Holiday Reading and Rime

During my little end-of-year sabbatical from the office, I have with some difficulty managed to largely put next year's uncertainties out of my mind. Uncertainty, only because in my field there is always uncertainty and questions of resources, funding and expectations. Yet other than an errand I have to run today that is directly work related, by and large it has been a nice little break.

I have even managed to indulge myself in some light reading - light in this case meaning relatively short works. Upon recommendation, I read an extended essay on Understanding American Exceptionalism. Because everybody should, I read Thomas Paine's Common Sense. And for sheer enjoyment, I re-read the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

There are times I wish my work was more labor-oriented than it is. Doing what I do takes a great deal of cognitive energy that at the end of the day often leaves me mentally fatigued. This condition negatively affects my desire to read, especially those works that take some effort to understand. I grieve over this, because with the increasing unlikelihood that I'll ever go back for another degree, reading for the purpose of expanding my education is the only logical path I have. For me, continuing study is essential, as it is the only sure means to counter the inadequacy of whatever knowledge and wisdom I possess. Without study, I find that the wellspring from which I write easily goes dry.

This thought brings to mind two paragraphs I first read just before the holiday break, and have re-read several times over the last two weeks. From Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, "Approved Unto God":

If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. If you don’t, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth. Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. But you must be willing to go through God’s winepress where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God’s truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God’s wine of strength to someone else. But if you are not diligent and say, “I’m not going to study and struggle to express this truth in my own words; I’ll just borrow my words from someone else,” then the words will be of no value to you or to others. Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute truth of God, and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else.

Always make it a practice to stir your own mind thoroughly to think through what you have easily believed. Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study. The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn’t know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.

In its proper context, and even expanding the context, the second paragraph resonates with me. I can know a thing without really knowing, but I can't truly know that thing apart from the ownership that comes with the struggle or the striving. The lesson to be learned may even require suffering the consequences of a folly (Water, water every where, And all the boards did shrink;), until we recognize that so much of what we think we know does nothing to quench our deepest thirst (Water, water every where, Nor any drop to drink). But once learned, the lesson and the wisdom it bequeaths becomes our own, with the credibility and authority to speak it. All we need then is courage at the appointed time.

Venite Adoremus Dominum

"Do not be afraid ; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people ; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

Merry Christmas!

Last Minutes

Today is a day of last minutes. Last minute shopping. Last minute baking. Last minute wrapping. Last minute cleaning. Every year it seems, so many of us find ourselves utterly unprepared to savor the spirit of the season. How tempting it is to overcomplicate the simple, to fill every minute of every day with worries that rob us of peace, with activity that swallows whole the opportunity for contemplative respite. We have long since lost the art, the discipline of simply being still.

As night falls on this hallowed Christmas Eve, after the kids are off to bed and presents are safely tucked under the tree, when your last minute concerns are all laid to rest, carve out a few more last minutes to just be still, for as the song says, "'tis the eve of our Saviour's birth." A holy night, indeed. May we treat it as such, and find hope renewed in our weary hearts.

The Little Drummer Boy

I seem to be in a season that entails not exposition, but quiescence. So, with this post, I continue the musical thread.

I have been blessed throughout my life to have been exposed to a wide variety of music styles and musical artists, and depending on my mood, I enjoy most of them. A few I have had the fortune to see perform live on stage. One such opportunity came when I was a teenager in North Dakota. My mother took me into Grand Forks to see a performance by Roger Whittaker. I don't remember a great deal about the concert itself, although I do seem to recall that he used the platform to speak out against the poaching of the African elephant in Kenya. But I digress.

I have always been somewhat envious of those few baritones who have that full, rich sound that can both command the moment and soothe the listening ear. Whittaker and Bing Crosby readily come to mind. Indeed, Crosby has a famous rendition of the following holiday classic, but in honor of my mother who first exposed me to Roger Whittaker, here is The Little Drummer Boy.


Postscript: While distinctly non Christmas, The Last Farewell is always worth a listen.

Noel Nouvelet

I've been camping out on YouTube lately, searching the video archives for classical and traditional performances of various carols. I fear the slow decline of traditional worship attendance will sadly make 4-part choral performances less accessible to many, leaving exposure of such music to schools that can afford choir programs. Nevertheless, there is beautiful music out there to be found, to be heard and enjoyed.

Below is a lovely French carol, "Noel Nouvelet." In the English, we often hear it sung as "Sing We Now of Christmas." Performed in the original French, here is the King's College Choir of the University of Cambridge, England. Enjoy!

Il est né le divin enfant

Now that my year-plus project has finally come to a successful conclusion (well, for 2011 anyway), it is time to begin loosening the binds that have constricted and constrained my muse. While it may yet take some effort to unwind, I can't think of a better way to start than by simply enjoying the sounds of the season.

Still Here, Just Busy

We're in the midst of wrapping up a major project at work, one that is scheduled for final delivery in the next 10 days. Every bit of free time has been dominated by this activity, and unfortunately that may well continue until this is over in mid-December. So consuming is this, that there is a feeling of guilt every time I take a pause.

The push has made it hard to sleep soundly, and easy to miss the little joys of the coming Christmas season. I do get bits of it though, as I walk through the room while my boys practice piano, playing soft Christmas music. I carved out just enough time yesterday to get the tree set up for them to decorate today.

I'll head to church today, but then it will be back to work. As for the next blog post, well, I'll try to get back into it before Christmas. Fare thee well!

Thanksgiving Reflection

I find myself in an interesting place this Thanksgiving, and for a number of reasons I am deeply reflective. Some of it is just life: work, family, being 40. I find that I've done a lot of striving, reaching for things based on my own search for significance. And while I don't often fall into the trap of over-estimating my worth, I do sometimes under-estimate it to a certain degree. What I still seek to perfect, however, is that balanced, objective measure of myself.

Romans 12:3 says: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” 2nd Corinthians 13:5 says: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?”

Romans 12 (3:4-8) goes on to say: “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

I am frequently reminded of my own need for a sober examination of mind and heart, in the context of what I am called to be and the person I aspire to be in the faith. This examination is essential as we journey through the process of sanctification, a journey that we each must take as we grow ever more closer to conforming to the image of Christ. It matters not whether it compares to the journey or experiences of another. It is the insight and wisdom we gain through this journey that matters, as it is the work of God in us. To the extent that what we experience and learn inspires or educates others, that is the seed and the fruit that comes from the testimony of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. It is really a remarkable thing, actually, that our journey toward the fullness of Christ – through all our struggles and our humanity – becomes the transformative work that lights the way for others to see the Truth.

In Matthew Henry’s commentary on the Romans 12:3-8 passage, he wrote: “Whatever our gifts or situations may be, let us try to employ ourselves humbly, diligently, cheerfully, and in simplicity; not seeking our own credit or profit, but the good of many, for this world and that which is to come.”

I like those words. But I have to almost daily remind myself of their importance.

What does this have to do with Thanksgiving? It is a fair question. I suppose it is simply this: I indeed have much to be thankful for - more blessings than I can count - and I have been given much. What better way to honor such blessings, such gifts, than to endeavor to live a life that seeks not selfish gain, but rather seeks something greater - fruit that others may enjoy, fruit that will last (John 15:16).

Food for thought. Happy Thanksgiving!

Three Cheers for Nordstrom!

Contrary to popular belief amongst people who know me, I'm not all Bah Humbug at Christmas time. This post, however, will do nothing to dispell that myth. Knowing that people close to me are going to have to work Thanksgiving simply because their employers insist in getting a head start on Black Friday, I find this pleasantly refreshing:

As more and more stores give into the Christmas Creep, putting trees and wreaths out on the sales floor as early as June and July, Nordstrom continues to buck the trend — not only refusing to put up holiday decorations before Thanksgiving, but also letting the world know about it.

On the doors to their stores, Nordstrom has posted signs like the following:

In case you can't read the text, it says: "We won't be decking our halls until Friday, November 25. Why? We just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time. Our stores will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving festivities. On Friday, our doors will open to ring in the new season in style. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving."

Refreshing indeed! Of course, I do wonder ... just because the stores are closed doesn't mean employees are off Thanksgiving. I presume some will have to show up to put out the holiday gear by opening on Friday. Oh well, it was a nice thought anyway.

Maryland Sunset

The view out my hotel window at the end of this beautiful fall day ...


The camera phone simply does not do the color justice. Praying for a good week.

Veterans Day 2011

Events move around us at the speed of life, leaving us at times breathless and at times restless. So it is now, and so it is always. Perhaps as a consequence of this pace - or as a consequence of our nature - we sometimes fail to remember deeds done before that allow us to continue the standard of living we have today. We sometimes fail to remember deeds done now by those who treasure a nation and a home that even today stands as a beacon of hope.

From its inception 92 years ago, Veterans Day (known then as Armistice Day) has been an occasion for many words, sometimes written, sometimes spoken. It is to just some of these words I turn today, as I reflect on the service of many for the sake of us all:

"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” - Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” - Elmer Davis

“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” - Mark Twain

“Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.” - Gen George S. Patton

“It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.” - Unknown

“For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag.” - Georgia Senator Zell Miller

The above are but a small few, but I close this post with the following from Ronald Reagan's 1985 Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery (emphasis mine):

Peace fails when we forget what we stand for. It fails when we forget that our Republic is based on firm principles, principles that have real meaning, that with them, we are the last, best hope of man on Earth; without them, we're little more than the crust of a continent. Peace also fails when we forget to bring to the bargaining table God’s first intellectual gift to man: common sense. Common sense gives us a realistic knowledge of human beings and how they think, how they live in the world, what motivates them. Common sense tells us that man has magic in him, but also clay. Common sense can tell the difference between right and wrong. Common sense forgives error, but it always recognizes it to be error first.

We endanger the peace and confuse all issues when we obscure the truth; when we refuse to name an act for what it is; when we refuse to see the obvious and seek safety in Almighty. Peace is only maintained and won by those who have clear eyes and brave minds. Peace is imperiled when we forget to try for agreements and settlements and treaties; when we forget to hold out our hands and strive; when we forget that God gave us talents to use in securing the ends He desires. Peace fails when we forget that agreements, once made, cannot be broken without a price.

Each new day carries within it the potential for breakthroughs, for progress. Each new day bursts with possibilities. And so, hope is realistic and despair a pointless little sin. And peace fails when we forget to pray to the source of all peace and life and happiness. I think sometimes of General Matthew Ridgeway, who, the night before D-day, tossed sleepless on his cot and talked to the Lord and listened for the promise that God made to Joshua: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

We're surrounded today by the dead of our wars. We owe them a debt we can never repay. All we can do is remember them and what they did and why they had to be brave for us. All we can do is try to see that other young men never have to join them. Today, as never before, we must pledge to remember the things that will continue the peace. Today, as never before, we must pray for God's help in broadening and deepening the peace we enjoy. Let us pray for freedom and justice and a more stable world. And let us make a compact today with the dead, a promise in the words for which General Ridgeway listened, “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

May God bless you today as you take time to remember and honor those who protect what we are from enemies without, and enemies within.

RIP Bil Keane

Last link of the lunch break brought me this news. Bil Keane, creator of the Family Circus comic strip, has passed away at the age of 89.

I often copy down my favorite panels. The one below I feel is most appropriate. Thanks for all the smiles, Mr. Keane.

Wait, I Thought They Were "Holiday Trees"

With all of the other events in the news, you might not know it, but Christmas trees are all the rage. First, from the files of political correctness, I bring you the Wisconsin governor:

On Monday, Walker decided that he wanted to shake things up a bit. Rather than following recent tradition and referring to the (Christmas) tree that is placed in the Wisconsin’s Capitol Rotunda as a “holiday tree,” he’s changing course. For the past 25 years, lawmakers have referred to the evergreen that is decorated with ornaments and a star with this benign, uncategorized reference. Now, Walker plans to, once again, call the tree what it is — a Christmas tree.

But when asked, spokesman Cullen Werwei confirmed that the decision was intentional. “It’s a Christmas tree,” Werwei said. “In all honesty, I don’t know what more to say about it.” In the Charleston Daily Mail, Don Surber echoed this sentiment, writing, “Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin just ended 25 years of stupidity.”

Yet ironically, not even the federal government seems all that bent out of shape in calling a Christmas Tree a Christmas Tree. From the "I want a taxpayer subsidized government job in marketing holiday wares" category:

In the Federal Register of November 8, 2011, Acting Administrator of Agricultural Marketing David R. Shipman announced that the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint a Christmas Tree Promotion Board. The purpose of the Board is to run a “program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry’s position in the marketplace; maintain and expend existing markets for Christmas trees; and to carry out programs, plans, and projects designed to provide maximum benefits to the Christmas tree industry” (7 CFR 1214.46(n)). And the program of “information” is to include efforts to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States” (7 CFR 1214.10).

To pay for the new Federal Christmas tree image improvement and marketing program, the Department of Agriculture imposed a 15-cent fee on all sales of fresh Christmas trees by sellers of more than 500 trees per year (7 CFR 1214.52). And, of course, the Christmas tree sellers are free to pass along the 15-cent Federal fee to consumers who buy their Christmas trees.

Strengthen the Christmas tree industry's position in the market? What, there's competition? Must be the artificial tree market. Taxing real trees in an effort to get people to buy real trees seems like a winner to me. Yeah, that'll work.

Furthermore, if the federal government officially recognizes the evergreen on display in November and December as a Christmas tree, then once and for all can we not dispense with the whole "holiday tree" nonsense? Fred Gailey, call your office.

Ah yes, Christmas is in the air.

UPDATE: Within two hours of my post, the Obama administration elects to delay the dreaded Christmas tree tax.

Intentionally Untitled

Try as I might, I simply cannot decide on a title for this post. So let's just put that aside, and allow me to relate an experience I had yesterday morning on the way to work.

I live outside the city proper, so the morning commute to get my kids to school and myself to work is a 40 minute routine, on average. Yesterday however, traffic flow over the mountain and into town was abnormally slow. Usually, that means an accident up on or near where the interstate starts. Checking my watch, I knew I had time, provided we at least kept moving. Still, I found myself feeling a little grumpy at the delay, but with my kids in the car, I kept my thoughts to myself.

After reaching the high point, I was able to look down and see the flashing lights down on the left hand side, at the point where the interstate moves to its upraised segment. As we crawled ever so closer, I couldn't see any evidence of a pile up, or a stalled vehicle. Just a solitary police car, parked on the narrow shoulder and jutting out slightly into the traffic lane. In my mind, I'm trying to figure out all the standard scenarios. And I was puzzled, because the officer was the only one on the scene, and he was partially blocking traffic. Why didn't he just go ahead and move out of the way? He's obviously doing his job, but he is also creating a traffic hazard.

As I'm already locked in the left lane, I figure there's not much I can do but wait it out. When I finally came up alongside the police car, I still didn't see anything. And then I did, and I'm not sure I can completely explain what happened next.

About five feet in front of the officer's car, laying down next to the median barrier, was a dog. He was panting a bit, head erect, and clearly frightened. I could not tell if he was injured, and as I drove by, I fixed my eyes upon him for just an additional moment in my side mirror. Then I had to move on, as the traffic had picked up the pace past the cop, past the dog.

But throughout the rest of the commute, my mind just kept replaying the image of what I had just seen. That the dog was alive at all was a miracle in itself, for where he was, there really was nowhere for him to go. He was trapped by the traffic, by the side walls of the road itself. How did he get there? Who did he belong to? What was going to happen to him? It was further a wonder that the dog stayed put, as one can only imagine the impact to both him and morning commuters had he darted out again into the road.

Then my thoughts settled on the police officer, and suddenly I found myself fighting a wave of deep-seated emotion that nearly engulfed me. This officer could have easily driven by and ignored the plight of this poor animal. Most people probably would have. Yet he parked there, providing a shield of protection around the dog, protecting him as best he could from the heavy flow of traffic and the possibility of further injury or death, presumably waiting for the arrival of animal control or some other rescue. All these thoughts and emotions, as one who has been sheltered, as one who has tried to shelter … this scene was such a poignant and living metaphor in so many ways … I find it hard to speak of it out loud. I've only told the story twice, and each time struggled to get through it.

I don't know what happened to the dog, and there's no way I'll ever know. But I won't forget what I saw, and I won't forget what I felt. It's given me a lot to think about.

Autumn Leaves

We've had a lovely streak of beautiful weather the past several days here in North Alabama, filled with blue skies, turning leaves, mid-30's at night warming to upper 60's during the day. Indeed, the air has been simply refreshing. Aside from the complete beatdown of my Auburn Tigers at the hands of LSU, it was a very nice and productive weekend. Coming back to the office today, well as I said, it was a good weekend.

Working outside yesterday, the autumn leaves fell all around me and brought immediately to mind the video clip below, that I had seen online only the day before. Consider it fodder for a light-hearted start to a busy week:


(h/t: Dave Carter)

Occupy Movement: Marshaling Their Forces

I suggested in a previous post that the fledging Occupy Movement was unlikely to have long-term staying power, as I believed it to be a marginal activist demonstration. I may be mistaken. Left to its own devices, not to mention the coming of winter, it likely would have puttered out. But according to the Washington Post today, the activists are marshaling their forces and making alliances - with the large labor unions:

Labor groups are mobilizing to provide office space, meeting rooms, photocopying services, legal help, food and other necessities to the protesters. The support is lending some institutional heft to a movement that has prided itself on its freewheeling, non-institutional character.

And in return, Occupy activists are pitching in to help unions ratchet up action against several New York firms involved in labor disputes with workers.

And apparently, they feel that they have much to offer each other:

“Our members have been trying to have this discussion about Wall Street and the economy for a long time,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in an interview. “This movement is providing us the vehicle.”

...

“We’re hoping this will inspire them to take on more militant tactics,” said Jackie DiSalvo, an Occupy Wall Street organizer who has been coordinating with labor. “The fact that they’re willing to support more militant tactics might mean that they’re willing to start doing more.”

...

“Now is this rare opportunity for labor unions, and especially the union leadership, to take some pointers,” Ide said, adding that unions should consider the civil-disobedience approach taken by Occupy demonstrations. “The whole Zuccotti Park thing is quasi-legal,” he said. “Unions, we have to obey the law. But sometimes it’s time to think outside the box.”

Both groups operate under the notion that the taxpayers and the wealthy owe them something. Again, it is about the attitude of entitlement. Frankly, I am a little surprised at just how transparent and forthcoming some of the quotes in this article actually are: "militant", "civil disobedience", "outside the box" [meaning outside the law].

So where do things go from here? One possibility is that this alliance will backfire and further reduce the standing of each entity in the public eye as the protests become more disruptive to people's lives. I also believe that we may be in for at least 12-14 months of civil and economic disruption, to include rioting and violence all the way through and past next year's presidential election.

I wasn't alive during the 60's to witness the great generational period of unrest America experienced. But the chances are increasing that history is about to repeat itself.

My fear is this: How will the nation respond when (or if) the Occupy Movement and the unions eventually resort to lawbreaking and violence?

And you thought our country was divided before.

Quandry

The 2011 edition of the World Series starts tonight, featuring the National League Wild-Card St. Louis Cardinals against the A.L. West Division Champion Texas Rangers.

I'm a Cubs guy, through and through. Which means it goes against my very nature to pull for the Cardinals. But I am also a National League guy, and thus I am disinclined to pull for the Rangers.

If it weren't St. Louis, I could probably find a way to be impartial and just enjoy the series. Or I suppose I could just ignore it and watch football.

Cards vs. Rangers. This is a quandry I cannot resolve.

Carina, Carina

Simply beautiful. Another stunning image from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory. According to the image caption, the Carina Nebula is "a star-forming region in the Sagittarius-Carina arm of the Milky Way that is 7,500 light years from Earth." The Observatory has detected more than 14,000 stars in that particular region. Click image to enlarge.

National Entropy

"It is a wise man who plants a tree under the shade of which he knows he will never sit."

I came across the above quote in an article published months ago in ESPN Magazine about the poisoned trees on Toomer's Corner in Auburn. I've tried to hunt down its origins, but so far I have only found non-authoritative sources suggesting that it comes from a Greek proverb.

The figurative notion it conveys is nothing new, and is one that applies in so many of life's active arenas. It is a matter of generational legacy: what values, what faith, what freedom, what ideals are we passing down to our children? Is the foundation eroding underneath us inevitable, can it be prevented, and do we even care? As a society, there's plenty of doom and gloom to go around, and it seems certain that tomorrow will look different from today even as much as today is far different from yesterday. It takes focused, controlled energy to counter entropy. In physics, disorder is more probable than order. Time will tell if this is true of us as a nation as well.

Protesters Stand with Jesus?

To be honest, I haven't given much thought to this so-called protest movement called Occupy Wall Street. To me, it just seems to be another flavor-of-the-month rally that attracts mostly those who want to rail against capitalism, rich people, and government. In the past, such protests usually include elements and/or organizations with Marxist or socialist agendas, and thus are typically less likely to include those who truly hail from freedom-loving America. Generally speaking, folks have the right to protest in the name of whatever they choose, and whether I agree with them or not, I can live and let live.

But there are those who, if you'll pardon the irony, try to capitalize on the opportunity presented when a bunch of easily impressionable people take to the streets to protest. Far too many of these protesters are out there, without any reason or principle driving them other than it seems like a cool thing to do. These people rail on about things they don't understand, chanting phrases and slogans from the 60's, and issuing demands for whatever it is they feel entitled to. And that is the essential element: entitlement. Demands for free college education, demands for jobs, demands for free health insurance, demands to tax the rich guy, demands for fairness; all these are ripe for manipulation by socialists and Marxists. The political left considers Occupy Wall Street a legitimate uprising, while the Tea Party (which has been far more demonstrably civil and representative, in my opinion, of the American middle) is labeled as extremist. But again, if people want to be pawns, that's their choice. Live and let live.

Where I do get some heartburn, however, is when those elements of the Church who lean heavily on liberation theology attempt to imply that protest movements like Occupy Wall Street "stand with Jesus." Jim Wallis, posting at Sojourners, serves as an example. (Sojourners is a publication group formed in 1971 to "articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world." I read their material every now and then, although I rarely find myself in full agreement.)

In a recent post, Mr. Wallis wrote the following:

We will likely see images and hear things from Occupy Wall Street demonstrators that will offend us and some that will inspire.

We’ll hear demands that we agree with and some that we don’t.

And that’s OK.

The Occupy Wall Street protests make some people nervous, while others scratch their heads, and more than a few grab their sleeping bags and join in.

There is a lot of speculation as to who the "Occupiers" are and what they might accomplish. There is much I still don’t know about the movement, but undeniably it has caught the imagination of a generation -- and that matters.

Here are a few things I do know about the Occupy Wall Street protesters:

When they stand with the poor, they stand with Jesus.

When they stand with the hungry, they stand with Jesus.

When they stand for those without a job or a home, they stand with Jesus.

When they are peaceful, nonviolent, and love their neighbors (even the ones they don’t agree with and who don’t agree with them), they are walking as Jesus walked.

When they talk about holding banks and corporations accountable, they sound like Jesus and the biblical prophets before him, who all spoke about holding the wealthy and powerful accountable.

Pray for those out on the streets.

Where to begin? First, Jesus did not come to this planet to provide a path to social justice. He came to save sinners from eternal separation from God Almighty, to provide a path to redemption and sanctification and everlasting life. Jesus did not take to the streets to protest governments, or demand entitlements from Rome for His chosen people, Israel. There is only one type of person who can "stand with Jesus" - the one who professes Jesus Christ as Lord, descended from Heaven, risen from the dead.

The one who "stands with the poor" does not necessarily stand with Jesus. What good does it do for us to take to the streets with our wallets, our cars parked in a paid parking deck, cellphones logged into Twitter, demanding that the rich and powerful provide for the poor? Would it not be better to serve quietly, where the truly poor are, be it through ministries in the church or local charities? You are not likely to find the "poor" online and following social media on their cell phones.

The one who "stands with the hungry" does not necessarily stand with Jesus. Mr. Wallis suggests that we the Church should go out to the streets, visit with the protesters, and take THEM food. Are you kidding me? You want to stand with the hungry, then feed those that are truly starving. That is one of the more important roles of the Church - it does little good for us to take to the streets and demand that the government or the rich feed the hungry. If you have means, and passion to serve, work through your church and just do it. Standing on Wall Street holding a sign does absolutely nothing for the hungry.

The one who "stands for those without a job or a home" does not necessarily stand with Jesus. We are entitled to nothing in this world. Nothing. Neither the rich nor the government owes us anything. At all. In economic hard times, people lose jobs and sometimes lose their homes. It can indeed be tragic. But sitting on the street demanding that the rich and the government give people jobs and homes accomplishes nothing. Can the church help those who are unemployed and homeless? Of course we can. But we would be better served - and blessed - if we actually helped them, as opposed to protesting as if the world owed us something. Because the world owes us nothing - and if you haven't figured that out yet, it is time to grow up.

As far as Mr. Wallis' comment about those that are "peaceful, nonviolent, and love their neighbors," guess what, I don't have much argument with that. But to walk as Jesus walked takes more than being civil and kind to others: Philippians 2:1-11.

But then he says that those who "talk about holding banks and corporations accountable, they sound like Jesus," he loses me again. Jesus and the prophets did not talk about holding the wealthy and powerful accountable - not in the sense that Mr. Wallis claims. Everything Jesus preached on this matter had to do with 1) the individual's tendency to place greater value in material things than in spiritual things, and 2) taking issue with the teachers of the law, the religious leaders of Judaism who had been corrupted by power and money. Jesus did not rail against the Romans - although many among Jesus' followers desperately wanted him to lead a protest-based rebellion against Rome. What Mr. Wallis ascribes to Jesus is precisely what Jesus did not do. Jesus did not call for the wealthy and powerful to be accountable to the people. He called them - and all of us - to be accountable to God. Jesus was there to save men's souls - not to foment a populist rebellion or to establish an earthly kingdom that provided material equality and benefits and justice to everyone. Such a kingdom is one made in man's image, not one that proceeds from the throne of Heaven.

Perhaps there are pockets of people on these streets who are truly gathered in Jesus' name. And if so, without doubt the Holy Spirit would be present. But to ascribe alignment to Christ by those who may not acknowledge His Name, but who only profess to "stand" with the poor, hungry and jobless is false. This doesn't necessarily make them bad people, nor does it make their ideals suspect. Anybody can be good and stand for good things. But standing for good things doesn't equate to standing with Christ. It very much comes down to motive, and I know for certain that I can claim no special knowledge to what drives these people to these protests. But as 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "… for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

With apologies to Mr. Wallis, standing with Christ is a far higher, and a far more transformative standard than what his observations suggest.