thoughts on the news of the day: life

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            Today I wanted to write on something truly meaningful.  My favorite singer-song writer of all time, david bailey (not a typo – his name is spelled in lower case)  passed away last month and I was thinking about him and his music this morning.  He was a 14 year brain tumor survivor and wrote songs about life, hope and love.  Right up my alley; and that’s what I wanted to write about today.

            But instead, this headline pops up:  “Fast Food Stories Consume the Web”.  It’s an article about Mc Ribs and Mc Toys: once again our throwaway, instant gratification, consumerist lifestyles steal the top news of the day.   

            Life doesn’t always give us what we think we should have.  I wanted roses and lollipops and instead I got barbeque sauce.  But you do the best with what you have been given.  david was given a death sentence but he chose to share his fear and his pain with us by writing songs and singing about it.  One of his first albums has a picture of him sitting with his back to us and in the clouds there is a superimposed outline of his head and face.  All these years I have thought of the album cover as being a metaphor of david having his head in the clouds.  But now I know – it was a premonition of him watching over all of us from a new vantage point.

            Thank you, david, for your music and your inspiration.  Rest in peace.

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thoughts on the news of the day: secrets

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            “The Secrets Behind Black Friday Leaks” was the morning internet headline today.  Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving for retailers across the country.  Supposedly, the enormous sales they have on that Friday make up for being in the red the rest of the year.  This year, the bargain prices are secretly being leaked to websites and other news outlets in order to peak interest early.

            How well do you keep secrets? What kind of secrets do you keep?  If a friend tells you something in confidence, it is usually honorable to hold the knowledge in your heart without disclosing it to anyone else.  But there are times when it becomes necessary to report what you have heard.  As a pastor, I am ethically and legally required to report child abuse.  I have been presented with some sticky situations in that regard and wrestle frequently with the question of confidentiality. 

            How well do you keep your own secrets? It has been said that “we are only as sick as our secrets”.  This means that when we try to hide a character defect, we become sin sick emotionally, spiritually and sometimes even physically. Some say confession is good for the soul and I tend to agree with that statement but it is better not to confess your wrongs to someone who could be harmed by that knowledge.

            Keeping secrets -- it’s just not black and white, is it?

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Thoughts on the news of the day: power list

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            Hu Jintao, the President of China is considered the world’s most powerful person for 2010 according to Forbes Magazine. President Barak Obama was chosen as #2; Pope Benedict XVI comes in fifth.  They were chosen because “in various ways, they bend the world to their will.”  They do it by influencing people and financial resources in multiple spheres.  One interesting criteria is that these leaders must actually wield their power. In other words, they must use it.  The Forbes list also names several international criminals, pointing out that these choices are not meant to justify or glorify them. 

            I have a problem with making this kind of power list. Sure, it is true; these people certainly can control and manipulate whole planets of people to do their will. But is power always about money and manipulation?  I hope not. I hope that on occasion power is about doing the right thing regardless of the cost.  I hope that power is about empowering people to be the best that they can be. 

            How about if you make your own list of influential people? Who in your life inspires you?  Who makes you want to be the best person that you can be?  Who is it that makes you want to carry on, even when it would be so easy to just quit?  Who loves you, even at your most unlovable?  My hope for you today is that those are the people who have power in your life.

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thoughts on the news of the day: courage

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            A good friend of mine lost his state senate seat in the Oklahoma elections last night.  He fought a good fight, but now God has other plans for him.  I remember when we buried his father.  He managed to find dignity in that day, and I suspect he will find dignity as he goes on to live his life from here.

            There’s an old saying in sports:  “You win some, you lose some, some get rained out, but you suit up for them all.”  No doubt the Rangers sang that song.  They did the best they could but in the end, they were no match for the Giants.

            Where do we go from here? I imagine that would be what the Rangers and the Senator are asking themselves this week.  And my answer would be “on ….”.  When we lose, that’s what we do if we can, we carry on. 

            But the question then becomes, “How?”  Are we gracious, are we kind, do we hold on to defeat or do we move forward toward new goals?  The best of us, in time, can answer “yes” to those questions.  I know my friend is struggling and my prayer for him  today is for grace, for dignity and for the courage to live to fight another day.

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Thoughts on the news of the day: election day

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            It’s Election Day, so naturally that’s what’s in the news.  People who haven’t already early voted will be going to the polls today to choose the candidates they would like to have the opportunity to serve our communities, our states, and our country.  You may not think your vote matters much, but I personally know of one school bond election that was won on three or four votes. 

            So it’s about our right to choose.  Today we get to make choices about who will serve.  We can study the issues and make an informed decision, we can be swayed by personalities, or we could just flip a coin.   But no matter which way we vote, walking into the polls and casting a ballot is our choice.    

            As you make your choice, I would encourage you to bring one other factor into play. Pray.  Pray for the candidates and their families, pray for guidance to select the best person to put the needs of our great nation ahead of personal agendas.  Pray for the leadership already in place.  You and I may not be the best guides for each other in choosing candidates, but I feel certain, if you ask God for guidance, the right answer will come. 

            And while you are praying, you might want to shoot up a prayer of gratitude for our great country and the freedom we have to choose. 

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thoughts on the news of the day: unemployment

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            I saw a list this morning of jobs that aren’t going away.  They aren’t likely to be the victims of outsourcing or downsizing –police officers, accountants and teachers were some of the occupations described.

            Lots of folks are out of work today.  For the most part, they are unemployed because their jobs just went away.  They are depressed, angry and scared.  Our jobs not only give us income, in most cases they define us and give us purpose.  Now it would be easy to say that we should rise above that and look to a higher purpose – that we should trust in God to provide for us and that it will all work out.  All that is true. 

            But here comes the but….  we don’t or we can’t.  I know what its like to be out of work, spending sleepless nights wondering how to pay my bills, buy groceries, provide for my daughter. I felt useless and helpless.  

            So, my thought on the news of the day is this: if you know someone who is unemployed (and we all do), give them some encouragement today, say a prayer for them and most of all be compassionate.  Chances are they didn’t do anything to cause their unemployment, so don’t make them feel like they have.

            And be grateful for the work that you have to do today …

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thoughts on the news of the day: priorities

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            National elections, tsunamis, terrorist bombing threats, hurricanes in the Gulf --- just a few of many news stories occurring in our world today.  But what is the world news item featured upfront on my laptop?  “American Teen Crowned Miss World” tops the headlines today.  Now, I am sure that for the soft-spoken 18 year-old who won, that is the news of the century.  But for the rest of us? Not so much …

            It’s about priorities.  For the news editor who selected the piece, the contest was a priority.  What are your priorities?  What comes first in your life?  My hope for you is that it is something that is edifying, something that has a purpose, something that is bigger than yourself.  What you do today may not make the national headlines, but it will make a difference in someone else’s life. 

            Our church is making a difference.  We have been challenged to see how much non-perishable food we can bring with us to church today.  The can of corn or box of macaroni may not seem like much to us, but added together, they can make a difference for the hungry family that needs it.  In our small congregation, we can’t do much, but we make it a priority to see that the local food bank has what they need to feed the hungry in our town.

            What is your priority?

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