Happy New Year!

What's Your Tribe?

David French in National Review has a very interesting article about whether the post-Christian America that we are seeing is what secularists had hoped for and answers with a resounding "No!"  He opens with this:

"If I had to pick one of the most under-appreciated and under-reported stories of 2017, it would be that a post-Christian America is a more vicious America, and that the triumph of secularists is rendering America more polarized, not less."

Amen. We are becoming a land of tribes. He goes on to question if this country can survive if its very fabric continues to be sundered and he is not optimistic. French gives the "why."

"American Christian culture is being replaced by a separate, feel-good faith called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism — a vague belief that while God exists, he’s not particularly involved in human affairs and mainly wants people to be nice and happy. It’s a common moral code that applies to the conduct of one’s personal affairs; it is utterly inadequate, however, when it comes to addressing real human conflict and substantial cultural clashes. It provides no systematic moral worldview, and it ultimately leaves judgment of right and wrong to the individual conscience."

It has always been up to the individual to decide between right and wrong but what is "right" was an objective standard, divinely and eternally set, with which the individual was challenged to align. If right is merely what I subjectively say it is, then there can be little doubt where the vast majority of people will land since they themselves are the ultimate good and being happy is paramount. Duty, honor, country - I don't think so. And without those, a nation has already crumbled inside and is waiting for the next strong wind to finish the job. Hotel Rwanda may be in our future as we see which tribe will "win." 

www.nationalreview.com/article/454971/post-christian-america-polarized-america?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202017-12-27&utm_term=NR5PM%20Actives

Merry Christmas

Congress Sends a Christmas Present

Tax reform passed, let the celebrations begin! Wait - Democrats are saying bah-humbug. Are they being the Grinch?  Let's check for any results thus far. 

Let's see - AT&T is giving each and every one of its employees a minimum $1,000 Christmas bonus and announced plans for $1B in capital spending. Boeing is giving $300M to employees and to charity. Delta and Southwest have announced that they are looking at large new airplane orders. Nope, definitely no stimulative effect so far. 

A Christmas Story

She stood in line quietly crying, holding onto a metal sign to steady herself.

I’d just arrived at the airport gate, ready to catch my flight back to Billings. As I waited for my zone to be called, I noticed her wiping the tears from her cheeks.

She was a complete stranger, so I hesitated to approach her. Looking around, I hoped to spot a traveling companion, someone who was already returning to comfort her.

That’s when I noticed that many other people were watching her as well. Although she was not crying loudly, her soft sniffling and flowing tears caught the attention of anyone who glanced in her direction.

I waited a few moments more, hoping that one of the women sitting within a few feet of her would come to her aid. But no one moved. They were all paralyzed by the same hesitancy that was holding me back.

“I don’t even know her.” “What will I say?” “Will she be offended by my intruding?”

I finally overcame my doubts and took a step toward her, but I was too late. Another man who had noticed her grief approached her first. I thank God I was close enough to hear parts of their conversation.

“Are you OK?”

A quick glance to catch his eyes, to read his heart. “No, I just found out my mother died. I was on my way to see her, but now I’m too late. I wanted so much to tell her once more how much I love her.”

He had the courage to touch a stranger; to place a gentle hand on her arm, to show, not just say, “I care. I’m sorry.”

“When did you last talk with her?”

“Yesterday.”

“Did you tell her that you loved her?”

“Yes, of course, but I wanted to do it in person, one more time.”

“If you told her yesterday, then your words were still echoing in her heart. Mothers always hold such words tightly. They are more precious than diamonds.”

The woman’s face brightened. Hope came into her eyes. “Thank you, thank you so very much.”

As the ticket agent called the next zone, the two of them moved toward the gate, still talking.

I regretted that I had hesitated too long to comfort her, but I was glad that God had made another man so other-aware and other-engaging that he would step forward with just the right words. Words that perfectly illustrated an age-old saying,

 “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”

This timeless insight is especially true at Christmas, when people long to be close to family and friends and feel the pain of loneliness and broken relationships more keenly than ever.

You can do something about this.

Open your eyes and your ears to the people around you, and ask God to give you a heightened sensitivity to people who are struggling with some kind of battle, whether relationally, financially or with their health or job.

It could be spouse or a child, a parent or sister, a familiar clerk in the store or bank, or a complete stranger. If God has put that person in front of you, it’s probably because he wants you to be a channel of his grace.

So boldly ask him for the same kindness, courage and simple words that enabled the man in the airport to approach a stranger who was hurting.

Remember this: just as the pain of loneliness and loss is magnified at this time of year, so is the comfort of a few kind words, which God can use not only to console others but also to draw them to the source of all comfort, the Lord Jesus Christ.

– Ken Sande

Christmas Kindness

A man was standing at a Chick-fil-A in Kentucky in shoes held together by duct tape and falling apart. In walks a stranger and without further ado takes off his good pair of boots and hands them to the man and walks off to order his food. Nice. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. 

www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2017/12/14/chick-fil-hero-gives-needy-man-shoes-off-his-own-feet.html

Let's Pay More!

Oregon ranks #4 in the U.S. in per capita state spending. What an honor! And we keep hearing that Oregon doesn't tax us enough. Right. And of course we get what we pay for. Right. Secretary of State Richardson said that the state threw away almost $100M it can't account for. Sounds to me like the state has plenty of money. 

Consider also that Oregon has consistently ranked in the bottom 5 states for high school graduation rates. And our roads are in great shape. Right. The traffic app Waze just released the worst states to drive in and Portland led our state as the 5th worst in the entire United States. 

Oregon is still growing - #11 in the country - for now. One wonders, though, how much longer that will continue as the bloom continues to leach off the rose. 

www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/per-capita-state-spending/?activeTab=map&currentTimeframe=0&selectedDistributions=per-capita-state-spending&selectedRows=%7B%22states%22:%7B%22all%22:%7B%7D%7D,%22wrapups%22:%7B%22united-states%22:%7B%7D%7D%7D&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Per%20Capita%20State%20Spending%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D

www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2017/01/oregons_graduation_rate_among.html
www.oregonlive.com/trending/2017/12/portland_is_the_5th_worst_plac.html