Dominate the Earth not Each Other

Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."  (Genesis 1:28  NLT)

Chaos is the new normal in America and around the world.  Mass media has a tendency to focus on the random acts of violence, the class wars, the race wars, terrorism and the sadness arising out of humanity's general state of discontent.  The need to have some sense of control is understandable but many of us have fallen into the trap of becoming too power hungry.  There is a growing desire to control and subdue certain groups of people seen as problematic and dangerous to our well-being.   

All the bad news drowns out the Good News.  God has blessed us with the power to overcome any adverse situation and rule over everything on the earth.  Americans are empowered to have dominion over poverty, hunger, hate, injustice, war, and even catastrophic natural disasters, to name a few things.  But we were never meant to lord over fellow human beings.       

Let me clarify my point by holding up a mirror to myself.  I firmly believe in the command to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  So, I am a strong advocate of always thinking about how one's action or inaction will affect the person, be it a loved one or stranger, up the street or across the nation.  This self-righteous state of mind allows me to judge others as being problematic i.e. heartless.  

My hunger for power births my vision of forcing my views upon every American by having only people with similar leanings in government positions.  Wrong!  The answer lies in creating a desire within each of us to dominate his or her own natural human tendency to be self-centered and/or selfish.  This type of self-domination/self-control will fill this nation and earth with the needed acts of kindness.  There is no place for trying to rule anyone with an iron rod.   

It is a grand dream to think that every human, let alone every American, could change her focus and redefine what is meant by world domination.  Yet, I must hope for a time when humans use their God-given dominion to attack bastions of bigotry so that no one is enticed into joining any type of terrorist group.  We could be fruitful and multiply acts of love by freely combining our resources to defeat the social and environmental forces that lead to famine, hunger, and chronic poverty instead of benefiting financially from these misfortunes.  
May we all focus on condemning the natural human drive to dominate others; just imagine our children's children being given a world with less wars.               

Love: A Treasure and Good Inheritance

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  (Matthew 6: 19-20 NLT)


No matter what one believes about what happens after death everyone acknowledges that there is not one possession any person can take with her or him.  All power or influence acquired while wheeling and dealing dies along with our bodies.  There will be no more looking for the next pleasurable thing to do.  Life is an empty thing if this is all we store up during our time on the earth.  You do not leave behind a good inheritance if only your family, friends, and others like you benefit from the wealth (money, influence, safe spaces) you have amassed.    

Love is the greatest treasure to be found in heaven and on earth.  It is an unstoppable force, flowing freely out of the heart and washing over ANYONE in its beautiful wake.  It cannot be destroyed by hate or cruelty.  Love feeds upon itself and grows stronger in the face of opposition.  It is timeless and its fruits do not die, even if the selfless giver has turned to dust a long time ago.  This is the type of power every patriotic American should want to store up and leave for the generations to come.

Every American must decide what is to be treasured.  Life, liberty, and justice for all versus survival of the fittest, the wealthiest, the most influential, the majority...  You get my point.  

Who Exactly is the "Silent Majority"?

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I did not speak out;
As I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I did not speak out;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
As I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
As I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

                                                               Martin Niemöller


May the "silent majority" heed this cautionary tale.  

God is full of mercy and grace.  He encourages every human to spread love, peace, and kindness to every neighbor so that we all may receive beautiful and free gifts.  The resulting bounty will fill a life, a nation, and a world with prosperity and joy.  

But God also demands justice.  If the "silent majority" plans to regain their voice by standing on the backs of any fellow Americans, vengeance shall be His.  May the people who are feeling ill at ease because they do not have the resources to protect themselves from attack remember this is not an empty promise.


He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God."  (Luke 18:27 NLT)

We the People

Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.  (Proverbs 17:6)

The preamble of the Constitution of the United States of America confidently declares:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The founders of this nation considered liberty to be a blessing that needed to be secured for themselves and their posterity.  All Americans can take great pride in the fact that our founding "fathers" set this nation along the right path. 

But today we can become their crowning glory by making sure the vision is completely inclusive so that this “blessing” applies equally to every American and our country's guests.  We can make this land a place where justice truly is blind.  Domestic tranquility will come if the big, the small, the powerful, and the weak all have a voice in the way our government is run.  

Having a shared and common goal of promoting the general welfare of every citizen, and this union by extension, is the best defense against any enemy who desires to steal our freedoms.  It is time to start brainstorming to come up with practical ways of ensuring such a lofty dream comes true.  Fellow Americans, we want our children to be proud of us and the U.S.  

No Weapon

This is my fervent and effectual prayer:

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed...  (Isaiah 54:17)

God, may this cover every single person residing in America so that no enemy, from within or without, may have effect.  You are a shield and a battle axe.  Our cries to heal this land will not go unanswered.  America is the land of the free because you have the final say.  Lord, our hearts are filled with hope and love as we await the demonstration of your awesome power.

Amen

An Eye-Opener

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.  (Matthew 15:14 KJV)

The worst fear of an utterly blind man is to have his kindness be mistaken for weakness.  A woman who lacks wisdom and insight wonders why she has to keep climbing out of a ditch.  Americans deserve so much better from their leaders.  It is time for us to demand more of ourselves.  Diligently look for ways to help your neighbors and this nation grow stronger.  This is actually a good time to walk toward the light.  Do not go to the left or the right.  Seek the Lord because He will order our steps along a path that leads to great success.

The Glow of Youth is our Hope

And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.  (Hebrews 10:38  NLT)

Americans, we are on the brink of greatness.  How do I know?  The young people of our nation are awesome. 

Here is just one story:

A college-aged Jewish man invited anyone of any faith to join him for Shabbat every Friday.  This young man of faith and his diverse group of friends broke bread and talked.  When he heard about another young man on campus who was in the habit of spewing hate in public forums, our young man of faith decided to invite this lost one to dinner.  He stood his ground even after most of his usual dinner companions scattered to the wind.  His friends found him still willing to share when they cautiously returned one by one.  

Now, the best part of the story begins.  This group, inspired by a man of faith, allowed the lost one to talk and he let them talk.  They exchanged thoughts and articles until the lost one had to admit the error of his way.  He publicly and bravely admitted the hate he spewed was based in lies.  This brave young man was reborn but at the price of being estranged from his family.

My fellow Americans, do you understand what I am saying?  People from all walks of life found each other on this college campus because a man of faith extended a loving hand to everyone he met, even a young man trapped by a fear he had been taught since his youth.  This diverse group of people talked to each other, learned from each other, and grew stronger together.  They stepped out of their respective comfort zones to become a better version of themselves.  That is the true American dream. 

So, I repeat my assertion.  Americans, we are on the brink of greatness while standing at a crossroads.  We cannot turn away from our responsibility; it is up to us to choose the direction that clears the way for our young people to fulfill their purpose.  They are destined to become the leaders of tomorrow who will usher this nation into a time of unimaginable greatness.  Our young people, against the odds, are learning the importance of lovingly embracing each and every one of their compatriots.  

Hope for the future is a glorious sight to behold.  Being part of that change is a gift.  Let us begin now.