Plain and Simple

  So what happened, how is it that this mop topped white kid could mow down so many of God's saints in their place of worship? Why do bad things happen to good people? How can anyone be so heartless and cruel, as to go about ending the lives of so many? Something as horrific as this, brings to mind so many questions, and few, if any answers.
  Certainly, in this era of politics above all else, it seems that tragedies like this one are wasted, if political hay can not be made of them. So we'll argue over gun control again, and we'll here all those tired lines of defense from both sides. The only one that makes any sense, is that guns don't kill people, people kill people. But having said that, it drops us off right at the beginning, at the source of the tragedy, this extremely troubled white kid. The fact that he is white is only important if you look at it from strictly a racist point of view. Why did he do it, was this twenty year old so affected by blacks to justify in his mind murdering all those innocent victims?
  People are prejudice by nature, we all have people who we like, and people we don't, without really knowing them at all. But racism takes prejudice to a whole other level. What racism is really, is fear. We fear those who are different from ourselves. Different colors, nationalities, and religion, are just three of the ways that people are different. Racism is an equal opportunity offender, white against black, Jew against gentile and so on. What happened at that church was no different then what happened to those police officers killed recently, execution style. Both, to some extent were fueled by racism. A life long criminal's thinking, is far different then a kid who hadn't really felt the problems of having race be a factor in his life, so what then if it is race, how did he become so paranoid? Could the recent ginning up of racial hatred in Baltimore and Missouri have anything to do with his thinking? What of the race baiters like Al Sharpton, or Louis Farakhan? Had he heard on line the hatred of black leaders like this, had this entered his mind? Again, more questions then answers, but certainly a consideration as our current events regarding such problems have filled the news. But in the end, no matter your opinion, something entered this kid to make him do such a heinous act. So what enters into the problem as a reason? Surely, the break down of the family, but still, what made him do this thing on this day? What caused it was evil, pure unadulterated evil. If you accept good as a reality, surely you must know that the opposite is true, and that if good exists in God, evil exists with the Devil. So then you might say, OK, if this is a spiritual problem, how is it that God allowed it, why didn't he intercede? In reality, God did intercede. This kid sat among the worshipers in church, and so, being among so many Christians had a way of escape from his evil thoughts. But the demon that entered this kid must have been extremely powerful. Because he was unaffected by the truths being taught, but rather his mind made resolute toward destruction and murder. Evil exists, good exists, God exists, and so does his counterpart Satan, it is that plain and simple.

Becoming the Ostrich

  The cold hard steel of our sabers have yet to have tasted blood, our defense is only something we discuss. A one world system of government, united over economics, united on climate change? The loosing of a national point of view, for us now, the collective, instead of the individual, spawns a mentality, that can not tolerate free speech.
  In our country, the mood is isolationism. Afterall, if we are one world, then let the world solve it. The enemy is not ours to name, it is somebody else's problem. A world united on the idea, that all the nation members can profit equally. One agreement, one religion, or a world at war?
  You can look to history as a way to understand the apathy and the fear, and you can try to force the eagle to become an ostrich. You can hide from it, you can whimper in a corner, but you can not stop what time has mandated. The time may have already come and went, but we have not yet missed the boat.
  Not our problem you say? We are a nation who was spawned on the gospel, a Christian nation, a nation who looks now to turn a blind eye to the horror now being done to our brethren, world wide.  A war on Christians has become so trivulized, as to be only a war against Santa Clause at Christmas time. Fools! These men of evil slaughter us in lands we call over there, but soon these minions of the evil one, will bring all of the horror home to roost.

Christianity 101

  Perhaps it is time for some straight talk, and so in this one, we will leave the nuances of poetry behind. The art of becoming a Christian is actually quite simple, and quite possibly, by choosing art as the word, already some might say, I'll never understand this? The simplicity lies within the fact, that it is that thing which we call free will. The significance of that from a biblical perspective, is that it brings to mind the first time such a decision was made.
  Eve, though tempted by the tempter, decided to eat of the fruit, and give some to her husband. He was easier to convince. Afterall, had not Eve already done it? Trust me on this, when that beautiful woman leaned into him, offering the fruit, all he could think about, was a million reasons why he should, and not a one as to why he should not.
  So, by their free will, they chose sin, and mankind has been paying for it ever since. The ramifications of that choice, was that, by that simple act of defiance, pride, which is at the root of all sin, was born. The first one, the sin of pride. Afterall, did the serpent lie completely when he told Eve that she would be like God? And in that respect, that she now knew that she could decipher between good and evil. You must remember, that there is always an element of truth, otherwise, the story would fall apart before it begins. Are you starting to see the significance of that moment so long ago, do you understand the similarities? Eve had a decision to make, and chose to go it alone. You too have a decision to make, because the Lord Jesus Christ asks of you the same question. Do you choose my way, and the righteousness with it, or do you choose to go it alone? Either yes Lord, I give the reins of my life to you willingly, or again, I am too prideful to submit.
  But back to the simplistics of it. If nothing else, no matter how arrogant you are, we can agree the subject has merit, and is do your consideration. Get all your intellectual gymnastics out of the way, but in the end, give your answer. Either yes Jesus, teach me your ways, or no thanks, I'm doing fine on my own?

A Different Point

  I have been thinking about nexuses, the ones in the universe, and the nexus of life. What is the nexus of life? It is a place of meeting, a junction of sorts? At this intersection, is the crossing, the meeting place of this life, and eternal life. In a linear sense, eternal life is flat, it can run vertically or horizontally, but it is always flat, never the slightest variation, always a perfect 180 degrees.
  But your life, my life, our lives, human life, is not a stable line like its eternal brother. Looking at it as a line, it would look something like a line on a graph, tracing a stock. This life, being temporary, falls victim to all sorts of stimuli, and so if you were to draw a horizontal base line, our lives, here on earth, would jag out from the center, both on the positive side of life, and on the negative. It probably would not be a surprise to you, if I were to tell you, that there is far more on the negative side then on the positive.
  But for our purposes, we will make eternal life to be vertical, running north and south, while our temporary lives run their jagged lines horizontally, running east and west. At the intersection, where they meet, is the nexus of your life. Your point of entrance, depending on your age, or for that matter, your century, each of us intersects the eternal line at a different point.  

The Truth about lies

  A compilation of compositions, a life in letters too soon forgotten. Old sentences and phrases lie scattered about, the sentences falling to the floor, and their letters scattered among the dust.
Feelings and logic do battle, they clamor at the gate. Too few problems solved, too many to count, left to unravel.
  Sentences both spoken and written, they float alone out in the cosmos. It is wisdom that is afloat, and it comes only hard fought. For Wisdom whispers her secrets to you in your ear, but you do not heed the call.
Lies come hardest, they weave their tapestries like evil spiders. Although truth lies covered with these webs, Truth is light, truth is life, and truth never moves. Small thoughts like an inconvenience, mix within what your mind can hold, but they can only cloud truth for so long, because truth will have it's way.
  Truth you see is eternal, because truth is life, and by God's plan, life is eternal. But lies float blindly in the wind, for there is no life with lies, with lies is only death.

War Chest

  While mulling over a few things, I thought for a tongue in cheek moment, to write to a friend, and ask her a question? Because technically, that is to say, by registration, I am a Democrat, I said to her in my email, I'm I am thinking of announcing my candidacy, as to possibly being a nominee of my party, for the presidency of the United States. And then I asked her, Do you think I have a chance? Yes, she said, you'd be a great president, you are just what this country needs.
  Now, my tongue in cheek remark, became a more real consideration. Imagine the response of my party, a party that has allowed itself to be pulled so far to the left, that they have become a laughing stock to most Americans. A party, who's only alternative to team Obama/Clinton, is a collection of clowns and socialists. Wow! what happened?
  So, say now, at this point, call it an intellectual exercise, Could big time financial donors of the Democratic party back a candidate like me? I'll tell you one thing in all seriousness, I'd clean Hillary's clock, and that with a pittance of her war chest!

A most beautiful Lady

  Whether deep in thought, or in some kind of trance, I do not know, Because one is so like the other. While in this state of mind, I was thinking of admirable things. Things like truth, honor, justice and courage. And then I was in a room, a room with just one table, and no other furnishings. It was a room whose walls were stone, with high ceiling, and great stone pillars at intervals around the room. In front of me was a long winding staircase, and at its top, were a series of arches, all in alignment. As I looked up at it, the floor above filled with light. And then I saw four figures who appeared as men. These were mighty men, and all of the four were regaled in battle dress. Their countenance was as a ghostly apparition, and each was aglow in a golden light. They made their way down the staircase, one granite step at a time, two each, one on either side along the railings. They themselves were stoic in there movements, they neither spoke or made a sound. But from behind them a wind blew, and it breezed down with them to the room where I was standing.

  They did not speak to me, nor do I think they were aware of me. I stood off to the side, in the shadow of a corner. They spoke not to themselves either, but moved in unison, two on either side of the base of the stairs. Truth and Honor on one side, Justice and Courage on the other. Each looked straight ahead and steadfast, the sternness of their faces made me feel ill at ease. But still they spoke not a word, nor did their stern glances fall upon me.

  And then, from somewhere at the top of the staircase, a warm breeze descended, on the room. It brought with it, the freshness of many flowers, and a sweet and beautiful fragrance filled my nostrils. With the fragrance, the wind brought with it a white light, which flowed down into the room, bright white at the top of the stairway, and a softer light below. The light moved like fog, filling the chamber with a lovely ambiance.

  But then the soft breezes turned into a strong wind, and the hair and beards of the four ghostly warriors blew about their faces. Though the sound of the wind was like a hurricane, the blow felt warm and pleasing to the skin.

And then, at the top of the stairs appeared a beautiful lady, and though bathed in flowing white, an explosion of color appeared all around her. They streamed out alone like shards of individual color, as if snapping off from the tips of her tattered garment. These single colors of yellow and blue, mixed with other colors at the edges of the white glow, making new colors, colors I have never seen before in dreams, colors for which there is no name.  Her countenance was so beautiful, that she took my breath away. Then, the men at the bottom of the staircase moved, One by one, saying as they bowed, Truth without love is nothing, Honor without love is nothing, Justice without love is nothing, and the last said, There is no courage without love.

  Having said these things, the four mighty men began to ascend the stairs in the same manner as they had descended them. As they ascended, the most beautiful vision, that is Love, turned, moving toward the row of arches. As she left, she took with her all of the many colored lights, leaving behind, the dimly lit room. It was as if she was pulling in her wake, all that was so beautiful, and when she was gone, all that remained was her fragrance, and I breathed it in deeply, and then I was alone.