The Way It Is

“The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby was released in 1986 and gained instant popularity. The song makes references to the Civil Rights Movement. Although this is another old song, many of you may have heard it before or at least parts of it in Tupac Shakur’s song “Changes,” which was released in 1996. The music from the song has also been used by Snoop Dogg and Charlie Wilson in the song “Can’t Say Goodbye” released in 2008. Also in 2007, the song was used in a song called “Alright” by Emily King.

The Way It Is

by Bruce Hornsby

Standing in line marking time, waiting for the welfare dime
'Cause they can't buy a job
The man in the silk suit hurries by as he catches the poor ladies' eyes
Just for fun he says "get a job"

chorus
That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is
Ah, but don't you believe them

They say hey little boy you can't go where the others go
'Cause you don't look like they do
Said hey old man how can you stand to think that way
Did you really think about it before you made the rules
He said, Son

chorus
That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is
Ah, but don't you believe them

solo

Well they passed a law in '64 to give those who ain't got a little more
But it only goes so far
Because the law don't change another's mind when all it sees at the hiring time
Is the line on the color bar

chorus

That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is
Ah, but don't you believe them


solo - until fade

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." 

~ Theodore Roosevelt

American Transcendentalism

American Transcendentalism was a New England literary movement in the early 19th century, which viewed nature as a means to spiritual enlightenment. Walt Whitman was an American Transcendentalist that believed we are all a part of God, everything exists in God, and God exists in everything.

Source

"If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

~ Vincent Van Gogh

Calvinism

Calvinism is a form of Christianity that views God as an omnipotent power whose grace is the only path to salvation. Many Calvinists believe that all people are born as sinful beings and without accepting God as their savior, they go to Hell when they die.

Source

"Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity. Reduce selfishness, have few desires." 

~ Lao Tzu

2 Corinthians Outline

I.Apologetic: Paul’s Explanation of His Conduct and Apostolic Ministry (ch. 1-7)

A. Greetings (1:1-2)
B. Thanksgiving for divinte comfort in affliction (1:3-11)
C. The integrity of paul’s motives and conduct (1:12-2:4)
D. Forgiving the offending party at Corinth (2:5-11)
E. God’s direction in ministry (2:12-17)
F. The Corinthian believers – a letter from crhrist (3:1-11)
G. Seeing the clory of god with unveiled faces (3:12-4:6)
H. Treasure in clay jars (4:7-16)
I. The prospect of death and what it means for the Christian (4:16-5:10)
J. The ministry of reconciliation (5:11-6:10)
K. A spiritual father’s appeal to his children (6:11-7:4)
L. The Meeting with Titus (7:5-16)

II. Hortatory: the collection for the Christians at Jerusalem (ch. 8-9)

A. Generosity encouraged (8:1-15)
B. Titus and his companions sent to Corinth (8:16-9:5)
C. Results of generous giving (9:6-15)

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." 

~ Mark Twain

"Make each day your masterpiece."

~ John Wooden

C O M M U N I T Y

What 3 reasons do we speak of community?

Response to God’s call
Reflection of God’s nature
Representing God’s work

Creation story in Genesis 1 tells ups about what?

World – chaos disorder
God – creates by his word, spirit, desires all things to be together
Human beings – created to be together with God and one another

Sin – the end of God’s togetherness, not just against God, but other people

God’s dream is for the togetherness of his creation

Story of old testament in God’s pursuit of this dream

God makes himself vulnerable to the world to pursue this dream

Chooses to pursue this dream through a people

Jesus represents most fully God’s embodiment of this dream

Jesus represents to us how we can participate in God’s dream (death and resurrection)

"If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page."

~ Mark Houlahan

Grandmother

I grew up in the 70s and remember what life was like then. I was told by my parents, since I could pass for white (my mom is of the Creek nation), to tell everyone that I was white. Our lineage was to be kept a secret to all of our friends, and neighbors. My greatest teacher was my grandmother who had a store as the town people put it, "on the wrong side of the tracks." I stayed with her after school, while my mother worked. We were there until grandma closed the store. Her compassion to all of the different races of people that came in her store touched me. I honestly do not know if Grandma ever made a profit. She fed the hungry when they needed food. She clothed them when they needed clothes. If they did not have money to pay, she helped them anyway. She was the hands and feet in our small town that ensured the survival for many of God's children. And, she was my greatest teacher.

"We were born to succeed, not to fail."

~ Henry David Thoreau

Changing Lives

If we can show a child that we care today, we can change his life tomorrow. If he chooses to learn and live from our example, he will help others in the same way. It is important for us to all remember the future repercussions of our actions. How we react in many situations, affects everyone who witnesses our actions.

"If God doesn't like the way I live, let him tell me, not you."

~ Anonymous

Teaching Through Christ and In The Classroom

I am going into teaching high school language arts. It has always been my dream to teach, especially to those who face many disadvantages. This is very important to me because of the disadvantages that I have faced in my lifetime. It was a teacher that gave me the self-confidence to make it through the teenage years. It was a teacher that helped me to believe that I am worth something in this world. It was a teacher that gave me the strength to get through an abusive relationship, the loss of a child, and my other hardships. It is that same teacher that carries me when I am too weak to find my way.

I plan to work either in a Title I school, a school on a reservation, an adult education program, or in a school for children with special needs. I have many reasons why I have chosen to focus future on these types of schools. First, Title I schools are those where the highest percentage of students live below the poverty line. I come from a long line of generational poverty and know that these kids need someone to believe in them. Second, a school on a reservation will be a wonderful place for me to work. My family is of the Creek Nation. I can relate to these children and many of the hardships that they face. Third, an adult education program is a field that has drawn my attention. Neither of my parents graduated high school, nor did my husband or my siblings. For a matter of fact, I am the only person in my family who has graduated from high school. It was the adult education programs that my family members attended that gave them the chance for a successful future. Last but certainly not least, I would like to teach at a school for children who have special needs because my son and my uncle both have benefited from such programs. Furthermore, I know that an education is the only thing that cannot be taken from you, but is the one thing that all people should receive and need.

As Matthew 18:10 states, "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." It is in my power to show compassion for all of God's children, even the big ones. I feel that educating a person is the key to helping them out of poverty and providing them a successful future. Through education, I can reach out to children who are marginalized and give them the opportunity to be viewed as equals of all mankind, the way that Jesus does us. Unfortunately, it is important to remember, though I cannot mention Christ in the classroom; I can be a good role model by living the life of Christ. In order to deal with the challenges of working as a Christian in the public school system, I must be sure to reach out, not only to the kid that is active in the classroom, but also to those who sit in the corner with their heads down. All of God's children need at least one person on Earth who believes in them. I should strive to become a reflection of Jesus, the great teacher who has reached out to all of us. As a future teacher, it will also be important for me to remember to see the good in each child, and let him know I believe in him. I am an extension of Christ. I am his hands and feet in this world, and I am also a student, who is still learning each and every day.

Christ In the Classroom

It is in my power to show compassion for all of God's children, even the big ones. It is important to remember though we cannot mention Christ in the classroom; we can be a good role model by living the life of Christ. We must be sure to reach out, not only to the kid that is active in the classroom, but also to those who sit in the corner with their heads down. All of God's children need at least one person on Earth who believes in them. As future teachers, it will be important for us to remember to see the good in each child, and let them know we believe in them. We are an extension of Christ. We are his hands and feet in this world, and we are also students still learning each and every day.

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

~ Thornton Wilder

Personal Mission Statement

I will be as kind to others as I wish them to be to me. I will even be kind to those who are not kind to me. I will be merciful and forgiving. I will show compassion for all around me. This compassion will spread from me to my children. Compassion will be my legacy to them and future generations.

I will make sure those around me have a fulfilling life. I will give those around me a chance at a future that I was never given. I will not dwell on my sordid past. Instead, I will use it as a teaching tool. The problems I have had in the past are not a curse, but are a blessing. They are what have made me into who I am today.

I will let those I love know that I love them. I will love those around me the way I wish them to love me even if they don’t. They will never have to guess how I feel for them.

I will work to keep peace with God. I will not suppress my spirituality or the spirituality of those around me. I will find peace with myself.

I will always fight for freedom of expression, freedom of the mind, and freedom of the ties that bind one's mind. I understand without these freedoms, people lose their individuality and their identity. I will stress to children how important it is to be an individual. I will always be considered eccentric, because I love my individuality. I will make everyone I know feel special in their own little way. I will do this, because we are all special in our own little ways.

I will always be passionate about what is important to me.

I will always try new and amazing adventures.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

~ Marcel Proust

The Children Are Innocent

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (NIV Matthew 7:15-20)

I wonder, today, how Fred Phelps, an American pastor heading the Westboro Baptist Church, an independent Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas, must feel. He has preached his hate speeches over and over again and his church has picketed many, many funerals. The Westboro Baptist Church has planned to picket the funerals of the children, who lost their lives to the gunman at the Sandy Hook school. Phelps claimed that the children's lives were taken because Connecticut has legalized gay marriage. The website boasts, "The dead children of Sandy Hook Elementary are better off dead than to continue being raised for such great wrath and destruction as you have brought to this land. There is no hope for any child of this nation outside of Westboro Baptist Church. You have a duty to teach your children to fear God or else leave them to desolation, darkness and destruction."

What you will not read about when reading releases from the Westboro Baptist Church is the shooting that took the lives of two law abiding police officers, Corporal David Gogian and Jeff Atherly, who lost their lives in an attempt to prevent an possible massacre at a local grocery store in Phelps own home town of Topeka, Kansas. So I ask, Mr. Phelps, what are the citizens of Topeka being punished for? Is it the hate speeches that spew from your own mouth, the likes of which lead to more violence and more hate? What wrong did the innocent officers and innocent families of the officers who died commit? Why did God see it fit to punish these two men?

I do not understand the logic of attacking victims of violent crimes and saying they deserve to be victims due to the actions of others. Innocent children do not have the right to vote; and though the lives of twenty children in the Sandy Hook school were taken, each and every child in that school and that community have been victimized. What did Jesus teach us about children? Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (NIV Matthew 19:14)

The Jesus I follow is the Jesus that teaches love and compassion. He does not condone the killing of the innocent for any reason. Apparently, the Jesus I follow is not the Jesus that Phelps follows. The only conclusion is that they are two separate beings. What I find the most perplexing about Phelps’ teachings is that he is a former Civil Rights activist.

Today, Americans are coming together to have Fred Phelps and his followers recognized as what they are, a hate group. A petition has been initiated and signed by 132,167 Americans as of yet. I had checked the site just a little less than an hour ago, and the petition had only 127,303 signatures. Other Americans have joined the group, Anonymous, which has sent out the following video publicly (I am not associated with Anonymous in any way):

Unfortunately, Fred Phelps is not the only pastor who is preaching hate-filled messages to evangelical congregations. Another pastor spewing hate is Sam Morris, of Old Paths Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Although the Old Paths website claims, “We believe in the separation of the church and its members from worldliness, apostasy, heresy, or any questionable habits that would tarnish our Christian testimony or bring reproach to the name of Christ,” Morris complained about the call for tough gun control laws [italics are mine]. He went on to state that “I guarantee you there’s at least six or seven guns in this place [Old Paths Baptist Church] right now. Amen.”

Amen? To be a Christian is to follow the law of Christ, not to pick and choose which law you choose to follow. What need does a pastor have to facilitate the possession of a firearm? Did Jesus not teach us to turn the other cheek? Had I been sitting in the pews when so much hate was being bellowed through the air, I would have committed myself to never walk in the doors of the Old Paths Baptist Church, Fayetteville, Tennessee again.

So, Morris, how do you view arming yourself against the brothers and sisters Jesus teaches us to love? What do you think Jesus would say had he heard you spouting so much hate in the church? I do not see what need an evangelical pastor has in owning a firearm to protect himself from both Christians and non-Christians alike. There is no need for a pastor to even hunt for food, as food is widely available and far cheaper than hunting licenses; and the needs of the family of the pastor are met by the tithe given by parishioners  Where is your faith, Morris? My Christ and Morris’ Christ must be two different entities, which is the only explanation I have been able to find for our differing opinions on owning firearms.

I am not against owning firearms on the whole; for had it not been for my father’s guns, my siblings and I would have often gone without meat growing up. I am against having military grade automatic and semi-automatic weapons when you are not in the military. No one needs to agree with my opinion, as it is mine alone, and I have the right to my opinion as well as voice that opinion.

My Christ teaches us to love, not hate. My Jesus taught us, “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (NIV 1 John 3:11-16)

Morris’ sermon included, “that authorities should take the body of the suspected shooter, ‘and string him up in public and set his body on fire and leave it out there to let the birds pick his bones.’” This is hate. “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer,” Jesus taught us. To say that this man’s family should have to suffer even more than they already are due to not only his actions, but also the loss of him, his mother, and the people he killed on Friday is hate. Did Morris forget that the shooter was human? Did he forget that the families that are in turmoil are already suffering? Did he forget that Jesus loved all men, women, and children, especially those marginalized due to their differences including mental illness? I could never imagine how it feels to be the parent of the children and adults that lost their lives and to hear that I am being blamed for someone stealing the life of my loved one away. Does Morris even understand the meaning of the word ‘respect?’

I do not and cannot believe that my Jesus would call for the death of innocent children due to what is taught in the school. Morris believes, “the number of mass shooting were escalating because of schools were government ‘mind-control centers’ that taught ‘junk about evolution’ and ‘how to be a homo… And I want to tell you what evolution teaches - here’s the bottom line - that you’re an animal. That’s what it teaches. So, you’re an animal, you can act like an animal. Amen.’”

Amen? What do small children, the eldest being seven years of age, have to do with what is being taught in their schools. They are not the ones who passed laws, nor are they the ones that have mandated what is to be and is not to be taught in the schools they attend. For a matter of fact, it is the teachers’ responsibilities to teach what they are required to teach in the school. It is the parents’ responsibilities to teach what they want their children to believe and not believe out of the school. There is no crime or sin that calls for the death of innocent children and adults.

The website for Old Paths Baptist Church, Fayetteville, Tennessee goes on to say, “All of our teachings come from the King James Bible. This way we know that we will have unity in doctrine and spirit. Because our doctrine comes straight from God, we do not apologize for our beliefs and standards. Whenever a person gets offended at Bible preaching it is because of a spiritual problem on the part of that person.” Well, I am offended by the beliefs and standards of this church if they do not teach love and acceptance, as Christ has taught us to do. If that means I have a spiritual problem on the part of myself, then so be it. I say; I do not remember reading doctrine that condones the murder of an innocent child in Christ’s teachings.

I do find that the children will be punished for the sins of the father. However, even Exodus 20:5, Exodus 34:6-7, Deuteronomy 5:9, and 1 Corinthians 15:22, that calls for the sins of the father being put on the child, scripture does not mention the death of the child due to the father’s actions. The Bible does cover the death of children according to their fathers’ sins in the following manner: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16) “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.” (Ezekiel 18:20)

Tragedy In The U.S.

My mind was still reeling from the local news reports Friday  morning. On Thursday morning, local business man drew a gun on police officers that resulted in his death. I responded by saying, "This can't be happening here. Not in this town. You hear about this kind of thing happening in larger cities, but not here." The more I thought about it, I realized that it does happen here; and we have been directly affected by it.

Several years back, a gang war erupted in our small city. A young mentally disabled child was killed by gunfire, and the war grew out of hand. My husband and I were shopping with the children in the local mall when the battle came to it's peak. There was fighting, and guns and knives were being waved around as we tried to protect our boys. The stores closed their doors locking us amidst the violent altercation. All my husband and I could do to protect our boys was back them into a corner and shield them with our bodies. Officers soon got the skirmish under control, and we were directed out of the mall. I never realized until now, that it was a good two years before I would walk through those mall doors once again.

Though it was a horrifying experience, I never thought that I would hear of a person shooting at police officers in my town. But, it did happen, and the result was the loss of the life to the local business man along with the discovery of 131 firearms and 63,000 rounds of ammunition. The gunman's family members are in mourning, and the officer who had been left with little choice but to fire back is undergoing the required treatment for officers that take a life. Two families are in turmoil because of this needless altercation.

My mind was still reeling about the battle that ensued on the other side of the freeway from my home. I thought of how lucky we are to be safe from gun violence when the news broke about Newtown, Connecticut. I cannot begin to imagine how the parents must feel. As I watched the news in terror, tears flowed freely from my eyes. Those poor innocent babies, teachers, and faculty ~ Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel Davino, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana M. Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Dawn Hochsprung, Madeleine F. Hsu, Catherine V. Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Benjamin Wheeler, and Allison N. Wyatt.

Today, the news is still engrossed with coverage for the horrifying massacre. My heart aches for the family and friends of the children and faculty of the small school, as it aches for the family and friends of the gunman. We could never understand what drove him to draw one of his four guns on the students and teachers ending their lives. What traumatic event did this young man undergo to make him feel the need to take the lives of others? It was recently released he was the victim of bullying at a school he attended. Could this be the reason for his mental anguish?

I am further horrified at the probable repercussions toward children and adults with autism due to guessing game the media is irresponsibly playing about the possible mental health issues the gunman may or may not have had. I have extensively researched, bipolar disorder, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and Reactive Attachment Disorders (RAD) both in University and through my employment as a Child Protective Services Investigator. Each of these four disorders are often misdiagnosed, meaning a person with these disorders exhibit traits with another one of these disorders. I find it hard to believe that this man had an ASD, as children with an ASD are less likely to be violent toward other people. For a matter of fact, most people with an ASD are likely to be law abiding citizens and have a need to follow laws and rules.

If people with autism do exhibit violent tendencies, it is more likely to be in the form of a self-injurious behavior or an INSTANTANEOUS outburst due to SUDDEN frustration and stress. They are not likely to plan out a violent event. The truth is, no one is certain whether this man had any of these disorders because diagnoses can be incorrect; but it is more likely that it would have been a disorder that a symptom is a risk taking behavior such as ADHD, RAD, or bipolar disorder. I want to make it quite clear that I am not saying all people with these disorders are dangerous. Anyone, even people with no history of mental illness or mental health issues, can snap, just as they all can be perfectly fine.

My fears are founded as my son with autism has worked so hard throughout his life to be accepted, and now, we fear that people are going to treat him like there is something wrong with him because of the media's quick response to put the blame off on autism. Just to think that all of these 17 years of hard work for my son could be all taken away because of one man's actions and the media's misrepresentation of autism breaks my heart.

Regardless, it is clear that something is very wrong with this country. While I was learning of our local gunfire incident, I also learned of the mall shooting in Oregon, where Cindy Ann Yuille and Steven Forsyth lost their lives. Then, of course there is the Newton incident on Friday. Saturday, California was rocked by the gunfire at an open air mall where twenty shots were fired in the air luckily not hitting anyone. Sunday night, two police officers, Corporal David Gogian and Jeff Atherly, were shot in the head and killed by a gunman in the parking lot of a grocery store in Kansas. This shooter has lost his life in another standoff with police officers in Topeka, Kansas. In November, a thirteen year old girl, Lourdes Guzman, was shot and killed in front of her seven year old sister on a private school bus in Florida.

We, as a country, still have not healed from the Sikh Temple shooting in Wisconsin where Bhai Seeta Singh, Bhai Parkash Singh, Bhai Ranjit Singh, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Subegh Singh, and Parmjit Kaur Toor lost their lives. We still have not healed from the Aurora theater shooting where Jonathon Blunk, Alexander "AJ" Boik, Jessie Childress, Gordon Cowden, Jessica Ghawi, John Larimer, Matt McQuinn, Micayla Medek, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, Alex Sullivan, Alexander Teves, Rebecca Wingo, and the unborn child of Ashley Moser lost their lives, as well as the numerous people injured (Petra Anderson, Adan Avila, Brandon Axelrod, Tony Billipando, Christina Blanche, Maria Carbonell, Alejandra Cardona-Lamas, Louis Duran, Craig Enlund, Alex Expinoza, Jacqueline Fry, Yousef Gharbi, Zachary Golditch, Munirah Gravelly, Eugene Han, Jay Jenkins, Bonnie Kate, Jasmine Kennedy, Marcus Kizzar, Patricia Legaretta, Brenton Lowak, Ryan Lumba, Caleb Medley, Ashley Moser, Stephen Moton, Joshua Nowlan, Pierce O'Farrill, Prodeo Patria, Rita Paulina, Christopher Rapoza, Carli Richards, Dion Roseborough, Carey Rottman, Lucas Smith, Heather Snyder, Ferrah Soudana, Catherine Streib, Jamison Toews, Denise Traynom-Axelrod, Marcus Weaver, Michael White, David Williams, Allie Young, Jansen Young, Samantha Yowler, Gage Hankins, Mckayla Hicks, Stephen Barton, Nickelas Gallup, Evan Farris, Jennifer Avila, Jarrell Brooks, Amanda Hernandez-Memije, Kelly Lewis, Bonnie Pourcian, Anggiat Mora, Ethan Rohrs, and Nathan Juranek).

These are only a few of the violent shootings that have rocked our country and ripped at the hearts of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends country wide. I have no answers as to what should be done. I have no clue what motivates people to take the lives of innocent people. I do know that all of the people who have fell victim to such violence need to be remembered because once we realize that this could have been us, and it could be our families suffering, then, and only then, can we do something to attempt to end the violence.

 

Original Poem by Isha Jade

Facts About Autism:

Mind Retrofit ~ UPGRADING TO THE ASPERGER'S LIFE

Autism Links

Autism Support Network

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders

Stephen Shore

The Autism Site

An Alien In Our World

The Unconventional Foundation for Autism

Centers for Disease Control: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)

The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke

What Autism Isn't

ABC News: Experts: No Link Between Asperger's, Violence

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (NIV Matthew 19:14)

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."

~ C. S. Lewis

My Name Is Asher Lev

In Chaim Potok’s novel My Name Is Asher Lev the title character Asher goes through the common struggles of a minority trying to find his identity in America. Adapting to Western culture often means Asher has to make a choice between the Western culture and his Jewish heritage. The choices that Asher often makes builds an ever-growing chasm between Asher and the community he was born to be a part of. Art is the ultimate symbol of Asher’s own identity and maturity. Asher’s drive to be a Western artist inevitably drives him away from his Jewish community. As a Jew, Asher is expected to follow in his father, Aryeh’s footsteps, and dedicate his life to the work of the Lord. However, living as Aryeh does is a future Asher is reluctant to embrace.

Instead, from a very young age, Asher aspires to be an artist. When Asher was only four and had just begun to draw, Aryeh chastises him for it and told him, “Your grandfather would not have liked you to waste so much time with foolishness” (12). Asher goes on to tell the reader that Aryeh “was indifferent to my drawing; he thought it something children did when they were very young and then outgrew” (12). From this time on, though Asher cares for his father, the distance between Asher and Aryeh grows. However, art is something that Asher never gave up. It is something he embraced with the help and partial support of his mother, Rikveh. Unfortunately, Rikveh fails to fully understand Asher’s art.

At one point in his life, she asks him why he does not draw pretty pictures. He tries to explain that art is not supposed to be pretty, that it is supposed to evoke emotions. Though Rikveh does not fully understand, she does support Asher’s decision to draw by allowing him to buy pencils and notebooks. In essence, Rikveh is feeding Asher’s need to find himself in the confusing world he lives in. In the world Asher lives in, everything must be done with the approval of the Rebbe. When the Rebbe decides Asher’s family is ready to move to Vienna, Asher tells everyone he does not want to go. Yudel Krinsky reminds Asher, “The Torah says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’” (103). Mrs. Rackover also tells Asher that he is “driving us all crazy with your pictures and your stubbornness” (115). Already, at the age of ten, Asher is being ostracized by his community.

Asher’s drive to find himself through his art is so powerful that he steals the paints and brushes that he cannot afford. Asher begins to hate his artistic gift, and he says, “The gift was making me ill and causing everyone around me to suffer – and I hated it, despised, it, wanted to burn and destroy it, felt toward it a mountainous rage” (148). After speaking to the Rebbe, Asher was officially given the permission to continue to study art. This marks a turning point in Asher’s life, the point in his life that invites him to enter the secular world as long as his life “is lived for the sake of heaven” (192). Soon Asher becomes the understudy of Jacob Kahn, who he had met in the waiting room of the Rebbe’s office. Jacob serves as Asher’s spiritual guide into the secular, pagan world. He encourages Asher to draw pictures of nude women and takes him to art exhibits for study.

During his time studying art, Aryeh and Rikveh are living a life of their own, a life that does not include Asher. Likewise, Asher’s life is becoming one of his own. While in Europe, Asher comes to an understanding of his father’s work and the work of his grandfather. In his apartment in Paris, he is forced to reach deep within himself for “memories of my own” (322). Asher realizes he has become separated from his community. However, for the first time in his life, he feels a close connection to his ancestors. He feels that he is to bring a balance to the world just as his ancestor had tried to do. After returning home, Asher visits his ill mentor, Jacob Kahn. Jacob commends Asher on his crucifixions that he has drawn. He tells Asher, “I sculptured a David. I am proud… I created a new David… A breathing David.” This alludes to Asher’s growth and maturity, for Asher has surpassed his teacher.

When Asher finally meets up with his parents, Aryeh tells him, “Wherever I travel now, there is always someone who knows your name. ‘Are you the father of Asher Lev, the painter?’ they ask me. It’s a very strange feeling. Asher Lev, the painter” (352-3). This alludes to a reversal of roles between Asher and his father. Several times in the first half of the book, people call Asher “Asher Lev son of Reb Aryeh Lev.” Now, Asher’s father is known for who Asher has become. Being an artist adds additional strain on the relationship between Asher and his father, and Asher and his community. Because of the stress put on the lives of all the people close to Asher, the Rebbe decides to send Asher to the yeshiva in Paris. He tells Asher that he is now alone. Throughout the novel, the drive to become a successful artist was also a quest for Asher to find himself. He was driven to become an artist by his gift, and this drive led Asher toward maturity and a sense of self.

Material Wealth

Material wealth is the most widely accepted measure of social status in America.

1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s. Working for material success takes our focus off living the life of Jesus. 

Matthew 6:24 “You cannot serve both God and Money”

“Clueless” – Cher is oblivious toward the world around her. The practices and attitudes of Cher in the first half of the movie are problematic for Christians because she is clueless to the needs of others in the world around her. When Cher first sets out to do her community service, she does it so that others will know how she helped these people.

As Christians, we are not supposed to do things to make ourselves look better.

Matthew 6:1-4 – Jesus said, “… when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets… to be honored by men. …When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” 

In contrast to “Clueless,” “Scrooged” critiques material wealth as an excepted measure of social status. Frank is a television executive who is only concerned about ratings and money. Money has an important part of his life. Frank is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, which makes him realize how wrong he has been throughout his life. Frank’s attitude is problematic for Christians because he is engrossed in his greed.

Luke 6:24 – Jesus said, “woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.” 

Luke 12:13-34 – …Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ …The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' ‘Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ ‘But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

"Christianity does not remove you from the world and its problems; it makes you fit to live in it, triumphantly and usefully."

~ Charles Templeton

Compassion

I must be kind and compassionate. I must follow the path that Jesus has put us on. I should give to our brothers and sisters that are in great need. I need to right all of the injustices that occur in this world, even today.  I need to help those who have been wronged, accept those who are different, equal the playing field, let go of the past, and remember who God is and what his will for us is. I personally have been changed by the lectures that I have attended.

First, I have learned how important it is for me to report any sexual abuse that students in my classroom may be experiencing. As a Christian it is important for me to remember that this sort of behavior is not acceptable within the church. In the past, people who participated in such indecent behaviors were removed from the church, not the victims. I should never treat a child poorly because they have been sexually abused.

Next, being a mother of a special needs child, I know how it feels to be unwanted, to be turned away, or glared at because my son with autism behaves as he does. I often have people respond to me in the following ways: “Isn’t he too old to act like that?, Why is your son so immature?, Don’t you think it is about time that he learned better?” etc. I do not and have never treated those who are different in the manner that my family and I have been treated. I guess this is due to being raised with an uncle with mental retardation. When I was listening to the families of children with disabilities, I broke down and cried. It was as if I Iwere speaking. Every quote put on the screen was something that my husband, sons, and I have said. For my family, it is difficult to shop, go out to eat, go to a movie, let alone go to church.  I have told my children about King David’s Kids, and they are anxious to participate.

After the lecture on children with disabilities, I felt as if I had been on an emotional rollercoaster and was unsure if I would be able to focus on Fred Asare’s speech. However, he is such a powerful speaker that his message reached my ears. I have always known that even though I live the poverty line, I am more fortunate than other people. I know I am not poor, because I know how going to bed hungry feels, which was the case when I was young. I was still fortunate because I had access to clean water. I had clothing that my mother had made, I attended school, and I did without very little. I want to help those that are half a world away. I have been looking for ways that I can cut corners to give. My heart aches for the children of Africa, and I will find away to show them God’s love.

I also learned how to forgive those that have wronged me. I have struggled in this area more than any other. Forgiveness has never come easy to me; but now that I know what forgiveness does and does not mean, it should come much easier. Before I always thought that forgiving a person meant that you Were fine with everything. Now I know it does not. Since attending this lecture, I have started talking to my sister again. I may never trust her, but talking to her is a start.

Finally, I learned that I am in a time of waiting for justice and righteousness. In the mean time, I all must live as God’s child. I should not forget my brothers and sisters. I should never forget what being a Christian truly means.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept things that I cannot change; The courage to change the things I can; And the wisdom to know the difference."

~ Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr

I Will Wait for the God of My Salvation

Prophets are people who have to bring things from all parts of the world and weave them together. The worst things that can happen to us, happens in our families; and we wait. God is the creator; he created us. His people immigrated, and they were enslaved. Through Moses, they were freed. His people were forgiven, healed, and followed his leadership. God brought us Jesus, and he was crucified and resurrected. Jesus loves the poor, hungry, and children who buried their parents. He loves the starving people, homeless, and those who have babies born in stables. With God, all things are possible. God forgives all people, even the worst of us. We must be humble and be the best Christians that we can be. For now, though, we wait for justice and righteousness.

"The moment you shift the conversation to God ... you can pretend to know things you absolutely and obviously cannot know."

~ Sam Harris

Dandelion on My Pillow, Butcher Knife Beneath

~ I just finished this book. ~ This book was awe inspiring. Reading the book puts you on the emotional roller coaster that therapeutic families ride on every day. It helps you understand what it is like to be a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder, as well as a parent raising a child with mental illness.

Her Wound is Incurable

Fred Asare compared Samaria and Jerusalem with the United States and Africa. There are great inequalities between the distribution of wealth and poverty, abundance and need, and joy and sorrow. The rich in abundance are crushing the poor, just as the strong are crushing the weak.

In Africa, children go to church with out clothing. In Africa, children are orphaned due to AIDS and are left with no one to care for them. Many of these children die of starvation before the age of five. Many of these children are caring for their younger siblings, and many of these children are sold into slavery and prostitution. Americans tend to be never satisfied with what they have. God will not allow us to do nothing. He will pass judgment on those that sit idly by.

"Pompeii’s world is like my own, for at the center of that hedonistic culture one recognizes a longing for the sacred in its many temples dedicated to the gods, next-door to the markets and the brothel."

~ Darryl Tippens

Let All the Children Come – Including Children with Disabilities in The Faith Community

Parents of children with learning disabilities are often told that they have to leave, or they feel that they cannot go to church. Many siblings of children with learning disabilities do not have a relationship with God because their families get turned away. In some churches, the attitude of the Sunday school teachers are that children with disabilities cannot keep up with other children, should be in a classroom where they can do the activities instead of keeping them with their peers, it would not be fair when special things are done for children with disabilities. However, other children often do understand.

This is why King David’s Kids was created. The families are able to get together with other families that understand what they are going through and participate in worship. The parents of children with learning disabilities try to find meaning. They believe that their children are capable of experiencing God in real ways, their children are capable of going up to be ministers, their children should never be treated so different and should be included, and typically developing children benefit with contact with children with disabilities.

Buy Let All the Children Come to Me: A Practical Guide Including Children with Disabilities in Your Church Ministries by Dr. Dana Hood and Dr MaLesa Breeding here.

"Nothing is more depressing and more illogical than aggressive Christianity."

~ Gerald Vann

"For me Christianity is about the Kingdom, not about the Church: it has to do with human growth and development not church growth and development."

~ Michael Taylor

Many Races On the Same Road

Langston Hughes’ use of imagery is significant in his short story “On the Road.” The use of snow gave the story a feel of the Great Depression era in which it was set.  It gave a sense of the harshness of the time.  As nothing grows in the winter, I got the sense of hunger throughout the land.  Though this harshness is felt by many, Sargeant doesn’t notice the snow due to his need to fulfill his most basic needs, hunger, shelter, and freedom from harm.  During the Great Depression era, segregation was still prominent throughout the country.  This reminds me of many stories that my grandmother told me about the Great Depression.  She told me of the mundane meals that she and her family had to dine on when they were like Sargeant, fortunate enough to have something to consume. They too had only their physiological needs to satisfy in this cold, harsh land.

I also found the Reverend significant to the story. The one person that should be willing to help any man closes his door on Sargeant.  The Reverend is a symbol for the unfortunate repression of blacks, as well as any other non-white race. This kind of repression was also felt by my grandmother and her family.  One difference between them and Sargeant, however, is that they were fortunate to have a light enough skin tone that they could pass for white.  Because of the rampant racism that consumed the United States during this time, my great-grandmother had to make a conscious choice to have “white” put on all of her children’s birth certificates.  They were forced to leave their culture behind so that they could fit in. This culture has been long since forgotten and never taught to the generations before me.  In essence, like many Afro-Americans a piece of all of us has been lost due to the hatred one man may feel for another.  Had my grandmother walked up to the Reverend with her head held high and in a loud, proud voice had said, “I am Creek Indian;” she too would have been turned away by him.

While continuing his quest to fulfill his basic needs, Sargeant happens upon a church.  Its great high arched doors and strong features represent hope and warmth for the tired, cold black man.  Raised by religious parents, my grandmother often speaks of the need for the church during the Great Depression era.  It was the only place that would give them food when they were hungry. It was the only place that they could sleep when their home burned to the ground. It was the only place that they could go to get out of the cold when their feet were frozen. It is not until a probable solution to his most basic need is surely to be met that Sargeant even notices the snow.  However, this church with its two broad, strong doors is not for him.  The demonstration of abuse Sargeant endures at the hands of the church’s patrons is a reflection of their close mindedness.  Their doors too were closed to any person unlike them.  This kind of treatment of mankind is why my great-grandmother chose to leave her history and culture behind her.  This is not the treatment that she wanted her children to have to suffer.  This is not the kind of pain that she wanted them to feel.  This was her quest to fulfill her children’s need for survival.  In his quest to fulfill his need for survival, the battle between Sargeant and the patrons brought down the church.

All along, Sargeant had Christ with him and the abusers were without Christ.  They were hypocrites.  Christ told Sargeant, “they have kept me on a cross for nearly two-thousand years,” as a protest for the actions of the church patrons (116).  True Christians they could not be and Christ was not with them.  Christ too was persecuted for being different.  He was persecuted for being a Jew.  He had died for all men’s sins, regardless of race.  However, his believers in this particular church did not look at man regardless of race.  Racism is what got Sargeant beat down.  It is what kept him cold, hungry, and tired.  It is what kept my grandmother’s family poor and living on the side of the railroad tracks in a tarpaper tent. It is what kept the church patrons’ doors closed.  Doors are symbols for barriers.  Racism is a barrier.  It is a door that a person chooses to keep closed or to open.  Although the patrons felt they were Christian, they kept Christ outside, and left him there while they communed behind their tightly shut doors, just as they kept the doors to their hearts closed to people of color.  My grandmother has no doors. Sargeant had no doors.  He only had the clothes on his back, his body, and his soul.  He now knew his place.  His place was with the poor, the homeless, the wretched, and the down trodden. They too had no doors.  They too had a quest to fulfill their basic needs. They too had that quest for survival.

I believe that Mr. Hughes did a good job relating the harshness of the era to the story.  There is a great deal of racial inequality in the story; however, there is also a great deal of spiritual equality in the story.  Because the story is about racism, I was prompted to take a Sociological Approach while writing this paper. Also, because Mr. Hughes’ story reflected the time in which it was set, I decided to incorporate a New Historicism Approach into the paper. Many stories written during the Great Depression are significant to the history of the United States. I have learned throughout my life that you can learn more about a specific historical era from the literature written during that era than from any history book. Finally, to all of us, the basic need for survival and the basic need of spirituality are prominent parts of our existence. These needs are essential components of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. For this reason, I chose to add a Psychoanalytical Approach to my criticism. Furthermore, Langston Hughes used a great deal of symbolism in the story. From the use of doors to the snow, this use of imagery gave me a feeling of what the story was truly about.

Want to read "On the Road" by Langston Hughes? Buy the book here.

"Christianity means a lot more than church membership."

~ Billy Sunday

Right and Wrong

At preschool age, I felt as though everything I did were wrong. I was punished severely for the most minute of actions. I clung to members of my church more than I did my family. I trusted very few people and was a fearful child, because of abuse. I barely knew my father even though he lived in the home. He worked up from sun-up to sundown. The only time I did see my father, he was drunk. My mother and father were physically fighting with one another or with others. I thought it was acceptable to fight with people because of this. My siblings and I fought all of the time and often injured each other. We had all almost literally killed one another. At the time, the only positive role models I had were those from my church.

It was not until I started elementary school that I really begun to understand right from wrong. What was acceptable behavior at school was not mirrored at home, so I did often stay confused. My siblings and I still battled, but we were all withdrawn from others. I dove into schoolwork and dedicated every bit of spare time to church activities. I learned my morals from Brother Blair, not from my family. I felt as if I could get away with more and be a kid at church, because being a child at home was wrong. Therefore, I still felt I did more wrong than good. Because I did not fully understand religion and did not have anyone at home that could explain things to me, I believed I was a sinner and would most certainly go to hell. I was still in elementary school when I began puberty. Because my father would threaten that we better not ever go through puberty, I hid my period from my family for two years. I thought I had done something wrong to cause me to get my period. Did you ever see “Carrie?” Yes, it was like that. I was told by my father that bad girls get their periods; and if you get your period, you will go to hell. I also knew that adultery was wrong and did not understand that child molestation was not adultery.

Because I had lived with the guilt for so long, I purposely did wrong things in high school. I wanted help, but could not get it. Every time I ran away, I was arrested at church. I went to my pastor for help, but he turned me in, so I felt betrayed. This confused me more than ever before, because I felt that it was right to look for salvation and sanctuary within the Lord. However, the law told me running away was a crime. At this point, I believed that no matter what I did, it was wrong.

I lost faith in church and God through my young adult years. I left home at seventeen and married a man that almost killed me and in the process caused me to lose my child. He got away with his crimes against me, so I felt that it was acceptable to allow a man to beat me. After all, this is how I was raised. I began to feel that God was punishing me for my loss of faith. I turned to drugs and alcohol though I knew it was a crime. I left my ex-husband, which went against everything I had ever been taught. In my church divorce was a sin, and in my family it was a crime. I was disowned from my family and excommunicated from my church for this. For the first time in my life, I had to find out right from wrong on my own. I married a wonderful man at 23 years old. I quit using, because of him. I started to look at my Christian values once again. This time, I did it on my own. Over the last few years, I have begun to realize what the Christian ethic looks like. I know right from wrong and know God does not cause us pain, he takes the pain away. Because I did not ever see what parenting is like, I have dove into it with blinders on. I know how poorly my parents treated me and how this hurt me. I know what they did is wrong. Therefore, I act the opposite toward my children and hope it is right.

I am almost in my middle adulthood stage. My understanding of right and wrong, now, is that the right thing to do has no victims. It may be difficult, but it hurts no one. The wrong action hurts one or many. I also am wise enough to know that governmental laws and justice are not always right. God’s laws trump all others.

"I have a great mind to believe in Christianity for the mere pleasure of fancying I may be damned."

~ Lord Byron

"A lot of people think Christianity is about always being perfect. It's actually the opposite of that. It's realizing that we're all humans, and that's why God sent his Son to this earth to save people." ~ Billy Ray Cyrus

Bringing Awareness to the Needs of Native Americans

Our Mission

We are a non-profit Christian group dedicated to bringing awareness to the needs of the indigenous people of the United States of America. Our goal is to help fulfill the needs of Native Americans by teaching them of the love and compassion of Jesus Christ and the Christian society. We will work on a holistic level to bring awareness of their poverty rates, education problems, health concerns, public safety problems, and environmental problems.

Poverty

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for your’s is the kingdom of God. ~ Luke 6:20

The percentage of American Natives living in poverty is higher than that of Anglo-Americans. The unemployment rate for the indigenous people of the United States is high and income levels are low.

According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau:

• Approximately one in four Native Hawaiian children is living below the poverty level. 
• Approximately 32% of American Indians and Native Alaskans live below the poverty level. 
• The unemployment rate for Native Alaskans is 14.29%. 

Because of poverty, Native Americans have a higher risk of health concerns, both physical and mental. They have educational issues, including but not limited to the loss of their heritage. Native Americans have many public safety concerns. Poverty has also caused housing problems for Native Americans. All of the problems and concerns that the indigenous people of the United States face can be tied to poverty.

This website has been designed to help you understand more about American Natives and the problems that they face. Click on the links to the left to get to the required section. If what you need assistance which is not covered in this website, please contact us. Our contact information is also on the left side of the page.

Hunger

Blessed are ye that hunger now; for ye shall be filled. ~ Luke 6:21

Poverty and hunger go hand-in-hand with one another. Many Native American children do not have enough to eat because their families do not have the money to buy nutritious food. Though they may qualify for some government assistance, it is often not enough to take care of this very basic need.

Native American Health Care

And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ~ Matthew 8:2-3

Mental Health Needs for Native Americans

According to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, the suicide rate is for Native Americans is 1.5% higher than the national rate. Serious depressive disorders and substance abuse among the Native Elders are greater than those disorders among non-natives. Most Native elders lived during an era when they were not allowed to speak their Native language. They were not allowed to teach their children of their heritage. Native Elders were often the target of discrimination. They live with a distrust of the United States government. Substance abuse has always been acceptable in Native American culture. It is an essential part of their belief system.

Physical Health Needs for Native Americans

Only about ½ of Native Americans are offered healthcare through their employers. Those who are not, cannot afford healthcare and do not seek medical care for that reason. The rate of cancer in Native Elders is higher than in other ethnic groups. It has been speculated this problem has been caused by military testing on Native lands. The rate of illness in Native Women is higher than that of other ethnic groups. Many Native women are HIV positive. Because of their poverty rates, prostitution is a prevalent problem for native women. Most native women cannot afford proper healthcare, therefore they do not get treated for most illnesses.

Education

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God. ~ Mark 10:14

Education is the answer to liberate Native Americans from many problems that they face. There is government assistance for Native American schools however, they disregard teaching the heritage of the Native American youths. This loss of heritage causes a loss of cultural identity. A loss of cultural identity can lead children to become depressed, abuse substances, and join youth gangs.

Heritage (Culture, History, & Language)

If we try to preserve the Native American culture, we can help to prevent these problems. These children need to be taught their Native language in their schools. According to the W. K. Kellog Foundation, Native American youths that are taught their Native language at school do better on achievement tests. They need to be taught their history. Most Native history is handed down by word of mouth. We need to get educated people to write down Native histories before they are lost forever.

Teaching children of where they come from and who their ancestors are can give them a better sense of cultural identity. This can help to keep them interested in school, thus decreasing the drop-out rate of Native American Youths. Another way that education can be beneficial to ending the poverty levels of Native Americans is to incorporate some of the cultural rituals in the classroom. Because it is important to preserve their cultures, the classroom can be a tool to teach the children what these rituals mean, and why these rituals are important. Many of the rituals include dancing. These can be taught in lieu of physical education classes, or in conjunction with physical education classes.

Other ways to educate Native American children is to teach them to become self-sufficient. We must teach them how to care for themselves properly. Native Americans must learn the importance of healthcare. They need to be taught the damaging effects of alcohol and drugs.

We need to stress the importance of a good education to these children. Hopefully, by letting Native American children know that we believe in them, they can begin to believe in themselves. This can help to lower their dropout rates. The more educated people living on Native lands, the lower the poverty rate will be.

November Is Native American Heritage Month

Public Safety

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. ~ Luke 6:27-28

According to the Native American Times, the federal government for the United States of America does not give the Native American communities enough assistance with law enforcement. The government has recently proposed to cut funding to Indian Country. Although national crime rates have gone down, violent crime rates have gone up on Native American lands.

Youth Gangs

Due to the recent loss of cultural identity, Native youths seek a sense of belonging and identity elsewhere. The youth gangs on reservations give these young Native Americans that sense of structure and belonging. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, approximately 75% of these gang members are males and 10% are females, both under the age of 18 years old. On 40 different reservations, 75 tribes have reported gang activities. 40% of youths 13-17 years of age fear they will not live into adulthood. Most of these youths were exposed to gangs in cities and / or detention facilities. After their return to the reservations, the gang problem has spread to many other youths.

Discrimination

Indigenous Americans do not have the same rights that the rest of the nation does. They do not have anyone to represent them in business. They do not have diplomats. This leads to the exploitation of the Native Americans. There are many discrimination related crimes that are committed against Native Americans because of their lack of rights.

Substance Abuse

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Native Americans have a higher rate of substance abuse than any other ethnic group in the United States. The rate of substance abuse among Native American youths between the ages of 12 to 17 is continually on the rise.

Crime Rates

Currently the crime rates in other areas are also on the rise. Native Americans are twice as likely to be victims of violent crimes as any other ethnic group in the United States. These crimes include, but are not limited to:

• Rape – approximately 90% of Native American rape victims were raped by individuals from other ethnic groups. 
• Murder 
• Assault 
• Child abuse and neglect 
• Robbery, Theft, Larceny 

Environmental Problems

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. ~ Job 12:7-10

Flooding and Erosion in Alaska

Flooding and erosion in Alaska is a major problem that must be addressed. Because many of the Native Alaskan villages are located on the coastlines or on the shores of rivers, the Natives have to consider relocating entire villages. This ever growing problem is partly due to global warming. Because of the global warming, the landscape of Alaska continues to change. Many Alaska Natives do not qualify for federal assistance to help preserve, protect, or save their villages.

Rural Development

Native Americans continue to ask for funds to help with the rural development of their reservation lands. If they were able to get funds for such development, they could lower their unemployment rate which is higher than the national average. With a lower unemployment rate, the poverty rate could become lower. This would increase the rate of self-sufficiency for Native Americans.

Housing

Though housing has recently approved on Native American land, many Natives still live in deplorable housing. Many of their homes are overcrowded, old, and shabby. Overcrowding is a serious problem that Native Americans face. A lot of the older homes have no plumbing. Affordable housing for Indigenous people of the U. S. is difficult to find. When they do find affordable housing, an entire family may end up living in a travel trailer or shack.

Military Hazards

The U.S. military is responsible for exposing Native American lands to toxins. Most military bombing ranges, and practice ranges are located near Native American Reservations. Some of the military testing areas are now abandoned. The abandoned testing areas contain unexploded munitions including those containing nerve gas.

How Can You Help

There are many different ways an individual such as your self can help Native Americans. Here are just a few examples:

Volunteer

For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and my mother. ~ Mark 9:35

You can volunteer in a Big Brothers / Big Sisters program that specializes in indigenous youths. You can volunteer to tutor or teach at one of the reservations. You can volunteer to interview the tribal elders of their heritage and history in an effort to preserve the history of indigenous Americans. You can transcribe the interviews to give to the younger generations a written account. If you are not in an area close to Native Lands, you can volunteer with many of the various organizations that help Native Americans. Here are some examples.

Habitat World
Indians.org

Plan a Mission Trip

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ~ Matthew 25:35-36

You can contact the various tribal councils and plan a mission trip to one of the reservations. You can also join a mission trip that has been planned by clicking on the following link:

Native American Ministries Directory

Donate 

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for your’s is the kingdom of God. ~ Luke 6:20

There are many different things that you can donate to help Native Americans:

• Clothing 
• Food 
• Toys 
• Money 
• Books 
• Bibles 
• Blankets 
• Furniture 
• Toiletries 

The Faith Community’s Response to Child Sexual Abuse

More Protestant members have sexually abused children than in the Catholic Church. There is less in the clergy, but more among the members - teachers, Boy Scout leaders, Disney workers, pornographers, foster families, and yes, church leaders. Adults attending ACU who were sexually abused as children is equal to or exceeds nationwide levels. One in six men and one in four women report a history of sexual abuse. The incidence rate is only that of reported cases. If you google “child sexual abuse and the church” there are over 18,400,000 results. Googling “sex” yields more results than Jesus, 38,000,000. Many perpetrators will not abuse their children, but will abuse other children. The numbers of false allegations are less than 4% and usually revolve around a disputed custody case.

Sexual abuse includes: fondling, oral genital contact, vaginal/anal intercourse, forcible rape, exhibitionism, forcing to watch pornography or sex acts, obscene phone calls, and verbal comments. Most child sexual abuse is not discovered until at least a year after it first occurred. Normally if a child reports abuse at a young age and nothing is done, they will never report again. A child may be physically abused and neglected before the age of three is unable to retrieve the information. The typical impact of sexual abuse is post traumatic stress disorder, sexualized response – they lose their sexual innocence and may act out sexually with other children, or they may be behavioral problems and negative affectivity. If you do not report suspected child abuse, you have committed a crime, no matter who you are. Because of the increase in molestation, sexual abuse is covered widely by the media.

There are no prevention methods because the abuser is usually someone that the child trusts, and there is no psychological profile for perpetrator abuse. There are, currently, no recognized symptoms or diagnostics for child molestation. The church response was to often sweep it under the rug, don’t talk about it, and return child to their abuser. Furthermore, asking a child what happened does not work; it does no good and is actually a bit voyeuristic. Some church leaders will place the child in a meeting with the abuse, so the child, most often, will recant because of intimidation. One could easily speculate that perpetrators say they are sorry only because they have been caught, but most cannot be rehabilitated. If a child is removed from their home and put in a foster home, the child is being punished, not the perpetrator. Treatment takes years before the family should even consider reunification.

The Church’s attitude is usually tied to the word of Jesus, “forgive,” or “turn the other cheek,” “God’s will,” or “Honor your father and mother.” The church’s attitude to child sexual abuse must be changed. Presently, because of the way molestation cases are being handled by the church and the community, the child feels as if they are the perpetrator, and the abuser is the victim.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (NIV Matthew 19:14)

People Are People

The song below was popular when I was in middle school. Therefore the band is one that most of you probably have not heard of, unless you are a Marilyn Manson fan. He has remade a few of the bands songs. The band is called Depeche Mode, who was a popular British band in the early 1980s. The song is called “People Are People.” The song was released in 1984, and was the band’s first hit in the United States of America.

People Are People

by Depeche Mode


People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

So were different colours
And were different creeds
And different people
Have different needs
Its obvious you hate me
Though I’ve done nothing wrong
I’ve never even met you
So what could I have done
I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
Help me understand
Help me understand

Now you’re punching
And you’re kicking
And you’re shouting at me
And I’m relying on your common decency
So far it hasn’t surfaced
But I’m sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel
From your head to your fist (head to your fists)
I can’t understand what makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
I can’t understand (people are people)
What makes a man (why should it be)
Hate another man
Help me understand...

"The IQ and the life expectancy of the average American recently passed each other in opposite directions."

~ George Carlin

“The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.”

~ Mark A. Noll

Religious Addiction

There is such a thing as religious addiction. Some people can get so wrapped up in religion and trying to be so absolutely perfect that they loose sight of the true meaning of Christianity. If we are so focused in being the sight of perfection that we can never attain due to our humanity, then we can loose sight of the community that we have been called to be a part of. Tippens often refers to the dangers of Gnosticism; he tells us that we cannot do everything on our own. Tippens goes on to explain that a communal way of life will be “a long, sometimes bumpy, circuitous, and risky adventure.” He explains by the use of the African proverb that we will get further if we live in a more communal way of life. Christianity requires the unity of people in order to be effective.

Many Christians are disconnected from the world around them. I have a perfect example of this. One of my neighbors a few years ago came over to my home. He told me that because I did not attend his church, I have "built a stronghold around" my family; and on Judgment Day, we would "all be left behind." I told him that I did not attend his church, because I had been there and I did not take kindly to the hypocrisy in his church. Needless to say we were not welcomed kindly in the church, and I never felt so uncomfortable in my life. This man had a twelve-foot cinderblock fence around his entire yard. Not only was his church disconnected from Christ’s message of community, but he had also literally disconnected his family from the world around him.

A Literary Analysis of the Letter to the (2) Corinthians

Each of Paul’s letters serves a specific purpose. In my exploration of Paul’s purpose for 2 Corinthians, I will give a brief history, give a summary to the letter, share what I took the message to be, compare my understanding with other understandings, look at the structure that Paul uses, and examine how this letter fits into the formation of ministry. First, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to the church in Corinth and the Christians throughout Achaia in 55 A.D. Paul wrote this letter because he felt that his first letter did not accomplish its purpose, which was to explain what it means to be a Christian. Paul was concerned because the Corinthians had still not completely given up their pagan lifestyles, and there were many that opposed Paul. Therefore, he wrote the letter.

In the first section of the letter, Paul greets the church and the Christians in Achaia. He praises God and asks for comfort for himself and his brethren. Next, Paul tells of his trouble in Asia. He said they almost perished, but God spared them from such a fate. Next, Paul shares with the readers his change in travel plans. He states it would be too painful to make the trip at the moment, and he wishes to spare the Christians in Corinth from this pain. Paul then begins to speak to them of forgiveness at this point.

In the next section, Paul now goes into the apostolic ministry part of his letter. He tells the Corinthians it is because he is a believer in God that he does not preach his message for profit. Paul now tells the Corinthians only through Christ will they find the full glory or “radiance” of God. Paul goes on to explain the reason he preaches is not for what we all see before us, but for what we cannot see, our eternal reward. In chapter 5, Paul explains this reward as a heavenly home. He then reminds the Corinthians that we all must face judgment. Next, Paul tells them he is not trying to force them to follow God, but he is giving them a choice or “opportunity.” Paul then goes on to explain Christianity as rebirth, and as Christians, we all have a responsibility as “ambassadors” for Christ. Paul then states in 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us.” Paul follows this by explaining the trouble he has endured in the name of Christ and asking the Corinthians to open their hearts to him. Paul now reaffirms that we are all a part of one God. Paul explains though he did regret hurting the Corinthians by his first letter, he no longer regrets sending it, because the letter made them repent. He explains that Godly sorrow leads to salvation, while worldly sorrow only leads to death.

The next section of Paul’s letter is the collection or hortatory section. Paul commends the Macedonians for being so generous, and he then asks the Corinthians to be as generous. Paul now tells the Corinthians that he is sending Titus of his own free will and asks that they accept him as their brother. Paul tells them he has been proud of them for wanting to help those in Jerusalem, and they should live up to their “eagerness” to help. He says, “each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give” (9:7). Paul tells them that their action of giving will bring the church together and help it to grow.

The final section of Paul’s letter changes gears a bit. At this point (ch. 10), Paul feels he must defend his ministry more fully. He explains that he only lives in the world, but he does not live of the world. He says his authority comes from God in order to build Christians up not to pull them down (10:8). Paul explains he is the same in person as he is in his letters. He reaffirms his authority by explaining he boasts of the Lord, not of himself. Next, Paul explains what makes those against Paul false prophets. One main point is that false prophets charge for their sermons, another is that they are a burden to those they preach to, and finally a true preacher loves his congregation. Paul drives home his message at this point. He explains the hardships he has endured in the name of Christianity. He then explains that through complete weakness and suffering, we find the grace of God. He says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10). Paul then explains that he wants nothing of the Corinthians but their faith. He shares his love with them and he will be grieved for those who have not repented. Paul warns the Corinthians that on his return he will not spare any that have sinned and not repented. He asks them to look inside themselves and see if Christ is with them. Paul now closes the letter by telling his brothers to “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace” (13:11).

I feel that Paul’s overall message is quite simple, he wants the people to truly accept God into their hearts the way that he has and to understand what it means to be a Christian. I feel the central point of the letter is the focus of the entire letter. I feel Paul purposefully put his break in thought in 6:3-7:1 to draw our attention to this message. He feels that the Corinthians have not seen the grace of God, because they do not show love and forgiveness to their brothers. They do not show a sense of pride in their Lord. Paul feels they have not realized that they will find God only if they live through hardship in the manner that he has. He grieves for them because they still allow fleshly desires control their lives. Paul wants to help them by getting them to give up their fleshly possessions in order to give to the church in Jerusalem. Paul lets them know that he has suffered greatly for his brothers, and he reminds his brothers that they will only find God’s grace in their weaknesses.

My understanding of Paul’s message differs greatly from DeSilva’s, because he focuses more on “What makes a person a worthy Christian leader?” (586). DeSilva feels this was the most important part of Paul’s final letter to the Corinthians. I, on the other hand, feel that Paul touched on this greatly, but it was not his central message. To me his central message is what makes a Christian a good Christian. The two concepts are closely interrelated, but not all Christians are born leaders. Perhaps though DeSilva is trying to say role model instead, which I feel would have been a more appropriate term. DeSilva also focuses more on allowing “God’s presence to shine through” (586-7). I agree with DeSilva when he states that “for in his [Paul’s] weakness God’s strength is known” (587) is part of Paul’s message. This, to me, is when God’s presence shines through. Throughout the entire letter, the line that stands out the most to me is “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10). Next DeSilva and I both added giving to the poor as part of the central message of Paul. However, the New International Commentary focuses more on generosity as being key than just adding it to something else. DeSilva added the sense of community where I did not. I failed to add this, because the idea of community is still new to me. I have only just begun to understand what community truly means in the last couple of months. Therefore, it did not jump out to me; though, I can certainly see it now. Furthermore, Tenney agrees with DeSilva on the picture of the ministry being important as well as the teaching on giving. However, he also focuses on the “prospects beyond death” as being significant to Paul’s message.

The structure Paul uses for 2 Corinthians is of great interest to me. Paul starts out his message slow and sincere. He voices his concern. Then he becomes very harsh as if he is punishing a child. He ends the letter again, slow and sincere. The letter reminds me of a symphony it gradually crescendos and ends in peaceful harmony. Maybe we should use this as a metaphor for Paul’s message. Being a Christian is a difficult task in which we must loudly boast our praises unto the Lord, but its goal is peaceful unity and harmony. Paul has two main breaks in thought to help get this message across according to the New International Commentary.

These are as follows:

thought a (1:1-2:13)
     thought b (2:14-6:2)
          thought c (6:3-7:1)
     thought b1 (7:2-7:4)
thought a1 (7:5-13:14)

From what I have learned on chiasms, I feel that 6:3-7:1 is where Paul’s main point/message lies. Which, as I have said before is, what it means to be a Christian, and to fully accept God into your heart.

Finally, DeSilva states, “Each text was written to serve some specific pastoral needs and answer a range of important questions arising out of the life of the church.” To DeSilva, 2nd Corinthians is Paul’s guidebook for the minister. He puts great emphasis on making sure you are ready to truly be a minister before you try. Do not go into ministry for financial or economical gain. Sincerity is the most important trait of a minister. Do not take from the poor, or as Paul would put it, be a “burden” to others for your own personal gain. Finally, make sure your congregation upholds the laws of God by helping them to recognize their sin and encouraging them to repent. I think overall, Paul is trying to build a church that is unified and loving he wants nothing, but faith in God from his congregation. Paul wants his people to understand it is not easy to be a Christian. The work is tedious and tiresome, but the rewards are immense.

Scandalous Congregations

To begin with, I was shocked when I read, “…the polling data point to widespread, blatant disobedience of clear biblical moral demands on the part of people who allegedly are evangelical, born again Christians” (Sider, 17). However, the further I got in the chapter, my astonishment subsided due to the familiarity of the statements and statistics I read.

For instance, I am acquainted with just as many Christians who have been divorced as non-Christians. I feel that this is closely related to all of the other sub-points that Sider has throughout the chapter. The fact that more women of the evangelical denomination are abused than other areas of the population could contribute to higher divorce rates. Many women I know that are divorce have done so due to physical abuse.

Similarly, the percentages of evangelicals, both traditional and non-traditional, that think adultery is fine could contribute to the higher divorce rate. Also, almost as many Christian males engage in some sort of pornographic activity than their counter parts. Other divorced friends I know have complained that their exes have either cheated on them, or were more interested in internet porn than in them. I also feel that adultery, pornography, and other sexual indiscretions in parents may lead to sexual indiscretions of children. Because of this, I was not surprised to read “…evangelical youth are only about 10 percent less likely to engage in premarital sex then non-evangelicals” (Sider, 23).

After all, most people model what they deem to be appropriate behavior. Children look to their parents for appropriate behavior; likewise, evangelicals look to their leaders for appropriate behavior. Therefore, evangelical communities are often lead astray by their leaders. If their leaders model greed, then they model greed. If the leaders were to live more simply, perhaps they would live more simply. If their leaders are racist, they tend to be racist. Why so many non-Christians have such a negative view of Christianity makes much more sense to me after reading the chapter.

Deception

It is sad that Christians would deceive one another. I feel that greed is one of the biggest problems facing the Christian community today. On Christmas 2005, a family member, who claims to be a devout Christian, stated the only reason I went to visit my parents is… “You wanted to show off your nice car and all of the gifts that your children have.”

My husband works for a car lot so we received a good deal on a five year old, used car, and the gifts for my children came from their secret Santa at West Texas Rehab. We did not have the money to buy presents for the children. I went to visit my parents so that I can share the joy of celebrating Jesus’ birth with them. My father had just had surgery and could not travel because he was not feeling well.

I am glad I did go to my parents that Christmas, because shortly after my father passed away. Since then, this person has stolen my father’s life insurance money from my mother leaving her unable to pay her rent and utilities, and for what? Greed!

"In my life's chain of events, nothing was accidental." 

~ Hannah Senesh