My Response to a Biden Presidency

If you are an American, today is a day that only comes once every four years: Inauguration Day. For those that may not know what this means, Inauguration Day marks the day that the outgoing president transfers power to a new president or when the recently reelected president begins their second term. 

Over the past few months, I have continued to speak against Trump, and when he instigated an insurrection against our country, I knew I couldn't lie for the Good that he had done for my retirement and stocks, because it was no longer good. In fact, the very thing that many people are scared of, has become (regardless if they want to admit it or not) reality. 

However, what is really disheartening is that our country is currently split up because there are so many people that believe our current President will continue his presidency. Most of the reason is because of the lies they are continuing to be fed and believe. Even Joseph Goebbels, the 3rd Reich's Minister of Propaganda said "If the lie is big enough and you keep repeating it, people will eventually believe it." He also stated “Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will.”

But what does the Bible say about our government? 

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Romans 13:1

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 1 Peter 2:13-14

They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Matthew 22:21

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Titus 3:1-2

Think about that, we are told to be subject to governing authorities, we are told to pray for our leaders, we are told that for the Lord's sake to be subject to government and even Jesus told the people to render to Caesar what belonged to Caesar.

No where did God tell us to listen to lies, no where does God tell us to rise against our government. Even when the Centurion came to arrest Jesus, John 18 tells us that He commanded Peter to put away his sword; then asked "shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?" (verse 11).

The idea that the democrats are going to usher in socialism/communism is utterly ridiculous. Why? Because the US is such a diverse country, and that is our strength, even Max Beer, an Australian Socialist wrote, 

Even when the time is ripe for a Socialist movement, it can only produce one when the working people form a certain cultural unity, that is, when they have a common language, a common history, a common mode of life. This is the case in Europe, but not in the United States. Its factories, mines, farms, and the organizations based on them are composite bodies, containing the most heterogeneous elements, and lacking stability and the sentiment of solidarity.

So later today, I will join in with Pastor Robert Jeffress in saying 

When Joe Biden becomes president, we should commend him for the things he does right. We should condemn the things he does wrong. And above all, we must pray fervently for our president. If President Biden succeeds, we all succeed. May God bless Joe Biden, and may God bless the United States of America. 

Verses taken from the ESV Bible; Quotes are in block text and linked...

Freedom of Speech doesn't mean Freedom from Consequence

When I wrote my previous post, I knew that the post would anger some readers. In fact one such comment came as a demand, by J.B., "Please remove the “Hitler had Aspergers” comment immediately . It is a minority viewpoint, and it perpetuates a growing paranoia that autistic individuals are violent sociopaths."  First off, by a show of hands/comments how many people believe that autistic people are sociopaths? What if the "viewpoint" is because every time there is a mass murder, the suspect is typically a white male and our first words are "He had mental issues." This my friends is where the lie gets perpetuated. He then became quite irate when I advised that was part of an article that I had used in my blog. Which he says that I "stole" the work and didn't cite it. However, writing a blog is quite different than writing an essay. Linking articles is attributing to the original author the work. 

Equally when we write using "Blocking Text" is quoting. Yet, instead of speaking rationally about why he believes I should remove my quote from the 13 similarities, he has attacked me as a writer. I remain unapologetic towards anyone who chooses to become angry over a quote, and makes demands. This however, does lead me to my next point. Just as everyone who has freedom of speech, it doesn't mean that your freedom is without consequence. 

This week, many people have been angered because the President has lost his Twitter and Facebook accounts. They have been citing the First Amendment; with very little success to those who have studied the Constitution.

Twitter's Terms of Service (TOS) state 

Hateful conduct: You may not promote violence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease. We also do not allow accounts whose primary purpose is inciting harm towards others on the basis of these categories. 

Hateful imagery and display names: You may not use hateful images or symbols in your profile image or profile header. You also may not use your username, display name, or profile bio to engage in abusive behavior, such as targeted harassment or expressing hate towards a person, group, or protected category. 

Facebook has a similar TOS: We do not allow hate speech on Facebook because it creates an environment of intimidation and exclusion and in some cases may promote real-world violence.

We define hate speech as a direct attack on people based on what we call protected characteristics — race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, caste, sex, gender, gender identity, and serious disease or disability. We protect against attacks on the basis of age when age is paired with another protected characteristic, and also provide certain protections for immigration status. We define attack as violent or dehumanizing speech, harmful stereotypes, statements of inferiority, or calls for exclusion or segregation. We separate attacks into three tiers of severity, as described below.

Sometimes people share content containing someone else’s hate speech for the purpose of raising awareness or educating others. In some cases, words or terms that might otherwise violate our standards are used self-referentially or in an empowering way. People sometimes express contempt in the context of a romantic break-up. Other times, they use gender-exclusive language to control membership in a health or positive support group, such as a breastfeeding group for women only. In all of these cases, we allow the content but expect people to clearly indicate their intent, which helps us better understand why they shared it. Where the intention is unclear, we may remove the content.

In addition, we believe that people are more responsible when they share this kind of commentary using their authentic identity.

Because Mr. Trump's posts violated the TOS of both Twitter and Facebook, he was banned. Because Parler's TOS offers free speech and allows for hate-speech, Amazon's seller TOS states Amazon does not allow products that promote, incite or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views. We'll also remove listings that graphically portray violence or victims of violence. We promote trust and respect, as well as adherence to the law.

The First Amendment states 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. 

You see that, right, CONGRESS, not individual companies. You can't come to my photography studio, sign a contact and say you will pay me a sitting fee of $25 per person and when you arrive for the shoot, pay me only $10 for the entire sitting. It's the the agreed upon terms. When I set up Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace back in the day, I too had to agree to the terms of service, when the President set up Twitter, and Facebook, he agreed to their terms of service, just because he's the president doesn't mean he can change them or get his way. 

The banning of the president isn't against our constitution, it's against our preferences, but it is certainly not against our constitution. According to an article in Business Insider, 

"The First Amendment is a constraint on the power of government. It doesn't apply to Twitter," said Daphne Keller, an attorney and internet law expert who leads the program on platform regulation at Stanford University's Cyber Policy Center, adding: "Twitter is not a state actor."

Just because we have freedom of speech doesn't mean we are freed from the consequence of said freedom. I am certainly not free from the consequences of my words, and neither is anyone else.

The Evangelical's Day of Reckoning

I believe the time has come that evangelical Christians are facing a day of reckoning when it comes to Donald Trump. Since 2016, I have been against Trump while most evangelicals are loving him. I have been targeted by other Christians and told that "You are not saved." "You aren't a real Christian." By family and friends "you will have to vote for Trump and ask forgiveness later." 

In the 2020 election, I voted for Trump, but it wasn't because I wanted him as President, it was because my retirement funds have done very well under his leadership; and because while this pandemic has gone on, he has not required a payment on my student loans, and I couldn't reconcile my beliefs on abortion to be able to vote for any of the other candidates.

However, on January 6, 2021, he encouraged his supporters to disrupt the election process, the certification of the Electoral College vote. As I watched the events unfolding, I was reminded of how fast Hitler rose to power, and how blindly people followed him. April 20, 2021 is the 132nd anniversary of Hitler's birth. After being involved in a mustard gas attack, Hitler was resting in a hospital when Germany admitted defeat, however, once out of the hospital, he went to work for Military Intelligence. It was this "job" that put Hitler in touch with the German Worker's Party.

What disappoints me is that our own people, the American people want to paint Democrats in the light of Nazism, while they forget to look at their own behavior when it comes to Donald Trump. I recently read an article that spoke about 13 similarities between Adolf Hitler and Donald Trump...similarities that at some point every Christian will have to exam. However, I am not an alarmist, it is too late for that; in fact, I remained very quiet the last 4 years and have only spoken out when I deemed it 100% necessary. Other critics echoed the claim of Anne Frank's stepsister, Eva Schloss, who told Newsweek in January 2016 that Trump was “acting like another Hitler” because of his demagoguery.

Three of the similarities that stuck out to me, were honestly what I spoke out about, but the other 10 similarities must also be dealt with, probably in a individual fashion. 

1. In the 1920s poor Jews flooded into German cities from eastern Europe. Adolf Hitler rallied his followers with claims that these immigrants were taking jobs from Germans and that many of these immigrants were criminals and rapists. Donald Trump campaigned successfully with similar allegations about Mexican immigrants.
2. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi leadership were not religious, and rallied their followers with hatred of Jews and Catholics. Donald Trump isn’t religious and rallies his followers with hatred of Muslims.
3. Adolf Hitler had Asperger’s, with a high intelligence, poor social skills, singular obsessions with conspiracy theories, and an intolerance of anyone who disagreed with him. His deepest need was to be seen as a genius. Donald Trump has narcissism, with a high intelligence, odd social skills, belief in conspiracy theories, and an intolerance of people who disagree with him. His deepest need is for excessive admiration and support of his grandiose sense of self-importance.

And from what I can deduce from Trump's followers, and what I know about Hitler, his public persona proclaimed him to be unlike his contemporaries; he was a genius, plucked from obscurity by providence to pursue his vital mission. He had no equals and no mentors, only followers. He had emerged, fully formed, beholden to no-one, a man apart. He was not a politician – he was a messiah.

Because of this "Messiah Complex" Christians are on the verge of idol worship.  No matter what I say, on my social media, there is constantly someone coming against me with "Trump didn't do this, it was ANTIFA." Even when it is proven the people that have been arrested are ardent Trump supporters. I have been lucky in some ways though, I am a history buff, and my friends who are seeking true understanding, trying to figure out truth from fiction have been emailing, calling, texting me for my understanding in light of history. 

This brings me to the fact that Christians will and must face a day of reckoning. As Ed Stetzer wrote in USA Today, "Yet of greater concern for me is the trail of destruction he has left within the evangelical movement. Tempted by power and trapped within a culture war theology, too many evangelicals tied their fate to a man who embodied neither their faith nor their vision of political character. Americans (and the world) have the right to ask us some hard questions. Some of us were vocal, often and early, about the dangers of Trumpism." In an article by The Atlantic, Andy Stanley was interviewed, and discussed what Mr. Trump has done to damage the church, "In the Gospels, Jesus calls on his followers to go out, teach his message, and baptize people. Stanley has organized his life around this imperative, called “the Great Commission.” The question for evangelicals, now, is whether the undeniable association between Trump and their version of Christianity will make that work harder. “Has this group of people who have somehow become ‘evangelical leaders’” aligned with Trump “hurt the Church’s ability to reach people outside the Church? Absolutely,” Stanley said. But he’s not overly worried: A year or two from now, he said, “all that goes away.” New leaders will rise up. The Trump era of evangelical history will fade. Stanley chuckled. “And this will just be, for a lot of people, a bad dream.” Not everyone believes that recovering from the Trump era will be so simple for the Church, however. “We Christians have a lot of ground to make up now against those evangelical Trump followers whose devotion to him bordered on the idolatrous,” Mark Galli, the former editor in chief of Christianity Today, told me.

Equally I took time to read what religious leaders were discussing and how they were encouraging their members. 

Here is a sampling of reaction from faith leaders across the country:

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

“Lord God of peace, hear our prayer.”

Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear

“Peaceable transitions of power have marked our Republic since the beginning. It is part of honoring and submitting to God’s ordained leaders whether they were our choice or not. We need you, @POTUS to condemn this mob. Let’s move forward together. Praying for safety.”

Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance

“The sickening sight of rioters storming the U.S. Capitol Building as members of Congress try to carry out their constitutional duties should be condemned by all Americans. We are not witnessing a peaceful protest — this is a violent attack on our democracy. President Trump must ask his supporters to peacefully withdraw from the Capitol grounds immediately.”

California megachurch pastor Rick Warren

“Armed breaching of capitol security behind a confederate flag is anarchy, unAmerican, criminal treason and domestic terrorism. President Trump must clearly tell his supporters ‘We lost. Go home now.’

Evangelist Franklin Graham

“They have a right to protest. To tell people to go home, it’s not for me to decide that. The people who broke the windows in the Capital did not look like the people out there demonstrating. Most likely it was antifa. For people busting windows, they need to go home. But for people standing out there peacefully holding flags, and protesting, they have every right to do that.”

Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

“We are witnessing an unprecedented assault not just on the U.S. Capitol building and members of Congress, but on American democracy itself. The scenes of insurrectionists breaching Capitol security, of Senators and Representatives hiding under chairs on the chamber floor praying with the chaplain while Capitol police stand at the ready, are terrifying and heartbreaking.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton, president of National Action Network

“We had over 200,000 people March on Washington last August. Not one incident or arrest. Compare that to the bedlam unleashed today in DC and ask yourself. Who are the real patriots?”

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins

“The violent, lawless actions at the U.S. Capitol building against Congress and Capitol Police are wrong and dangerous for our republic. Lawlessness is not the way, and such actions makes it difficult for law-abiding Americans to fight the good fight. Pray for our Republic!”

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

“The events at our Capitol today are deeply disturbing. We believe the actions of armed protesters represent a coup attempt. … This threatens the integrity of our democracy, the national security of our nation, the continuity of government and the lives and safety of our legislators, their staffs, law enforcement and all who work in the Capitol.”

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president, National Hispanic Leadership Conference and the Rev. Johnnie Moore, president, The Congress of Christian Leaders

“Under these circumstances, there is no conceivable situation where what happened within the U.S. Capitol today is acceptable activity. Violent, anarchist behavior emanating from the far left or the far right is immoral and criminal. It should be summarily condemned — beginning with the President of the United States — and its perpetrators ought to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Those many thousands of peaceful protestors whose first amendment rights have been spoiled by this behavior should go home for their own safety. We are relieved that both the President-Elect and President Trump have now spoken directly to the issue telling protesters in D.C. to go home, calling for peace. We call on all Americans —  Democrat and Republican — to unite in prayer for our nation that righteousness and justice, love and faithfulness will guide the heart of our nation (Ps. 89:14).”

Daniel Darling, senior vice president of communications, National Religious Broadcasters

“What we can do in this moment:
1) Pray for everyone in DC, for safety and restoration of order
2) Repent, reflect, mourn
3) Pray for our country and our next President, Joe Biden
4) Work to bridge and heal divides. Dunking is cathartic but ineffective

5) Speak truth, not lies”

Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore

“This mob attack on our Capitol and our Constitution is immoral, unjust, dangerous, and inexcusable. What has happened to our country is tragic, and could have been avoided. …
President @realDonaldTrump, you have a moral responsibility to call on these mobs to stop this dangerous and anti-constitutional anarchy. Please do so.”

Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State

“In a moment of national crisis and terror, Trump said ‘we love you; you’re very special’ to these White Christian nationalists. Take that in.”

Nihad Awad, national executive director, Council on American-Islamic Relations

“Today’s attack on the U.S. Capitol represents the culmination of the far-right extremism that Donald Trump first unleashed on the campaign trail five years ago. Make no mistake: the armed Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol are violent insurrectionists. We pray for the safety of everyone under siege on Capitol Hill, including lawmakers and their staff. We call on our government to protect those in harm’s way, and we urge Congress to demand that President Trump, who is responsible for every act of seditious violence committed today, resign or face impeachment.”

Pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas

“Violence at our nation’s capital is to be condemned and law and order must prevail. Pray for our country. This is heartbreaking.”

Bible teacher Beth Moore

“I don’t know the Jesus some have paraded and waved around in the middle of this treachery today. They may be acting in the name of some other Jesus but that’s not Jesus of the Gospels.”

The Rev. John Dorhauer, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ

“I never in my life thought I would ever witness such a thing. It is a night for prayer, my friends. I call us all to pray tonight for a peace to settle throughout our land. Before this escalates further, may we all be vigilant in our prayerful support for a quick and peaceful end to this.”

United Methodist Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference

“This alarming occupation and violence at the U.S. Capitol are symptomatic of the vitriol and poison that now infects our culture. It disheartens. The rioters who climbed the steps and walls of the Capitol sought to overturn the law, a fair election, and justice, and claimed their motivation was to defend God and their freedoms. They waved banners emblazoned with the words, ‘Jesus Saves,’ but this is not what Emmanuel came to earth to embody. This is a perversion of the Gospel. This should drive all of us to our knees.”

Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper, senior officials of the Simon Wiesenthal Center

“The right to protest is sacrosanct in American life. But the very values and rights bestowed by our democracy are degraded and diminished when police officers have to draw their guns to protect our duly elected officials in heart of our nation by violent protesters who, by their reckless and dangerous behavior have inflicted grievous wounds on our nation. Nothing, not even the emotional charges of voter fraud in a presidential election, can ever legitimize or excuse such behavior. For as the Talmud warns, ‘Pray for the welfare of the government, for without…it man would swallow his fellow.’ Today is a dark day for America.”

Diane Randall, general secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation

“At the macro level, we’ve failed to teach people how to make change, how our system of government and democracy work. Faith teaches us that violence is anathema, and that it’s dialogue that actually has the bigger impact.”

Homi D. Gandhi, immediate past president, Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America

“We are outraged and deplore such mobocracy actions resulting from the President’s urging the unruly mob to overturn the declaration of election results. Like you all, I value the Freedoms of Human Rights and Religion. And like you all, I will work and dream of bringing peace and prosperity for everyone in our world.”

Leaders of Christian Churches Together Latino Network and other Latino groups

“In the face of the events transpiring at the U.S. Capitol yesterday, we, the followers of the Prince of Peace, won’t stay silent. We condemn the unlawful actions of the rioters in Washington, DC. We also denounce the dangerous actions, misinformation campaigns, and incendiary rhetoric of President Donald Trump and other political leaders who have encouraged these unprecedented acts of violence. These acts of violence are contrary to the laws and norms that have ruled our country since its founding and represent a seditious attack on the operation of government itself. We hope that all Christian leaders will reject these reckless acts that not only subvert our democracy but have endangered Congressional members, staff, law enforcement, and the public.”

However, even though many have had their eyes opened, I do not see how so many Christians still back up the President's actions and I can only say that we will be facing a day of reckoning; and I can only hope that our response will be enough that Christ can continue to shine through us. 

*Note: the post is not suggesting that anyone one the autism spectrum is remotely going to be like Hitler just because they have autism. I chose to keep the quote in it's original, but added this note for clarification. Equally, to read the comment, below in it's entirety you will want to visit this site. 

God has Numbered Our Days

I had a very interesting conversation today, Monday, January 4, 2021 with a self-appointed Bishop. On Facebook he had posted that if Pastor's would carry guns they could protect their flock. He was basing this on the fact that there was a Pastor killed on Sunday, January 3rd. Now according to this self-appointed bishop, if the pastor had been carrying a gun, he wouldn't have been killed. My exception to this is that he was carrying a gun and it was taken away from him. So the bishop stated that "pastor" should have known martial arts and that would have stopped the gunman, then bragged about how many years he's been a black belt. In other words, this pastor's death was the pastor's fault. 

However, I don't believe it was the fault of the pastor. In fact, I tend to believe that God has the number of each person in the world. This pastor at no time was going to be living past yesterday; the time of his life had come. Even if he had known martial arts, he would still died. When God has your number, nothing will save you from death. You may not die in such a violent way, but you may pass on by other means. 

So to sit there and say that pastor's don't listen to you, is quite frankly asinine. No where does God tell you that you have authority to say what would save a person's life. If the pastor had been sitting at home eating a chicken leg and died because he got chocked on a bone, would you be sitting there saying "I have been telling ministers for years, not to eat chicken!" 

You see no matter what way we go, God has our days numbered. In fact Job 14:5-6 says Since man’s days are determined and the number of his months depends on You, and since You have set limits he cannot pass, look away from him and let him rest so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand.(HCSB) James 4:14 states Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes (ESV).

So while we don't have the assurance of tomorrow, what we can have the assurance of is our salvation and faith in Christ. The only means of justification consistent with grace is the faith that brings nothing to the table, not even faith-motivated good deeds. Justifying faith says: “Lord, all I deserve is your judgment. Even with your help, I cannot do enough good to meet your perfect standard. All that avails for me is the righteousness of Christ. Please, clothe me with it” (see Rom. 4:1–16a). Such faith is the gift of God to His people: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8–9)

John Newton, the lyricist of that beautiful hymn "Amazing Grace" said of assurance, In mercy [God] has frequently stirred up my nest, shaken me in it, and forced me to fly to him, when I should otherwise have dropped into sleep and [false] security. (221)

As I posted on Facebook today, "No amount of martial arts, medication, medical attention will save you, when your time has come. For God has numbered our days, and when that time is up, then God will call us home, as long as we have our faith and salvation through Jesus Christ.

One Word

Each year I choose one word that I want to grow in. One year it was prayer, another trust, and yet another year it was patience. And every time I choose a word something happens that I don't expect and I grow in that area of my life. 

2021 is no different. This year I was thinking about a lot of different feelings, experiences and I decided that I want my word to be forgiveness. I want to grow in forgiveness, I want to learn how to extend it, how to give it to others and myself. 

So over the next year, my blog will take a back seat, it will probably be updated at least once a month, but maybe not; as I grow in forgiveness. I also have decided to read the Bible thematically this year and finally, I am going to spend a year in quite contemplation. At least an hour a day when I can set aside everything and just relax. No computers, not secular books, just time for God and I to get to know one another better. 

Jesus Laughed

This cartoon (to the left) appeared in a Facebook group called "Church Funnies Group." It's a group where Christians can come together and often make fun of ourselves. When I saw the cartoon, I laughed, and then I ruined it by reading the stuffy comments, from the self-appointed theologians in the group. "This isn't funny!" "This isn't Bibilical!"  

Yet this cartoon has become the theological hill upon which many in the group are willing to die on. Even my comment, in which I said "Jesus Christ, are there people really angry over this post?" A simple prayer, typed out, got me called a blasphemer, and told that I was using Jesus' name in vain. Next comment was "Is this really the theological hill upon which you are choosing to die today?" Oh, boy! Did that stir the pot! And the answer to that question is "Yes!" James Nethercott, asked "Who made you the judge of our Lord's sense of humor?" Because I merely asked if this was the hill they are choosing to die upon. My reply was "Have you seen the negativity? Oh, wait, you are contributing to the negativity. I sure hope that you are man enough to stand up to all the errors that the church endorses." 

A study published in Scientific American in 2013 states 

As a whole, the young men had stronger connections within cerebral hemispheres while the young women had stronger connections between hemispheres, the study, detailed today (Dec. 2) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found. However, the cerebellum, a part of the brain below the cerebrum that plays a role in coordinating muscle movement, showed the opposite pattern, with males having stronger connections between hemispheres. Roughly speaking, the back of the brain handles perception and the front of the brain handles action; the left hemisphere of the brain is the seat of logical thinking, while the right side of the brain begets intuitive thinking. The findings lend support to the view that males may excel at motor skills, while women may be better at integrating analysis and intuitive thinking.

So the cartoon, leads me to a question and two statements. 

First the statements, while the nativity of our Lord is important, this cartoon shows the fundamental differences between men and women. Let's face it, women typically bring gifts that are practical, a new mom doesn't feel like cooking, we bring food. A new mom doesn't have time to run out to the store to buy diapers if she hits the last one, and formula is expensive. Its a funny look at how differently we, women, think from men. 

My favorite comment that I saw over and over and over, said "Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh were brought to help Jesus' escape King Herod." First off, no they weren't. They were prophetic gifts who identified Jesus as "King of Kings, the High Priest, and ultimate sacrifice." (I will be writing more about this later.)

Now, for my question, did Jesus have a sense of humor? 

Did Jesus have a sense of humor? I believe that he did. I believe that just as Jesus wept (John 11:35), it would only make sense that Jesus would laugh when the occasion called for it. Jesus wasn't just God in flesh, He was also fully human. 

R.C. Sproul writes, The Bible does say that God laughs. In the Psalms it’s a derisive laugh. When the kings of the world set themselves against God and take counsel against God, it says that he who sits in the heavens shall laugh. God will hold them in derision. It’s sort of a “huh!” kind of laughter. It’s not a jovial response of happiness, but nevertheless it’s laughter.

In the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament—for example, in Ecclesiastes—we’re told that certain things are appropriate at certain times. There’s a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to build, a time to tear down; there’s a time to dance, a time to sing, a time to laugh, a time to cry. Since God has, in his seasons, appointed appropriate times for laughter, and Jesus always did what was appropriate, it would seem to me that when it was time to laugh, he laughed.

Donald Wayne Viney wrote in The Midwest Quarterly, "The teachings of Jesus Christ contained considerable humor in the forms of exaggeration, satire, sarcasm and irony. The divine aspects of Jesus are often stressed at the expense of his humanity, and theology has traditionally emphasized the incompatibility of laugher with deity. However, the Gospel writers often missed the subtle ways in which Jesus deflated the hypocrisy in the exaggerated religious practices he encountered."

One of my favorite sculptures is my Jim Carlos, and is kept at Clyde Central UMC in Clyde, NC. The sculpture is of Jesus laughing. Officially know as "The Joy of Jesus" the sculpture shows Jesus enjoying a hearty laugh. I imagine that Jesus was probably enjoying the moment when he told the disciples to let the children come to Him.  Why would God gift us with humor if He himself didn't exhibit humor? 

Martin Luther wrote, Christ is a God of joy. It is pleasing to the dear God whenever thou rejoices or laughest from the bottom of thy heart.

Viney, goes on to say "When one surveys the general testimony of the Gospels, it is difficult to understand how one could conclude that Jesus was not a man "complete with both tear ducts and funny bone" (Phipps, 104). How could one who was popular with children (Mt 19.13-14; Mk 10.13-16; Lk 18.15-17) and who encouraged his followers to become as little children (Mt 18.3) not be cheerful? How could one accused of indulging his palate not laugh (Mt 11.19; Lk 5.33; Lk 7.34)? How could one who told his followers that they were at a wedding party while they were in his presence not be jovial (Mt 9.15; Mk 2.19; Lk 5.34)? Is joy not a sign of wisdom, and is wisdom not vindicated by all of her children (Lk 7.35)? It only remains to provide more direct textual evidence."

In fact, one would have to study the languages of the Bible to really catch all the humor of the language used. D. S. Barrett has pointed to the oneupmanship humor manifest in Jewish literature of Jesus' time. Allan Gould regards the Hebrews' rebuke of Moses, "Are there no graves in Egypt, that you took us out here to die?" (Exodus 14:11) as history's oldest joke. Old Testament humor is explored in William Whedbee's The Bible and the Comic Vision. When Jesus instructs Peter on paying taxes (Matthew 17:27), he is speaking "in imaginative and humorous terms." All this places Jesus firmly in the long tradition of Jewish joking. (Barry Baldwin, the Presbyterian Record, V. 129, Issue 7).

For everything there is a season ... a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.-Ecclesiastes 3:1,4. When you are dancing, rejoicing, and enjoying yourself, what comes of that enjoyment? Laughter! That the Bible rejoices in humor might come as a surprise to many. Yet since humor can be the most powerful method of communicating serious information in an appealing, relaxing and respectful manner, we must surely expect to find humor in the Scriptures. In fact, as this article explains, it is there in abundance. It is at the heart of our salvation history. The Bible 'revels in a profound laughter, a divine and human laughter that is endemic to the whole narrative of creation, fall and salvation, and finally a laughter that results in a wondrous, all-encompassing comic vision'. We surely find divine humor in our attempts as humans to judge the actions of God according to our expectations and then to discover that our conclusions are dramatically wrong.

Scripture-inspired humor is desperately needed today. The world is threatened at all levels by the over-seriousness and intolerance of fundamentalists. Christian fundamentalists believe that they alone have the fullness of divine truth and that their task is to impose this on others. Humor cures any form of intolerance. It deflates pomposity and inflated egos. It is the beginning of humility. Pope Francis wisely comments: 'If one has no sense of humor, it's difficult to be happy ... For me a sense of humor ... is closest to grace ... born of the Holy Spirit'. 

One of the most humorous things that God did was call a Messiah to be born a leader, where the Government would sit on David's throne to be born in a stable. Think on that for a moment. The religious of the world were looking for a KING to be born in palaces. No one was looking for a king that was born in a stable. Rejecting worldly wisdom and signs, God chooses to save those who believe through the foolishness of the preaching of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:21). 

If you will, humor me for a moment. I am a history lover. I learn loads of things that I didn't know when I attend historical re-enactments/living history events. One of my favorite historians to watch is Lucy Worsley, from England. Ms. Worsley not only teaches history, but she dresses up as the wives of Henry VIII, or she dons Elizabethan dresses, she puts herself in the time period of which she teaches, and teaches from that world view. Humor is also a A Pedagogical Method, that Jesus Christ, the master teacher, uses humor often as a pedagogical method. Some incidents in the life of Jesus display a humorous quality to his teaching style. The wedding feast of Cana (John 2:1-11) contains several humorous scenes. It is ironical that the first miracle recorded in John's Gospel revealing Jesus' divine power is the changing of water into wine (v. 11).20 One might humanly have expected something more dramatic and directly concerned with the salvation of souls, yet divine humor is not confined by human hopes. Second, not only was the new wine of superior quality, but the amount of wine that the miracle produced was so abundant that the couple could have set up a wine shop with the surplus! Jesus is never described as laughing, but he uses many images as ways of teaching that would have been comical to himself and his listeners. For example, when he describes how difficult it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of God, he uses the image of a camel trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle (Mark 10:25). The poor would have chuckled over this.

In fact, even the movie "The Passion of the Christ" isn't without one humorous scene. Jesus, standing before Pilate remembers a long ago day when he was working as a carpenter and is building a table, being just like any other son, jokes with his mother when she tells him to take off a dirty apron, and to wash His hands. 

[We need] an unsolemn approach to an unsolemn God ... Our insistence upon being serious with God heavily limits our experience of the Godhead . -Wanda Nash

The holy book is filled with humor. It is the story of divine incongruity- God's pursuing and forgiving love of fickle humankind. God keeps relating to us in such humanly illogical ways that we describe this as divine humor. We expect God to be a distant creator, one who is revengeful because we are so wayward, but the opposite or contrary is the case (Isa 58:9). The Scriptures tell us that God is truly laughing at our human stupidities (Ps 2:4; 37:13). When we laugh at our own stupidities, therefore, we join in the laughter of God, but the laughter of God is a kindly, forgiving and compassionate laughter. And there are humorous incidents aplenty in the Scriptures.

Reluctance to accept the importance of humor in the Scriptures can be due to the failure to read them correctly. And despite the one humorous scene in Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of Christ. It was an immense media success, but still the film dismally failed to express the divine humor of the paschal mystery. It is a film of relentless physical suffering and violence, without the balancing emphasis of the liberating, nonviolent power of the resurrection. Because of this gloomy concentration on violence the film reinforces the incorrect view that joy is somehow foreign to our redemption. On this view, liturgies must be joyless to conform to the sadness of the crucifixion. To be truly holy we must look sad.  Yet at the heart of our redemption by Christ there is the resurrection. From a human perspective this is the mysteriously surprising expression of God's divine humor in which God is laughing at death: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory' (1 Cor 15:54). The resurrection gives us hope that violence is not the way to freedom and healing. For ourselves there will be a time when 'death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away' (Rev 21:4).

This article has lead me to the decision that I need to write two more articles, that will be published at a later date. One on the meanings behind the 3 gifts listed that the wise men brought and one on the issues that the church faces today! You will want to follow this blog so that you can read those when they are published. 

Where are you Christmas?

Tonight, Dec. 24, 2020, I sat watching Jim Carrey's The Grinch. Now if you know anything about the Grinch you know that he's a Who, that at some point early in his life was treated badly and that is why he's the Grinch. He doesn't believe that he is worthy of love, and that makes the Grinch terribly sad and makes it to where he doesn't believe anyone else should enjoy Christmas either. 

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the story, the Grinch is a mean-spirited Christmas hater who lives at the top of Mount Crumpit with his dog Max. Every year, however, his home gets flooded with trash from Whoville’s Christmas celebrations. This further adds to his hatred for the holiday. The story goes that the Grinch first moves to Mount Crumpit as a kid. After decades of receiving the town’s abandoned gifts and trash, he returns to Whoville for the Cheermeister celebration. Add to the story a young who that is questioning Christmas, 

Oh, hmm
Where are you Christmas
Why can't I find you
Why have you gone away
Where is the laughter
You used to bring me
Why can't I hear music play

My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes too

Where are you Christmas
Do you remember
The one you used to know
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done
Is that why you have let me go

Needless to say the Grinch sweeps down and manages to steal all the presents from the families of Whoville, and in the next scene the Grinch thinks he's won; he's stolen all the Whos' presents and decorations—even their Christmas food! But here's the kicker: the Whos down in Whoville are having Christmas, presents or not.

Dr. Suess writes "He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought...doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps...means a little bit more!"  When the Grinch sees that, he has an epiphany. Maybe the holiday spirit really can conquer all.

So this year, I want to encourage you to think about the true meaning of Christmas. Not the gifts under the tree, but what Christmas truly means. 

 

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Christmas Prayer: O God, who makest us glad by the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.