islam but disrespects Christianity."

It was explained that readings of the speech were contributed by several different personalities and leaders – and that they were reading from different versions of the speech.  There are at least five different written versions of the speech. President Obama was asked to read an early version of the speech (known as the Nicolay copy - named for Lincoln's personal secretary), which omits the words "under God" and also contains several additional phrases that differ from the version of the speech Lincoln delivered.

But before their ire could die away, conservative Christians were infuriated once again to discover that references to God have been removed from the biblical books of Esther and Song of Songs.

“We just happened to be reading from the book of Esther, taking a break from reading the book of Revelations,” said Conservative spokesperson David Drusba, “and we noticed that all references to God had been removed from the book. Obama just took them out! We were so shocked that we went through some of the other books to see if Obama and expunged God from any of the others.”

“It’s all part of Obama and his Marxist Muslim cronies’ plan to quietly and secretly remove all references to God from our culture,” continued Drusba.  “First they drop a reference to God from the Gettysburg address, then they erase God from some of the books of our Bible, and before you know it there are lesbian Nazi hookers selling drugs to children on every street corner.  They thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did! ”

What Kind of Dictator Is He?

I must say that I'm surprised that the Dictator, Tyrant, Nazi, Fascist in chief hasn't already issued an executive order to pass the budget, raise the debt ceiling and to have his private army arrest republican congress members and put them in his secret gulag. What kind of dictator is he? I mean, really, no self respecting anti-Christ would let his opponents get away with this kind of insubordination....

Count the Cost in Syria

Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.  Luke 14: 31 – 32

I know that Jesus gave this illustration as a parabolic teaching about the cost of discipleship, but I think there is much to learn from its surface level meaning – especially considering current events.

Our nation is poised at the brink of yet another war.  President Obama believes that the United States must use its military to intervene in the Syrian crisis, but he has called for Congress to give approval for this intervention.  Before we launch any missile strikes and before we put any boots on the ground (because the one will lead inevitably to the other…) we must count the cost.

Fiscally this will be expensive.  Can we afford it?  We’re only just now beginning to claw our way out of the hole we dug with two costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Our economy is fragile, some would say already broken. Can we afford another war?  I do not think we can.  Not while there are so many other pressing concerns.  How is that we always seem to find money for war and killing people but there’s never enough money for health care or education? 

But there are other costs besides the fiscal.  Morally this will be costly as well. 

I am a pacifist.  I do not believe that war is ever justified.  But even if one holds to the “just war” theory – there is no justification for military intervention.  Going to war should be the last and final option.  Not the first and only. 

We have a long history of thinking that we can solve these sorts of crisis by dropping bombs or firing missiles.  We also have a long history of not learning that this has never solved the problems – only exacerbated them.  We bomb the crap out of it, and then spend years afterward trying to deal with the “unexpected” consequences. 

Before we do this we must count the cost.  Can we afford it?  We may have the world’s largest (I will not use the word “greatest”) military.  We may have high-tech weaponry.  We may have numerical and tactical advantage – but can we afford it?

Much of the world already sees the United States as a military thug, constantly invading country after country.  Do we want to continue to perpetuate that impression?

Is it worth it?

Even if we “win” against Bashar Assad, we still lose… 

We must count the cost.

I Didn't Join the Military to Fight Wars...

Have you seen this image

?  It's been burning up the internets in the past couple of days. The picture shows a man in a Navy uniform with Chief Petty Officer insignia holding a handwritten sign in front of his face, "I didn't join the navy to fight for Al Qaeda in a Syrian civil war!"

We will, for now, assume that the photo is of an actual factual enlisted Navy man, and that it isn't a staged propaganda photo.

I appreciate that you don't want to fight in Syria.  I don't want you to have to fight there either.  But as long as you wear that uniform you don't get to pick and choose which battles you will fight.  As long as you are a member of the United States armed forces you will have to salute, say "yes sir!" and do as you're told.

You don't get to say "I didn't join the Navy to fight...."  of course you did.  That's why the Navy (and all the branches of the military) exist - to fight.  And while you wear the Navy uniform you will be compelled to fight.

If you really don't want to fight in Syria (or anywhere else for that matter) put down the sign and take off the uniform.    Resign from the military.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

I have been, for several days now, increasingly nervous that the United States would begin launching military strikes into Syria.  When I saw the announcement that President Obama would be speaking today at 1:15 about the Syrian conflict I felt my stomach drop.  I waited and waited and waited as that 1:15 time came and went and President still hadn’t come out to the Rose Garden to make his announcement.   When finally he did, I was partially relieved. 

And, disappointed at the same time.

I voted for President Obama – in large part because of his opposition to and his pledge to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I have, in the years since, hoped for more rapid progress in these promises.  I have also been angered by our increasing use of attack drones to target and kill our ‘enemies’ – as well as numerous other ‘unintended targets.’

This afternoon when President Barack Obama laid out his plans for Syria I was angered to hear him declare that he has “decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian regime targets.”  Even if, as he said, “[t]his would not be an open-ended intervention.  We would not put boots on the ground.  Instead, our action would be designed to be limited in duration and scope,” it felt like a betrayal of my vote. 

This is not what a Nobel Peace Prize recipient does.

And yet, I was partially relieved to hear the President continue, “But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I'm also mindful that I'm the President of the world's oldest constitutional democracy.  I've long believed that our power is rooted not just in our military might, but in our example as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.  And that’s why I've made a second decision:  I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people's representatives in Congress.”

We can still stop any American escalation of this tragedy.  Please write, call, stalk your congressional representatives and let them know that you oppose any U.S. military action in Syria.

But the part of President Obama’s speech that disgusted and disappointed me the most was the following:

A country faces few decisions as grave as using military force, even when that force is limited.  I respect the views of those who call for caution, particularly as our country emerges from a time of war that I was elected in part to end.  But if we really do want to turn away from taking appropriate action in the face of such an unspeakable outrage, then we just acknowledge the costs of doing nothing.

Why is it that not “using military force” is automatically equated with “doing nothing”?  Are we so limited in our thinking?  To the one with a hammer, everything looks like a nail and to the nation with a massive military everything looks like a reason for war. 

But there must be alternatives. 

There can be no doubt that what is transpiring in Syria is “an assault on human dignity” but sending missile strikes will only further compound that situation.   (And, I am not at all convinced that missile strikes would be the end of it.  We may say “limited in duration and scope” now, but those who have lead nations into every war ever fought have promised that it would be over quickly…) 

As a Christian, as a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, I believe that we are called to be Peacemakers – and this is no easy thing.  War is easy.  Fighting is easy because it comes naturally to us.  It’s one of our two automatic responses – the other being to run away.  But being a Peacemaker requires us to find a different response.

I agree that we can’t “do nothing.”  We should do something – but this emotional plea to do something about the many thousands that have been murdered in Syria, should not be used to compel us to actions that will only lead to more death and suffering.  We must find another way – we should find many more other ways. 

Doing nothing is not an option.  Neither is military intervention.  But these are not our only alternatives.  This is not a binary, black or white, all or nothing situation. 

Let us be Peacemakers for a change.

To read a full transcript of the President’s remarks click here:

A Letter to President Obama - Let Us Be Peacemakers for a Change.

President Obama,

I am writing today to urge you to put into practice those values and ideals of the Nobel Peace Prize that you were awarded.  Do whatever you can to prevent U.S. military action in Syria.  We have only just begun to claw ourselves up out of the hole we dug for ourselves in two foolish and massively expensive wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We cannot afford another.

And over and above the fiscal concerns are the moral issues.  We have no justification for military involvement not while so many other options are yet available.  The emotional cry to “to something” about the very real horrors that are occurring should not compel us to make the same tragic mistake we have made over and over again in the past. 

We cannot obviate human suffering with violent action; we will only create more of the same.   If we must “do something” let it be something constructive rather than destructive. Let it be something that prevents further conflict rather than dragging us into another protracted military action. 

Let us be peacemakers for a change.

Jeff Carter

Tell Us Plainly…

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe.  John 10: 22 - 25

Tell us plainly, they begged him.  Tell us plainly and we’ll believe you.

Except that they wouldn’t have believed him.  Not at all.  Once people have their minds made up about an issue no matter what you say or do to convince them can actually convince them.

As evidence of this principle one has only to observe the continued belief that President Barack Obama is a Muslim terrorist.  No matter how many times he has said that he is a Christian, no matter how many times he’s heard to talk about his faith in Jesus of Nazareth, no matter how many times he prays or attends a Christian church…there are still far too many who refer to him as “the muslim moronic terrorist in the WH”  (that quote is lifted from a comment published today on a friend’s FB page.)

Tell us plainly…

Yeah, right.

Ignorance and Fear-Mongering

This particularly idiotic image came through the Facebook recently.  And it has to be the grossest example of ignorance and fear-mongering that I have seen in recent days.  Good grief!

Have we already forgotten Mitt Romney?
Or W?
How about the pope?
Batman? Superman? Spiderman? Zorro?


In response to this lunacy, a few of my FB friends have started to adopt their own symbols. And I've made one for myself as well.

We won't let this ignorance go unchallenged. Even if you don't like President Obama - you shouldn't let this ignorance and fear-mongering go unchallenged, either.

Repeating the Talking Points Isn't Enough

I have received a response from the President to my letter sent January 21, 2013.

It's not a personalized letter, of course. I didn't really expect that it would be.  He's a busy man, and I'm sure that he receives far more correspondence than I can imagine.  Yet someone on his staff has prepared this form letter in response to my letter and my questions, and the letters and questions of others like me.

This is the letter I received:

Dear Jeff:

Thank you for writing.  I have heard from many Americans about our Nation’s foreign policy, and I appreciate your perspective.

As President, my highest priority is the safety of the American people.  My Administration is using every element of our national power to keep our country secure, prosperous, and free.  We have renewed our leadership in the world by strengthening old alliances and forging new partnerships to meet common challenges—from preventing terrorist attacks, reversing the global economic crisis, and responding to pandemic disease to confronting climate change, preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, and providing relief from natural crises.

 After more than a decade of sacrifice, the tide of war is finally turning.  The war in Iraq is over.  The number of our troops in harm’s way has been cut in half, and more will soon be coming home.  In Afghanistan, we have begun a transition to Afghan responsibility for security, and we have a clear path to fulfill our mission.  That is why, on May 2, 2012, I signed a historic Strategic Partnership Agreement between the United States and Afghanistan which defines a new relationship between our countries as the war comes to an end.  As in Iraq, we are building an enduring partnership to strengthen Afghan sovereignty and stability while advancing our shared goal of delivering justice to al-Qa’ida and contributing to the security of the region.  We have devastated al-Qa’ida’s leadership—taking out over 20 of their top 30 leaders, including Osama bin Laden.  The goal I set to defeat al-Qa’ida and deny it the chance to rebuild is now within our reach.

 The courage and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace and prosperity from Germany to Korea and enabled democracy to take hold in places like Libya.  Our commitment to global security will never waver, but in a world in which threats are more diffuse and missions are more complex, America cannot act alone.  We will continue to align our policies with those with whom we share common values and interests.  That is why NATO remains indispensable to our security.  At the NATO Summit I hosted in May 2012, we took steps to ensure the Alliance has the capabilities it needs to meet 21st-century threats.  At the same time, we must also strengthen the United Nations and regional peacekeeping capabilities.

America will remain committed to governments that reflect the will of their people.  I have an unyielding belief that all people share some basic aspirations:  to support our families, to maintain the freedom to choose our leaders, to worship as we please, and to live in peace and security.  These are not just American ideas; they are human rights—and we will support them everywhere.  I know the challenges faced by the international community can be met if we commit ourselves to a sustained effort to secure the universal human rights of freedom and dignity for all our children.

 To learn more about our foreign policy, please visitwww.WhiteHouse.gov/Issues/Foreign-Policy. 

 Thank you, again, for writing.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

In this letter all the standard talking points are repeated:  turning the tide of war... keeping our country secure, prosperous and free... etc. etc. etc...

But it was those words towards the end of the letter that grabbed me: "I have an unyielding belief that all people share some basic aspirations: to support our families, to maintain the freedom to choose our leaders, to worship as we please, and to live in peace and security.  These are not just American ideas; they are human rights - and we will support them everywhere."

I would like to believe that the President believes this. And, in fact, I do believe that he does -but - how much can those beliefs matter when our national policies still embrace the use of unmanned attack drones - against foreign combatants and even against U.S. citizens?  I have wonder how much the President is being guided by those beliefs (or else I will have to become as cynical as some already believe me to be, and say that President Obama doesn't really believe these things...)

These "terror drones" are used to attack and kill individuals declared to be enemies - without warning, without arrest, without trial.  They kill from a distance, at the push of a button.  They are not quite the precision instruments that we are told - as they often kill and wound civilians and non-combatants instead of or in addition to their intended targets.  

These "terror drones" do not lead to increased security around the world, but are generating intense hatred for the United States and for the governments of countries that allow us to use them in their territories.  We are not winning a war against terrorism - we are creating more enemies.

We cannot win a war against terrorism by using terror ourselves.

Repeating the talking point that "we are turning the tide of war" isn't going to be enough.  We need to stop being the terrorists.  We need to stop using unmanned attack drones.

A Letter to President Barack Obama on Inauguration Day 2013

Mr. President,

I am one of the millions of Americans praying for you as you begin your second term as President of these United States.  I am encouraged by your vision and hopeful for the days, and weeks, and months and years to come as we work together as citizens all across this country to make the world, and not just our country alone, a better place. 

But, Mr. President, it is not enough to declare that a “decade of war is now ending,” as you did in your inaugural address this morning.  Not while we continue to launch unmanned attack drones against our enemies.  Not while we continue to detain and torture ‘enemy combatants’ in secret prisons.  Not while we continue to maintain the world’s largest standing army.  Not while we continue to outspend the rest of the world combined on weapons of war and high powered killing machines.

We have squandered the great wealth our country in protracted and bloody conflicts around the globe that have not brought any improved measure of security or goodwill to our country or the world.  We have sacrificed the lives of too many men and woman and children – those of our nation and in those countries where we have stationed our soldiers – and not gained anything from their sacrifice.

I know that you must be aware of the irony of your inauguration day coming on the celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.– who declared that “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom. “   How can we honor him and his great work and still continue to pour our vast resources into the bottomless abyss of continued militarism? 

We cannot fix the broken things by breaking them even more.  We will not make peace in the world by killing our enemies.  This has never worked and never will.  There is no redemption in violence.  Mr. President, it is not enough to declare that a decade of war is ending if we continue to operate in the same manner.  We must begin to do things differently.

The voters of our country, and myself among them, have chosen to give you another four years as the President of our country.  Do right in them.  Make good upon the words you spoke this morning.  Honor and continue the work of Martin Luther King Jr.  Bring the militarism and warring of the United States to an end.  Bring our soldiers home, close the military bases around the world, close the torture prisons, discontinue the use of unmanned attack drones, and turn the resources and the energy and the vitality our nation toward those programs of social uplift that will bring about a more just and equitable society.

Sincerely,

Jeff Carter