From somewhere I read a story out of Mexico City reporting that "Ugly Betty"--star America Ferrera--hopes her new film will inspire Americans to address the struggles soldiers face after they come home from Iraq or Afghanistan. The 25-year-old is starring and producing "The Dry Land," which follows a young man's difficulties readapting to small town life following a tour of duty.
More recently I followed stories of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) suffered by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. I supported peace issues and described war as a failed diplomacy. I further commented on Bob Woodward’s reporting of “TBI” stories.
Today I followed the story of an Iraq volunteer reported on earlier. An IED took him out with a brain injury. We once had no answers for such problems; today we are learning. This young veteran returned to a VA facility unprepared to care for him but our learning has progressed a long way for short-term rehabilitation.
His young wife, now mother of a two-year old, stepped up to the plate, and voluntarily assisted in hubby’s care although his parents agreed she could rightfully step away from her life with him and make a life of her own. She assisted hospital personnel in his treatment but faces an eventual lifetime of caring for him--on her own at home--without hospital assistance.
“How will she cope?” She says, “he volunteered” and like him she is volunteering for duty. While she worked with the therapists, their two-year-old has been growing up in the hospital with the staff as his family. He has shared daily with his daddy through the process of therapy but has “never seen him smile.” The son did not recognize a pre-injury picture of his own father, now barely able to roll his eyes and express minimal body movement.
Observing their lives, I pondered the next generations and how they will be dramatically influenced--responses good and bad--responses that will affect our whole social structure. These spouses and “their” children face lifetimes of “paying the price” and it dramatically influences all of us.
While some of us lived during WWII and watched and lived with similar “repercussions” suffered by veterans of that war, another generation prepares to live with a greater influx of such injuries. Medical progress enables us to better understand them, but it also leaves these younger generations a responsibility they did not seek--soldier husbands-and-wives who would have been dead in earlier wars, who now face lifelong recovery, rehabilitation, suffering, and life-long care.
I thank God Almighty for the blessed freedoms we enjoy in our great “democratic nation” (that is sometimes not as democratic as it should be). I am utterly appalled when I read books like my current volume, LOST TO THE WEST (Brownworth/ Crown Publishers/09). It is a brief historical review of the Byzantine Empire, from Constantine the Great (324-363 BC) to Constantine XI Dragases (1448-1453) and how their story affects our lives today.
It reveals a clamoring humanity in which everyone is striving to be “king of the hill”--whatever the cost. The slaughter of 30,000 soldiers--in some cases civilians--with swords, daggers, and clubs seemed as nothing at all. It well describes the savagery of humanity. I do not personally believe in creation via evolution, but I rather envy the Apes for behaving better than their human counterparts. The price we pay for war is simply not worth the price--in MOST instances.
Wars, like the current fad of sexual addiction, alcoholism, and numerous other behavioral problems come out of a deep well of moral and ethical problems. None offers any real hope of healing without a recovery of "personal" responsibility and accountability. We will never achieve peace, personally or nationally, until we become personally "accountable to God"--not to “kill the infidels” but to “love your enemy as yourself!”
Jews call non-Jews “Gentiles”; Islam calls non-believers “infidels”; the Romans called non-Romans “Barbarians”; and Americans call everybody else “foreigners.”
The biblical prophet prayed “Lord, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear! Even cry out to you of violence, and you will not save. Why do you show me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention” (Cf. Habakkuk 1:2-3).
Will we ever learn to step up to the plate and confess that we are part of this deep and personal problem, that THE ENEMY IS US, and that WE can be PART OF THE SOLUTION???
This is Warner’s World and I am
walkingwithwarner@blogspot.com
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Sixty Seconds For the Soul
In recent days I have stayed busy pressing on a writing task, complicated by my wife's weekend in the hospital. These are tough times for everybody, times when it sometimes becomes difficult for the tough to stay up and going. Amid all the tasks of life, it is so important that we occasionally take out what my friend Jakeway once called "Sixty Seconds for the Soul."
To be truly renewed is what Jesus described to Nicodemus as being "born again'" (John 3). To be truly born again one must be born from above. That brings me to the following verse I found recently in an old volume.
As one who takes serious hope in the Christian faith, this brief verse by A. L. Murray beautifully catches poetically what is the very essence of our faith. Murray, a prolific devotional writer of earlier years, describes this work done by Christ in his few lines entitled: "FOUND ME
Christ found me broken;
Made me whole.
Built new windows
In my soul.
And redesigned me
To His plan,
Image of God and SON OF MAN."
May these lines touch your heart as they touched mine, and may you experience renewal in these redefining days.
from Warner's World,
Wayne
walkingwithwarner.blogspot.com
To be truly renewed is what Jesus described to Nicodemus as being "born again'" (John 3). To be truly born again one must be born from above. That brings me to the following verse I found recently in an old volume.
As one who takes serious hope in the Christian faith, this brief verse by A. L. Murray beautifully catches poetically what is the very essence of our faith. Murray, a prolific devotional writer of earlier years, describes this work done by Christ in his few lines entitled: "FOUND ME
Christ found me broken;
Made me whole.
Built new windows
In my soul.
And redesigned me
To His plan,
Image of God and SON OF MAN."
May these lines touch your heart as they touched mine, and may you experience renewal in these redefining days.
from Warner's World,
Wayne
walkingwithwarner.blogspot.com
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Beginning 2010
It was the first week of 2010 when we sat down for a delicious evening meal and my host expressed our thankfulness for our daily bread and our many blessings. His simple prayer of grace expressed our thankfulness for what we had accomplished that day. We were two hungry preachers eagerly anticipating the delightful meal graciously prepared by his working spouse--our hostess. In turn, we were thankful for each other.
Being the gracious lady she is, as well as the Queen of her kitchen, Martha prepared a sumptuous meal. Always ready to eat, Steve relaxed and prayed. Midway through, a sentence caught my attention, a simple but unexpected thought: “Thank you Lord for the grocery store down the street.” Now that’s simple enough! And forthright!
I would never have dared be that simplistic. Suddenly I was caught up in thought--a bit overwhelmed! Martha shops at a full-service Supermarket, a couple of blocks down University Drive. Makes sense, but Steve’s simple logic overwhelmed me. His thought came on like a bulldozer--simply overwhelming. It caused me to recall things I had been reading about.
A high percentage of third-world peoples live on less than two dollars a day. Multitudes around the globe exist with no clean running water--hot or cold. Globally, thousands die of starvation daily. Thoughts crashed into my busy consciousness, recreating an overwhelming sense of gratitude deep within. Steve‘s prayer suddenly made a great deal of sense!
We had just transitioned through a personally difficult year at our house, limited income, changing health insurance, critical health issues. Yet, our lives are NOT in shambles. Our home is NOT mortgaged underwater. WE HAVE hot and cold running water, with warm and comfortable heating. We do not live in fear of terrorism.
In spite of a limited income, we eat regularly from a well stocked pantry. Transitioning through the maise of health insurance coverages, we continue to enjoy health care that multitudes know not of in other places. In spite of an ill spouse, we still travel independently and remain able to contribute voluntary services.
We have each other, after 64 years, even if she happens to be spending the weekend in the hospital as I write. We have caring friends around the country with whom we maintain regular contact. Our Church Family truly enhances and enriches our lives.Yes, “Thank you Lord, ‘for the grocery store down the street!’” God is great; life is good!
Since that evening, we have become engrossed in watching the painful horrors of Haiti. God alone can correct such suffering, transform the corruption of Haiti’s economic and political life, and make some kind of sense out of such tragedy. I found a glimmer of hope watching the global community rally together. That is how God intends for all of us to behave, and I face the future with optimism knowing that God has people everywhere who are working passionately and intentionally to make God’s world a better place for all of His Creation.
Jim Sparks describes speaking in a University auditorium when the light and sound system began misbehaving. Auditiorium lights flickered, changed color, blinked off and on; the sound went off. Nothing Jim did at the podium seemed to change the situation. Later, he discovered a drama group in an upper level auditorium had technical difficulties that presented in the auditorium where Jim was speaking. There was a genuine battle going on behind the scenes, but it had nothing to do with Jim.
So it is in life. Behind the earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, and political battles, God is still calling us to help one another, bind up the wounded, share what we have with those who are without, and offer hope to all within our radius. God means for mankind to rally together and help those trashed and broken, without hope or help.
I pray the God of Grace and Glory forgive our selfish, warring, nationalistic ways. May He bind us together in our common humanity, and may we create relationships that enable us to express real gratitude to God, lift up one another, and enable each other to become all HE would make of us.
The father of a teenager knew the Commander of the Police Post and when it came time for the boy’s driving test, The big, burly Commander personally accompanied the youth on his driving test. He directed the youth into the traffic, so the boy pulled around the waiting line of test candidates, only to be halted by a very proper trooper.
The youth stopped. The officer stuck his head in the car to reprimand the boy, but recognizing his Commander he launched the boy on his way. Evil in our world remains a reality--spiritual warfare. It is not a dualism of two equal forces, however. The war is won; the battle is over. The Commanding Officer of the Kingdom of God is sitting in the seat beside us when we acknowledge the reality of Evil (sin) and submit to the sovereignty of Right (Godly control of our lives).
There is always something going on behind the scenes, suggests Jim Sparks, but I agree when he reminds me God reigns supreme…….
From Warner’s World
walkingwithwarner.blogspot.com
Wayne
Being the gracious lady she is, as well as the Queen of her kitchen, Martha prepared a sumptuous meal. Always ready to eat, Steve relaxed and prayed. Midway through, a sentence caught my attention, a simple but unexpected thought: “Thank you Lord for the grocery store down the street.” Now that’s simple enough! And forthright!
I would never have dared be that simplistic. Suddenly I was caught up in thought--a bit overwhelmed! Martha shops at a full-service Supermarket, a couple of blocks down University Drive. Makes sense, but Steve’s simple logic overwhelmed me. His thought came on like a bulldozer--simply overwhelming. It caused me to recall things I had been reading about.
A high percentage of third-world peoples live on less than two dollars a day. Multitudes around the globe exist with no clean running water--hot or cold. Globally, thousands die of starvation daily. Thoughts crashed into my busy consciousness, recreating an overwhelming sense of gratitude deep within. Steve‘s prayer suddenly made a great deal of sense!
We had just transitioned through a personally difficult year at our house, limited income, changing health insurance, critical health issues. Yet, our lives are NOT in shambles. Our home is NOT mortgaged underwater. WE HAVE hot and cold running water, with warm and comfortable heating. We do not live in fear of terrorism.
In spite of a limited income, we eat regularly from a well stocked pantry. Transitioning through the maise of health insurance coverages, we continue to enjoy health care that multitudes know not of in other places. In spite of an ill spouse, we still travel independently and remain able to contribute voluntary services.
We have each other, after 64 years, even if she happens to be spending the weekend in the hospital as I write. We have caring friends around the country with whom we maintain regular contact. Our Church Family truly enhances and enriches our lives.Yes, “Thank you Lord, ‘for the grocery store down the street!’” God is great; life is good!
Since that evening, we have become engrossed in watching the painful horrors of Haiti. God alone can correct such suffering, transform the corruption of Haiti’s economic and political life, and make some kind of sense out of such tragedy. I found a glimmer of hope watching the global community rally together. That is how God intends for all of us to behave, and I face the future with optimism knowing that God has people everywhere who are working passionately and intentionally to make God’s world a better place for all of His Creation.
Jim Sparks describes speaking in a University auditorium when the light and sound system began misbehaving. Auditiorium lights flickered, changed color, blinked off and on; the sound went off. Nothing Jim did at the podium seemed to change the situation. Later, he discovered a drama group in an upper level auditorium had technical difficulties that presented in the auditorium where Jim was speaking. There was a genuine battle going on behind the scenes, but it had nothing to do with Jim.
So it is in life. Behind the earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, and political battles, God is still calling us to help one another, bind up the wounded, share what we have with those who are without, and offer hope to all within our radius. God means for mankind to rally together and help those trashed and broken, without hope or help.
I pray the God of Grace and Glory forgive our selfish, warring, nationalistic ways. May He bind us together in our common humanity, and may we create relationships that enable us to express real gratitude to God, lift up one another, and enable each other to become all HE would make of us.
The father of a teenager knew the Commander of the Police Post and when it came time for the boy’s driving test, The big, burly Commander personally accompanied the youth on his driving test. He directed the youth into the traffic, so the boy pulled around the waiting line of test candidates, only to be halted by a very proper trooper.
The youth stopped. The officer stuck his head in the car to reprimand the boy, but recognizing his Commander he launched the boy on his way. Evil in our world remains a reality--spiritual warfare. It is not a dualism of two equal forces, however. The war is won; the battle is over. The Commanding Officer of the Kingdom of God is sitting in the seat beside us when we acknowledge the reality of Evil (sin) and submit to the sovereignty of Right (Godly control of our lives).
There is always something going on behind the scenes, suggests Jim Sparks, but I agree when he reminds me God reigns supreme…….
From Warner’s World
walkingwithwarner.blogspot.com
Wayne
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