Beginning a Journey

As a part of my response to our pastor's series which began Sunday on Race, I have begun reading Michael Emerson's book “Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America.” The second book arrived today. “The Warmth of Another Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration.”

All you pastors on my FB feed, should be encouraged that a member of any church is challenged to read beyond the time in Bible Study and Worship.

I have become slowly aware of a truism: “those who write the history, control the history.” Many folks today in America are skeptical of the “mainstream” media, primarily because, in my opinion,” of the assault on mainstream media over the last twenty years because folk don't like how their viewpoints are portrayed in the mainsteam media. As a retired pastor, I know I was sometimes frustrated with the lack of understanding of our particular faith and polity. However, in the broad scheme of things, my quibbles were few.

However, delving into some of the biographies of our early presidents—particularly US Grant, I jumped off into a body of information/history I believe I was never exposed to. That body of information and history was what actually happened in the South after the war between the states. Reconstruction in my education consisted of how the “North” oppressed the Southern States with rules and regulations which were seen as mean or harsh. What I did not learn, was the extraordinary ways Southern States went to in attempts to minimize and oppress the former slaves who had been newly freed. I was shocked at many how Blacks were killed at the hands of Whites during this time. Ron Chernow in his biography of US Grant, perhaps for the first time, exposed me to the Southern efforts to contain the influence and freedom of the newly freed slaves.

With that experience in my sails, I come to some more information to which I was never exposed. Isabel Wilkerson writes about a great migration that honestly I do not remember ever having heard about or read about. From 1915-1970 almost 6 million people fled the South to the Northern and Western cities hoping for a better life. What I do remember are the “Dust Bowl” years but never this particular migration. I guess in a nation of 100M, the movement of Blacks out of the South could escape notice. More than that, I believe it is that maxim: “Those who write the history control the history.”

There are a couple of reasons why this maxim is important. First, writers always write with a bias. They may strive to be neutral and “unbiased” but I believe that is impossible. It just is not possible. Even before we speak or write, what we have seen or heard is processed/filtered through our eyes, our values, our faith, our bedrock principles. That is why we cannot just depend on one source for our news.

The migration of 6 million African American from the South was not a newsworthy story to be written. It was not something the “mainstream” might be interested in, or for that matter anyone but Black Americans.

As I delve into these two books, I expect to be confronted with my own prejudice, and my own racial bias which I did not see or care to see what was happening all around me.

However, with that said I have always been one who wanted to know the rest of the story. So this journey will be enlightening and uncomfortable.

Wash your hands, wear your mask for others, mind the gap, and be kind. 

Race and Faith

I awakened this morning at about 6:00a.m. I had planned to be up by 6:15, but anticipating the day, I awakened early. This was my first day on the “stream team” and we are beginning at Cityview to slowly go back to services in the building. The service was at 9:00am, and I was to be there at 7:30. So, I had time to make me some coffee and clear the cobwebs from my head, and get to the church on time. As a member of the “stream team” my role at my camera is critical—as you might imagine. When things are critical, you send in a veteran, right? Well, actually, I am the one who operates a “jib” camera which simply means I get to slowly sweep from one place to another. I provide motion. All other cameras are somewhat fixed when the team leader switches to them. This was my premier presentation and I wanted to make sure I had it right. The stream leader came over to me and went over the simple nuts and bolts of what I would be doing. Basically, I was to very slowly move the camera in a certain way at a certain time. I totally understood from a long history of watching folks get used to video. He asked, “Do you understand what I need?” To which I replied, “Sure, you don't want me to give everyone motion sickness and have them throwing up on their couches.” He smiled.

My oldest son, Tim would call this “inappropriate humor” as opposed to “appropriate humor.” Sadly, I am more of an expert in “inappropriate humor” than the other. That is not to say my humor is ever crude, sexual, or rude. Rather it emanates from deep within and sadly I can't help it. It just bubbles up. I would say in my defense that if a conversation with anyone doesn't end with them taking away a notable “Chancellor” ism, I feel I have failed the conversational expectations.

So my “stream team” leader knows my name. When one works on the “team” the worship music is a “wash” because you have someone in your ear during the whole time. However, at the jib camera, you don't have a station to man during the sermon so you can sit down and listen.

I have looked forward to this series since I heard it announced. COVID has blurred my sense of time, but I needed this series. Our pastor will be leading us through a series on race and faith. Frankly, I need this because the older I have become, the more this issue has weighted on my heart. Perhaps it is the feeling there is more I could have done as a faith leader to move our people to a greater compassion and openness to people of color. Perhaps it is the weight of years which tell me nothing will change unless we make it change. Perhaps it is the reality that Christians are both the impediment and the hope of racial progress in this nation. I don't know exactly when it was in the prison that I put it together that black men abandoned the Christian faith for the Muslim faith because it gave expression to their anger and angst. They had been betrayed not by God but by His people.

My travels around the world have not been as extensive as some but more than most but during those travels I have come to understand I have never met a person who Christ did not love or for whom Christ has not died. There were days I walked the prison halls knowing that each person I saw, each life that was being poured out in that prison was someone for whom Christ died. So many were black men, far more than was representative of the culture. So it really struck home to me today when our pastor quoted a black pastor friend of his who told him, “If one of your teens gets arrested for drugs—he will end up in rehab. If one of my teens is arrested for drugs, he will likely go to jail.” And I knew the rest of the story—and from there to prison.

I trust my pastor to follow the Spirit's leading and in these days of strife, demonstrations, and violence, it is really time—past time for the People of God to face this lingering, smoldering, explosive issue of the racial disparity which has dogged this nation from its beginning. The bill has come due, the time is now, we cannot kick this can further down the road. It is time for people of courage to face the incredible profundity of the issues, repent, and move forward to a better future for all.

Wash your hands, wear your mask for others, mind the gap, and be kind. 

American Elections the New International Sport

I was unaware until Friday and today US elections in November had become an international sporting event. It seems Russia is working for Trump and China is working for Biden. I was aware that Russia interfered in our 2016 national elections by disseminating false information, but I was unaware this would be the case again this November. I have also been concerned about the lack of outrage in every quarter of our nations life.

I guess I naively believed that such knowledge of what happened in 2016 would create such a tsunami of voter fury and outrage that something would have been done in Congress to prevent this from happening again ever. Foolish me! Now not just being satisfied with corruption running through Washington like the mighty Mississippi, our election process has been compromised like a “Banana Republic” south of the border on which a small wall has been built.

So, Congress cannot agree. Children often cannot agree because their small minds cannot fully see the options or comprehend the stark realities of the failure to compromise. Apparently, we thought we were electing Representative and Senators, but apparently not. We have sent children to Washington. And sadly, children who are not up to the awesome tasks of this time.

Children's games often take the same course. If it is a 2 team game: tag/touch football, soccer; basketball, baseball, sides are chosen and play till either it is dark, the kids get bored, or supper is ready.

This isn't that.

Governing this nation, until 2017, the leader of the free world, is not child's play, nor is it a game. It was and never has been a game. Real lives are decided by what goes on or fails to go on in Washington. Men and women serving our nation are deployed at great risk to themselves and great impact on their families. Budgets are proposed which spend the tax payer's money to move our nation forward from agriculture to technology. Currently scientists are working overtime to find treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19. This is not a game. The body count mirroring the ineptness of Washington is adding up. 5M today infected with COVID-19 and the death count at 162,000. Much of this can be laid at the feet of an inept White House and a tepid Congress.

But, our elected leaders play at it like it is a game. Single parents, two parent households, teachers around this nation and front line medical and first responders are working their best to move us forward during this time. But, Congress cannot play well together. Congress cannot work together. Congressmen and Congresswomen, Senators cannot see further than their party line so each day,moms and dads wake up with bank accounts on empty, small businesses shuttered without any significant rescue, mortgages need to be paid, rent needs to be paid, and Congressmen and Congresswomen cannot agree. This is not sandlot baseball. This is real life which is crushing real people.

In my life, I have lived through one shining moment(if you will) of national unity and that was after 9/11 and Americans were slapped in the face with the reality that enemies wish us harm, but together we are the strongest nation in the world. It seems now only to be a moment in time. A fleeting moment.

I wonder what we need to happen to take us to the point and place where we see in each other more than just people, but rather, neighbors who together wish life and health and security for this nation of which we are a part?

Historically, as a nation, we have been willing to put our shoulders together, push and pull together in order to move the freedoms and security of this nation more toward what our founders --not completely understanding-- the life and liberty enshrined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights waiting sometimes impatiently to be fully realized.

I would suggest that if our representatives both House and Senate are not up to the challenge of working together for all Americans, right now, in this time of national distress, please, please go home and let us find someone else who can shoulder the task.

Wash your hands, wear your masks in consideration for others, mind the gap and be kind.

 

The Virus that Shows Us....Us

There is no doubt this time in America is a stressful time. Our whole way of life had been turned upside down. Our basic way of life—to go where we want, when we want, and how we want has been seriously abridged.

I also feel we are seeing the limits of our personal, familial, and social discipline. That is, we have little compassion for doing what is best for others if it intrudes into our routine, or privilege, or rights.

On the way home from taking some food out to a family we went to church with in Livingston because all were down with covid(four in the family) we talked about how we are handling the overall changes.

I expressed to Anna I had developed a routine that was really working well for me before COVID because I was doing a lot of exercising three times a week, deepening relationships at our new church home, working with veterans which I care deeply about, and then everything ground to a halt. Anna moved home and continued to work from home since that time. I am not sure I would not go crazy in that little room from which she is operating. But, she does get to come out for lunch and we sit outside (always good therapy) even in the heat.

I, on the other hand have had to put off most of the veterans who were referred to me because they either do not have the computer or smart phone to do therapy through a portal, or they are not good candidates for that kind of therapy at this time. Some have serious underlying conditions. So we are treading water.

Last night I went up to the church because it was praise team rehearsal and I understood I was supposed to be there. Not that anyone in their right mind would push me out in front of a group of people with a microphone in my hand gyrating to the beat of the music. I am sorry, you probably can't unread that or un-visualize that in your mind.

Apparently, Cityview is going to attempt to reopen to a small group of people Sunday morning for one service. I am to run one of the cameras. However, it was really a joy to be in the room Thursday evening. Truthfully, it is the most folks I have been in the room with in the last couple of months. So that was good. There is an atmosphere which pervades even the practice of learning music and songs, and preparing for worship. I keep going back to the pope who said he was more afraid of Luther's hymns than of his sermons.

What I do know is that we will move through this and hopefully, we will move through this together and perhaps even more determined to take the time to develop community and be inclusive to all those for whom Christ has died. Perhaps the church will learn that worship is a privilege previously unappreciated in our culture because it largely costs us nothing. We can take or leave it, until it is gone for a long stretch of time. While everything churches are doing in the meantime are good, it still ends up like “kissing your sister.” It never really takes the place of together, hearts in worship voices in praise, ears eager to hear and learn.

Perhaps from this season of limited activity, we can see the world, our neighbor differently. Perhaps we can learn new lessons of acceptance and community. Perhaps we can be more vocal with our gratitude and less vocal about the inconveniences. Perhaps we can learn the “magic” of gratitude and saying it out loud. Perhaps we can find ways to actually help our neighbor and even enjoy the expansiveness of Jesus's view of “my brother.”

Perhaps when the next generation comes on the scene, they can observe the camaraderie, the compassion, the solidarity of this time and note it was forged in the midst of COVID. Perhaps they will notice like our parents and grandparents who developed resiliency from the depression and two world wars, we too became better, more “other centered,” and kind than previous to this world wide epidemic. Perhaps the long term effects of this virus may humanize those we have found so easy to demonize; to give grace to those who previously merited our judgment, to love those who were never included in the tight circle of those we cared deeply about.

COVID is not about just a virus. It never has been just a virus. It is an object lesson staring us in the face day in and day out. Either we work together toward the common goal of eradicating this virus and taming its spread, or people we love and care about, people we respect and look up to, people who have been our neighbors for more years than we can count, people whose greatness has touched our own in the classroom and life, people who have been like giants among us will die because, we were unwilling, unable, uncaring enough, to think of the life of others before the convenience to ourselves.

Wash your hands, wear your mask for others, mind the gap, and be kind. 

The Surprise of Grief

This evening I went to Cityview for the “stream team.” Prior to Cityview, I would have thought “the Stream team” was a group of guys who went trout fishing together in Colorado.

I am aware that on the cusp of being old—well ok, already having arrived at old, technology is really amazing. Trying to reactive my software of “Simply Speaking” which I used when my right shoulder had reconstructive surgery, I discovered I has lost the dvds, but more than that, the practice software I use Google Suites, particularly Google Documents, offers the same technology. Now knowing it is out there and making it work—two different things.

On the way to the church this evening, for some reason, I was thinking about Mom. Grief is like that. You are on the way to somewhere totally unrelated to your loss, or you are thinking about something totally unrelated to your loss, and bam! It is right there.

I have never been able to understand the way my brain works, and even learning more and more about how my brain works does not fully explain—how my brain works. Yet, this I know, something deep within me, connected going to church with my loss and for a moment I was right back in the grief of my loss.

I do know enough to know this is the landscape of grief. It seems to come out of nowhere, and cuts you off at the knees, and you will never really ever make the connection your mind made when it connected those two thoughts.

Perhaps it is my mom was the one who took me to church. She is the one I sat with in church. She was the verbal spiritual guide in our family(my Dad, like many men are shy about their faith but it is real to them none the less). This was the first time I had actually been in “church” since she died. And this was only for a rehearsal for Sunday.

There are some things I know about grief. I know it has a course to run. No matter how much I may deny it, or dismiss it, it must run its course. I know that grief will show up in the places I have associated with my loss. The body remembers when I don't. I know that such times are necessary and therapeutic if I am ever able to work through my loss. I know there is an end point that can only be reached by walking through the dark valley overshadowed by death. I know that as David shared with us, “You are with us, Your rod and Your Staff they comfort us.”

So tonight was a step, an unexpected step, but a step none the less. 

COVID and the Upcoming Elections

Shelter in Place for Williamson County along with Travis County was ordered March 24, 2020. Roughly, 5 months have come and gone and initially, we were able to slow down the progress of COVID. May 1, 2020 the state was to begin reopening and mostly what followed after that was pretty predictable. Virus cases spread, deaths from the virus spread, and now roughly 5 months after the first efforts to contain the virus, we are no where near containing the virus. Throughout the state and nation, it is obvious the USA does not have a good handle on controlling this pandemic. Today the US death counts stands at 160,000 with 4.9M infections. Texas has a death count of 8,121.

One of the most obvious reasons is people across the country are listening to politicians instead of people who know what is going on. That is the problem and I personally can understand the problem. This administration and his party have continually told us not to trust those nefarious scientists because they are a part of a world wide conspiracy to do what?

Now, at some level, down deep where our little boats float on the water, we know dismissing the opinions of professionals and listening to non-professionals is not the smartest step. That is why you don't go to your mechanic to be diagnosed with a physical problem. That is why you bypass the flower shop and go to the people who can replace your worn out tires. That is why you don't call a lawn guy to fix your plumbing. And you might look at me and say, “Why would anyone do that?” To which I would reply, “Exactly, why would anyone do that, but day in and day out, people swear by the talking heads on their favorite cable news while ignoring the scientists and medical researchers devoting their lives to saving lives. If your relative believes what Sean Hannity says, and as a result puts themselves and others at risk which leads to getting COVID which leads to their early death, do you really believe you could drag Hannity into a court and prosecute him for “malpractice?” No, you couldn't, but he is free with his opinions that can put well meaning folks at extreme risk. It is why I believe folks like Hannity are toxic.

Another truth is the United States would benefit from an overhaul of campaign laws which currently allow non-stop campaigning, never ending money streams and mind numbing rhetoric going on and on.

There are some things I want to know about candidates. First I want to know what they have done before running for office. That is important to me. Second, I want to get a sense of the principles which guide them, the character which endures from year to year, and if they are people of integrity. When I have heard enough to settle those issues for me, I am ready to vote. Here is why. The representatives and even the president we elect in November may take office in a totally different world than the one I framed when I cast my ballot. Talk all you want about “what you gonna do” “what you wanta do” “your next great big idea” but the truth is, you may never have the opportunity to put those forward. No one(except for the Obama Administration) saw a pandemic in 2020 engulfing the world. No one foresaw a crippling shut down of the economy to try to get a handle on the pandemic.

It is foolish to believe(to me) that great leadership can tell you what they are “gonna do” and manage to make it happen. Dreams are valuable but the day in and day out of making reasonable laws that guide our society and culture is pretty tedious work. A lot of times it is thankless work.

So until this pandemic is corralled, workable vaccines are available to all who need and want them, small business owners get the help they need to survive, folks who have been laid off because their job is not there, pretty much everything else to me is smoke and mirrors. I learned that trick as a parent. When we would approach a McDonalds, I would get the kids to look out the other side. Smoke and mirrors.

Wash you hands, wear your mask for others, mind the gap, and be kind.

Living by the Truth

I did a Face Book live today on my personal FB page speaking to the man in the White House. It was fun to research, write up and record.

Over the last 20+ years, I don't believe I have ever had the time to research topics which were important to me. I do now, and continue to be amazed at what can find on the web. Now I would suggest there are two or three levels of information accessible on the net. I can access really technical information for which I have no background to understand. Medical information, brain science information, technological information, law, and the list could go on. The second tier I would put practical information which has allowed me to fix the bumper on my car, change out two garbage disposals, change out elements in the electric ovens, patch cracks in the walls, and know how to treat some of the plants which have we have in our yard. The last tier is composed of lies, conspiracy theories, pseudo science, and discarded ideas which still live on the web.

Sadly today, the bottom rung on the tiers is where far too many people are hanging out. There are favorite websites which post the most ridiculous and unbelievable falsehoods yet get into the mainstream with gullible people moving it around. You might even liken it to the COVID-19 virus. Such partial truths, complete untruths, bizarre statements, and other silly information are passed by contact from one person to another and today, given social media, it is almost unstoppable.

I find that such social media dissemination inexcusable for Christians. It is inexcusable for Christians to have a part in spreading false information which when posted leads gullible people astray. More than that, we cannot excuse ourselves because we follow a leader who spouts lies, misinformation, and partial truths on a daily basis. We are ultimately responsible for what we do with our lives, our lips, our social media posts. We cannot brush responsibility off onto someone else.

Part of the reason we have over 4.85M people diagnosed with COVID-19 with deaths now at 158,000 and climbing. Because folks chose to believe the “conspiracy theories” about COVID being nothing more than another kind of flu, thousands have died as a result of that fatal lie. Perhaps that does not mean anything to you if your family has been untouched by this virus, but because this country chose to diminish its lethally, the death toll continues to rise. More than that, nursing home residents around the country have been sent to their rooms, the nursing homes have locked down, and the very thing seniors need to maintain their mental health is being deprived to them—because it was not taken seriously by our government.

Let me spell out some of the falsehoods which have cost us the lives of 158,000 Americans. This total represents people of all ages. Just tonight, I learned of a fire fighter—a young man who leaves behind a wife and two middle schoolers because he died of COVID. Since he contacted the virus at home, his family cannot access funds which are set aside for “deaths while on duty.” This public servant is not alone. The refusal to cooperate with city and county governing bodies when they have issued “when in public wear masks” orders have put more and more people at risk.

Another falsehood/lie has been to impugn the integrity of the World Health Organization. If you have any doubts about them, take the time to read about their work here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization This United Nation's agency has coordinated the pandemic from the beginning. They are not some mysterious organization controlled by Russia or China. Instead, through their regional offices, they have helped nations combat this virus and others.

Another falsehood is the virus will disappear. We heard that prophecy for April, then for this summer, and then by late in the fall. The truth is it is not going away until it is contained, treated, and hopefully folks have a vaccine and are vaccinated.

Another falsehood is that vaccines on the whole are unsafe. I have lived through a polio epidemic, SARS, MERS, and on and on. When there has been a vaccine, lives have been saved. The fact is there is no conclusive research which shows there are problems with vaccines.

The point is, believers need to seek the truth(not what feels true to them) listen to those who are experts in their field, and follow their guidance. That is at the core of our faith: the truth; love for God; and love for our neighbor. You may believe you or yours are not in danger of the COVID-19, and you might be right. However, if one truly loves God and loves his/her neighbor, we will make every effort to protect their health. If wearing a mask is what is needed, we will wear a mask. If social distancing is what is needed, we will socially distance. If washing our hands helps contain the surface spread of the virus we will do that. That is not a Christian's duty, it is a believer's obedience to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Wash your hands, wear you mask out of love for others, mind the gap, and be kind.