In the world to come, some will finally arrive home because they were foreigners and resident aliens, refugees without a permanent home in this world.
Others will arrive in the world to come as foreigners, empty-handed refugees forced from their home, because their citizenship and possessions were of this world.
The good news for this latter group is that those who were refugees in this world will likely welcome refugees in the next.
Here are some important elements from President Trump’s recent Executive Order regarding refugees and immigration: Continue reading
I am for screening or “vetting” of refugees seeking to be resettled in our country. I believe there should be in-depth processes which evaluate and validate who enters our nation, especially in times of great conflict and from areas of great conflict.
However, what I have found in the midst of the current national debate on this topic is that most people are unaware of what is already in place in terms of screening/vetting refugees. There is a high degree of assumption that whatever is in place it is not detailed enough. When I ask, “What do you think should be in place to make our system better?” the most common answers are usually related to “background checks” and “how do we know who these people are?” Continue reading
After making a recent post on my frustrations with the response of my Congressional representatives, I have been told by people I know and trust who have been on the staff of various members of Congress that, despite appearances, our representatives are or, at least, can be affected by their constituents contacting them.
The keys when contacting are: Continue reading
Every time I contact the offices of our US Senators and Representatives from here in Oklahoma, I get the sense that they could care less what any of us think.
Every time. Continue reading
Wealth, profit, and financial success atone for all wickedness of word and action in a society that worships Mammon, the god of riches. Continue reading
Topics in this chapter: Problems with growing numbers of foreigners, new kings, government endorsed building projects, systematic oppression and murder, civil disobedience, women risking it all to bear and save lives.
Nothing new under the sun, I suppose: Continue reading
Senate Confirmation Hearings provided by NPR: Continue reading
The following is provided by NPR: Continue reading
E. Stanley Jones was a Methodist missionary and theologian. He is most well known for his work in India and, espeically, his friendship with Gandhi. He has many well known works in missionary, theological, and Methodist circles, including The Christ on the Indian Road, which sold over 1 million copies.
One of his works that has been formative for me is The Christ of the Mount, in which Jones focuses on the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. I really cannot recommend this book enough. It is transformative. Continue reading
I am honored to know Callen Clarke and to count him among my closest friends. He is more talented than I can convey in a single post, but I hope this can be an introduction. One of his many talents, and one that continues to shape and encourage me, is his ability to convey beauty and story through music—whether it be through his symphonic pieces or worship songs written for individual instruments. Continue reading
On a Sunday morning 75 years ago today, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Continue reading