Syria

We are supposed to pray and fast on a particular day so that Obama does not go to war with Syria, or do anything of a military nature because of nerve gas useage over there.  My church has very specific plans for the praying part, but says nothing much at all about the fasting.  I struggle to get enought to eat each day so I can have energy to do what I need to do.  Fasting is not a very good idea for me.  Many people are in my shoes, or have no shoes, for that matter.  Fasting for them is kind of off-putting.  Many others eat too much and are not about to stop.  There is a reason they eat like they do.  Fasting won't appeal to them at all, nor make much headway.  I wish that my church had said something specific about a fasting plan for this one day.  Make it a suggestion.  It would give people a benchmark, something to reach for or ignore, but at least it is specific.  I don't think my church is very much into fasting.  We gave up the no meat Fridays a long time ago.  No one confesses that they failed to fast on Lenten days spcifically given over to fasting.  Food is power!

Venture Capitalist

God is a venture capitalist.  God invests in people in the hope that they will be successful and God will get repaid with a profit.  In a parable that Jesus told, a rich man gives five talents to one fellow, two to another and one to a third, depending on the level of ability each one has.  Point one.  We are not all equally gifted.  The rich man goes on a journey.  One fellow, with five talents goes and makes five more.  The one with two makes two more.  This is capitalism.  Expand the wealth in this case by trading.  Each has to have something to trade. the venture capitalist invests in a person after the person shows something of value.  Point two.  This is capitalism.  You can borrow money to make money.  Venture capitalists lend money to make money for themselves.  The successful entrepreneur makes money for self and the lender.  The third guy, who got one talent, buries it.  This is the third world.  You pretty much tread water.  You maintain at best.  You survive.  In the story, fear held this fellow back.  Fear is useless.  The world is a very uneven place.  We like to blame someone, someone else.  I don't doubt that it is an unjust world.  But it is not always or only someone else's shortcoming.  Point four.  Anyone who thinks God does not like investing in people ought to go find this story in the bible.  Giving someone something for nothing and expecting nothing, that is what goevenments do.

Power

A priest in England, in defence of men only ordinations, says that the priesthood is not about position, power and status.  It is apparently not about brains either as his argument is weak.  Many a bishop/cardinal is all about power, status and position.  Few of them have any pastoral background.  Many are beauocratic climbers.  There are a few men who would be uninterested in ordination if it were NOT about position, power and status.  Some want to escape poverty, or move up in a class society, or get a better education that would be otherwise denied them, or just have damaged egos.  This English priest says that if priesthood were about position, power and status, we would ordain women.  Go figure.

Square Knots

I learned to make a square knot in Boy Scouts.  It was the first and easiest of the knots they taught me.  I never learned much about why I wanted to make a square knot.  So I stopped making them.  No need.  Now there is a need, and I am a dummie who needs instruction again.  Why?  It is another skill a baling rancher needs to have.  When one ring of baling cord runs out, the end of that cord is tied to the beginning of a new baling cord ring.  It is done by a square knot.  Only square knots, properly done, can get through the baling machine.  Who knew in Boy Scouts, I would be an ordained hay rancher some day?  

I think of prayer.  You learn it when young.  Then no need, so you say.  You stop.  Live life self-propelled.  Mess up, or life just happens without your approval.  Now you are in a bit of a mess and want to pray.  But you forgot.  Ask for help from someone who prays.  Read a book on prayer.  Start simple, like making a square knot.  I need hands and fingers to make a knot.  You need faith that someone is listening.  My God even listens to whining.  It is a prayer, sort of.  It is a start.  Eventually, even you will be bored by your whining, and you will move along.  God is at work.  It is called Grace.

School Lunches

Schools are losing money serving healthy foods, as in whole grains, fruits and veggies.  Children make up their mind pretty early on what they like, prefer, and will eat, given a choice.  Someone gave them a choice early on before they got to school.  I had a choice of whole wheat or white bread when I was little.  Dad said white bread was no good.  He ate whole wheat.  It had no taste.  It was boring.  I ate white.  I ate Wonder bread.  I never had to cultivate the taste for whole grains.  Over the years I have tried all kinds of "healthy" breads, including home baked.  They take a lot of butter and suggery jam to make them eatable.  I know people who eat only the healthy stuff.  They got brought up that way or got scared they were going to die/suffer/get fat if they ate what they like.  I run and eat white, enriched of course. Ever try potato white?   My dad lived to be 89 eating his whole wheat.  I may not make it on white.  Choice has a price.  Give a kid a choice, they go white bread.   Don't blame the school.  By then it is too late.  Whatever happened to lunch boxes?  With the thermas?

Assets

Chuck Hagel, our Defense Secretary, says we have moved "assets" to the area around Syria.  I don't think these assets moved by themselves or by remote computers.  Assets is a new way of saying "persons," as in human beings.  This way the government tries to keep us from questioning why we are sending, say, 20,000 human beings to intervene in a war in Syria.   Is the new term for a dead person to be "loss of assets."  Do we say to a grieving family, "Your asset is lost."  Join the military.  Become an asset.  When the church starts saying that Jesus came to save all assets, I know the end will be near!

Hombre

I jsut saw a 1966 movie staring Paul Newman, called "Hombre."  It is a Western, and a morality play, a Christ story.  A bunch of people are on a stagecoach, all pretty much concerned about themselves.  Turns out a Government Indain Agent has swindled the Reservation Indians out of food and supplies, and pocketed $12,000.  His wife does not think much of Indians.  When she finds out that Paul Newman has Indian in him, she wants him out of the coach and riding up with the driver.  Newman thinks little of white people, though he is one as well.  He sides with the Indians.  

OK. Now they get held up and the bandits get the $12,000.  Newman gets it back.  Everyone thinks he wants it for himself, but he wants it for the Indians.  Now the bandits, led by the evil Richard Boone, pin them down and have the agent's wife captive.  They tie her up out in the hot sun.  They will give her up for the money.  Newman says no.  He seems to have no empathy for her.  He knows that the bandits will not let anyone out alive one way or the other.  

Though his fellow stagecoach riders develop some concern for the plight of the woman, no one will do anything.  Then Newman acts.  He saves her life and loses his own.  He gave his life for a person who did not respect him or Indians.  For someone who is suffering, even if they are wretched persons, empathy and concern will not help them.  Nothing changes until someone acts.  The price can be quite high.