THE SHOT CALLER, by Casey Diaz with MIke Yorkey

This is a memoir about one man's experience and his ultimate redemption. Nicky Cruz writes the Forward for this book. Casey, the author, writes a short note. Casey spreads his actual content throughout 16 chapters. Casey includes a section which lists Bible verses that speak to him personally. He follows this with Acknowledgements. This is followed by bios of Casey and Mike Yorkey, his "ghost writer." Finally, Casey ends all this with an invitation to have him speak at events, and information about how to book him at these events. Casey Diaz was born in El Salvador and is the son of immigrant parents. He is a former gang member. Now he owns his own company and teaches at his local church. He shares his story all over the United States. Mike Yorkey is a the author, co-author, editor, or collaborator of one hundred books.

We are dealing with the issue of immigration. This book brings that issue to mind for me, though the trust of this book is not on any issue but on the author's life experience. I found the book exciting, inspiring and challenging. I felt badly about the author's childhood experiences, his lack of a father figure and the hellish abuse he and his other experienced. The author, a son of immigrants, is a former leader of a stereotyped MS-13 gang. I was happy for the author, as he experience a miraculous conversion to Christ in prison. Following that, his Christian life reads like the modern book of Acts. I find myself wishing that God would reveal Himself like this to more people. But I know better. While the author was able to lead multiple gang members to Christ, it seems that his father never came to know Christ. Sadly, the author is unclear if either his mom or dad came to know Jesus. And it's also unclear if the author came to experience a close relationship with his mother, let alone his father. Sadly, though the author may not intend it to do so, this book plays into the "far right" narrative that immigrants are typically violent thugs.

I recommend this book for any prison inmate. It should be in every prison library. Though racism is not the focus of this book, I recommend this book for all pastors, church leaders, and Christians who want to confront the issue of racism and the church.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of this book. I was not required to give this book a positive review.

JESUS, FRIEND OF SINNERS, by Rich Wilkerson, Jr.

JESUS, FRIEND OF SINNERS, is a spiritual motivational book. Rich Wilkerson, Jr, the author, formats his content in three parts and ten chapters. He begins with an Introduction. Then he follows with the content. Wilkerson ends with an Author Bio and a page of a few notes. This book is in a simple format. Rich Wilkerson, Jr., is pastor of a church, along with his wife. Together, they pastor a congregation in Florida. Rich founded a Conference called VOUS, which serves to encourage faith, creativity, and diversity in Miami. He is author of several books, including SANDCASTLE KINGS: MEETING JESUS IN A SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT WORLD.

I found this book pretty much what I expected in a book of this title. The Jesus I saw portrayed in it is compassionate, tenderhearted, forgiving, gracious, and merciful. I saw how the book's aim is not only to "comfort the afflicted but to afflict the comfortable." Rich Wilkerson spends ample time portraying the undeserved, unconditional love of Jesus for each one of us, no matter who we are or what we have done. But he spends roughly equal time on our need to reflect this love in how we treat other, for He loves others with the same kind of love as HE loves us. Indeed, the Bible strikes this balance. Absent from this book, unlike in Scripture, are any mentions of Divine wrath or justice because of human sin and evil. AS I can attest, it is far easier to know about than to know this Divine love. It is aptly said that the hardest 18 inches are the distance between head and heart. The aim of this author is to bridge that gap.

I recommend this book for everyone. I especially recommend it for pastors who find it easier to preach the law, justice, Divine wrath, rather than God's grace in Christ. I recommend this book for any non-believer who is curious about Jesus and Who He is. I recommend this book especially for all believers who lean more toward legalism (especialy those of us who have been raised in the Church).

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review of this book.

Good Friday to Easter

          Whether you observe the Easter holidays, the Passover holidays or don't observe either, I'm sure that you're aware that many people of faith observe a holiday season known as "Holy Week," which includes Good Friday and climaxes with what is commonly known as Easter. You may know or not know what Good Friday and Holy Saturday are all about the focus on the death of a Person known as Jesus, the Son of God, though you may or may not know what this means.
          Why is Good Friday called that, anyway? This is the day that Christian tradition has set aside specifically to focus on the the Person of Christ, God the Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity and to focus on the events surrounding His death. And His death was by a method called crucifixion. Today, the cross is a lovely symbol for countless churches and is a pretty emblem on countless necklaces and earrings or is often used as a symbol in countless other ways in the arts. Historically, though, crucifixion on a cross was the most horrific, painful, degrading method of execution known to humanity. It was reserved in Bible days for the worst of the worst of criminals and anyone who was executed this way was counted as "cursed."
          What does this mean to you? you may well wonder.
          First of all, let's get into the most comforting truth that the events surrounding His death show how completely God, because of Jesus, is so able to identify with anything and everything we may have suffered in life. He may not have suffered your specific trial but he has experienced the range of feelings that go with what you may have or are going through. For example, have you been misunderstood? All of us have. Many of us, because of how we are wired, because of our experiences, or because of what we do, are more subject to being misunderstood than others and know all too well the pain of knowing that people don't "get" us. God in Christ knows exactly the feeling of the sting and loneliness of being misunderstood, even by those closest to Him. The Jews of His day expected a Messiah Who would be warlike, pompous, political and to overthrow their oppressors, establishing an earthly kingdom. Generally speaking, most of the Jews didn't "get" Jesus in His day. They didn't, at all, "get" a Person who claimed to be God but who was peaceful, gentle, ordinary-looking, unpretentious and Who stressed that He came not to be served but to serve and to set up His Kingdom, spiritually speaking, in people's lives and hearts. How dare this Jesus claim equality with God the Father? This was why they (with the full co-operation of the Roman authorities of that day) had Him crucified in the first place! And when they saw and participated in all the events leading up to His death, they certainly didn't, at all, "get" a God Who would allow Himself to be arrested like a criminal and then to die the most horrific form of death then known to man, crucifixion. They saw Him hang in between two criminals and remain on that cross until He put Himself into His Father's hands. What kind of a God would do these things? So if you are one who lives with the feeling that people can't or won't "get" you, God, because of Jesus, knows just what that feels like. And then some.
          Have you been betrayed by someone you once trusted and invested much in? God in Christ has experienced this fully. One of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Him to the authorities who arreested Him and had Him crucified. Judas, like the other 11 disciples, has the wonderful privilege of being physically close to God the Son for several years. He got to interact with Jesus in countless different ways, saw His miracles, His acts of love and compassion for people and the the clearest, most accurate expression of God in human form. Judas must have been initially devoted to and loved Christ or else he would not have followed Him in the first place, leaving his home to follow a man who claimed to be the Messiah and adopt the life of a homeless person. But in the course of time, his experience in being the group's treasurer and his access to the group's funds, tempted him to greed and he eventually succumbed to the love of money. Sadly, greed eroded what faith Judas had and then he betrayed Jesus. And because of Jesus, God can feel the devastation of being "burned" by betrayal.
          Human trafficking? We have been becoming more and more aware of the different forms of the way that humans are trafficked, whether into sex slavery, black market adoptions, domestic servitude, bride trafficking and more. Because of Jesus, God knows what it's like to be sold like a commodity. In Christ, He was sold for 30 pieces of silver to the authorities, Unspeakable depravity! So if you are an advocate against human trafficking and are even a survivor, God can, because of Jesus, fully understand you.
          Rejected? God in Christ knows all about the awful experience of being rejected. All of us have experienced rejection in some form or other. Some of us have experienced more of rejection than others, because of the people we have dealt with, because of how we are made or because of what we do. Rejection comes in all shapes and sizes but it always hurts. Feeling rejected has motivated countless suicides and crimes and is behind countless forms of addiction and mental health and emotional problems. Jesus was rejected, especially during the final years of His earthy life. The Jewish people shunned Him because He didn't, as I already mentioned, fit their criteria for a Messiah. They were livid that He hung out with and cared for non-Jews (bear in mind that at that time, the Jews were not marginalized like now, but were seen as the superior race), corrupt and immoral people, sick or disabled people, the poor, children, women and others who were counted as "rejects." The events of and surrounding His death, by definition, are the ultimate form of rejection. They wanted to have Him eliminated. Because of Jesus, God knows all about rejection.
          Verbally abused? The old saying "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me" is false. We all know that words can and do hurt and that often, they can scar us for life, emotionally. God in Christ, throughout His last years on Earth as a human, experienced terrible verbal abuse. He was called a "liar," an "evil person," a "glutton," a drunkard," a "foreigner," the "devil," "Satan" and much more. His enemies, the Jewish religious leaders, often said nasty things to him or about Him to others. They lived to make His life hellish. He was cursed, taunted and trashed. So many of us have had things said to us and about us, things that, even when forgiven, can never be forgotten and that will stay with us throughout life. Because of Jesus, God knows what this is like. And more.
          Physically abused? Upon his betrayal and arrest, God in Christ was hellishly abused beyond imagination. People spit on Him to show their total contempt for Him. They put a crown of thorns on His head for mockery and to maximize His pain before He even made it to His execution. They hit His back, over and over, with whips. Long before He made it to His cross, He was in excrutiating physical pain, lost much blood and His body was much weakened by all this hellish abuse. He was forced, at least part of the way, to carry His cross. And wood is heavy, as you probably know. And then nails were driven through His hands (or wrists) and feet (or ankles) to make for excruciating physical pain beyond human imagination. He suffered physically in every way and then experienced death, the ultimate in abuse.
          Sexually abused? Statistics tell us that countless children, both boys and girls, are sexually abused and often families don't report it or when it is reported, law enforcement haven't been helpful. And there are all the adults that experience sexual abuse. And sexual abuse doesn't include only forcible rape but comes in many different forms. Because of Jesus, God knows what this feels like. He hung on His cross totally naked and in public and was taunted throughout. His dignity was totally stripped from Him during those hours. Because of Jesus, God knows what it is like to be violated and degraded and shamed.
          Falsely accused? He Who was totally innocent and without the slightest fault or sin, was accused of the ultiimate evil, that of treason against His people and blasphemy, all because of His claim to be the Messiah and because He didn't fit the people's criteria for what their Messiah should be like. He was treated like the worst of all criminals and was executed in the worst way of that time. Many of us have been falsely accused of things we never did and many have been wrongfully charged, prosecuted, imprisoned and even executed for crimes. Many parents and other caregivers have been falsely accused of abuse and have lost children by court order or have been sent to prison. God in Christ knows fully what it's like to be falsely accused of crimes that He never did.
          Lost a child? Because of Jesus, God knows the unimaginable pain and tremendous pain of losing a beloved child. He suffered this loss when His Son was dying on a cross; He can fully identify with all of those among you who have been unfortunate enough to have lost a child.
          Do you fear death? God in Christ actually died a real death. But, unlike every other person, He fully pre-meditated, planned and orchestrated His own death down do the smallest detail.one of the events in His life, including those surrounding His death, took Him by surprise. He did it all willingly and on purpose. And why did He do all this? Well, God is infinitely holy, according to the Scriptures. Compared to His holiness, all of us are, in His sight, sinners. He could not just let us off. Someone had to pay our debt. That's where His Earth-visit, in Christ, comes in. So, instead of punishing us and destroying us outright, He, in Christ, came to our Earth at one point in time, was conceived as a fetus, was born a baby, and then lived the perfect human life that we could never live. Then He died in our place to satisfy His own demands of justice so that each of us who wants a relationship with Him, can come to Him by means of Christ.
           But this isn't the end! He came back to life. This is what Easter is all about. The Scripture provides stories to illustrate that Jesus rose in the same body that He walked in before His death with details and evidence that would hold up in any court of law. If you have time and access to the Scriptures, I recommend checking out at least some of the material below to see for yourself.
        
  If you have a Bible or access to one, you can read about it more:

Matthew 26:47 to Matthew 27:66 and Matthew 28: 1-20
Mark 14:43 to Mark 15:47 and Mark 16: 1-20
Luke 22:47 to Luke 23:58 and Luke 24: 1-50
John 18 to John 19:42 and John 20: 1-50 to John 21: 1-25.
  

The Fiscal Cliff

Months ago, as I have been doing more often, I logged into Facebook and was reading and examining the day's posts that had streamed into my Newsfeed. I read one post where the person expressed frustration with those in this person's network who were "spewing hate toward" and "discriminating against" millionaires and billionaires. The poster of this status exhibited concern that we were mentally categorizing people into categories, like rich and poor, and that wealth wasn't evil and that possessing it did not make anyone evil. Comments the person received in response indicated that that others agreed that the entitlement mentality is frequent among both those with wealth and among those facing poverty but especially among the "haves." I know that there is, statistically speaking, a small but substantial minority who, according to polls, oppose increasing taxes on anyone making $250,000. There are hardcore Conservatives in politics who oppose any tax increases on anyone who is wealthy, even millionaires or billionaires. The reasoning? "It is their money; they should be able to keep it and it is wrong to punish success. And they are the job creators."

I agree with the poster of that status that wealth is morally neutral, not good or evil, that wealth itself does not make anyone wrong or evil and that we have the moral obligation to value and look at every person based on who they are and not on personal qualities, including wealth or poverty. And I agree with those who commented that wrong attitudes toward money are found among both the "haves" and the "have nots." The Bible makes it clear, from cover to cover, that money itself is not evil but the love of it is the root of all forms of evil. Money and wealth can be terrible traps and sources of temptation. Greed for riches can sink people into the deepest kinds of human depravity known to humanity, not to mention that it can make is vulnerable to scams and even crime, whether as participants or as victims. And poverty doesn't make anyone immune to greed. Should the wealthy, who have $$$ to spare and would not miss these $$$ in the first place, be able to keep their "excess" when we as a country are on the verge of financial ruin? Asking them to contribute their share to prevent our country from going "under" and protecting those among us who are vulnerable, does not constitute "punishing success" in my book. It is only justice. Economic justice. Human rights.

In terms of discrimination, though, the Bible is far more concerned about discrimination against those facing poverty than "reverse" discrimination against wealthy people. This is because the "have nots," by definition, are much more vulnerable because of they have many more needs and have far fewer options, than those who have money and wealth. As for a "middle-class," this seems to be a modern cultural construct and the Bible seems to see only "haves" and "have nots." As for wealth, it usually brings with it power and prestige and the means to lay hold of countless opportunties which can only be accessed by money or capital. Those fortunate "1 percent," of course, are just as likely to face illness, sorrow, death, and other losses just as much as anyone else, for many tragedies are also "equal opportunity destroyers." However, high-income people usually have many more options, tools and resources with which to deal with what they and their families may face. A wealthy person who has a missing loved one, for example, usually has the money, the social connections and the prestige that are essential to gain media exposure and awareness for that loved one and this greatly increases the odds for that loved one being found. Families without wealth have limited options and money for awareness and must deal not only with the nightmare of a missing loved one but with struggling to gain and keep awareness for their loved one. And a wealthy person, diagnosed with cancer, can usually access far more and better health care options, like state-of-the-art and cutting edge cancer care treatments. Superior health care greatly increases their chances for survival and for their cancer to remain in remission. The "have nots," however, have not only the devastation of a cancer diagnosis but the worry of how to obtain and keep getting cancer treatment, and the worry of out-of-pocket costs. Many do not have insurance at all. It's a well-known fact that health care providers often treat private pay patients better than those with insurance, especially if it's government-funded. And the quality of and access to health care will probably affect the outcome of any cancer patient.
This brings me to the twin proposals to continue tax breaks for the millionaires and billionaires while at the same time making proposals for spending cuts on programs and services that can have devastating effects on the middle-class and the poor. These spending cuts would be made to education, grants for needy college students, domestic violence protection and shelters, rape crisis centers, law enforcement, health care, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, disability services, postal services, and other vital services that are vital to our lives and well-being. We all should be deeply concerned about and angry at the sheer injustice of tax breaks (and hefty ones at that) for millionaires and billionaires while spending cuts are being proposed that could force so many less fortunate people to have to sacrifice even more than they are already giving up! Supporters of these tax cuts for the "super-rich" have long argued that the "haves" are the job creators on whom the entire economy hangs and that tax breaks provide incentives for them to create jobs and rewards them for stimulating the economy so they will continue to create jobs and hire more people. Supporters have also contended that all this should "trickle down" to the rest of us. And they argue that wealth and success should not be punished. These arguments seem to make sense until one looks deeper. Years of tax cuts have not induced these "job creators" to generate more jobs and they haven't prevented massive lay-offs, an economy on the brink of ruin, or "trickled down" to most of the rest of us. These tax cuts have not done what they were supposed to do! Why should the government take from the middle-class and the poor when most can't afford to lose $$$ out of their pockets, and give even more $$$ to the super-wealthy, who don't need it in the first place?! Shouldn't those who have profitted from a way of life, as President Barack Obama asked earlier in the year, be asked to pay more? Isn't this only fair? Aren't we yet sick and tired of the simmering anger, frustration and even rage at a government that most have lost trust in and respect for?

The case for millionaires and billionaires being required to pay, percentagewise out of their gross incomes, as high a tax amount as the middle-class already pay, is that of moral obligation and the Biblical principle that "From him to whom much has been given, much will be required." So I find the arguments of the supporters for the "Bush tax cuts" to not only be in conflict with Biblical principles but also violate common sense. None of us who oppose tax cuts for the "super wealthy" wants to punish wealthy people, especially all those who have gotten their wealth from talent and hard work. It's just that we are living in a time when many, even most people are are being hit hard by this economy. Many are losing their jobs, losing their homes, surviving on fixed incomes or low-paying, dead-end jobs and many more fear unemployment, homelessness or losing access to government programs that they need to survive. And they are being asked to bear even MORE costs through spending cuts? It is wrong, unjust and cruel to require struggling and hurting middle-class and poor families and individuals to bear the devastation of spending cuts that would hurt them and AT THE SAME TIME sustain give even MORE $$$ in tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires!
Over and over, I have been confused, frustrated, disturbed and angry at the apparent lack of concern about and outrage over the proposed continuing of tax breaks for the wealthy and spending cuts that would affect the rest of us. Several times, when I have circulated petitions on Facebook calling for an end to tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, I have actually gotten negative responses to the petitions. Recently, one person, vehemently, commented in the comment area under my petition, that the rich are the "job creators," that taxing them more would hurt everyone else, that this person came from a family of successful people who got their success through hard work and how dare petitions like mine seek to punish families like this person's? All I know is that such an attitude is in stark contrast to that of the US President, Obama, who has gone on record as saying that he is willing to have his own taxes be raised and that all those, like him, who possess more wealth than most should pay more taxes to level the playing field for all of us in the arena of sacrifice.

Lest we forget, the hostility to ending tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires is in stark contrast to the attitude of God in His Son, Jesus. Christ, the richest Being in the world, with access not only to all Heavenly wealth and the worship of all the angels but Who also is the ultimate owner of all things on this Earth, at one time, became poor for all of us. He left Heaven and came to our Earth. He grew up in a poor family and as an adult, he was homeless and faced hunger and thirst and a humiliating death on a cross to save us from sin and its punishment. Then He was rewarded with a historical, bodily resurrection. Friends, whatever the outcome is with the proposed spending cuts and the co-proposed continued "Bush tax cuts," we can be assured that the God of the Bible identifies with the middle-class and the poor and that He truly feels our pain.

In the meantime, we ought to stand with President Obama, whatever we feel about him and unite behind him in his advocacy on behalf of those "99 percent of us" who are among the middle-class or even facing poverty. Only a united country can be healed from its ills. If we continue to be polarized we will continue to see our epidemics of all the evils that continually make the news, including violence, crimes of all sorts, unemployment, poverty, and so much more. If you have not hear the President's April 3 speech, you can do to this link and get an idea what it was about at this link: http://www.cbpp.org/. Or do a Google search for the April 3 speech from earlier this year.

Anyone who follows the news should be aware of the "fiscal cliff" debate that has been raging for months. In a nutshell, the "fiscal cliff" is a comprehensive package of across-the-board spending cuts and tax increases that would, more or less, hurt every person in the US with the exception of millionaires and billionaires and those with substantial savings. All of these hurtful spending cuts and tax increases are set to take effect by Tuesday, January 1, 2013, if Congress does not act promptly and come up with a deal. My hope is that they will arrive at some kind of deal within the next few days for the good not only of the US but of our allies all over the world who look up to us and whom we trade with. What will it take to finally unite both Houses of the US Congress and us as a country? When will we wake up?

Our Hearts Cry Out

Dear God and Father:

You know the terrible things that have happened today and that have ruined many lives forever;

You know the extreme trauma of everyone who has been in many way affected by the mass murders and shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School;

Those of us who follow the news have been made painfully aware of the many details of this terrible unfolding horror that continues to deveop;

We cannot help but ask ourselves (and maybe You) where have You been when that MONSTER went into that school to accomplish his SICK deeds?!

But we know that while this kind of SICK CRIME is even more repulsive to You as a Holy God than to us sinful humans, that You choose to honor people's choices;

You respect our sinful choices even when they are totally contrary to everything that You are and to everything that You value;

While we may feel relieved, even happy, that the gunman is dead because apparently he killed himself, he is a person who was at one point, a cute little boy himself; he grew into a twisted individual who committed an act which killed innocent people including 18 children!

Our hearts are broken and with Your love which is perfect and infinite, Your heart is even more broken than ours!

We ask when will there EVER be an end to all these horrible tragedies (crimes actually) where so many innocent lives are taken so senselessly?

The root of this problem actually is centuries old and since Eve gave Adam the fruit which he ate in the Garden of Eden. You so clearly declare that SIN is to blame for all evils and certainly for horrific acts like this.

Over and over mass shootings like this and all "cases" ought to show us just how steeped in sin all of us are and how much each of us needs a Savior to deliver us from sin, its consequences and its power;

Already I am hearing debates on "gun control" and You know that while the easy availability of guns is a BIG contributing factor in shooting crimes of all kinds, that there are multiple causes starting in the human heart;

Every time something like this happens, we cry out that SOMETHING needs to be done and that new laws need to get passed; however, You know that the solution (s) to this is complex and starts in what happens in the human heart were no laws can touch or change;

We are asking what can we do to help? First of all, we are to talk to You about this and lift up EVERYONE affected by this awful mass shooting;

For the 27 families who have lost loved ones in such a devastating way (20 children and 7 adults), wrap Your arms of love and compassion around them especially throughout the holidays and well after; surround them with all the resources, guidance, support and comfort they will need from Your people and from the community-at-large, to get through this horror;

Help these devastated families, whose lives are forever ruined and who will carry the scars from this for life, to slowly heal. For the children who have survived this and whose innocence has been ripped from them, I pray that they especially will be given all the support, care, guidance and love they will need for healing and wholeness. I pray this for all the other survivors of this horror, including the first responders llike law enforcement and other emergency persons;

For all the other directly affected, who were in that building, I pray that You will reach them, each one of them. Help each of them heal; give them all the resource, support and care they will need to heal from this trauma and as long as they will need it;

For those who have sustained physical injuries and who are receiving medical treatment, touch them with Your healing power in body, mind and soul and also fill them with Your peace and Your hope;

For the family of the shooter and of any others involved, please help them especially in light of public suspicion and the stigma of being so closely linked with the MONSTER who did this; heal them and give them the courage and grace to allow justice to be done for the families of the victims and the survivors and help them deal with what are doubtless feelings of much grief and also guilt;

I know that as hated as this shooter is, that he too is a person Whom You sent Your Son Jesus to die for and that if he calls on You to save his soul and to forgive him, that he can be saved by the same grace that saves all of us who are united to You by faith;

We all ask, Why did he do it? when awful crimes like this are done, but You know that it all starts in the human heart, when anger, hate and jealousy are held within and are not dealt with; if we humans are honest with ourselves we all are forced to admit that the seed of these emotions exist in us and that it is what we DO with them that counts;

The national discussion on laws like more effective gun control, have already begun but we know that even with tougher gun laws, that the root cause (s) would not be addessed; help us do as the President has said, to "Come together and take action";

But the kind of actions he was no doubt referring to are not enough; help us all to reach out to others with empathy, kindness, campassion and care so that those in our lives will be less likely to feel desperate enough to do rash things like what was done today that ruin lives forever ad that CANNOT be undone;

Give us parents, grandparents and teachers and others who work with or care for children, the guidance, motivation and courage to help our children to heal from this national trauma and to grow into people of responsibility, empathy, compassion and character;

Give law enforcement and others involved in the ongoing investigation of what actually happened, all the time, resources and privacy they will need to do an accurate, thorough investigation for the sake of the survivors and the families and to bring the person (s) responsible to justice;

For all of those survivors and families affected by past school shootings who no doubt are being retraumatized by what happened today and as it all unfolds, I pray that You give them the grace and the strength to deal with their emotions;

Sadly we know that what happened today will probably not be the last shooting but give all of us the motivation, guidance and the courage to do our parts to make this a more caring, welcoming world where people will be much less likely to feel driven to "snap" in these horrific ways;

We thank You that in spite of all appearances to the contrary and though it now seems like evil and the bad guys are "calling the shots," that You are in control and one day the victory and the vindication will be Yours and justice will reign; thank You that You are able to bring good even out of bad things. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Wishes

What do you want for Christmas or Hanukah (or whatever you observe the holidays as)? you may ask of others. Many of us parents may, for greater ease of reference when holiday shopping, request that our children make out their "wish lists." True, especially if we have limited financial resources to work with or are on budgets, we have no intention on getting everything, even most of the items, we see on such wish lists. A couple of years ago, when my nephew who is close to our daughter, was asked to create his wish list, he wowed us with his list. For it was so long and contained so many items that he took a number of sheets of paper and taped them together! Of course, we could grant only a few wishes on his list and he understood that. A well-known nonprofit organization has been built on and named after granting wishes, year-round, for terminally ill children. We often hear people, normally adults, frame their holiday wishes to underscore their year-round passions or things we should all be wishing for. And what is so special about one time of the year that we should want something that we would not want at any other time of the year?

There are many people whose life circumstances are such that their desires have become singular and focused, even though they want many things. But they have a focused desire; they want "one thing." It is the thing that they care most about, whether because of tragedy or because it is something that they have invested much of themselves in.

What do people with all kinds of severe, chronic, or terminal illnesses, want? Physical health, healing and life. Their suffering, pain and the uncertainty of their very existence has reduced them to this passionate, all-consuming desire.

What do military troops and their families, who are often physically separated by being in different countries or even continents and who may wonder if they will even see each other again, want? They want to be re-united. The loneliness and agony of separation has focused their desire on this one thing that can end all this.

What do people living with addictions want? Though it may seem to them and to us that they want to satisfy their addictions, whether to drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, food, or other addictions, what they really want is to be free of their addictions and to be free to deal with and to be healed of the underlying issues that fuel their addictions.

What do families of victims (especially murder victims) and victims and survivors of a host of crimes want to see? They yearn for justice, answers and vindication. The sheer agony and pain of what has happened to them and which never should have happened in the first place, has made their hearts cry out for this as their single heart's desire.

What do people of faith, worldwide, who face severe persecution because of their faith, desire? They want to be empowered to serve their God. Even more than religious freedom, they want the support and resources that the free world can provide, including Bibles and other Christian or equivalent literature or resources. The very reason for their persecution being their passion and devotion to serving their God, this has reduced such heroic individuals to desiring to be empowered and supported above all else.

What do people hungry people, especially those living with severe and even life-threatening hunger, want? Food! Of course. But the sad and tragic fact is, especially in areas like Africa, millions die of starvation without this all-consuming desire being met!

What do thirsty people, especially those living with severe and even life-threatening thirst or who have no access to safe drinking water, yearn for? Water! Of course. But here too, the sad and tragic fact is that, epecially in Africa, millions likewise die of dehydration or from the effects of unsafe drinking water and this all-consuming desire is not met!

What does an unborn child, especially one conceived to an abortion-minded or abortion-vulnerable family, yearn for? Life! Reasearch shows that, during abortions, especially late-term abortions, the unborn child will fight mightily to live. The video by Dr. Bernard Nathanson, "The Silent Scream," is sound evidence of this fact. This makes abortion not only a trauma for those left behind but a human rights abuse of the unborn child.

What does an abused child want? To be free of abuse! The sheer helplessness and hopelessness
of their situations has reduced them to this singular yearning. Ideally, the yearning is that those who are the only ones they know, would stop the abusing. Child removal is traumatic but should a child remain with abusive parents who will not reform their ways?

What do families with missing loved ones want? Above all things, they want to see their loved ones come home; they want answers! Even if the outcome is not what they yearn for, they yearn even more for answers. Ideally, they want to see their loved one come home safe. But the sheer uncertainty and agony of not knowing drives them to crave this one thing above all else. Even a proper burial and seeing their loved one be honored and remembered as well as knowing what has happened to them, in preferable to remaining in limbo.

What do couples struggling with infertility and the effort to bear children, want? Children. The anguish and the emotional pain of not being able to obtain what so many others gain without any effort on their part, has reduced these couples to this one focused desire.

What does a homeless person want? A roof over his or her head. The indignity and fear and the drive just to survive every minute, makes their hearts cry out for one thing. But it will not come to them through handouts but by the hand that provides them with life skills and job skills training as well as job opportunities and education.

What do many aging people, especially in our free world, want? Respect. The rudeness, insensitivity and even abuse that so many are treated with in our youth-worshiping culture, has caused many of our seniors to yearn for the respect and honor that most of them deserve.

What do many pastors want? Unity in their congregations. Gossip, inner dissension and infighting, divisions and church splits, cause pastors heartbreak. Their anguish causes so many pastors to yearn for this one thing.

What do people with special needs of all ages and their families want? Acceptance and support from others. More than for cures, treatments or therapies, people with disabilities and their families yearn for one thing, acceptance and to be and feel welcome. The intolerance, stigma, misunderstanding and lack of accommodations most deal with make their hearts cry out just to be welcome and accepted and to be seen as people who can and do contribute to others.

If you are regularly online on Facebook and your settings, default or otherwise, have not blocked my posts from your view, you have seen my posts telling you that my Christmas wish or holiday wish is to see new signatures and ongoing promotion of my Change.org petition calling for comprehensive services for those with suspected or diagnosed autism spectrum disoders in the US. This is my single holiday wish because there is a pressing need for such services and because I am one individual who cannot make this petition's success happen on my own. For any petition to be successful, many people need to proactively circulate it and promote it among their own contacts so it will gather more and more signatures above and beyond what a petition creator can do. This is what I would like to see happen with my petition.

There are no doubt others who want "just one" thing" not covered here, but for the sake of space and because they are not coming to mind now, I will not cover them here. But what does God want? It would be easy to say that He wants world peace. And He does. But more than anything else, He wants us to be at peace with him through coming to know Him through His Son, Jesus. He wants us to ask Him to forgive us for our wrongs and to trust Him to save us through what Jesus has done for us in coming to Earth, being born as man, living a perfect life, dying for us and returning to life. By being at peace with God, we will be at peace with each other and this will bring about world peace.

Have you granted God's wish?

Have you granted another person's wish?

You can help grant the wish of families with missing loved ones to bring their loved ones home by visiting:
http://lostnmissing.com/
http://missing-and-unidentified.org/
http://www.doenetwork.org/start.html

You can grant an abused child's wish to be free from abuse and visit:
http://www.childhelp.org/

You can grant a desperately poor child's wish for a better life and visit:
http://worldvision.org/
http://www.compassion.org/

You can grant the wish of the persecuted for resources and support so they can serve their God by visiting:
http://www.persecution.com/
http://www.persecution.org/

You can grant a seriously ill child the resources and support needed for healing and recovery by visiting:
http://www.stjude.org/
You can help a cancer patient in your life increase their odds of healing and recovery by visiting this site and the referring them:
http://www.cancercenter.org/


You can help show your care and give people in emotional distress hope by visiting:
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

You can grant autistic people's desire for acceptance and understanding by visiting:
http://www.grasp.org/

You can grant a soldier's wish for support by visiting:
http://www.thankasoldier.net/

You can grant my wish for support for my autism petition by visiting: http://tiny.cc/mrsahw

Certain Groups of People Have Less Empathy Than Others?

     Before launching this blog about empathy and stereotypes of certain groups, I don't think there is any argument that one category of people, as shown by their attitudes, behavior and lifestyles, are clearly lacking in empathy, which is commonly known as the ability to put oneself in another's position, to feel something of what that person is experiencing, and to act accordingly. I'm talking about people whose acts and attitudes indicate signs that they are sociopaths or psychopaths, whether these people have been officially diagnosed as either, or not, or who have similar DSM psychiatric conditions (antisocial personality disorder, etc.), whether diagnosed or not. These are the criminals whose acts ruin people's happiness, well-being, reputations, their safety, or their lives, and who enjoy hurting people.
     Over a week ago, I was online and was exploring a Facebook page that was set up to link to the website on which it is based and which deals with cultivating a culture of empathy and to the study of empathy in indivuals and groups of people. I was most struck by a study that was called, "Highly religious people are less likely to be motivated by empathy than non-religious people," "Very religious people are less likely to help a person in need," and "Studies indicate that highly religious people are less compassionate than others." What did the study mean by "very religious" or "highly religious," anyway? And how do social scientists come to these conclusions?
     As a person who has, indeed, seen, encountered, and heard about many attitudes and behaviors exhibited by people of faith which I would not call compassionate or empathic, I can understand how social scientists have come up with such study results. For I think that the principles and beliefs of people of faith and the ever-human tendency to misunderstand God's love and God's grace, makes it easy to be motivated by the Law of God in the attempt to carry out one's responsibilities to God and one's neighbor. Being motivated by the Ten Commandments (which are meant to be a guide to the behavior of the person of faith) instead of by the grace of God and drawing on His power to live, makes trying to keep the Law oppressive and chokes the ability to care for others or to feel with them. This is called legalism. So I think, in this way, these study results do make sense. None of us who call ourselves people of faith, me included, are immune to falling into this trap. Legalism is always a temptation as grace is countercultural, unnatural, and challenging to wrap our minds around. Jesus denounced and lambasted legalism more than anything else, especially in the religious leaders of this day, because of their positions of power and influence.
     But what does "very religious" mean and does this refer to devotion to any religion? I see no answers from these study articles. Yet history, media and personal experience should tells us that countless people of faith, "highly religious" people, have and continue to, live lives and show attitudes marked by empathy and compassion. It is people of faith who have led the way in abolishing slavery, who have rescued many abandoned babies and children, who often lead the way in fighting world poverty on many different fronts, visiting prisoners, and reaching out to needy people in countless ways. It's people of faith who are motivated to dedicate some or most of their lives as selfless missionaries, often going to places no one else will go to and serving people no one else wants to deal with. Do these social scientists know their history? And as has been true of the history of people of faith and caring social action, remains true today.
     There's another group of people who are widely considered to be short on empathy. These are people who have autism spectrum disoders (ASDs), whether this means the more severe, classic autism or the higher-functioning subtypes of Asperger's Syndrome or Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). In fact, the "empathy" deficit is part of the diagnostic criteria in evaluating people for autism. This is because having an autism mind hinders people from easily seeing things from the viewpoint of another person; this is called the "theory of mind." But this "theory of mind" is is actually a matter of thinking and cognition. Is this "impaired social understanding" incompatible with the ability to put oneself in another's place, to feel with them and to act on this, which is the common defintion of empathy? Young children and, certainly, animals, do not have the mental capacity to mentally comprehend the viewpoints of others or have a "theory of mind." But who will question the capacity that many small children and many animals have, to have and show compassion? For example, today on TV, a moving video was aired; it was of a small child comforting her upset father, an athlete, whose team had lost the game. Studies have shown that many babies do what is called an "empathy cry," crying when they hear another baby cry. There is a blogspot, called Autism and Empathy, which is dedicated to using stories written by people in the autism community, to undo the myth that autism precludes empathy in people or that autistic people are incapable of having or showing empathy. You can visit this blogspot and read the stories there:
http://autismandempathy.blogspot.com.
     And I have noticed another thing. These two groups of people, people of faith and people with ASDs, often seen as not having empathy, often themselves do not receive or are treated with empathy! I can understand how many people, hurt by the hateful words or actions of some legalists (especially with authority), who scream about their moral beliefs, not bothering to show love or grace to people in the process. But society often has no tolerance for anyone, no matter how gracious or empathic in attitude or lifestyle, who stands up for their moral principles and take unpopular stands. Jesus Himself always told people the truth but He always did so with love and grace. And yet, He ended up being nailed to a wooden cross, at the hands of religious leaders and Roman authorities. For the truth often hurts, no matter how graciously it is delivered. And so it's easy to punish the messenger of bad news. For example, take the hot-button issues of abortion and same-sex marriage. There are  Biblical teachings, which are also found in the New Testament, about God's recognition of life from conception and Old AND New Testament teachings (from the mouth of Jesus Himself), marriage was ordained by God to be between a man and a woman. Therefore, many people of faith strongly believe that abortion and same-sex marriage are very wrong. It's not because they don't care about women in need or hate homosexuals (those who do are among the extremists); they would be the first to denounce crimes against abortion providers or homosexuals. But many people don't realize this and have no empathy for anyone with strong convictions based on religious beliefs. Period. And in the same way, society often sees the behavior of people with ASDs that often are a response to different wiring, not character and conclude that because many may not be able to show empathy at the right time and in the right place, that people with ASDS lack empathy. But just because people with ASDs may not always show empathy does not mean not having empathy and showing it, even in unconventional ways.
     I'm not going to go into the mention of other people groups who considered as having an empathy deficit. The point is that no group of people should be stereotyped.  

If Jesus Visited Earth Today How Would We Have Treated Him?

          I'm just speculating here about how Jesus may have fared if He had waited until this Information Age and these high-tech, modern times to make His First Coming to oour Earth. If this Jesus, as portrayed in the Christian Bible, God in Christ and God the Son, had made His First Coming today as a sinless, ordinary-looking human being who claimed oneness with God and spoke as God, how would we have reacted to such a man?
          According to the Bible, when Jesus did come to Earth, He had come as a Jew, having been born to a devoutly Jewish family. For God had, for centuries before the time of Christ, promised to that in Christ, He would come as Messiah to save the Jewish people and to empower them to bring His salvation and love to the rest of the world. So if Jesus had waited to visit Earth today, where would He had chosen to live? Based on what we know of God's plan for the coming of the Messiah, I don't think He would have come to the USA, to Western Europe, to Australia or anywhere else where we'd expect God would make His arrival. No, He most likely would have made His arrival to modern Israel or to a community that where Judaism is the major stronghold. And who would have been the highly-favored, blessed set of parents whom He would have picked to bring Him into the world and raise Him? Based on the Gospel records of Mary and his foster dad Joseph it would not be anyone from wealth, fame, social connections or influence. God would no doubt have picked a couple of young teens from from poor but devout Jewish families who were expecting the Messiah, teens who, though typical teens with dreams and plans for their own lives, were willing to surrender to God's plan for their lives whatever the cost as Mary and Joseph were.
          In our age where abortion has become not only legal but socially acceptable, would Jesus have even have made it to birth? According to the Bible, Jesus was born under circumstances that would have been grounds for an abortion today. He was born to a teen age girl who, according to tradition, was no older than 13 or 14. That teen had received a vision of an angel telling her that she would be pregnant by the Holy Spirit so her Son would be holy and sinless, God the Son. Such a teen pregnancy, with no known human father and a teen mom who claimed to have seen a vision where she was told how she had conceived, would have been, without a doubt, been pressured to get an abortion. "Terminate this pregnancy now! This is the most crazy thing we have ever heard! You will ruin your life forever! Get rid of it!" would have been the kind of counsel Mary would have gotten. But with the record of the faith she and Joseph had under a very different, but equal pressures to not see this through, they would not have listened to this advice.
          And even if Jesus would have made it to birth in this abortion-minded culture, how would He have fared as a child? Probably okay. The Bible tells us little about his childhood or teen years. We are told that as a child He was "blessed by God" and "wise beyond his years." Then, the Bible tells us that as a teen and young adult, He "grew in mind and body" and in "favor with God and man" and was "obedient to them" meaning Mary and Joseph. We have the one scene from his youth, when He was 12 and His parents had lost Him, finding Him in the Jewish Temple after a three day search. These things tell us that Jesus childhood, teens and young adulthood were ordinary and uneventful, though stellar and virtuous. How would He have fared in our schools? No doubt, as a child, He was quite ordinary and the only thing that set Him apart was His moral perfection. He was studious, faithful, responsible, likable, kind, giving, strong and respectful. So He would have been well-liked. But He may have been misunderstood because of His deep interest in and obsession with God and religious matters and His wisdom beyond His years; He may have been called a "nerd" and "boring"
Certain groups of kids may have taunted Him and excluded Him because of His refusal to cave in to peer pressure to abuse substances or to curse and to stand up to bullies (nicely of course). Teachers and other adults would have favored this most well-behaved and mature boy and He likely would have been known as the "teacher's pet."
          We are told that He spent most of His late teens and young adulthood working hard as a carpenter in His foster dad's business. Today, had He picked an occupation in which to do His work it would probably had been in a mundane, even menial job or small business where He would have been valued because of His excellent work, faithfulness and goodness. Most of His problems began when He started His official, public ministry. And where would He have picked to do His work if He had waited until now for His First Coming? In keeping with the the Bible's portrayal of the people He liked to reveal Himself to, God in Christ would probably not have done His work among nice, respectable, religious people in affluent settings. This means that He wouldn't have picked any area of wealth, resources or influence for His work. He may have picked some inner city or large metropolitan area of diversity or some poor rural area with a strong Jewish stronghold, for His work. Religious leaders would have seen Him as a dire threat to THEIR empire and would have hounded Him throughout His ministry, just as the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders are recorded to have done in Bible days. Toward His last days on Earth, they would have brought Him to the attention of the media to incite hate. "This imposter needs to be stopped. He wants to overthrow us and set up His own empire! This blasphemer and traitor is claiming to be God, identifying Himself with the Father. Our people are going after Him, hanging onto His every word! This kind of MONSTER must be stopped!"
          But what if we could actually be there and hear the material in Matthew Chapters 5 to 7, commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount? If we could REALLY hear these teachings for the first time, how would we react to them? For example, "He who even looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery with her." How about this one, "If you eye causes you to sin, gauge it out and throw it away!"? Really read His words, "If you are even angry without a good reason and call your brother a fool, you are in danger of going to hell." And what about his strong words about divorce? "If you divorce your wives except for marital unfaithfulness, you make her an adulteress if she remarries and he who marries her commits adultery." "Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect." Wouldn't these words have confused us or made us furious? Would we have grasped it that He said these things to drive it home to us that we can't live up to these instructions and so need a Savior?
          According to the Bible, Jesus was homeless during His public ministry. We can read about His encounter with a rich young ruler who wanted to know the way to Heaven; Jesus told Him to sell all he had, give the proceeds from his sale to the poor, and then to follow Him. If Jesus walked into our workplaces, our schools, our social functions or our churches, with the odor of a homeless person, how would He have been received? What if He would have told us, "To please Me, you need to give up all you have and follow Me?" would He have gotten very far?
          How would we have reacted to the company He kept? The Bible records that He hung out with the most despised or stigmatized people of His day. This means that if He had come today, He would have befriended and eaten with users of substances like drugs and alcohol, HIV-positive people, sex offenders, prostitutes, other criminals, epileptics, those with mental illnesses and other hated or stigmatized people. Many of us law-abiding, affluent, proper citizens and activists/advocates  may have been offended or livid at his choice of companions. "This Rabbi is welcoming and eating with these MONSTERS who hurt our children," we child abuse advocates may have grumbled. "If He was really a holy man, why does He hang out with these scumbags?" many of us church people may have complained.
          How would His politics have struck us? According to the Bible, He showed little political interest and the only time this apolitical Jesus encountered politicians was when He was dragged before them prior to His death on a cross. As for political views, conservatives would have been elated at His stern declarations of God's demands for His people and His words of assurance of God's ultimate judgment on evil people. However, conservatives would have been unsettled, offended, even angry at His spending so much time befriending, helping and meeting the needs of all of the poor, sick,, homeless, disabled, and stigmatized people who sought Him out. Those with more liberal or progressive views would have treasured the priceless way that He favored and championed women and did so much to care for and reach out to the poor and the vulnerable and His teachings about our responsibilities to them. However, those with such views would have redefined or ignored Jesus' refusal to water down His Father's stern moral demands and have not realized that we can't really appreciate God's love until we consider His holiness.
          If an ordinary-looking, unpretentious man, who claimed equality with and oneness with God the Father and declared that He alone is the only way to be accepted by God and be fit for Heaven, was sentenced to die by crucifixion in according to the Bible, what would make us think it wouldn't be any different today? It doesn't, I think, make any difference whether we are encountering Him for the first time in-person or reading about Him in Scripture, for human nature does not change and the need to have faith also does not change.