The Healing and Building Back Better of Our Nation Requires Confronting The Issues of Respect and Poverty

A Prayerful, Humble Reflection by a Person Who Is Concerned About a Country Divided

In my ministry I have been blessed to have met up close and personal the breath of humanity in all its shapes and sizes, cultural backgrounds, racial hues, theological perspective and political affiliations.  I have heard firsthand the life stories and hopes of the hard working poor in Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica); the coal miners of North East Pennsylvania (Frackville and Shamokin); the well-known CEOs and giants in the financial industry in their homes and offices (Greenwich, CT, and NYC); the small family farmers in the heartland of the Middle Atlantic region (Rough and Ready, Aaronsburg and dozens more); high ranking military leaders in the Pentagon; Native Americans in New Mexico; Hispanics in our nations inner-cities and in Cuba; at risk youth in our cities (Hartford, New York, Philadelphia).  I have represented my denomination in settings where social justice was the focus, where charismatic tongue speaking echoed in my ears, where Biblical conservative theology was the order of the day.  What a fortunate journey in ministry I have had!  And in those blessed times when there was “soul talk” – deep personal sharing – I saw the image of God shining from their hearts and through their stories.  As one person said to me, “You love bringing the most diverse groups of humanity together.”  In my conflicted church interim and consulting, I have sought to have strident divergent views be expressed in an atmosphere of compassionate listening and speaking.  Healing and a cooperative spirit for the common good has often been the outcome of bringing “lions and lambs” together. 

Where is this all leading!  It’s leading to a reflection on the divisive state of political affairs that is being fostered even after a significant electoral defeat by a President whose life has been spent almost exclusively with white, rich, testosterone juiced males.  Yet a sizeable portion of his ardent devotees are the down to earth, salt of the earth rural and blue-collar laborers whom I have been blessed to meet along the way.  They are Stover, the small family dairy farmer, who regularly invited me into his kitchen for a personal and church chat and Charley, the nearing retirement coal miner in Frackville, who coughed and coughed from lung disease, who wanted to discuss his wavering faith, and Fred, the line worker who drove the forklift at Armstrong Cork , who asked for a prayer for himself because of his diagnosis of prostate cancer.

As I have distanced myself from the chaos of the post-election political scene, I realized that many of the desires of a majority of the “Red” state voters and the “Blue” urban voters are the same – personal respect and help in alleviating their economic poverty.  The predominately urban African American community desires the respect that changes the current racial stereotyping realities that have lead to the “Black Lives Matter” movement and a commitment to assisting in developing dynamic ways to assist them in overcoming 400 years of predominately white privilege created poverty.

The rural agricultural and blue-collar classes are seeking respect from a society that increasing showers status (in word and in paycheck) upon those who work in the fields of corporate leadership, financial oversight, and technological advancement.  They also live with the real knowledge that many of their jobs are being eliminated by technology or the current progression toward a more corporate and global food production system.  Several years ago at a conference at which I was keynoting, a local church member who worked in the coal industry said to me, “Potential new sources of energy are going to impoverish me.” 

GAINING RESPECT AND OVERCOMING POVERTY unite the Iowa small family farmer, the West Virginia coal miner, the immigrant Hispanic field worker, and the African American father who holds down two minimum wage jobs.  Yet our political system has made them adversaries.    

The new Biden administration needs to bring a legislative balance to addressing the issues of poverty – regardless of its geographic location or its skin color.  It needs to bring into balance aggressive actions to deal with white rural and blue color poverty as well as the poverty of the urban African American and Latinx communities.  A task force on blue collar poverty needs to be established.  While addressing quality education in the most impoverished areas, our government leaders need to design initiatives for the re-training of those whose job skills will soon or no longer be needed because of technological advancements or climate change realities.  A primary focus needs to be placed on an infrastructure bill that will be a catalyst for worthy employment for our manual labor workforce and out construction workers!  Let Mitch McConnell be seen as the block to helping the middle and lower middle-class worker.  Wouldn’t it be a healing and creative way of building our country back better if national task forces made up of people with a diversity of political opinions and a broad range of knowledge in a particular area (from the everyday worker to acknowledged experts) were brought together to study the issues about which they have distinct personal expertise? Their insights could assist in writing legislation to build back better in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, energy production, healthcare, and urban renewal.  Their hopeful outcome of their work would be concrete suggestions for legislation that would address the educational, economic and trade, and infrastructure needs to build back better our nation in the area of their study.      

While racism is very much alive, poverty is color blind.  Regardless of their color, REAL people who are facing personal harsh economic realities need to be given visibility in the legislative efforts of state and national government settings.  Our national dialogue under a new administration needs to include even some of the most strident voices on the right and the left along with the voices of the moderate middle in building our country back better.  ALL of those feeling disenfranchised need to be given respect and have their economic concerns addressed.  It is only when the lion and the lamb, when those who see themselves as “enemies”, come together to address in an honest and compassionate way will our increasing wide divisions will be overcome.

 

Devotional

Scripture – Isaiah 11:6

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”

(Rewrite this passage in the context of today’s societal division……”An the red state farmer and the blue state consumer food corporation CEO, and the West Virginia miner shall……………..)

Prayer

How long O God before we see your image in each human soul and revere the “other” because of seeing that image?  How long O God before we realize that all have the same basic hopes and dreams?  How long O God before we learn to whisper to each by getting close rather than shouting at each other from a distance?  How long O God before we can humble ourselves so that we realize we need to be in this continuing experiment called democracy together?  Instill in our elected leaders an “in God we trust” spirit in all that they say and do. Nudge them and us when we fail to consider the common good above our personal desires.  Instill in us a color-blind spirit that sees through the color of our skin into the depths of our souls.  Remind us when we become too self-serving that we are to minister to the poor in the basic necessities of life as well as spirit.  Yes, God bless our nation so that it be a humble servant in partnering with other nations in bringing a peaceable realm to this world.  Amen.

The Rising was written as a response to 9/11/  Its focus on rebirth and renewal seems appropriate for this time in our country.

Sharing Ministry – Looking to the Past While Looking to the Future

               Even though I served three multi-staff churches as a lead pastor, it was as an area conference minister in a primarily rural area of Pennsylvania where I gained a deep appreciation for smaller membership churches and their foundation of intimate relationships.   I also understood their struggles to keep highly gifted ordained clergy.  They became short-term stepping stones for gifted and recently ordained clergy or often, I say with all frankness, a landing place for clergy who lacked many of the essential pastoral skills.  Their inability to offer adequate compensation led to decreased membership and eventually part-time pastors.  I learned a new reality of many churches – yoked parishes – a concept from the past – the circuit rider preacher – now served by clergy through a new form of horsepower.

               As an increasing number of mainline churches fight for their survival because of decreasing membership, it is time to take a look at shared ministry….a parish concept of ministry.  Initially because of miles to be traveled, rivers to be forded, church fights that could not be resolved churches of the same denomination or theological similarity sprung up everywhere.  For several years I have been involved in either discussing with or being a direct participant in churches considering or establishing shared ministries.  In one situation there were five churches within an approximately five-mile or less radius.  Three were being served by half-time or less ordained leadership.

               For mainline churches the time is NOW to make shared ministry a valid option for ministry.  Here’s why!

·        It allows for gifted leadership to consider a shared ministry parish setting because of adequate compensation.

·        It increases the chances of longer termed ministries which can lead to more effective and dynamic programming.

·        It provides for more opportunities for shared programming.  This programming can be more consequential as well as being cost saving.

·        It allows for team staffing patterns that can decrease the number of part-time clergy.  (e.g. two-full-time pastors serving three or more churches.)

·        It provides the opportunity for at- risk churches to have stability for a period of time while they consider their long-term future.  It can also lead to less painful decisions to close a church building because a broader community understanding and feeling has been established.

·        As accommodations are made on scheduling and shared programing are established, the costs of other professional and support staff can be reduced.

·        It encourages greater possibilities for creativity and innovation and access to more resources because a broader cadre of lay leadership are involved in the planning and implementing of ministry.

·        It increases participation in often under attended events – e.g. Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Bible studies, etc.

·        It can open the churches to a rich tradition from the multiple histories.

·        It enhances the witness to the community because of the power of “numbers.”

·        It heightens the capability of “hands on” outreach ministry.

·        It lives out the prayer of Christ that “they may be one.”

There will be far from insurmountable challenges that come with making the shared ministry-parish concept possible.

The Individual Churches:

·        A willingness to live an exciting new future rather than participate in the painful dying process.

·        A flexibility in sharing leadership and scheduling ministry programs.

·        An honesty in looking at the present and the future.

Judicatories:

·        A responsibility to introduce the concept of shared ministry to churches while they still have vitality rather than as a “last” option. 

·        A need to train judicatory leaders in the rudimentary processes for building shared ministry parishes.

·        A training component in areas of lay preaching, pastoral care, and spiritual development for participating in staffing patterns of shared ministry.

Seminaries:

·        A plan to provide an educational component into their curriculum on ministry in such settings.  Shared ministry team leadership and participation require skills that are different from a single pastor – single parish ministry.

Creative Souls:

·        The development of resources to train or to be used by clergy and laity in a shared ministry setting.

·        The further development of technological resources that would enhance the ministry and support ordained and professional leadership.

As a parishioner of a newly shared ministry church emoted “I thought we had no future.  We were just waiting for our death.  Maybe our church’s resurrection is possible!”  With the current church growth demographics in mind, it might be the time to look innovatively at models from the past for being the church.   

Where Have All The Millennials Gone?

The Legacy of Second or Third Priority Youth Ministry

              Among the mainline churches, the cry echoes through their increasingly vacuous buildings “Where have all the millennials gone?”  The question that often follows is “Why are they down the street in the more evangelical churches?”  The answer to these is not as complex as we may think.  The mainline churches have placed ministry to youth and young adults as a secondary priority while many evangelical churches have infused substantial resources of treasure and time into their ministry to the “future” generation.

              I began my ministry as an associate pastor to children and youth with other “senior minister” duties as assigned – once a month preaching, occasional general pastoral care to the membership, and committee coverage – by the REAL minister.  Well something happened in my career progression.  The “real” minister retired and by some workings of the Holy Spirit, I was called to be the SENIOR minister at 27 years of age to a 1,000-member church.  And the reason for the call was a significant portion of the congregation felt youth ministry should be the trade mark of their church.  Yes, my preaching and pastoral duties increased but the church believed they were making a statement by affirming that our senior minister is our youth minister.  And, oh yes, the compensation reflected their commitment to their new senior minister!

              My story is shared humbly but is a parable about what most mainline churches, their judicatories and their seminaries have not done – make youth and young adult ministry a TOP PRIORITY.  And what does making youth and young adult a priority look like?

·       Compensate those who are called to it with a fair and livable wage so that youth ministry is not seen as a stepping stone to becoming a real minister.  With low salaries and a perceived secondary from many lay leader stoo many with youth ministry gifts and aspirations must move on to “real” jobs with better compensation.

·       Seminaries increase the scope and scale of their Y and YA ministry offerings.  Seminary curriculums currently attest to the low priority given to ministry with youth and young adults.  After a recent review of seminary curriculums those with a more evangelical theology clearly offer more substantive courses in Y and YA ministry.  The reality is that most seminarians will end up in smaller church where there will be expectations of youth ministry leadership or coordination on their job descriptions.

·       Judicatories review their staffing patterns and challenge all staff members to devise programing in their particular sphere of ministry that focuses on youth and young adults.  Judicatories often relegate youth to a part-time ministry.  Often they have delegated much of this ministry to their summer camping programs.  However, the feeders for those programs are the places which continue to struggle with Y and YA ministry.  Thus decreasing registrations in summer programs.

·       In smaller local churches, leadership should select either volunteer or part-time youth ministry leaders who have gifts for youth ministry as well as the “connections” to youth programs in the community and the respect of both youth and their parents.  The basic theological training can be easily acquired.  Some community educators are often looking for supplementary income.

·       The national and regional judicatories should create model on-line (You Tube / Webinars) youth ministry training courses for gifted lay youth leaders.

·       Local churches should be encouraged through grant money from judicatories and foundation funding to create Y and YA ministries in light of the increasing competition of school system and community youth programming.

·       Placement resources should be written that include insightful ways of ascertaining a pastoral candidate’s interest in and gifts for Y and YA ministry.

·       Local churches should be encouraged to do self-studies that would indicate their willingness to bring about the necessary changes that would be a catalyst for youth, young adult and a new generation of young families to become involved in the life of the church.

·       Local churches should strongly consider partnering with community need, local educational entities, and social service agencies in a shared ministry with youth.

·       Y and YA programs should be built on the gifts and interests of the potential participants rather than on a preconceived agenda of the church.  We need to start where they are!  Successful youth ministry should not be judged by youth group attendance only but rather through the participation of Y and YA in all facets of ministry.

With the mainline church’s relegating youth and youth adult ministry to a second class ministry of the church for so many years I hope we have not lost the present and future generation’s interest in following in the footsteps of Christ through the ministry of a local church.  Enough excuses – sports, community activities, etc., etc.!  It’s time to put youth and young adult ministry as a priority!  THE FUTURE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH DEPENDS ON IT!     

Returning to a Tent Ecclesiology - Church Buildings and Declining Memberships

A Word to Immovable Christians - It’s Time for a Tent Theology – Ecclesiology Again

            We just relocated.  The move was a catalyst for a moment of reflection on the places I have lived.  Noble St., Buttonwood St., James St., Breeze Hill Rd., Silcam Dr., Spruce Hills., Higate Lane, Woodside Circle, Maple Ave., Gloucester Rd., Falmouth Rd. – these are the streets where I have lived!  The places I have called home are many -  Norristown, PA; Lancaster, PA; Danbury, CT; Lewisburg, PA; Fairfield, CT; Simsbury, CT; Greenwich, CT; Hilton Head, SC; Mashpee, MA.  My parish and national staff ministries were lengthy….houses in the same community were changed.  Where is my home?  From birth until the present I have lived in 11 houses.  I have been deeply involved in 7 hometown communities.  I had significant community longevity – 21, 10, 14, 7, 10 years.  But I had to leave the security and comfort of the familiar for new adventures.

A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

As I mused on the places I have called home, I remembered these passages from Scripture, and the realities of many of our churches – I could give you numerous statistical data on the state of many struggling churches -, a few foundational thoughts on local church vitality came to mind.

·         Many Christians are stuck with a theology and ecclesiology of immovability.  Immovability runs counter to the foundational truth of our Judeo-Christian heritage.  We are wanderers, like Abraham and Sarah and Jesus.  We move out chasing the new adventures in seeking and building the realm of God.  We live in temporary tents along the way.  It is on the journey that we find tastes of God’s realm.  This “settler” – “stay put” belief directly effects the vitality of our local church ministries.

·         Church members are often more committed to past ministry programs and historic buildings than to the journey and the call of the adventuresome God.  This stifles our ability to bring new ways of proclaiming the Gospel for new days. 

·         Along with an openness to new and fresh ministry programs, we are choking Christ’s ministry and mission because many of our churches have structures that suffocate and repress the empowering of our ministry with enormous maintenance costs.  Our ability to hire creative leadership, develop dynamic worship, spiritual development, and outreach witness ministries is smothered by having miniscule financial resources left after for building maintenance.  This reality is particularly true for most “mainline” churches that have buildings that date back to the 19^th and early 20th century.  In one of the churches I served the maintenance costs required $300,000 for buildings and grounds before any staff or program or wider mission dollars could be allotted. ,

·         In many parts of the country because of a lengthy community history “mainline” denominational churches have over populated towns and cities.  100 and 200 years ago with the torpid speed of transportation and limited roads and bridges, churches sprung up within a small radius of each other.  Thus was born the circuit rider preacher.  Also, the history of many churches is filled with theological and interpersonal disagreements which led to new churches created by disgruntled members which were in close proximity to a former church.

·         Church leaders often see endowment funds as a stop gap measure to keep the building maintained while waiting for a turnaround rather than seeing them as a resource for creative ministry.  

·         Downtown / urban / small membership church leadership often fail to analyze the community surrounding the church in an effort to shape its ministry in light of the community’s spiritual and outreach needs.

·         Church future envisioning plans are perilously too short term.  While 3-4 year planning and goal setting is a positive step in strengthening the witness of the church, an honest and candid 10-20 year view of cultural and local demographics as well as the church’s spiritual and financial health is positively essential.

In these challenging times of ministry many mainline churches fail to address these realities and in doing so jeopardize the long term health of their ministry.  The component parts of the equation are “ church maintenance cost + an unwillingness to let go of the past and think outside the box for the future + too many churches of a similar theological viewpoint in close proximity + a settler / immoveable mindset = the long term death of a church.

There are some avenues to renew the vitality of these immoveable Christian / settler mentality churches.

·         Have a serious theological reflection on the journeying nature of our Judeo-Christian ancestry.  Return to the “real” good-old-days when the tent was the worship and community gathering structure of the faithful.  Reflect upon faith being a pioneer (Hebrews proclaims Jesus was the pioneer and perfector of the faith.) rather than settler community of faith.

·         Implement a serious discussion about the long term – 10-20 years - realities of and challenges to the church’s ministry. 

·         Discard the notion of seeing the church as a building rather than a community of believers.  Remember that for many of us the geography of home changes many times in our lifetime.

·         Study the geographic placement of churches of the same denomination or similar theological ilk.  In light of the long term realities consider discussing with those churches a shared approach to ministry.  Shared ministry, union and federated churches of the same and similar denominations have been a model for ministry for a long time.  At the appropriate time be open to the discussion of “whose” or “new” building will become the physical church home. 

·         Consider endowment funds not purely for building maintenance until we “die” but also as a creative program funding resource that may bring increased vitality and renewal to the church.  Spend the last dollar on faithful and joyful ministry rather than funeral expenses.

·         Consider new, less expensive overhead places for gathering as church……rental spaces, houses, storefronts, unoccupied business or factory space, schools.  If the structure you call your church home is strangling its ministry and you decide to seek a new home, consider what physical objects, symbols have deep meaning and give identify to the church.  Think creatively how they could be used in the new church home.

·         Consider times of ordained ministerial transition as opportunities to examine shared ministry possibilities.

·         If the merging of the community of faith and the selling of one of the buildings consider ways a portion of the money received could be used for the welfare of those in greatest need or creative ministry opportunities.

·         Pray for the Holy Spirit to help in the discernment process and to free you and others from an immoveable Christian theology and ecclesiology.

To use the Biblical tent image, in our lives almost all of us will pull up stakes several times and move to a new place that we will eventually, sometimes reluctantly, call home.  As we journey on through life we will cherish important spiritual landmarks from each of our homes.  Let it be so with our church homes.  How quickly we forget the innocent theology of a children’s song – “I Am the Church, You Are the Church”:  “The church is not a building; the church is not a steeple; the church is not a resting place; the church is a people.”  Let us be the people with the Spirit of the journeying Abraham and Sarah and of Jesus, the pioneer of the faith whose home was where his ministry was most needed.        

      

White Man’s Last Stand!

I am a white male…..an aging white male.  I am a diminishing breed!  As I observe the craziness of the current political scene and the rise to political predominance of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, I have now dubbed their campaigns “White Man’s Last Stand!”…….particularly older white men.  They are a significant voting block for Donald and Ted.

It used to be “a man’s, man’s world!” - a world where women were not heads of Fortune 500 companies but homemakers.  It was a white man’s world where might made right and where country clubs were the playground for white men.  It was a world where the white male political leaders knew that God blessed the USA and that those other counties with leaders that were not Caucasian males felt blessed to receive the white man’s kindness and aid.  And the white men felt good because they had been “charitable.”

Then something happened.  The truth came out and the census statistics told US white males that they were in the minority.  And then women started to “break up” some of the old boys’ clubs – business, social, and political.  And people of different skin tones seemed to be increasing in number.  And white males began marrying African American and Hispanic and Asian women.  And countries with few white males began to ask for less charity and more shared power in deciding the fate of the world.  It even got worse for white males – people with names like Madeleine and Hillary started being global negotiators.  And then things really got bad for white men – a man with black and white parents became president of the United States.  White men then realized they had to do something!  So they tried to plan for the failure of the bi-racial President.  They had to do something to protect the race and their maleness.  And then came along a white man with orangey hair and a man of Cuban ancestry who looked white and who spoke of putting women back it their place by asserting that they had no freedom of choice over their own bodies.  These new white male political novices think they will make this country great again by empowering white males and limiting the liberties of non-white males.  Cries of might makes right became the mantra again.  White men had dreams of the good old days.  How sad and how very dangerous for our country!

My fellow white men………the times are achangin!  GET OVER IT!  THIS IS YOUR LAST STAND!

The 1% - Give Them The Respect They Are Due!

We hear a great deal about the 1%!  Usually it is couched in economic terms.  However, the 1% I am alluding to is the 1% I came to very much respect when I served as the Ecclesiastical Endorser for Military Chaplains for the United Church of Christ – the overseer for the selection and support of clergy serving as chaplains in the military.  It was through base visits that I learned a great deal about our men and women who serve in the military.  I learned about the life stories of privates to five-star generals, from seamen to admirals, from airmen to chief master sergeants.  Today fewer than 1% of our population serves in the military.  There are also 22,000,000 Americans who are veterans of the armed services.  Almost all of those who serve and have served have had no say in the military decisions made by White House residing administrations or Congressional bodies.  They are placed in harm’s way by others.  They do what they are commanded to do!  They respond to those suffering from tragic acts of nature and they do battle because of the heinous acts caused by misguided human nature.  They build bridges, schools, and hospitals to better the lives of the poorest of the poor and they risk their lives in doing battle with those with selfish and treacherous intentions.  They are from every racial and ethnic background.  Some have dropped out of school and others hold advanced degrees.  They have families who love them.  They perform valiant deeds!  They come home – some decorated with honors, some physically or emotionally challenged, some in flag draped coffins.  Most come home with stories they would prefer to forget!

Thank yous are fine………………..

But a listening ear and an understanding heart are also welcomed.

Thank yous are fine………………..

But support for the emotional and relational battles that come with re-entry is appreciated.

Thank yous are fine………………..

But training for a job or help in finding good employment are cherished.

Thank yous are fine………………..

But not looking down on us because of addictive behaviors that have come with war and the challenges of re-entry is treasured.

Prayers for us are fine……………

But putting your “boots on the ground” in the battle to make our lives whole and holy after we have experienced the brokenness and horror that comes with war is cherished.

Prayers for us are fine…………..

But heroic acts of sharing with those who have the least in the world, those who are most susceptible to following those who offer any release from their despair, are welcomed.

Please remember us and salute us for our service, but, do all that you can do in waging peace so that we can salute you for your service.

 

(I rejoice as I share with in the creation of a distinctive ministry with and for millennial veterans at First Congregational Church, UCC, Danbury, CT.  It is a church that shows that it offers more than spoken “Thank yous” for your service.  It is putting “boots on the ground” in the name of the One who commanded us to love one another and be peacemakers.)

Maybe a Little Less Self-Interest Might Work

Maybe a Little Less Self-Interest Might Work

As he reflectively and thoughtfully spoke about the tenuous relationship between the United States and his home country, Iran, Seyed Hussein Movsavian, former ambassador and now Princeton professor and diplomat involved in nuclear talks, reminded the overflow audience at The World Affairs Council Meeting in Hilton Head that until 1953 Iran and the United States had for almost 150 years a very close and cordial relationship.  It was in that year that the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was ousted by a coup orchestrated by Great Britain and the United States.  Mosaddegh was a progressive and benevolent leader who started a social security system, addressed issues of poverty, AND nationalized the Iranian oil industry.  The last proved to some in the west to be a bad idea! That industry had been under British control since 1913……Anglo-Persian Oil Company, later British Petroleum.  After the coup we and the British supported the corrupt leader, the Shah of Iran.  It was obvious from the crowd this recounting of history was an largely irrefutable fact.  He also mentioned that the United States has diplomatic ties with many Middle Eastern countries that are far more lax on human and women’s rights issues than Iran.  In fact many are designated as our “allies.”  He made some suggestions that he felt could stabilize the Middle East.

·         Avoid U.S. boots on the ground – let the boots be those of the Arab nations who have a big stake in defeating ISIS.

·         Support the U.N. in convening a conference with the five major Middle Eastern Arab nations and major western nations to discuss the political landscape of the Middle East and seek mutual answers to the most pressing problems.

·         If Israel is to be given full credibility in the Middle East, the Palestinian problem must be addressed.

·         Offer respect to Iran and other Arab nations.

I could not seem to let go of the coup caused by the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry.  It was probably carried out under the banner of protecting Britain’s national “self-interest.”  Recently I have heard that term bantered around a lot.  We will do what it takes to protect our national “self-interest.”  The meeting which I was attending was held in a church sanctuary.  “Self-interest” – it seemed so antithetical to the message that we proclaim as we reflect upon the servant-Savior we say we follow.  “Honor all” – give respect to friend and foe alike.  Look out for the interests and welfare of the other first.  I believe that is embedded in the heart of the Gospel.  What if we spent a portion of our “military” budget mobilizing against the poverty that is a significant root cause of much of the hatred and warfare.  “When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to loose.”  I am no “Pollyanna!”  There are bad people in the world!  But fewer than we often believe. There are duplicitous people in the world!  But fewer than we imagine.

I can’t stop thinking that putting a priority on the best interests of the other might be in our “self-interest.”  I love my country!  I cherish free speech even when I don't agree with what is spoken.  I celebrate the racial, cultural, ethnic diversity that is woven into the fabric of our nation.  But I fear we might not be Christian enough to follow the servant-Savior who thought of the interests of foreigners, strangers, outcasts, and perceived enemies first!

Prayer – God of love who knows no spiritual or geo-political boundaries, open our eyes so that we might see the common humanity that we all share.  Open our hearts so that we might be ready to be selfless servants in the bringing of shalom to your world. Amen.