So many questions; so much time?

Have you noticed “change” thrown around ad nauseum recently? While every presidential candidate has adopted “change” as a pivotal plank in each’s political platform, have they simultaneously underestimated each American’s ability to be the change they wish to see in their own lives? What will change in a year that Americans can’t change for themselves today (terraceadvocate@gmail.com)?

Regardless of the person elected: will a new health care system still allow some medical professionals to treat humans like cash cows? Should we expect any less when we ask them to play God but sue their pants off when they fail?

Will celebrity worship continually redefine the American Dream as an unattainable apex some will conquer while others crumble in their wake? Does every person need a personal bathroom, bedroom and entertainment center, or is this just what the Real Housewives of Orange County have redefined as “needs” for us? Have you seen the ads that depict the internet inaccessible cell phone user as a dog or the ones where the poor boob is persecuted by his friends for not seeing in HD?

Will we relentlessly enslave ourselves in an economy that relies upon daily pocket-purging in pursuit of the trophy given to he who dies with the most toys? Is it a mystery that our brains’ increasingly depend on medication to maintain sanity? Are brain difficulties increasing because of increased scientific recognition or because of the stress that accumulates questing for the impossible dream?

Will we repeatedly expect our teachers to educate our children into high-paying professions but scoff at them when they ask for raises that barely cover union dues? Why, when social status is determined by the amount of significant figures on our paycheck, do teachers have bottom-dweller status? If education was a top priority in our society, why do educators have to grovel for the proper classroom support necessary to educate the mentally-diverse in “regular” classrooms?

Will we constantly be baffled by youth who become more promiscuous earlier in life while their adolescent media mirrors – Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, the Olsen twins – develop into teenage sex symbols? Is Hannah Montana next? Is it coincidence that watching a High School Musical may turn you into a Desperate Housewife?

Will we add to the list of attributes – fat, ugly, weak, slow, unpopular, stupid, prude, poor – we judge ourselves by? Does it make any sense that students should be absent with fear from school because they lack new shoes? How long would you last as a loser and failure before you snapped?

Can’t we be the ones who make smarter decisions about our personal energy consumption? Can’t we empower our children to love the reflection in the mirror and not the ad in the magazine? Can’t we redefine the American Dream as one which satisfies a personally-defined happiness checklist and not one which drives us debt-ward to fulfill an expanding materialistic one? Can’t we do these things without feeling un-American? And can’t we do them now?

Yes we can.

Osteen … and beyond

First allow me to apologize for the delay in posting this message. The week’s been unbelievably busy. Fortunately I did take time Saturday night after the event to gather my thoughts and jot them into my journal. Here’s my reaction.

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10/20/07 – Well I didn’t choke, and for another thing, this certainly wasn’t a “Be rich as me,” event or message coming from Mr. Osteen. (As these blogs progress you may find a cynical undertone to some of my statements and then see them summarily debunked.) This wasn’t a message of flowers and roses and everything’s nice and pretty (was that a sentence?). This wasn’t a message of, “God wants you to be a billionaire!”

It wasa message of hope. It was of truth and pain and strength and purpose. Osteen did not profess that everything in life was meant to be easy or happy or strife-free. He may have admitted that God was unfair, although I may have misinterpreted him.

Mainly, I took this message as this: you can face obstacles in life two ways – with your head down like Eeyore expecting the worst or you can hold your head high and convince yourself that no matter what, the best will come of your situation, whatever it may be. I think too often we become easily burdened with thoughts of distress, and his message is certainly a wonderful combatant to those thoughts. In many ways he was more of an inspirational speaker or self-help guru than a preacher.

The other thing I needed to be reminded of was that I am my wife’s biggest motivator and encourager. This message came from Osteen’s wife Victoria. I don’t know why some people choose to get married, but I’ll guess that there is a small percentage who do so in order to make someone else’s life better (with divorce rates on the constant rise how can I think otherwise?). I know that’s what I love about my marriage, and I think that was the greatest reaffirmation and lesson for me on Saturday.

Prelude to an Osteen

I admit my feelings are mixed as I think about tomorrow’s events: seeing mega-preacher Joel Osteen at Madison Square Garden. Last week I watched the CBS 60 minutes interview with him. It may have been the first time I ever heard him speak or even saw him. I was not impressed, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. (Much of the broadcast did not concentrate on his message.) He seemed much like any other mega-preacher. Confident. Assured. Faith-driven. At-times emotional. Wealthy.

Yes, wealthy. I had to go there. Unfortunately that’s the big thing you come away with, or at least I did following a 15 minute segment. (It didn’t help that he was followed by 40 minutes of the exorbitant waste that is Dubai.) You see the arena he’s transformed into a “sanctuary,” although I think he’d use a different term. You see the home he’s built. You see the effects that go into his weekly broadcasts. You see the buckets that are passed and hear the amount he collects weekly, monthly, yearly.

See, I guess my problem is I don’t like rich people telling me that a faith as strong as theirs will bring joy, and wealth, and success to me as well. I have a hard time hearing a Christian or faith-full message from a very wealthy person.

And I can’t profess that I’ve really ever heard his message. Naturally the news stories focus on his wealth. And it is an odd scene to see people pass buckets of money up to a man whose job is to tell them to: remain faithful, and “God has a plan,” and “I pray this for you and ask for blessings on your family just as mine’s been blessed,” and basically watch them pay him an exorbitant salary.

Because how much money does one person really need? Osteen’s certainly not the poster-child for wealth, or careless spending, or typical Capitalist greed. But the image of wealth that exudes is the disconcerting part.

What kind of message can a person of wealth give to someone without? Especially when it is a faith-based message. I mean it sounds cheesy at times, but what would Jesus do?

Did material possessions mean anything to Jesus? Did Jesus ask for money from Andrew, John, Paul, Judas, etc. so he could load up on bread and fishes? Certainly I have money in a savings account, and every person accumulates in some way, shape or form. And I’d like some money set aside to support my baby when it comes and eventually buy a home for my family. But how much do I need?

And didn’t God “say” in the Bible anyway to give up everything and He would provide? How do Osteen and others look at their congregation of struggling people and take money from them? What services could he or they provide with so much money? How much of it actually goes back to the community that feeds him?

I’m not negative about Osteen. I am not regretting my decision to go see him, nor do I disrespect anything he’s done for hundreds or thousands of people in bad situations. I am curious. I want to know what he says. I want to know the basis for his message, and understand what he is. I have open eyes and ears and I’m waiting to be fed. I just hope I don’t choke on his words.

Is Mitt unfit?

This letter appeared in the October 15, 2007 issue of “Newsweek” magazine. It was written by Mitt Romney in response to a feature article which detailed the Mormon’s journey through the gauntlet that the Presidential race now is.

The Making of a Candidate

I am an American running for president, not a Mormon running for president, but I am also very proud of my faith. And I am not a cafeteria Mormon, choosing some parts to accept and reject — I am “true blue, through and through.” My family and I are better people and far happier than we would have been without our faith. It is puzzling that when NEWSWEEK looks at me (“A Mormon’s Journey: The Making of Mitt Romney,” October what you mostly see is a Mormon. I would have thought that more important to my potential presidency would be my record as a governor, 25-year business leader, Olympic CEO, father, husband — and American.

Mitt Romney

 Belmont, Mass

——————————————-

Now, as the saying goes, I don’t have a horse in this race. Once I started paying attention to politics with a truly analytical eye, I became disgusted with the amount of time spent on personal attacks and with the side-stepping of relevant issues.

But I singled out this particluar letter, not only because I discussed maintaining public faith with our high school fellowship group recently, but mainly because of Romney’s alarming tone and nearly blatant downplay of his Mormon faith.

Why is it so hard for people to stand tall on their faith?

I guess my impression of politicians should guide my answer here; I find them unwilling to stand firm on much of anything. But I think religion becomes the most muddled in the political arena because success in the arena relies on the ability to please the most people most of the time. And with faith and beliefs, and don’t see any room for … let’s say, convenient manipulation.

In Romney’s letter it is clear that he does not want to be known as a Mormon – and if so it is certainly not the first thing he wants mentioned. I’ll defend his perceived stance this way: his Mormon faith seems to be all I’ve heard about him, and I suppose he thinks his other credentials have become lost. But without being longwinded …

• What is wrong with being Mormon? I’m not proposing that Romney is ashamed to be a Mormon – in fact he states he is very proud of it. But what is the public’s fascination with this fact about him?

• Were we, or were we not a country founded by people because of religious persecution? Are we saying we have a national religion?

• Why can’t people be about faith? Meaning – why can’t Romney’s Mormonism be what he is known for? Why do politicans have to lobby for the “religious vote”? Are they really talking to us about the things they believe in, or just believing in things that’ll get them votes?

• Do we really live lives that reflect the things we believe?

  • How many Christians really, truly, love every single neighbor as they love themselves?
  • And who are their neighbors anyway?
  • Does their neighborhood stop at the end of the block or town?
  • Are Canadians, and Mexicans, and Europeans, and Asians our neighbors?
  • If politicians loved their neighbors, why are there so many attack ads on television?
• Why do we all have to believe exactly the same thing everyone else believes?

• What is it about faith honesty that is so terrifying?

Romney says there are other things more important than his faith when it comes to the presidency. If that’s true, then what is his faith good for anyway? If our faith doesn’t make us love people, if it isn’t strong enough to guide our life decisions, if it’s only used to collect constituents and make friends … well I don’t know how to finish that thought.

I don’t understand the point of faith, then, if we can use it when we wish or when it’s safe, or shut it off or hide it when others may question it. I thought beliefs came from your heart and soul. If they don’t make us do everything we do, if they don’t guide our every decision, what is their point?

 

Andrew Tufts

 Wall, NJ

Why God?

This is a post from my personal journal, written 6/27/06. I penned this while on my honeymoon in St. Lucia. At the time I was reading Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. The novel describes the journey of a shipwrecked boy, Pi, rendered family-less in a lifeboat with animals from his family’s zoo. While at sea, Pi discusses religious questions and we see how his faith keeps him going through this “interesting” and harrowing ordeal.

One issue which is eluded to in the entry is the alcoholism of an acquaintance. At the time of this writing, a benefit was being held at a local pub for this person who passed out drunk under a friend’s car and was subsequently run over by the friend who was attempting to drive home drunk. Fortunately, he was not killed, but his legs were left barely operable and he regained mobility after much surgery and therapy.

During the past week I saw the person at a local event, and his state was probably comperable to his state the night of the accident. Though lucky not to be paralyzed, let alone alive, the person drunkenly maneuvered himself with a walker and the help of a friend (who was also drunk). Apparently this is life for this person now, and regardless of his unfortunate situation and the reasons he is in this condition, nothing has changed. It is something I can not understand.

I guess …

because faith is not clean and shiny, as Pi states on pg. 55: “with shine and power and might. Such as can rescue and save and put down evil.” Faith is dirty. It is risky. It demands uneasiness. God is love because when a friend is sick from alcohol, we don’t pound a vodka and share his pain. We stand next to him when he chooses the next time not to drink. We help him thru his rough time. We take the punches when others dish them out. We will not be a changed people by succumbing to the wills of evil. We will be changed when we stand up to evil and take the punishment for the greater good. We cannot stop children from progressively becomming younger and younger participants in the sex arena by acting inappropriately ourselves. We cannot protect friends from drunk driving by hosting the party he became drunk at. God took the keys from man, essentially, and drove the car into the tree himself.

Andrew Tufts

Jesus Christ!

This was an email I sent to Chuck while visiting my wife’s family in Florida during the passing of her grandmother Fran. The email was influenced by discussions I had had with a youth I mentored for his confirmation. Chuck and I are constantly trying to make relationships with Jesus real, and this email was in response to the questions “How?” and “Who is Jesus?”

Andrew Tufts

Jesus Christ!

Hey Chuck,

Being on the road makes it difficult to keep up with you, but I got your email from a few days ago about the kids’ Jesus issues and I couldn’t agree with you more. Talking to Ryan has shown me that. Some of the high school days, when asked the same question, respond with answers like, “He is a model for my life.” I think most believe that Jesus is a model for us, but don’t understand what He is modeling. Since I’m not a Christian scholar, from everything I gathered about Jesus’ time, there are many similarities between then and now which I may or may not be correct about. People (tax collectors, for example) took advantage of others for their own gain. Religious leaders were pompous and acted like they were better than the everyday person. Jews were dirt(?). Lepers were banished from the community (even though everyone became sick at some level at some point). Adulterers were stoned (even though the men got off scot free and others committed the same crimes but weren’t caught). People sold out their neighbors if it gave them a leg up, like many of His disciples did when Jesus was tried. (Do unto others?)

Basically, people were after their own gain. People did not look out for the common man. And I (like you and Bob) think, more than anything, Jesus said love each other. He said we are all flawed, and accepting that will only bring us closer together. It will make our lives easier because we have more people holding us up, supporting and caring for us.

In today’s world, we are judged against ridiculous standards. Popularity is promoted and those who are unpopular are banished from the community. Kids are, dare I say, encouraged to get into sexual acts earlier and earlier and those that resist a sexual lifestyle are considered prude and uncool. (Why did I ever think prude was such a stigma? I’m glad I was prude.) We are insulted when we are made fun of by people but in order to get back in the graces of some groups we have to make fun of others and instill the same ridicule that we felt.

Christ has to live because the battle against the unloving is not over, in fact it is stronger than ever (hello terrorists and Brittany Spears). Christ had to rise and has to rise again because if He is dead then so is the fight against the unloving. Christ has to live in every one of us because two heads are stronger than one (and she told two friends, and she told two friends, and she told two friends).

I gotta drive. Maybe that helped a little. Maybe it was just a good statement of faith for me. See you Sunday night.

 

aNdy

A Prayer To The Holy Spirit

This is being shared by a Roman Catholic parishioner, thankful for healing of a traumatic wound.  This individual is very dear to me, and I admire their life-long unwavering faith.  My gift to them is the posting of this prayer.

Chuck Gianakos, Founder
Two Guys And A Message

“A Prayer To The Holy Spirit”

 

Holy Spirit, You who made me see everything and showed me the way to reach my ideal.  You, who gave me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and You, who are in all instances of my life with me.  I, in this short dialogue want to thank You for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from you no matter how great the material desire may be.  I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory.  Amen.

Thank you for your love towards me and my loved ones.

Persons must pray the prayer three consecutive days without asking your wish.  After third day, wish will be granted no matter how difficult it may be.  Then promise to publish this dialogue as soon as this favor is granted.

 

I will never stop trusting in God and His power.

CMP