Proverbs 24 – Wisdom sayings

1 Do not envy the wicked, nor desire to be with them; 2 for their minds devise violence, and their lips talk of mischief. 

3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 

5 Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones, and those who have knowledge than those who have strength; 6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. 

7 Wisdom is too high for fools; in the gate they do not open their mouths. 

8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a mischief-maker.
9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to all. 

10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength being small; 11 if you hold back from rescuing those taken away to death, those who go staggering to the slaughter; 12 if you say, "Look, we did not know this"— does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it? And will he not repay all according to their deeds? 

13 My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 

14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, you will find a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 

15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the home of the righteous; do no violence to the place where the righteous live; 16 for though they fall seven times, they will rise again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. 

17 Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble, 18 or else the Lord will see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from them. 

19 Do not fret because of evildoers. Do not envy the wicked; 20 for the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will go out. 

21 My child, fear the Lord and the king, and do not disobey either of them; 22 for disaster comes from them suddenly, and who knows the ruin that both can bring? 

23 These also are sayings of the wise: Partiality in judging is not good.

24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations; 25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. 

26 One who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.
27Prepare your work outside, get everything ready for you in the field; and after that build your house. 

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. 

29 Do not say, “I will do to others as they have done to me; I will pay them back for what they have done.” 

30 I passed by the field of one who was lazy, by the vineyard of a stupid person; 31 and see, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. 

32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. 

33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want, like an armed warrior.

Deuteronomy 10:16-20 – Justice & Equality for the Underserved

NRSV Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise, then, the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, 18 who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. 19 You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his name you shall swear.

I understand this passage of Scripture as telling us to demand justice for the underserved; to love the stranger (in the NIV translated as “foreigner”) which can only be interpreted as neighbors and immigrants; and to provide help to those underserved members of our society and to strangers, to fight for their equity of opportunity to gain those abilities to provide for their own success in our world. 

"May the meditations of our hearts

be acceptable in Thy sight,

Oh Lord, our strength and our redeemer.”

~In Jesus’ Holy name

We pray all believing,

Amen

NRSV James 1:12-18 – Personal Responsibility

NRSV James 1:12 Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 No one, when tempted, should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. 14 But one is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it; 15 then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved. 17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

This is what – to me – the entire passage tells us: Our own temptation and the responsibility for resisting wrong and doing good lies entirely with our own choices. We are admonished not to let ourselves be led to wrong by anyone, but especially not by our own selves. And we are reminded that God loves us and that the fulfillment of His purpose is to be in right relationship with Him. To me, the entirety of The Book of James is about responsibility for ourselves and living out our Faith in the full self-determination to live out a Christ-centered Faith.

"May the meditations of our hearts

be acceptable in Thy sight,

Oh Lord, our strength and our redeemer.”

~In Jesus’ Holy name

We pray all believing,

Amen

You Say They Won’t Cut Our Safety Nets?

I can only hope you’re right… 

We’ve all heard those folks who say the government won’t tear down our safety nets. I can only hope they’re right and that the GOP will see sense. But, the truth is that all our civil rights gains of the last seventy years are under assault. This regime is going to make us refight every battle of the last seventy years.

The GOP has already repealed the ACA and their “replacement” plan specifically targets people like me. I’m over 50 and will be hit hard by that age scale (age tax, more like). My son is on Medicaid and will surely lose his coverage with the Medicaid rollback. CHIP has been in place since the 90s and has covered millions of children every year, but was included in the repeal of the ACA. 

There have been plenty of examples over the last six years, since 2010, of the GOP-held government cutting those safety nets. I personally know people who’ve lost such support. I know many families who’ve been pushed from free school meals to reduced, or off the meal support altogether. And, don’t forget, the Congress, in their first few days this year, cut funding for school meals AGAIN! That’s CHILDREN having their access to meals eliminated.

Moreover, the GOP’s primary thrust of their healthcare is going to be tax credits on a by-age sliding scale – which even the AARP has roundly condemned – and health savings accounts. Do you have money to put into a health savings account? I don’t. I don’t know about you, but we already receive the maximum tax deduction each year. Tax credits will be meaningless for us.

As for those rising insurance costs, that has nothing to do with the ACA and everything to do with the GOP and the boards of those insurance companies. Did you know that Paul Ryan has personally taken over $4 MILLION from the insurance industry? Were you aware that Mitch McConnell took upwards of $6 million? And, the CEOs of those insurance corporations make more PER DAY than most of their customers make per year! If the CEOs are making that much, you can be very sure there’s not a person on their boards making much less than their CEOs. Today’s GOPers are not people who care about us – these are mammonites who care only about increasing their own wealth and their own self-aggrandizement. We are just fodder for their wealth engines. 

Immigration is particularly under assault. My son and my naturalized citizen husband already have been impacted by the visa-waiver exclusions for dual nationals passed by the GOP last year; my husband and son are Iranian-American dual nationals – not by choice but because Iran does not permit anyone to give up their citizenship and automatically deems their children citizens too. And, this president has a particular burr under his backside about Iranians. We have several acquaintances who were stymied by that stupid first ban, left hanging in airports around the word when their legitimate visas were denied – that’s violating the civil rights of completely LEGAL immigrants. I’m haunted by what this presidency will mean for my Iranian-American husband and son.

Both the president and the GOP-held congress have rolled back clean air and water protections already and are steam-rolling the end of the EPA, our environmental safety net. They’re eliminating the tax credits and subsidies for converting to or installing clean energy and are trying to actively kill wind and solar to favor fossil fuels. They block wind and solar fields yet promote fracking and strip mining and deep-sea oil rigs. They pass laws and policies to allow coal ash dumping in waterways and more…

It’s naive to think these GOP theocratic corporate extremists will not strip away everything that helps the working poor. They are not the republicans of Lincoln’s party; they’re not even the republicans of the 1950s. The entire party has become increasingly radicalized, starting with Nixon’s Southern Strategy. Today’s GOP does not care about the working poor. They do not work for us. They work for corporations who keep turning in those record breaking profits while complaining that they cannot afford to increase wages and even trying to convince us that there doesn’t need to even be a minimum wage. And today’s GOP embraces the racism, bigotry, misogyny, sexism, and xenophobia of the alt-right (white nationalists and white supremacists) by the expediency of their refusal to turn their backs on such evils for the sake of their own political greed.

I understand those who feel they need to stay away from the political fight. But, it is a fight, a fight for the very survival of democracy in the world. Our own constitutional democratic republic is being systematically supplanted for the GOP’s theocratic corporatist vision. Add to that the fascist and would-be tin-pot dictator that is our groping bigot-in-chief and the danger to freedom in the world becomes glaring and imminent.

I’m sick and crippled. I’m not young. I’m poor. I’m married to an Iranian immigrant. I don’t expect to survive this presidency. But, I’m going to fight to the last for whomever comes next – especially for my 13-year old son.

Love Your Neighbor – Scripture

RSV Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sad'ducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Luke 10:27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, 34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you, is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme that honorable name which was invoked over you? 8 If you really fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well.

Laugh It Off and Carry On

A blog about discrimination

I shrugged it off and carried on when I found out the entry level guy was being paid the same as me, when I was the award-winning lead graphic designer on a local commercial magazine. No point in risking my job, that’s just the way things are… Wouldn’t you agree?

I’ve laughed off a lot of gender demeaning comments in my lifetime. They were only joking, right?

I’ve laughed off dudes’ accusations that I must be “frigid" or a “lesbo” because I wouldn’t fall into bed with them… But, that’s just their stupid ego, yeah?

I laughed off men brushing too intimately up against me “accidentally.” That’s just boys being boys, isn’t it?

I laughed it off right up until I was assaulted.

I laughed off and continue to laugh off people turning their backs on me and calling me hateful names because I married an Iranian political refugee. That’s just their ignorance, just their problem, eh? 

We carried on when a woman cursed a blue-streak at my husband – who speaks six languages and graduated on the National Dean’s List – for refusing to hand a six-pack of beer to her elementary school-aged children with the pizza delivery, capping her tirade with “Learn to speak f*cking English or go back where you came from, towel head.”

When someone blocked the alley to our business’ rear delivery door, and he found the store they were in and asked them politely to move their car; the person followed him to the alley and cursed my husband with every low-class epithet he could spew against immigrants. We carried on. 

We carried on, after 9/11, when someone walked into our business, saw my Iranian-American husband behind the counter, walked up to him and said, “I won’t do business with you people after what you did to us in New York.”

I admit my hackles rise when I can NEVER laugh off some ignorant adult calling my son a “sand nigger.” 

I cannot laugh it off when my Christian son is called “ISIS” and threatened that Trump will send him and his dad to the gas chambers by middle school school bullies. 

I did not laugh it off when my son was assaulted by those middle school bullies and left with a serious concussion from which he spent months recovering.

Should I just “let it go” and carry on? 

Should I keep on laughing?

Are you laughing?

When do we stop laughing it off and do something about it?

“Apathy is acquiescence is compliance is approval.” –MomzillaNC

“Hands and hearts and minds and voices committed to working for tolerance, peace and social justice everywhere, always.” –MomzillaNC

Remember:
We, women and girls, have been told all our lives not to argue. Who told us that?

We’ve all been told all our lives not to discuss politics. Who told us that?

We women and girls have been told all our lives to “laugh it off” or “get over it.” Who told us that?

We’ve all been told all our lives it’s disrespectful to disagree with our elders. Who told us that?

The people who told us that also said “feminism” or “liberal” or “progressive” or “democrat” were dirty words.

The people who told us that are the very people hammering us with their “conservative” opinions and policies.

I’m sick to death of being told to hush! I’m beyond fed up with being silenced. Like the refrain from “Fight Song” says:

"And all the words I didn’t say…
Wrecking balls inside my brain…
I will scream them loud tonight!
Can you hear my voice this time!?”

We cannot – nay – we MUST NOT allow anyone to silence us ever again! I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!

by D. Denise Dianaty 

© 20 January 2016

Ra'qedyet -- A Poem

Ra'qedyet

A Poem by D. Denise Dianaty

An historical poem

“Ra'qedyet, or Râ-Kedet, was the original name of the city of Alexandria on the northern coast of Kemet, before it was renamed by Alexander the Great. Ra'qedyet is believed to have existed about 700 to 1000 years before Alexander even came to that site. The logic now is not that Alexander built his city on the same site as Ra'qedyet, but that he used an already flourishing city and simply expanded upon it!" -- From Ancient Worlds, an online website: http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Property/1034345

Tell me more…

  I want to know…

  What came before…

  Before Alexander’s hell-bent stamp

  Upon cultures already ancient 

  when his own still cowered in caves

  Tell me about it…Tell me more…

  Tell me… tell me… tell me, please

  Of ancient Ra’qedyet

Like ill-fated Takht-e-jamshid

  where Alexander rested his feet…

  Yes… he rested his feet…

  His feet upon Xerxes’ table.

  Fair Parsa’s palace burned to ruin…

  it’s native name lost in time…

  It’s city recalled forevermore…

  by Greek arrogance… Persepolis!

Of all Carians, given up in fear…

  Given over by their Queen Ada.

  Anatolia laid wide… laid bare

  Before Alexander’s gluttonous march…

  His stamp left hither and yon… 

  A people entire… forgotten… gone

  Ground ‘neath his inexorable march

  His lustful ego used to erase Caria

Histories trampled, societies wasted…

  reaching farther, ever further…

  veneered by every raped culture,

  burying history 'neath his avarice

  from Anatolia to the Punjab

  where King Purushottama lost…

  lost even his name to Alexander…

  left a client king named Porus.

Grinding on… grinding down 

  like so many others…

  Anatolia, Achaemenid, Babylonia, 

  Egypt, Punjab, and more

  From Alinda to Babylon, Parsa, to Jhelum 

  and more and more and ever more.

  Never too much… never enough…

  Till death at last embraced his lust.

He built his city hailed through th’years…

  Crushing… o’erlaying atop Ra’qedyet…

  Ra’qedyet from ancient Pharo’s lines…

  Lost in Alexandria… stamped out.

  All that remains… a sad and silent jumble

  Ruins ‘neath ruins ‘neath a briny sea…

  At th’Nile’s mouth, it’s fate ’twas sealed

  So he might stamp his name ‘cross the world

A mighty nation prospered…

  before made a warning for the future…

  Now sad and silent jumbled ruins.

  In the ruins of ancient Alexandria

  lay ruins yet much older still

  ‘Neath th’magnificent capital of Ptolemy,

  Alexandria app Aegyptum… Alexandria Beside Egypt.

  It’s birth razing Ra’qedyet’s life…

  That long before haven of sailors.

Tell me of the histories lost…

  Tell me the stories of “the Great”

  How his exploits are to be lauded,

  ever to be praised and applauded…

  Of the lessons we should learn…

  the warfare that should burn.

  Tell me of the histories lost…

  lost in th’onslaught of Alexander… 

  Lost when he put them to the death.

Tell me more…

  I want to know…

  What came before…

  Before Alexander’s hell-bent stamp

  Upon cultures already ancient 

  when his own still cowered in caves

  Tell me about it…Tell me more…

  Tell me… tell me… tell me, please

  Of ancient Ra’qedyet

Tell me the glories of Alexander

  of his “Great” folly of death and debt.

Photo: ruins from Ra'qedyet (from: weburbanist.com/2007/09/12/underwater-urban-archeology-7-submerged-wonders-of-the-world")

and from: "2eyeswatching.com/tag/once-majestic-cities-that-sank-beneath-the-ocean"

Pray for Mission

Heavenly Father, God of grace and mercy,
By the great gift of Salvation and His resurrection
You offer the gifts of eternal hope and peace
Through Your only begotten son, Christ Jesus.
Baptized by water, we are born anew…
Born into Your heavenly kingdom.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, we are never alone.
In the Spirit, together we strive to do Your will.
Hold us, our nation, and our mission in Your hands.
Make us the body and voice of Your will.

Together in the Spirit, we open our hearts.
We lay bear our souls before You, Father.
As one in the Spirit, we open our minds.
Together we are Christ’s hands in this world.
United in the Spirit, our doors are open.
In Your will we work together for peace.
As one voice we desire your will be done.
Together in the Holy Spirit and in unity
We know Your strength makes us
Stronger together for a more just world.

Help us, Lord, to feed the hungry.
Teach us, Father, to care for the sick.
Guide us, God, to shelter the homeless.
Use us, El-Shaddai, to love everyone.
Humble us, Adoni, to find Your wisdom.
Grant us, Yaweh, solace in our tribulation.
Make us, Elohim, obedient in service.
Lead us, Sar Shalom, to be peacemakers.
King of Kings, grant wisdom to our leaders
With sacrificial hearts of service and compassion.

We ask for open eyes for our leaders
to see all humankind as Your sheep.
We pray for leaders with open hearts
to understand the cares of Your lambs.
We plead that our leaders have open minds
of love and compassion for all Your sheep.
We thank you for giving us clear vision, and pray
You will protect and perfect us in Your will.
In Christ’s name, with Faith all believing and
in humble gratitude, we pray. Amen.

"May the meditations of our hearts

be acceptable in Thy sight,

Oh Lord, our strength and our redeemer.”

~In Jesus’ Holy name

We pray all believing,

Amen

Faithful Christians – Rational Majority

I keep hearing and reading comments in the vein of “Most Christians aren’t Christian.” I disagree with that “most Christians aren’t Christian” claim. Most of these loudmouthed extremists identifying themselves as Christian are the very hypocrites Christ spoke of in Matthew 6 – they are nothing more than a theocratic, very vocal minority of political extremists fighting to preserve their pathetic privilege. I do NOT accept that they are “most Christians.”

I’ve been in churches all my adult life, surrounded by Faithful Christians who are nothing like these so-called evangelical ChristianISH extremists. We, the rational majority, have been too polite to argue with these loud mouths – because those who don’t want to be argued with told us it was impolite to argue with them. These extremists are NOT the majority of Christians and neither are they the majority of Americans. We the People are the overwhelming majority in a country that is SUPPOSED to be majority ruled. Faithful Christians are part of that rational majority. It is time for the rational majority to get rude and loud! We must stop letting the extremes – both left and right – polarize and marginalize the rational majority of Americans. It is time for the rational majority to stop being pushed around by the extremes in our society.

I often ask myself, how did we get here? My perspective: Because televangelists have been preaching “prosperity” instead of Christ’s actual message of spiritual rebirth and salvation. Because televangelists led the so-called fundamentalist evangelical ChristianISH right to worship MAMMON instead of God. Some may ask: “Where is the Faithful Christian opposition?” I would ask in return, “Where are you looking?” Do you really think compassionate and progressive Christians are NOT speaking out? Do you think I am being silent and complicit? Do you think I am unique in speaking out? I promise you, I am not unique.

Faithful Christians ARE opposing the extremists. Those ChristianISH extremists voted for Trump in direct opposition to everything Christ ever taught or did. They are NOT followers of Christ. There is nothing Christ-centered nor Christ-like in the ChristianISH extremists who claim all their bigotry and extremism is in the name of their religion. They wave their religion flag to justify the ugliness of their agenda. They are followers of the pursuit of personal privilege and wealth – of Mammon.

Those who voted for Trump, put devotion and loyalty to Trump and to the GOP ahead of devotion and loyalty to God, ahead of reason, ahead of compassion – ahead of sanity. Christ told us how to behave as His followers. The people who have turned from God to choose Trump have not realized how far they’ve strayed from the Faith they profess, nor that they have become people who voted in direct opposition to everything Jesus ever did or taught. They have set Christ aside to follow Trump – i.e.: “Mammon” [definition (Webster’s) “material wealth or possessions especially as having a debasing influence”].

RVS Matthew 6:1-24
Giving to the Needy
1) "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2) "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3) But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4) so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Prayer
5) "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6) But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7) "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9) Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11) Give us this day our daily bread; 12) And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; 13) And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. 14) For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; 15) but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting
16) "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17) But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18) that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven
19) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22) "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; 23) but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24) "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Faithful Christians do not wave a religion flag to justify what we do in the world. Faithful Christians are NOT standing up and voting or speaking or working in the name of our religion; nor are we excluding anyone. Faithful Christians stand up for what is right because it is right. We speak for what is needed, because it is necessary and good. And, we try to do good wherever we may, TOGETHER with whomever will do the same – regardless of their beliefs or background – because it’s the right thing to do and because our hearts and our minds are founded in Christ’s life and teachings. For us, living Christ-centered Faith is living with a compassionate and progressive heart to all humankind.

Being Christian doesn’t mean abandoning compassion, tolerance, and rational sanity. Anyone may say they are Christian as it suits them. If you want to know who are the Faithful Christians following the example of Jesus, you have only to look to the Scriptures where Christ Himself told us how we are to be recognized as His followers by the world in RVS John 13:34) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Please recognize that Faithful Christians are always and have always been standing with you. We strive to live the example called for in RVS Philippians 2:3) Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. 4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5) Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

 I know, from my own experience, that Faithful Christians are the majority of Christian believers, part of the rational majority of all people everywhere. Progressive and Faithful Christians stand with all the rational majority who stand for what is good.

Scripture is clear and it tells what the extremists are and from where their belief is derived. We can only hope to show the extremists the error of the paths they have chosen and to remain steadfast in love, in hope, in prayer, and in Faith, as we stand TOGETHER against extremism in all it’s forms.

Call to action for the Progressive Christian Left

It’s time – and past time – for the Progressive Christian Left to stand up and be heard. Compassionate people of all faiths must make ourselves heard. But, Christ-centered Christians must make it our mission to challenge the voices of extremism in our Faith. We cannot sit idly back and let someone like “Judge” Pirro (of FOXNews) who justifies Putin by claiming “At least Putin’s Christian” and seems outraged that the rest of us just don’t get that – in the self-same moments that Putin is helping Assad butcher the children of Aleppo.

Such voices must not be put forward as a speaking for our Faith. It’s obscene and it is our own personal failing for allowing ourselves to be silenced rather than to be impolite.

It’s NOT impolite to challenge lies
It’s NOT impolite to challenge bigotry
It’s NOT impolite to challenge hate speech
It’s NOT impolite to challenge ignorance
It’s NOT impolite to argue with someone who is perverting our defining moral, cultural, social, national, and/or faith ideals to impose the oppression and degradation of everything and everyone “other.”

Consider for a moment… Who it is who always told us it was impolite (rude) to challenge or argue with them? Who told us to just bite our tongues and let them “run off at the mouth?” Who told us to turn a blind eye? Who told us that it was “lording it over people” to “show off” your education? Who demonizes the “intellectual elite?” The people telling us to hush are the people who don’t want to be challenged, who don’t want their lies, bigotry, hate speech, and ignorance exposed. The people demonizing the “intellectual elite” don’t want people educated because education shines a glaring light upon the ignorance they’re perpetuating. The people telling us to hush are the people we should be challenging. 

WHO’S WITH ME? Find their posts. Take progressive faith messages to the political leaders. Don’t let the extremist right be the only voices of faith the political leaders hear.

Like the song says:
"And all the words I didn’t say
like wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight!
Can you hear my voice this time?”

It may seem like hyperbole to some, however: I won’t be silenced any longer. I won’t idly watch those extremists pervert my Faith to protect their white ChristianISH privilege. I will speak out. I will use all my talents – writing, visual arts, singing, activism – to resist their perfidy. I will be heard. I will be the resistance alone if I must be.

This passage, speaks to me of a striking similarity in our current turmoil:
John 16:1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Scripture lessons teaching us how to be more kind:
Matthew 4:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.… 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

John 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself… 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Romans 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Corinthians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry… 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen…. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Philippians 2:1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry… 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”