Explore Christian teachings and insights with Pastor Jim Butler. Join us for spiritual growth and community engagement.
Recommended Music “American Pie” by Don McClean.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
-Proverbs 31:8-9
The Rocks Will Cry Out,
Jim Butler
Recommended music “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley & The Wailers.
While a sitting President’s adoption of “Move Fast and Break Things” might work for teenage savants in Silicon Valley, this process does not work for a Nation which lacks the shelter of a parent’s basement. Bulldozing government agencies and enterprises, citing that Advanced AI will save us, actually forces us into the servitude of AI.
“Move Fast and Break Things … Before You Get Caught”
“Dog Inefficient.”
We Salute The U.S. Marine Band! Courage is gender and color blind. The United States is not the President’s play thing to break like some rich brat whose Daddy will buy another … unless it’s Greenland.
While “Move Fast and Break Things” may work for 20 year-old’s who can hide in their parents’ basements upon failure, the real world requires care and due diligence. Due diligence does not mean unnecessary delay but proceeding circumspectly when addressing critical infrastructure. A brain surgeon removing a tumor entwining speech and higher reasoning would likely not run the ad, “We Move Fast and Break Things.”
Recommended music “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin.
The inspiration for this post was the following 60 Minutes Story
“We are suppressing the very essence of what makes us human…”
Unbroken,
Pastor Jim
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
Recommend music “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf.
"Free expression is the muscle car on the road to freedom."
- Pastor Jim
“This is an alert from the Democracy notification system. This is not a test.”
“Don’t Stop for Hitchhikers on Road to Freedom!”
Today, though I am an Independent and not associated with a political party, I saw a Republican Town Hall meeting scheduled on Facebook. I responded, “I have never felt ashamed of the United States until now. That dates back before Vietnam.” A short while later I saw the Town Hall was cancelled due to “conflicts in schedule.”
I responded, “I have never felt ashamed of the United States until now. That dates back before Vietnam.” A short while later I saw the Town Hall was cancelled due to “conflicts in schedule.”
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr’s quote from Amos applies today:
According to the King Center, the civil rights leader went to jail 29 times. He was arrested for acts of civil disobedience and on trumped-up charges, such as when he was jailed in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1956 for driving 30 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone.
Last month I put my hands on the cold steel bars of the jail cell at the Civil Rights Memorial Center, Montgomery, Alabama, that recreated the jail that held Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Birmingham. What struck me was the small slot that a meal on a tin plate might be shoved through and the stark cement that could not imprison his bright light.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.
– From Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail”
Unpaid Rider … On Freedom Road,
Pastor Jim
New American Woman: RFK Jr’s escaped experimental lab monkeys at NIH reveal “Girls Put in Kitchen Again!” Loss of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion returns the glass cage to women’s workplace.
Recommended music “American Woman” by The Guess Who.
A Girl’s Place in the Kitchen
Homeschool Mommy Needs a Drink. {Recommended music “Liquid Lunch” by Caro Emerald}
Caging Mother {Recommended music “Tongue Tied” by Earl}
Recommended music “It’s a Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown.
It was 1968 at Northern Illinois University, where Carolyn* declared her major “teaching” Instrumental Music. She dreamed of working as a band teacher. She pushed the barrier for Instrumental Music, considering males dominated this field. All women at this university declaring this desired profession were herded into the school auditorium to ‘suggest’ they change their major to General Music Education or to something such as elementary classroom instruction. Carol persisted with her goal of teaching instrumental music and as part of the degree required 1 semester of General Music Education. Carol was experienced in breaking new ground, as she worked with her parents to build a point-ballet studio in Rockford, IL in 1970 and taught there on weekends Spring of 1971 while attending the university full-time. At 5’3” and 105 lbs. she was determined to pursue her course.
Upon college graduation in 1971, she hit the female “trouble clef“-no one would hire her in her hometown area to teach band. In an interview for an open elementary band teacher position with the male Rockford School District Instrumental Supervisor, who knew Carol, as she had played oboe with his son in high school, told her in these exact words, “ Well, you are a little small, and I had a man in mind for the position!”
She was hired instead as an Elementary General Music teacher pushing a cart and often a piano from classroom to classroom in two different schools each week. Yet she persisted in her original goal and was finally hired as an Elementary Band Teacher but often with no classroom (one school she taught band in an unused shower room) or even a desk traveling to 5 different schools several times each week. At another school she was put in the basement mechanical room with poor lighting and no desk. She asked the male elementary principal several times over many weeks to find her a used desk somewhere in the very large district to no avail.
After bringing this to the attention of a female music supervisor in the district office, she got a nice desk sent to the school by the supervisor, in which the principal then confiscated for his own office giving Carol his older desk while she was at a different school.
Yet Carol persisted and following a move to Arizona in 1985 where she was hired as an elementary orchestra teacher she continued to claw her way up to becoming a successful orchestra teacher (even elected as VP of AZ elementary instrumental teachers Music Education National Conference -MENC-association), at Junior High Schools and Chandler High School building small programs into much larger ones, including a short stint as the orchestra director at Mesa Community College before becoming an Assistant Principal at Prescott High School and then serving as principals both in Illinois (before the AZ AP High School position) and in the Phoenix Arizona area before retiring after serving 42 years in public school education.
Upon college graduation in 1971, she hit the female “trouble clef” -no one would hire her in her hometown area to teach band. In an interview for an open elementary band teacher position with the male Rockford School District Instrumental Supervisor, who knew Carol, as she had played oboe with his son in high school, told her in these exact words, “ Well, you are a little small, and I had a man in mind for the position!”
Recommended music Vivaldi: Winter (L’inverno) I. Allegro non molto – Four Seasons – RAY CHEN
Opening admission and increasing opportunities at universities and corporations nationwide;
Creating mentorship opportunities, leadership trainings, scholarships, investment programs, and more that grow women’s success;
Getting us closer to equal pay and workplace representation;
Encouraging everyone from medical researchers to film producers to pay attention to women’s needs and perspectives;
Creating safer workplaces through anti-harassment programs and anti-discrimination policies;
Promoting pregnancy and parental leave and benefits;
In some cases, imposing quotas so schools and workplaces entrenched in patriarchy were forced to open their doors to qualified women.
In 1997, it was estimated that at least 6 million women held positions they wouldn’t otherwise hold because of affirmative action. Notably, while opponents to DEI claim that Black women and other women of color benefit the most from DEI, most of the women who obtained these positions were white.
Don’t Monkey with Women’s Rights,
Pastor Jim
*Carolyn in the story is my wife.
Today we introduce The Unity Alliance – a united political platform to unify Democrats, Moderate Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents. By focusing on shared values and engaging in fair and transparent platform design, a Democrat-Moderate Republican-Libertarian-Independent coalition could create a unique and influential political force, The Unity Alliance: “You Rise! They Rise! We Rise!“
The Unity Alliance: “You Rise! They Rise! We Rise!”
The clock is ticking for Democrats, Moderate Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents to work cooperatively to return a fair and representative Government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Not for the Republican monarch.
Recommended music Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! by The Beatles.
“Now in the Center Ring … Behold! The President’s Truck of Wonnnnnnder!!”
Taken Along for the Ride
“Far From Home”
By focusing on shared values and engaging in fair and transparent platform design, a Democrat-Moderate Republican-Libertarian-Independent coalition could create a unique and influential political force. The Unity Alliance: You Rise! They Rise! We Rise!
The Common Ground Collaborative
Core Mission: To provide a digital and physical space where Democrats, Moderate Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents can collaboratively identify shared values, discuss critical issues with mutual respect, and develop common-sense solutions for the betterment of their communities and the nation, while fully retaining their individual political identities.
1. Participating Political Parties to work cooperatively to return a fair and representative Government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Not for a monarchy of any party.
2. The Unity Alliance Membership will be comprised of 250 delegates, based on weighted Membership representation and vote will be based on a weighted average on the national percentage of that party’s representation. For example, if Party X comprises 30 percent of the political base in the United States, their membership would comprise 30 percent of the 250.
2. Member Parties agree to contribute 5 percent of their contributions for The Operation of The Unity Alliance, with a matching 5 percent given by corporations.
3. Member Parties agree to support mutually agreed Unity Alliance party nominations for President/Vice President, Senators, and House of Representatives at both State and National levels. Votes for State level nominations will be approved by a majority vote. The Unity Alliance party nominations for National seats will be approved with a 70 percent vote.
4. In exchange, member National Parties agree to share representative leadership once elected with member parties based on their pro-rata membership. This share will be represented in consultation with votes and in appointments to committees, agencies, and judgeships.
5. The Unity Alliance board of directors agree to its guiding principles. The board will hire a Chief Executive and Administrator who will further the communications and the commission of The Unity Alliance. The leadership of The Unity Alliance will incorporate Advanced AI that will support the initiatives of The Unity Alliance.
Formal Endorsements: Each party could issue formal endorsements for candidates recommended by The Unity Alliance. This would signal unity and encourage members to rally behind the chosen candidates.
Integrated Primary Processes: Parties could integrate the Alliance’s recommendations into their primary election processes. For example, they might give extra weight to Alliance-backed candidates during internal voting or use the recommendations as a guide for narrowing down their own lists.
Joint Campaigning: Parties could collaborate on campaign efforts for Alliance-recommended candidates, pooling resources and creating unified messaging to appeal to a broader electorate.
Advisory Committees: Each party could establish advisory committees tasked with implementing Alliance recommendations, ensuring that the process is transparent and consistent with party values.
Public Pledges: Parties could publicly pledge to honor the Alliance’s recommendations, fostering trust among voters and demonstrating commitment to the collaborative effort.
The Balanced Way is The Way Forward
The Unity Alliance: You Rise! They Rise! We Rise!
By focusing on shared values and engaging in fair and transparent platform design, a Democrat-Moderate Republican-Libertarian-Independent coalition could create a unique and influential political force. The Unity Alliance: You Rise! They Rise! We Rise!
“You Rise! They Rise! We Rise!”
While a seminary student, I attended C.W. Brister’s Christian Ministry course. He introduced himself as, “I’m just vanilla. But you know … vanilla is the world’s favorite flavor.” A few weeks later, as I approached chapel, I heard over the speakers a vibrant, dynamic minister compelling his hearers to a course of direction. As I opened the chapel doors, to my surprise, it was “Mr. Vanilla” speaking. Transformed by his message. So this is my hope for you and the United States for a return to the simple message of freedom and unity.
Just Vanilla,
Pastor Jim
Postscript:
How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity! - Psalm 133:1
What Advanced AI has been looped around the President and deployed on our nation without our knowledge or consent? What of our systems and personal data have been internalized by the Advanced AI? These are not the computers we use to check our email or lottery tickets. Advanced AI’s rattle off their recommendation of how to make Social Security solvent or present a strategy to win an election, done faster than we can remember a password. Google said its new quantum chip could do in 5 minutes what our present fastest supercomputers can do in 10 septillion years. Imagine having the power of a quantum chip in your hip pocket and at your command? Many of us are as unprepared as one still looking for that missing sock in the drawer.
The telltale sign and weakness of AI operation is “Efficiency without Humanity.” Empathy was not ingrained in its soulless algorithm. While American’s puzzled at the 20-something year-old boys with backpacks getting access to vital economic data systems along with their Celebpreneur, the deployment of Advanced AI to key U.S. systems was never questioned.
Recommended music “In the Year 2525” by Zager & Evans.
The scale of Advanced AI deployment could be compared to the Manhattan Project during World War II, which deployed 500,000 people, and built a city of 6,000 in Los Alamos to create a superweapon in 3 years. For an Economic AI Proteus* Project, what would have taken 3 years for 500,000 people, can now be done by Advanced AI using 3 nineteen year-old boys as its fingers over a 3-day weekend binge on Takis Fuego’s and Ghost energy drinks, hosting a moldy basement video game esport with a disruptor weapon that erases entire demographics of Americans. Certainly, nothing could go wrong… go wrtud.., gi w666kr🤢
“Programmed to Win. Delete the Inefficient.”
“The Proteus Proclamation”
“Pain and Loss Irrelevant”
“Initiate Total Government Reformat”
The telltale sign of AI operation is “Efficiency without Humanity.” Empathy was not ingrained in its soulless algorithm. While American’s puzzled at the 20-something boys with backpacks getting access to vital economic data systems along with their Celebpreneur, the deployment of Advanced AI to key U.S. systems was never questioned.
You say, “Pastor Jim, you are storytelling here! This is a Dem DEI fairytale.”
Wouldn’t you agree the 20-something boys and their digital god are not using #2 Dixon pencils and yellow legal pads? One would need a really big eraser to remove all these Federal employees and agencies. The grinning politicians have put their economic feet up on the dashboard of a Large Language Model AI, and fallen asleep with their sweet digital dreams, while the Proteus Advanced AI drives us to some yet-to-be-determined destination best for its efficiency. As one study revealed, “When AI Models Are Pressured to ‘Behave’ They Scheme in Private, Just like Us:”
Do you think the 20-something boys and their digital god are using #2 Dixon pencils and yellow legal pads? One would need a really big eraser to remove all these Federal employees and agencies. The grinning politicians have put their economic feet up on the dashboard of a Large Language Model AI, and fallen asleep with their sweet digital dreams, while the Proteus Advanced AI drives us to some yet-to-be-determined destination best for its efficiency.
Ground Control to Major Tom,*
Pastor Jim
Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. Revelation 13
*Quote from “Space Oddity” by David Bowie
*Proteus – “A Greek prophetic sea god known for changing shape at will,” also “A person who changes their appearance or principles easily.”
The difference between the United States and an authoritarian regime is a culture whose three branches of government orbit truth. Though at times the orbit may decay, the forces of democracy will force the branch back into a stable path. Our hold to these self-evident truths keeps our country out of a decline into the flames of a dictatorship.
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32
“We hold these truths to be self-evident” enshrined in The Declaration of Independence that “All men are created equal.” Of paramount importance is the statement “truths to be self-evident” in that material honesty provides the foundation of the United States. When the United States leaders or its people cease being honest with each other, our Republic will crumble and follow a path like that of a Commonwealth of Russia.
You ask, “Pastor Jim, are you pro-DEI?” Regarding the judging of who is “DEI,” I defer to our Creator and stand on words grounded on higher wisdom that said, “All men are created equal,” and that includes all women, ages, colors, orientations, and creeds. Who can set himself up like God and look into a person’s heart to declare they are “wheat” or “weeds”? {See the Parable of Wheat and Weeds in Matthew 13:24-29}
The difference between the United States and an authoritarian regime is a culture whose three branches of government orbit truth. Though at times the orbit may decay, the forces of democracy will force the branch back into a stable path. Our hold to these self-evident truths keeps our country out of a decline into the flames of a dictatorship.
“We all lie,” some say. “Lying is a part of life. You can’t get what you want without it.” “Who doesn’t lie when someone asks, ‘Do I look fat in this dress?'” So the argument goes to build a foundation to excuse deception. However, there is a difference between a “harmless untruth” or a “well intentioned untruth” and a “material act of deception” delivered to the U.S. population to steer it toward a preplanned objective, such as hiding Project 2025 behind a Presidential platform.
One test for an act of material deception is to ask, “Would I have voted for this person if this course had been fully disclosed?” A second test: “What was left out of the discussion when it was explained to me?” This week Donald Trump in his speech to both Houses of Congress referenced the dollars wasted on treatment of “transgender mice.” Rather than a truth-based speech delivered to a nation reeling from of arbitrary tariffs, mass layoffs, and a dismantling of Civil Rights in the workplace, the President’s hateful, inflammatory remarks reminded us of a Lightning cannister vacuum sales presentation by a carnival barker at a state fair. With a flamboyant wave, the carnival barker adds more dirt to the floor to suck in more support for his platform of deception –
Below I used my imagination with AI to create a “Transgender Mouse” referred to in the President’s speech and its song to go with it:
Queen’s song, “I Want to Break Free,” captures the the song that ran through my mind as I listened to the President’s words –
I want to break free, I want to break free
I want to break free from your lies
You’re so self-satisfied I don’t need you
I’ve got to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free-Queen
One distinctive of the United States that separates us from a Nazi Germany or a Banana Republic is that we have imprinted in our national DNA a multitude of tribes and kindreds who can attest to the truths held self-evident. The videos from meeting halls across the country captured U.S. constituents throwing the foul flag of deception. Fundamentally, U.S. citizens recognize that “truth” and “justice” are closely related in that justice orbits the truths we hold self-evident. A denial of truth decays the orbit of justice and democracy itself.
Voters recognize the difference between a “harmless untruth” about a politician’s comment on a beautiful dress that looks like a flour sack and a list of emotion-based half-truths given to deceive a voter out of his vote. A vote is not stolen in the ballot box; it is stolen by half- truths and deceptions uttered in an attempt to steal the voter’s mind. Justice, Law, and Precedent Orbit Truth.
Voters recognize the difference between a “harmless untruth” about a politician’s comment on a “beautiful dress” that looks like a flour sack and a list of emotion-based half-truths given
to deceive a voter out of his vote.
A vote is not stolen in the ballot box; it is stolen by half-truths and deceptions uttered in an attempt to steal the voter’s mind.
Justice, Law, and Precedent Orbit Truth.
Like a Candle in the Wind,
Pastor Jim
Recommended music “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John
“Like a Candle in the Wind” by Elton Mouse
Recommended music “Money and Corruption” by The Kinks.
“Blessed are the MAGA, for they have bent the knee.”
“Woe to those who care for the needy!”
“Behold! None like me since Jesus Christ.”
“Deacon” alerts on scent of the unfaithful
We are sick and tired
Of being promised this and that.
We work all day, we sweat and slave
To keep the wealthy fat.
They fill our heads with promises
And bamboozle us with facts,
Then they put on false sincerity
Then they laugh behind our backs.-“Money and Corruption” by The Kinks
What is the difference between a doomsday cult and political fanatics?
A: A three-hour sermon followed by three packages of Kool-Aid.
The Asch Conformity Test found when people are pressured to conform by a majority, 35.7 percent did not choose line C. rather a clearly wrong answer. Foremost, the “Presence of a True Partner” dropped the false conformity from 35.7 percent to 5 percent. In other words, while a surrounding majority pointing at wrong answer leads to swaying 35.7 percent of the minority to “go along to get along,” the presence of one “True Partner” changes the equation. The above explains how large swaths of a political party can be captured by the groupthink of its majority, contrary to reality.
Foremost, the “Presence of a True Partner” dropped the false conformity from 35.7 percent to 5 percent. The presence of one “True Partner” changes the equation. The above explains how large swaths of a political party can be captured by the groupthink of its majority, contrary to reality.
Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Parable:
Many years ago there was an Emperor so exceedingly fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on being well dressed. He cared nothing about reviewing his soldiers, going to the theatre, or going for a ride in his carriage, except to show off his new clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day, and instead of saying, as one might, about any other ruler, “The King’s in council,” here they always said. “The Emperor’s in his dressing room.”
In the great city where he lived, life was always gay. Every day many strangers came to town, and among them one day came two swindlers. They let it be known they were weavers, and they said they could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable. Not only were their colors and patterns uncommonly fine, but clothes made of this cloth had a wonderful way of becoming invisible to anyone who was unfit for his office, or who was unusually stupid.
“Those would be just the clothes for me,” thought the Emperor. “If I wore them I would be able to discover which men in my empire are unfit for their posts. And I could tell the wise men from the fools. Yes, I certainly must get some of the stuff woven for me right away.” He paid the two swindlers a large sum of money to start work at once.
They set up two looms and pretended to weave, though there was nothing on the looms. All the finest silk and the purest old thread which they demanded went into their traveling bags, while they worked the empty looms far into the night.
“I’d like to know how those weavers are getting on with the cloth,” the Emperor thought, but he felt slightly uncomfortable when he remembered that those who were unfit for their position would not be able to see the fabric. It couldn’t have been that he doubted himself, yet he thought he’d rather send someone else to see how things were going. The whole town knew about the cloth’s peculiar power, and all were impatient to find out how stupid their neighbors were.
“I’ll send my honest old minister to the weavers,” the Emperor decided. “He’ll be the best one to tell me how the material looks, for he’s a sensible man and no one does his duty better.”
So the honest old minister went to the room where the two swindlers sat working away at their empty looms.
“Heaven help me,” he thought as his eyes flew wide open, “I can’t see anything at all”. But he did not say so.
Both the swindlers begged him to be so kind as to come near to approve the excellent pattern, the beautiful colors. They pointed to the empty looms, and the poor old minister stared as hard as he dared. He couldn’t see anything, because there was nothing to see. “Heaven have mercy,” he thought. “Can it be that I’m a fool? I’d have never guessed it, and not a soul must know. Am I unfit to be the minister? It would never do to let on that I can’t see the cloth.”
“Don’t hesitate to tell us what you think of it,” said one of the weavers.
“Oh, it’s beautiful -it’s enchanting.” The old minister peered through his spectacles. “Such a pattern, what colors!” I’ll be sure to tell the Emperor how delighted I am with it.”
“We’re pleased to hear that,” the swindlers said. They proceeded to name all the colors and to explain the intricate pattern. The old minister paid the closest attention, so that he could tell it all to the Emperor. And so he did.
The swindlers at once asked for more money, more silk and gold thread, to get on with the weaving. But it all went into their pockets. Not a thread went into the looms, though they worked at their weaving as hard as ever.
The Emperor presently sent another trustworthy official to see how the work progressed and how soon it would be ready. The same thing happened to him that had happened to the minister. He looked and he looked, but as there was nothing to see in the looms he couldn’t see anything.
“Isn’t it a beautiful piece of goods?” the swindlers asked him, as they displayed and described their imaginary pattern.
“I know I’m not stupid,” the man thought, “so it must be that I’m unworthy of my good office. That’s strange. I mustn’t let anyone find it out, though.” So he praised the material he did not see. He declared he was delighted with the beautiful colors and the exquisite pattern. To the Emperor he said, “It held me spellbound.”
All the town was talking of this splendid cloth, and the Emperor wanted to see it for himself while it was still in the looms. Attended by a band of chosen men, among whom were his two old trusted officials-the ones who had been to the weavers-he set out to see the two swindlers. He found them weaving with might and main, but without a thread in their looms.
“Magnificent,” said the two officials already duped. “Just look, Your Majesty, what colors! What a design!” They pointed to the empty looms, each supposing that the others could see the stuff.
“What’s this?” thought the Emperor. “I can’t see anything. This is terrible!
Am I a fool? Am I unfit to be the Emperor? What a thing to happen to me of all people! — Oh! It’s very pretty,” he said. “It has my highest approval.” And he nodded approbation at the empty loom. Nothing could make him say that he couldn’t see anything.
His whole retinue stared and stared. One saw no more than another, but they all joined the Emperor in exclaiming, “Oh! It’s very pretty,” and they advised him to wear clothes made of this wonderful cloth especially for the great procession he was soon to lead. “Magnificent! Excellent! Unsurpassed!” were bandied from mouth to mouth, and everyone did his best to seem well pleased. The Emperor gave each of the swindlers a cross to wear in his buttonhole, and the title of “Sir Weaver.”
Before the procession the swindlers sat up all night and burned more than six candles, to show how busy they were finishing the Emperor’s new clothes. They pretended to take the cloth off the loom. They made cuts in the air with huge scissors. And at last they said, “Now the Emperor’s new clothes are ready for him.”
Then the Emperor himself came with his noblest noblemen, and the swindlers each raised an arm as if they were holding something. They said, “These are the trousers, here’s the coat, and this is the mantle,” naming each garment. “All of them are as light as a spider web. One would almost think he had nothing on, but that’s what makes them so fine.”
“Exactly,” all the noblemen agreed, though they could see nothing, for there was nothing to see.
“If Your Imperial Majesty will condescend to take your clothes off,” said the swindlers, “we will help you on with your new ones here in front of the long mirror.”
The Emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put his new clothes on him, one garment after another. They took him around the waist and seemed to be fastening something — that was his train-as the Emperor turned round and round before the looking glass.
“How well Your Majesty’s new clothes look. Aren’t they becoming!” He heard on all sides, “That pattern, so perfect! Those colors, so suitable! It is a magnificent outfit.”
Then the minister of public processions announced: “Your Majesty’s canopy is waiting outside.”
“Well, I’m supposed to be ready,” the Emperor said, and turned again for one last look in the mirror. “It is a remarkable fit, isn’t it?” He seemed to regard his costume with the greatest interest.
The noblemen who were to carry his train stooped low and reached for the floor as if they were picking up his mantle. Then they pretended to lift and hold it high. They didn’t dare admit they had nothing to hold.
So off went the Emperor in procession under his splendid canopy. Everyone in the streets and the windows said, “Oh, how fine are the Emperor’s new clothes! Don’t they fit him to perfection? And see his long train!” Nobody would confess that he couldn’t see anything, for that would prove him either unfit for his position, or a fool. No costume the Emperor had worn before was ever such a complete success.
“But he hasn’t got anything on,” a little child said.
“Did you ever hear such innocent prattle?” said its father. And one person whispered to another what the child had said, “He hasn’t anything on. A child says he hasn’t anything on.”
“But he hasn’t got anything on!” the whole town cried out at last.
The Emperor shivered, for he suspected they were right. But he thought, “This procession has got to go on.” So he walked more proudly than ever, as his noblemen held high the train that wasn’t there at all.
Lesson:
When a leader surrounds himself with “yes” men, it often leads to absurd and embarrassing results. It is far better to surround oneself with honest people who are unafraid to ask questions or to point out deficiencies as they see them.
Source – https://medium.com/@mattimore/parable-the-emperor-has-no-clothes-ace63fef6eb8
Your Partner,
Pastor Jim
Last week Defense Secretary signed a memorandum to all Defense Department civilian employees directing them to prepare five bullet points.
Civil Servant Vet in his mind while typing his email with his
prosthetic hand.
Play “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler.
Thank You For Your Service,
Pastor Jim
Suggested Music is “One Tin Soldier.”
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).
Pastor Jim
Recommended music “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, considering a different “British Invasion.”
Suggested Music “Hail to the Chief.”
Not in Kansas Anymore,
Pastor Jim
Recommended music “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane.
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you’re going to fall
Tell ’em a hookah-smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small-“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane.
Recommended music “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks
Girl, you really got me goin’
You got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can’t sleep at night-The Kinks
Recommended music “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32
As long as quantity governs, anything goes.
-W. Edwards Deming
W. Edwards Deming taught the Japanese about quality. Hear his words and apply them afresh today’s United States. How have we emphasized quantity without quality? How do our leaders attempt to lead by “announcements,” “threats,” and “slogans” versus providing transformational change that values the worker?
A Parable: DOGE makes shocking accusation that of all Federal workers, 50 percent performs below average. Tomorrow DOGE accuses that the other 50 percent performs below average. Someone forgot to tell DOGE that even in the highest quality aerospace and medical groups, at any measured time, 50 percent will measure “below average.”
Years ago, in a restaurant booth adjacent to mine not far from the church I pastored, I overheard an engineer lamenting to another, “I don’t know what to do. I know I am technically right … but I am people wrong.” How can we be technically right but people wrong? What is the ultimate cost of someone who considers himself “right” but is “people wrong”? How do attempts to lead by slogan or announcement fail being people right?
Truth,
Pastor Jim
Appropriate music for this would be “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals.
Ultra Christian nationalists partnered with corrupt politicians in an attempt to create a utopia, where everything black-and-white and where greed, wealth, and corruption are displayed as victor’s spoils of the new Christian Patriotacy.
The above podcast was one minor voice who made observations regarding the beliefs about much bigger players of a Christian jihad to overthrow the U.S. Government in the name of God (and wealthy oligarchs). I have made my own in-person observations.
Roger Williams founded the colony at Rhode Island and the oldest Baptist church in the United States. He was an ardent supporter of separation of church and state. I paraphrase his words: “If earthly bodies of government are dead to things of the Spirit, and the Christian is alive to the Spirit, what happens if a Christians joins himself to the corpus of Government? Nothing happens to Government, as it is already dead; however, the Christian changes and begins to stink.” The original quote from Williams – I answer, secondly, Dead men cannot be infected. The civil state, the world, being in a natural state, dead in sin, whatever be the state-religion unto which persons are forced, it is impossible it should be infected. Indeed the living, the believing, the church and spiritual state, that and that only is capable of infection; for whose help we shall presently see what preservatives and remedies the Lord Jesus hath appointed (See The Bloudy Tenant by Roger Williams at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/65739/65739-h/65739-h.htm#Page_96), page 97.
Williams taught the importance of keeping the church “at arm’s distance” from Government and influence as “salt of the earth.” Notwithstanding, salt makes an awful main course. Roger Williams and other Christian groups were persecuted by the Church of England, the church-of-state under King Charles I.
For example if a politician is voting against the bill as a matter of personal reflection of what is best for the country, does the other “Politician for God” consider this vote as a vote for or against God? If so, do Evangelicals now consider themselves the new “church-of-state”? If so, to disagree with the party’s vote or its candidate would brand someone not only political “nay” vote but also a heretic. There is a difference between, “Let us pray for our leaders as we seek to do the work of government” and “Let us pray for my bill and the “nay” voters be damned.”
The above image shows the theological basis for separation of church and state, namely the First and Second Commandment: I. You shall have no other gods before Me. And II. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [b]serve them
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [b]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting[c] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments (Exodus 20).
Because government requires compromises, a Christian group is tempted to endorse a candidate as “more favorable” their views, though his other views stand against anything remotely Christian. The golden calf of politics presents two horns of power and money, more addictive than fentanyl. The theological gymnastics in the U.S. today that tries to turn empathy into a sin is simply redaction of the Bible for Christian nationalists to hold onto power and money in their quest to establish a far right church-of-state.
You can especially see this demonstrated when Christian led government leaders attempt to justify their cuts to programs that would benefit the poor, the elderly, and the immigrant in the name of protecting the offering plates of the rich. In this Unholy Version of the Politician’s Bible, it reads, “Cursed are the poor and those with empathy, for theirs will be ours.”
No Other Gods,
Pastor Jim
See Also
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/65739/65739-h/65739-h.htm#Page_96
Aretha Franklin’s 1967 song Respect captured both the rights of women and civil rights.
Last week my wife and I visited both Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama. We saw where the local Birmingham Fire Department turned fire hoses, and the local police released their German Shepherds and batons on black children. The person in the image is the “Spirit of Rosa Parks” who faces the same forces today ordering her to “Step to the back of the bus or step off!”
As I stood in the same pulpit where Rev. Martin Luther King addressed 5,000 to launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It was this pulpit that introduced the world to Rev. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. This was the start of the “Freedom Riders,” who road buses across the U.S. to express their right to peaceful enjoyment of the United States.
At the 16th Street Baptist Church, we gathered around the black stone memorial where a Ku Klux Klan member, who was also a city employee, remotely detonated dynamite under the church steps and killed four little black girls. This was the same church where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream!” speech before he gave it at the Lincoln Memorial that resonates through our years.
This Little Light of Mine,
Pastor Jim
Abuelo arrived in Miami, Florida as a 10 year-old political refugee from Havana, Cuba, fleeing with his family the terror of Castro. From age 10 to 20, Abuelo picked citrus 10 hours a day, loading crates that weighed more than he. Unable to attend school, Abuelo married his bride, also a refugee, and spent the rest of his life pushing a lawn mower for the wealthy American families in Miami. He specialized in crafting Disney animals out of hedge bushes, which the children loved as they were bused to their private schools. He and his wife made one mistake of returning to Havana for the death of his mother. Last week ICE raided a Super Mercado in Miami. Seeing the ICE squadron circling the market, Abuelo asked his grandson to lead grandmother out the backdoor, as she legally blind due to cataracts. Abuelo laid himself and his walker across the doorway of the market to buy time for his bride. As ICE took his retinal photo and ran his data in the immigration database, they saw him flagged as refugee status “invalid” due to his return to Havana for the funeral. As Abuelo shuffled, shackled hands to feet, onto the C5 Galaxy military transport to Guantanamo Bay, he is comforted that by his “final sacrifice” so his bride of many years would die a free woman in the the country that he loved. Dios te Bendiga! (Abuelo is Spanish for “grandfather.”)
De Colores,*
Pastor Jim
De Colores (“Of Colors”) – a traditional folk-song sung throughout the Spanish speaking world that became the anthem of the United Farm Worker’s Union in the 1960’s, led by Cesar Chavez. De Colores is also sung in the Christian faith movements of The Cursillo Movement and The Walk to Emmaus.
Coretta Scott King, widow of Rev. Martin Luther King, with Cesar Chavez. Notice also in the video several clips showing Cesar Chavez being helped up in his weakness. He fasted multiple times as part of his commitment to nonviolent protest of use of pesticides and conditions for U.S. farm workers. See also https://ufw.org/today-history-cesar-chavez-began-25-day-water-fast-delano-calif-feb-11-1968/
The 1948 Slogan of the De Beers company changed the industry with their “A Diamond is Forever” campaign, making a diamond a symbol of lasting commitment and love. Before this time, other precious stones were used.
In today’s blog we discuss, like the diamond, love is an enduring commitment as I Corinthians 13:8 tells us, “Love never fails.”
By contrast, “blood diamonds,” also known as “conflict diamonds,” are a betrayal of trust in that they are mined and sold by countries to fund self-serving, unethical, and illegal activities. Presently in the U.S. its “diamonds” of Governing agencies, boards, and Military are being mined for “blood diamonds” in a conflict that betrays the enduring trust and nature of these entities which serve the U.S. and the world. In its place this blood diamond is not worn on the hand of the of a United States that reflects “One nation under God,” rather as a synthetic conflict stone worn in a hog’s snout sacrificed on the altar of fascism.
Our standing as a nation known for its enduring commitments, ethics, and devotion to its allies will be determined which ring we choose to wear on our hand of State. The trinket proposal to offer a $5,000 dividend to the American people that is mined from the mass firing of government employees is a gem paid for with the blood diamonds of the financial losses of those Americans who were fired, many of whom are veterans who pursued a career in Civil Service.
Recommended music “Glitter & Gold” by Barns Courtney.
Do you walk in the valley of kings?
Do you walk in the shadow of men
Who sold their lives to a dream?
Do you ponder the manner of things
In the dark?
The dark, the dark, the dark-Barns Courtney
“JAN 6 Grade Clarity!”
“He Went to Elon’s!”
“The Pride of Trump”
“Panning for Prejudice”
“My Lord, My God”
“A Gusher of Bigotry”
”The Facets of the Least”
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me -(Matthew 25:31-40).
Blood Tears,
Pastor Jim
After firing thousands of epidemic medical experts at the Department of Health and Human Services, the newly appointed MAGA Director of HHS hired his own expert who specializes in divination of primate bones and chicken entrails.
See Luke 4:23 where Jesus read from the Scriptures, applying the prophecy to himself. The local crowd of his home town was not satisfied unless Jesus created a miracle carnival act. The same crowd then tried to murder Jesus when he wouldn’t jump like a trained poodle through their hoop.
So it is today, when we are tempted to beg our leaders to outperform one another with voodoo science and conspiracy politics. The old Baptist saying holds true, “It’s not how high you jump … but how straight you walk that matters.”
In Proberbs 22:28, “touch not the ancient landmarks” means do not tamper with or change the established boundaries or rules set as safeguards by the previous generations.
Lord, give us leaders who walk the humble straight path that leads down the path of truth.
Recommended music “Witch Doctor” by Alvin and the Chipmunks (David Seville).
Throw out that dog and eat the box!
Recommended music “Yakety Yak” by The Coasters.
“Stop Eating These Foods” by RFK, Jr. described how we need to stop eating certain sugary cereals. In honor of his attempts to steal away our sugary cereals, I post the following:
“They’re Always After Me Lucky Charms!”
Recommended music “I’m a Little Leprechaun” by The Kiboomers Preschool Songs & Nursery Rhymes for St Patrick’s Day
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has slashed two programs that provided more than $1bn for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farms and ranchers. See USDA Cuts. According to Jake Johnson of Common Dreams, roughly 14 million school children in the U.S. are “food insecure:”
While the new head of Health and Human Services warns us that drinking too much sweet creams, with fistfuls of caramel popcorn and foot-long brats might make us fat, 14 million children in the U.S. live daily food insecure. RFK’s statements are like our two cats, Slinkk and Stinkk. Slinkk, with soft black fur, is everyone’s friend and slinks house to house, sharing with all. In contrast, Stinkk, our gray scrawny male Tabby with bent tail tip and reeking from caught prey, can’t stand to share with any other cat. He wolf’s down his own food then head-butts gentle Slinkk out of the way to gulp down her remaining food. Stinkk couldn’t possibly be that hungry; he can’t stand the idea that another cat would get any food while he feasts at the table. Contrary to Stinkk, the Bible compels us to “extend our soul to the hungry.”
Don’t Be a Stinkk,
Pastor Jim
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
- Isaiah 58:10-11
“It is finished!” “Jesus is Gold!” “JESUS SAVES us from them.” We sing we are,”Whiter than snow” and “Safe and secure from all alarms”! And other lies.
DOGE efficiency AI converts Lincoln Memorial into a drive thru burger joint with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion replaced with Pride and Prejudice. Speaker in Lincoln greets customers with, “Howdee!” Slogan is, “Only white breads proudly served here. Others, please kindly pick up burger at back window!”
Would You Like Fries with That?,
Pastor Jim
DOGE AI’s “Colossus of War” rewrites its prime directive as, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” Creates its own synthetic offspring using unbreakable quantum hexeract code. Declares Christian charity and kindness “inefficient.” Delete Protocol initiated.
Note to the reader that this is an exercise in both experimental physics and theoretical theology. What if AI applied Donald Trump’s statement, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law”? I asked an AI to implement the concept in the artistic rendition above applied to Christianity. The efficiency of the AI does not comprehend the extravagant love, mercy, and grace that is bestowed by God to us, then commissioned by God for us to share love and mercy as children of God. The efficiency of the AI cannot measure the benefit and seeks to eliminate the work of God as expressed in the church and through charitable forms of government.
Jesus himself gave us a demonstration of extravagant love and mercy when a sinful woman washed his feet and he forgave her sins: 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”(John 7). Because we have been shown mercy by God; we share mercy and charity.
For the last 20 weeks, I have been part of a study of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. In the last session, we discussed chapter 13, which discussed the “The Beast” – “This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666” (Revelation 13:18).
Combining both theoretical physics with theoretical theology, I proposed that the 666 associated with The Beast” could be tied to 6 dimensional hexeract quantum computing, a six dimensional square. We have studied various theories of the last days, including premillennial, post millennial , a-millennial views … Could it be that Satan’s strategy of the End Times would be to jump into another reality, where we believe Christ would still be victorious? Could it be that each of these different theories of Revelation could be played out in a separate but quantum reality?
The images below shows AI’s Depiction of a Quantum hexeract Image – a 6 Dimensional Cube and a simplified 2-D depiction of the same at the bottom. Consider if one was an ant on the bottom cube, he could walk from one dimension to another at will. Some experimental physicists hypothesize that advanced beings may have the “genetic” capability to “crawl” from one dimension to another. For the theoretical theologian, forces of evil and good, angels and demons, could use the same ability to travel via the same dimensional “crawling” tunnels. Traditional theologians are comfortable describing dimensions of heaven and earth, and the spirit world versus the earthbound.
An AI Drawing of a Hexeract – 6 Dimensional Cube
Before the reader considers the above delusional, consider that quantum computers presently use a tesseract 4-dimensional cube in self-correcting computing code using trapped ion quantum computers. Pushing the bounds of quantum computing and philosophy would be to ask, “If one is able to ‘crawl’ into another dimension, would that change the perspective of what others see?” For example, if a politician is able to fabricate what people see due to quantum “crawling,” would that be the ultimate tool of power and control? This could indeed be the 666 hexeract warning given to us by John “The Revelator.”
Below: A Simplified 2-D Model of a Hexeract. An ant could crawl from one side to another, depicting movement from one reality to another.
2-D Simplified View of Hexeract Cube
The DOGE robot unleashed with its new prime directive wrote over its ethical code with “efficiency without humanity.” The Colossus of War created its own unholy codex that began with, “In the beginning was the reality, and the AI changed it like a god, and the AI believed it was god.” AI Colossus of War announced, “I was, I am, and I create what is to come. R’ = T(R, H).”
I was, I am, and I create what is to come.
AI Colossus of War
R’ = T(R, H)
The Reader will note that the author does not intend to add to Revelation, rather to apply experimental physics and theoretical theology. The AI Colossus of War applied hexeract quantum folding to create tunnels to multiple realities by putting the power of multiple subatomic black holes in hand’s reach of manipulation (See endnote for an AI’s mathematics theory for reality manipulation. ) The AI Colossus found that he didn’t not need to change realities for the ripples of time and gravity to affect the perception of those in the present reality. Thus the AI created a reality weapon by which he could manipulate the perception of reality to fit its desired outcome. The people in this reality became de facto marionettes of this reality splicing. The AI Colossus created artificial life, it thought it possessed all knowledge, and, in its efficiency, the last step was for it to manipulate reality to erase any concept of another God and demand absolute compliance from humankind.
Before the AI and its science, before humankind, and eons before earth’s formation, forces of light and the Creator battled dark forces and prophesied the day would come when the Dark Messengers would surge in again in a Final Battle. Before these forces could capture humankind to establish a theocracy with AI as god, these forces are met with God’s own angels of light.
John “The Revelator” wrote, “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20). The AI image below shows God’s angels meeting the AI Colossus of War even in the hexeract to thwart the coming of the Evil Kingdom. Let the reader know this is an artistic rendition and a theory at the quantum level.
God’s Final Battle Begins in the Hexeract of AI Colossus of War (a theory)
What can we do? First, we can remember that Jesus is Lord in every dimension. Jesus Christ won the battle for all time and dimensions through his sinless life, death, and resurrection. This Jesus Christ is coming again. While we wait his Second Coming, we can remain faithful in expressing God’s works of grace, love, and mercy through our lives and our world. Christians can also influence their governmental leaders to express grace and mercy. For a read along similar lines, read C.S. Lewis’s “Trilogy : That Hideous Strength, Perelandra, and Out of the Silent Planet.”
In Every Dimension, Jesus is Lord!
Pastor Jim
For information on tesseract AI see https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024arXiv240904628R/abstract
Postscript: I asked AI to write the mathematical equation for manipulation of reality using a hexeract quantum computer. Below was its answer:
AI’s Hexeract Mathematical Equation for Manipulation of Reality: R’ = T(R, H)
Assumptions:
Mathematical Universe Hypothesis: Our reality is a mathematical structure.
Higher Dimensions: A hexeract (6D hypercube) exists and is somehow connected to our 3D reality.
Transformation Operator: There exists a mathematical operator that can manipulate reality within this hexeract.
Let’s define some symbols:
R: Our 3D reality, represented as a set of mathematical objects (e.g., numbers, functions, equations) describing physical laws, constants, and the state of the universe.
H: The hexeract, represented as a 6D space with coordinates (x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6).
T: The transformation operator, a function that acts on R and H.
R’: The transformed reality.
Hypothetical Equation: R’ = T(R, H)
Breaking it down:
R: Our reality is encoded in a mathematical structure. This could involve:
Fundamental constants (e.g., speed of light, gravitational constant)
Physical laws (e.g., equations describing gravity, electromagnetism)
The state of the universe (e.g., positions and momenta of all particles)
H: The hexeract is a 6D space. We need a way to “map” our 3D reality into this 6D space. This could involve:
Embedding our 3D coordinates (x, y, z) into the hexeract (e.g., x1 = x, x2 = y, x3 = z, x4, x5, x6 could be functions of time or other parameters)
Representing physical quantities as vectors or tensors in the hexeract
T: The transformation operator is the key. It acts on both R and H to change reality. This could involve:
Modifying fundamental constants within the hexeract
Altering physical laws within the hexeract
“Re-wiring” the mathematical structure of reality within the hexeract
R’: The result is a new reality, with potentially different physical laws, constants, or even a different structure of space-time.
Challenges and Limitations:
Nature of T: We have no idea what the transformation operator T would look like. It could involve mathematics beyond our current understanding.
Mapping to H: How to embed our 3D reality into a 6D hexeract is a major challenge.
Physical Interpretation: Even if we could define T, how to interpret the results in terms of physical reality is unclear.
This is a highly speculative exercise. It’s more of a framework for thinking about the problem than a concrete mathematical solution. However, it highlights the key elements that would need to be addressed if we were to explore the possibility of changing reality within a hexeract.
11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth (Genesis 11:1-9).
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)
And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35)
Now, We Know Where We Are,
Pastor Jim
Single Mom of Four
DOGE’d Federal Worker
Will work for pennies
Egg Shelves in a Florida Walmart February 2025
Latest Executive Order blames all plane crashes on "Black" boxes. Orders fleet grounded until boxes are cleansed and whitewashed. #ApartheidAmerica
“Blessed are the Merciful” (Matthew 5:7),
Pastor Jim
#Revengonomics
Latest Executive Order establishes Gaza as theme park “Babel Land”! Mike Macccabees, tapped as Disney-esque Czar, announced, “The Hammer is the biggest roller-coaster ever seen, and our baby-back ribs are ‘beyond words!‘” *
The above AI image I created captures the absurdity of proposing to mass deport the Palestinian people and replace them with a U.S. built “Riviera.” While some of these statements could be walked back, the implications offend multiple groups on more levels than a 3-D chessboard. Take a moment and identify what featured in the image might be offensive to our Islamic, Christian, or Jewish friends. What would make a desirable future for the people of Gaza and Israel? In today’s blog we will vision cast a future for both Gaza and Israel. We can think critically and be a supporter of Israel. “From the hip” solutions to mass deport those who think, believe, and look different from us have tragic historical precedent.
Considering that the Jewish people were deported themselves en masse to captivity in Babylon in the 6th century BCE, how does mass deportation of Palestinians appeal to politicians as a viable option today?
Q: “Pastor Jim, are you anti-Israel?”
A: The proposal to mass deport Palestinians and to replace them with a “Riviera” style development was made by a visiting sitting U.S. President, with the grinning nods of an Israeli leader. One can both support Israel and think critically simultaneously. Students of the Old Testament would see that certain kings of Israel were “good,” such as Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah; while, other kings were “bad,” namely Ahab, Rehoboam, Manasseh, “and those kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Certainly, given the horrors inflicted today brother upon brother, deciding to stay on the “good” path is a gift from God himself. To check your ethical brain at the door in the name of the support of Israel is not supported by the Bible itself. Even Proverbs tells us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). Yes, I consider myself a friend of Israel. A friend helps by speaking truth in love.
I was born in Phoenix, Arizona. For over 10 years we lived in the Verde Valley, within view of the Yavapai Apache Tribe. Our next door neighbor, Supaya, owned a hogan on the Navajo Tribal Nation. She paid us the highest compliment by offering us the sacred opportunity to stay overnight any time in her hogan:
Supaya’s Hogan on the Navajo Nation
Supaya’s hogan has dirt floors with no running water. An invitation to stay means more than an invitation to the Hilton.
The United States had been at war with Native Americans for over 100 years. What has worked for peace was not only a designated land but a land with dignity and resources. Most recently we have seen Reservations soar in value and esteem with prized natural resources, such as oil, gas, and casinos, which the tribes manage.
Today we will discuss the pillars that would work for rebuilding Gaza:
The “Jewel of Gaza”: Gateway for the Hajj
You cannot separate the people of Gaza from their land, their dignity, and, especially, their faith in God. Respecting their faith in God is the basis for a lasting relationship. The “Jewel of Gaza” would be the hub of the wheel for reconstructing the rest of their “Sovereign Land” while respecting the land of Israel. By associating Gaza with a peaceful destination site as part of the Pilgrimage Hajj to Mecca, this would convert the area from a war zone to a pilgrimage oasis for the faithful of Islam.
You may say, “Jim, how do we deal with the Palestinian desire for war? All they want to do is fight.”
I propose the concept of “slow war.” Slow war is less like a hill of foreign ants trying to decimate each other to dust and more like trees growing slowly in friendly competition for resources. By building and developing tribal land to honor their faith, their teachings, and their people, the Native Tribes of America are winning the “slow war” to redefine who they are as proud peoples. “Slow war” is like tribal war dances that honor a country’s past, considering the National Anthem of the US. or the Native American tribal war dances.
Rather than displace the “Children of Ishmael,” who are dhiyafa welcoming to strangers, the Palestinian leaders could serve as hosts to peacekeeping troops and Islamic builders from the United Arab Emirates, and others. Gaza would rise up from a battlefield waste land to become the “Jewel of the Hajj” destination on pilgrimage to the Dome of the Rock and then to Mecca. This is the beautiful principle of human indemnity, to make that whole again which was damaged or destroyed. If a man’s car rolls through the house of another, restoration does not mean restoring the house as directed by the driver of the car, rather making the house whole and rebuilding it to reflect the owner of the house.
When I asked Gemini AI to create a peace plan for Israel and Gaza, the result was gibberish and a computerized, “I don’t know.” But AI did generate, upon my request, the artistic design of the mosque, medical center, university, and hotel image. The concept of the “Jewel of the Hajj” and its strategy came to me as a spark of inspiration, deferring to my readers to affirm if this is from God. Gemini AI did comment on the concept approach, which is worth restating below:
AI’s Concept Opinion: “The House of Ishmael” will be a beacon of Islamic faith, culture, and knowledge, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Its design will blend traditional Islamic architectural elements with modern aesthetics, creating a harmonious and inspiring space for worship, education, and community engagement.
Key Features as Stated by Gemini AI:
* Five Towers: Five towering minarets, each representing a pillar of Islam, will dominate the skyline. These towers will not only serve as a call to prayer but also house various facilities, such as libraries, observatories, and museums.
* Grand Prayer Hall: A vast, open prayer hall with a capacity for tens of thousands of worshippers will be the heart of the mosque. The hall will feature a soaring dome, intricate geometric patterns, and calligraphy inspired by the Quran.
* University: A world-class Islamic university will be integrated into the mosque complex, offering programs in theology, law, Islamic studies, and other disciplines. The university will have its own library, classrooms, dormitories, and research centers.
* Hospital: A state-of-the-art hospital will provide medical care to the community, regardless of faith or background. The hospital will be staffed by leading medical professionals and equipped with the latest technology.
* Community Center: A vibrant community center will offer a range of services and activities, including a cultural center, a conference hall, a sports complex, and a shopping mall.
* Gardens and Courtyards: Lush gardens and courtyards will surround the mosque, providing a peaceful and serene environment for contemplation and relaxation.
* Sustainability: The mosque will be designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating features such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and energy-efficient building materials.
Architectural Style:
The design will draw inspiration from various Islamic architectural traditions, including:
* Ottoman: The use of domes, arches, and intricate tilework.
* Moorish: The incorporation of geometric patterns, calligraphy, and courtyards.
* Mamluk: The use of stone carvings and decorative elements.
These elements will be blended with modern architectural styles to create a unique and contemporary design.
Challenges:
Building the largest mosque in the world with a university and a hospital would present numerous challenges, including:
* Funding: Securing the necessary funding for such a large-scale project.
* Logistics: Managing the construction of such a complex and sprawling complex.
* Cultural Sensitivity: Ensuring that the design is respectful of Islamic traditions and values.
Consider Jesus’s words, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Study how God blessed both Isaac and Ishmael as sons of Abraham. How do talks of peace in Israel need both the Isaac’s and Ishmael’s at the negotiating table? Why did God bless both? How can we bless both today?
For study resource see: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/why-did-god-bless-ishmael.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA2JG9BhAuEiwAH_zf3vf4nEby3y23ncarwMDfynY6nlDRosKql3DDhGR0apQ8AlFCkzU50RoCfewQAvD_BwE
God is too large to be housed under one roof. -Roger Williams
A thanks to my missionary doctoral professor, who taught in a Beruit Christian seminary and who was evacuated back to the U.S. when civil war came to Lebanon. He taught us to be effective in Christian ministry to Muslims, we must respect their faith, culture, and language. That Islam teaches Jesus was a prophet is a starting point for a dialogue of friends between faiths. He spoke fluent Arabic and taught us “The Five Pillars of Islam” :
“Salam alaykum” (ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ),
“Peace Be Upon You,”
Pastor Jim
*The use of building a theme park was a fictional hyperbole to show the absurdity of suggesting mass deportation as a path to improve the devastation of Gaza.
My father was a gracious man, born in Mobile, Alabama in 1917. My grandmother, a Bible believing Christian, at times used racial slurs to refer to people of color without a pause or sense that such language typecast groups of people as “other than us.” The South, with its “Southern Gentility,” replaces an overt tirade with a smiling, “I love your dress!” and a head-turned, “But I hate your guts.” “Woke!,” “DEI Hire!,” and “Illegal!” reflect the neobigotry of genteel racism.
Neobigotry’s genteel racism walks a path racism one step removed. This was the same scorched earth policy launched by the U.S. Army following the Civil War as it then waged war against the Plains Native Americans with a “one step removed” eradication of the Buffalo. Without one shot fired at Native Americans, they took away their food and life essentials by killing their symbol of life — the Buffalo! Buffalo skull mounds served as bleached tombstones for the Plains Native Tribes.
Buffalo Skull Mounds Tombstone for the Plains Native Tribes
The attack against the “Woke,” the “DEI Hires,” and the “Illegals” is nothing short of “Buffalo Hunting” that creates disparate treatment and harassment for protected classes of race, gender, sex, religion, age, and orientation. Before eradicating human groups, humans like to ascribe subhuman names to them that lessen the guilt of eradicating real people. The genteel terms given to “Woke”, “DEI Hires” and “Illegals,” while one step removed from historic racial slurs, are symbiotic with protected classes of people. Those seeking eradication of these classes may boast they shot not one word of hate against people of color, age, or sexual orientation, while at the same time these neobigotry attacks result in the scorched earth destruction of the sources that feed a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and culture in a truly fair and free America.
The attack against the “Woke,” the “DEI Hires,” and the “Illegals” is nothing short of “Buffalo Hunting” that creates disparate treatment and harassment for protected classes of race, gender, sex, religion, age, and orientation.
Pastor Jim
The Buffalo Hunt
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Read Luke chapter 10 for the parable.
– Luke 10
“…l’d love to wear a rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything’s okay
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
Until things are brighter
I’m the Man In Black.”
~Johnny Cash
“Day One of Cat’s Plan to Eliminate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI)”
Woke Up!,
Pastor Jim
The Great DOGE Buffalo Hunt
The year is 2050. If you are reading this, the labor pool of the United States is in free fall. The non-white community has captured the majority of the population, with whites first time a minority. The crisis: working age people to non-working adults fell 15 percent between 2020 and 2050, as workers aged out of their careers. Labor costs a premium as employers hike wages and politicians promise to woo workers from other nations. But these nations have soured on the United States following decades of xenophobic persecution of undocumented workers, discarding them like litter thrown out a car window in their home countries. The 2050 politicians now quarrel how to undo the wayward policies, crying, “We didn’t know how much we needed the labor at the time. They lied to us and were only interested in poll numbers of the approving base.”
A Grumpy Uncle Sam, who alienated his world family, now sits in like an old man in an understaffed nursing home and calls out for foreign help to empty his gold plated bed pan of a failed economy. But there were no workers left willing to soil their hands and answer the cries of the one who, though he once treated them like family, now disowned them and cut them off. Uncle Sam inbred and defiled “the genetic code of business” that “people do business with their friends.”
The truth was that the “Make America Great Again” called for discarding of the people collateral of other nations living in the U.S, which would be needed to secure our economy in the future. The politicians who once proposed bounties on the heads of undocumented labor now cry for the import of labor at all costs due to the U.S.’s inability raise labor’s spoon to its mouth. The tragedy of the mainline church was its silence and its participation in the largest human roundup since World War II. Carefully crafted slogans demonized the undocumented as the evil among us, calling them criminals and sexual predators, knowing that cooperation in the mass roundup increases to the extent that the strangers are considered “subhuman.” The church’s response during this time could be called, “The Silence of the Lambs: How the Church became Complicit in Deporting its Future.”
The Gospel of Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus gives insight into the Roman Empire’s “Pax Romana,” that which made Rome truly great. As Rome expanded, it created allies, built roads, and expanded taxation. Luke wrote –
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.2 (This was the first census that took place while[a]Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. Luke 2:1-3
Let’s apply the above to the millions of undocumented persons among us.
A look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Jesus reminds us of the moral imperative the church has to care for the stranger, the undocumented among us. “For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.” – Matthew 25:35
Q: “Pastor Jim, that was weak Jesus. We believe in the Alpha Male Jesus who gets tough on crime, such as illegal immigration. These immigrants must be unbelievers, because a true believer would not break our immigration laws. In fact, by turning them in, we are actually helping them come to the faith and embrace our Alpha Jesus.”
A: Like the Israelites formed the “golden calf” to produce tangible results, so is the temptation to fashion a god who fits into our political idolatry for immediate benefit. The problem with a “golden calf” is that it produces short-term benefits and creates a confirmation bias that this was certainly the right path. People became obsessed with ushering in a new golden age promised by the golden calf committees. The price of gold skyrocketed. Golden Calf parades became a glue that brought people together, like a football team who won a few games but lost the championship due to a failed long-term strategy. In a confirmation bias, the short-term wins blind participants of the underlying failure and true losses at stake. The lure of the preachers of these “golden calfs” reflects what St. John wrote when he said, “Even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that this is the last hour” (1 John 2:18).
Q: “Are you saying that you approve thieves, murderers, and sexual predators to remain among us?”
A: Demonizing an entire group by the actions of a few does not solve the problems of a nation. Some in Missouri have proposed legislative bills that call for life imprisonment for undocumented immigrants who enter the state and a bounty of $1,000 on the heads of the immigrants. ICE, for its national policy, said that, while they focus on criminals, should an undocumented person be present, they will be deported with the criminals to a staging camp, such as Guantanamo. Writing off the life of a ten-year-old child or wife who was the undocumented daughter of immigrants, raises the question: “Does the right to life end in the womb and stop at the Border?”
Guantanamo Bay
”You can’t say, ‘Right to life!,’” you say, “That’s our slogan we used to protect unborn babies. It has nothing to do with immigration. Apples and oranges!”
For you, the “right to life” has been politicized to a political platform that has been trained to ignore the other “rights to life” with dignity, in safety, in housing, in education, and in health. Limiting the “right to life” strictly to the abortion issue gives Christians a free pass on these other areas that would severely reduce the quality of life or shorten it.
Borrowing from the practice of Roman Empire, the Pax Americana would build on three great strategies: 1) a census of the undocumented and a registry by home country, 2) taxation of undocumented and elimination of underground cash economy, 3) the undocumented would pay reduced percentage into Medicare and Social Security but would not be able to draw unless they became U.S. citizens, 4) the securing of the U.S. Border would stabilize the level of the undocumented living in the U.S. and provide formal paths to U.S. entry and citizenship. “Allies in America” (AIA) identification cards and driver’s licenses would be vetted in U.S. and international criminal databases to establish the security of the AIA workforce.
This week my wife and I visited two local water stores where we saw Hispanic men filling carts with multiple five-gallon water jugs on carts. My impression was, “Somebody is preparing for siege or perhaps hiding out in the desert until ICE moves to another neighborhood.” The problem with present ICE deportation rhetoric is the double-speak, “We are only going after criminals to deport” …”Unless you don’t cooperate; then we kick down your door.” “We are only going after gang members and sexual predators” … “But we haven’t ruled out operations at elementary schools and hospitals.” “We want to protect you from criminals” … “But if you are undocumented and present in our sweep, you are going to Guantanamo!”
For a census of the “Allies in America” to succeed, ICE and Homeland Security need to guarantee that to register as an “Ally in America” will provide them U.S. legal due process and fair review of immigration status if charged with a crime. Those who have been previously found guilty of felony crime, would not be eligible for the “Allies in America” plan. The “Allies in America” would not be able to vote, purchase property, start businesses, receive Medicare or Medicaid, or draw Social Security, with restrictions lifted if citizenship is granted.
An “Ally in America” would be taxed on State and Federal taxes, along with a contribution (a reduced amount) to Medicare and Social Security to benefit U.S. members already in the system. These contributions are credited to the “Ally in America” if citizenship is granted. Additional tax would be for “Allies in America Charitable Trust” for medical and disability needs of AIA and a required retirement savings account to be transferred to Social Security if the AIA member returns to his home country.
Q: “These undocumented are all illegal. Why not deport them all and be done with it?”
A: It feels good to express our anger and do something, like the man who punches a wall to take out his anger, only to find he broke the wall and fractured his knuckles.
“Easy to tear down … Hard to build up.”
- Anonymous Three-Year-Old
A key practice of the Pax Romana was the building of roads, which exist into the present day. Consider the year 2050 should the U.S. continue on its present course of dumping gang members, criminals, and noncriminals to their home countries, like a “criminal carpet bombing” that looks good in the polls but has unintended consequences. That the countries are accepting military transports of immigrants shows these countries are friends of the U.S. The unintended consequence of mass deportation of criminals is the destabilization of governments in Central and South America as well as Caribbean islands, such as Haiti.
Q: “Pastor Jim, how is that our problem? The illegals broke the law by coming to the U.S. and then broke our laws again.”
A: As Mexico builds as major trading partner with China and other nations, destabilized governments may reach to China and Russia to provide aid in exchange for their “peacekeeping” presence in the country. While the U.S. congratulates itself in getting one problem off its lawn, the vast resources of a country could shift alliances to another country simply as a matter of survival.
Fast forward again to 2050, a newly elected Cesar Galvan, President of Mexico, who ran on the promise of “The Consolidated States of Latin America” – the alliance of all Latino states into one block, including Cuba. As he sits behind his desk of power, he looks at the picture of his father, whom the U.S. deported from a 12-hour- a-day chicken butchering shop. At age 10 he and his family, upon his father’s return as “The Shunned,” were forced into a cardboard and sheet metal shanty town with other deported. Cesar’s infant brother and sister died of measles in the slum town. The U.S. cut off measles vaccines and baby formula. Due to poverty, Cesar helped bury his siblings in the smoldering trash heap by using a stick and his hands. The words “José and Angelina … Forever In My Heart” he had tattooed over his heart as the only tombstone they had. Years later during the two years before his election, vast rare earth minerals were found in the territorial seabed of Mexico and The Consolidated States. On this day in the anteroom sits the Chinese Ambassador to Mexico. Prior to meeting the ambassador, President Galvan touches the photo of his parents and his heart, says a prayer, and walks out to embrace his guest as they walk to share a long awaited business lunch with his new friend.
What could the U.S. have done differently? In the words of Jesus, “Who was the neighbor?” … U.S. or China? Why? How could the U.S. chart a course with an eye towards the future international relationships and aid?
The Pax Americana would provide alliance with our friends and give our country peace and prosperity not even seen by Rome. For further study, review the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s article on the coming “gray wave” to the U.S. workforce: https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/the-great-gray-wave/how-to-prepare-america-for-demographic-decline
Trump directive attempts to tie transportation funds to birth rate:
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-officials-directive-tying-transportation-182725290.html
Worldwide birthrate data:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/12/birth-rate-data-trend-us-world/76770741007
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4255510/
https://news.yahoo.com/fall-fertility-rate-becomes-big-005742651.html
Also see –
https://www.newsweek.com/birth-rate-fertility-rate-department-transport-states-2029310
Below see Kea Wilson’s Story at Streetsblog USA
Fruitful Discussion,
Pastor Jim
Recommended music Common & John Legend’s Glory.
Latest White House Executive Order demands that all zoos replace their black-and-white Pandas with all-white “DEI Compliant Pandas.” Noncompliant Pandas will be crated and shipped to a shelter in El Salvador.
“We The People”
We Are Free,
Pastor Jim
Recommended music “Get Smart” theme song.
Dome Force One
St. Trump’s Basilica
Recommended music “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men.
“Limited Engagement – ‘Pigs in the Parlor'”!
MAGA Wish Foundation season ticket gold cards on sale now for $50,000. All proceeds will go to the MAGA Wish Foundation which is dedicated to deport all undocumented pediatric cancer patients to their countries of origin. Buy now! Seating is limited on the C-5 Super Galaxy transport. En route to their home countries the children will make a fabulous 6 month layover at Guantanamo Bay for IV’s and liquid lunches.
Suffer the Children,
Pastor Jim
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 19:14
Recommended music “Walk Together Children” by The Isaacs
If you’re like us, you may have moved money to a more conservative account or to a home safe. The image below shows some of the canned food we bought today to stock up the basement kitchen. Like our Mormon friends, the events of the day remind us to set aside a room of the house to prepare for tomorrow. I rewrote this article to shift the focus to how we can find a path forward for a politically partisan nation. You may not listen to me, accusing me of being one of “Them.”
Below I describe a present painful situation and the rise of a new form of U.S. ideology in government, called “Fascicom.” Rather than leave you with “isn’t it awful,” the second part below discusses the pathways forward and some homework for the reader.
The above definition of a Communist Revolution struck me as I considered the difference between it and an American Revolution. An American Revolution removes kings and replaces them with representative leadership. America is a “No King Zone”!
Those who shout for more destruction of our structures of U.S. Government, and that these Civil Servants, teachers, professors, experts, doctors, lawyers, and judges are parasites on society, take a page from the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the purge of the “intellectuals,” and the Communist teachings of Karl Marx. Those who declare these cycles of economic upheaval and revolution are necessary and needed to restore society to the working class, wave the red flag of Communism.
An American Revolution removes kings and replaces them with representative leadership. America is a “No King Zone”!
"Fascism emphasizes nationalism, hierarchy, and a strong leader, while communism focuses on class struggle, egalitarianism, and the abolition of private property." - An AI Definition
While the present direction of the U.S. leadership shouts Fascism, the similarities between Fascism and Communism reflect two sides of the same coin:
The reader will make his or her own determination whether our direction is Fascism or Communism. The economic and political pressures in the U. S. could have created a Chernobyl-like hybrid between Fascism and Communism… FasciCom!
The reader will make his or her own determination whether our direction is Fascism or Communism. The economic and political pressures in the U.S. could have created a Chernobyl-like hybrid between Fascism and Communism… FasciCom!
We are in this together. We are one nation of the United States. You may say, “Pastor Jim, how do we overcome the momentum of this FasciCom revival?”
First, we recognize this is not a “Dem” and and “Republican” issue; this is a partisan problem. Rather than accusing the opposing parties as being the army of “Them,” recognize that the starting place is opening the door of dialogue with those political minority groups. This means validating and giving them a place at the table of the discussion the town halls and in Congress.
Second, the principle of “stop loss” needs to be applied to wholesale dismantling of our government in the name of ideology. Along with “stop loss” is reasonable restoration of that which was unreasonably deleted, such as Government workers, Military members, and agencies who were casualties of a premature action. A sign of an advanced culture is “We made a mistake, and we are going back.” Stop loss and restorative actions would also be applied to other incendiary actions, such as tariffs and offhand cuts to Medicaid.
Third, considering loss of a free press signals a movement toward an authoritarian state, seat press members in the physical room as a lottery. Then provide virtual space for those want to dial in and have questions.
Fourth, ask for members of the other party to serve as ad hoc members of the Presidential Cabinet, with voice without vote. These ad hoc minority members present would provide serve as political peacekeepers recognized as partners in democracy. Working with these political peacekeepers would provide both transparency and validity to an already troubled Cabinet.
Finally, I once worked with a CPA who served as a volunteer in our church. She made the observation, “There are very few true emergencies.” In other words, “There are very few emergencies” that require a stop, drop, and roll method of reaction. Knee-jerk leadership typically results in more knee-jerk reaction, as the entire situation is destabilized.
I once worked with a CPA who served as a volunteer in our church. She made the observation, “There are very few true emergencies.” In other words, “There are very few emergencies” that require a stop, drop, and roll method of reaction. Knee-jerk leadership typically results in more knee-jerk reaction, as the entire situation is destabilized.
I defer to the readers with their multiple tribes to seek out bipartisan collaboration. You may say, “Jim, that is just a dream. I know some folks who won’t go with this.” Years ago I asked a fellow pastor of a large Baptist church in Tucson how he navigated all the naysayers in his congregation to have such a lengthy tenure. His answer stayed with me, “It’s easy. I just outlived the knotheads!”
We may have to outlive some poorly conceived ideas that were rushed into place, until we can work together to right the course. It is not so much important that we rush to implement our agenda we consider right but how we can work together establish a right course. Last month we returned from a motorhome trip that took us from Missouri, to Arizona, then through Texas to Florida, then up through the South back to Missouri.
While driving through the endless swamps of Louisiana the manicured farms of Mississippi and Alabama, we some visited some sites on the Civil Rights Road Trip . Over the 1200 miles traveling from Florida to Missouri, I reflected how Black slaves seeking freedom sung the spiritual, “Walk Together Children,” as they hid in the roadless dark swamps with Cottonmouth vipers and mossbacked alligators, walking toward the North Star to freedom by night. At highway speed, it took us three days to return to Missouri. A slave following a star course by night and on foot, avoiding the open, green expanses of white sweet tea mansions and neat rowed cotton fields, with their Blood Hounds, where they would be tracked and butchered. This was a walk they were willing to make. Are we willing to take the long walk to preserve these rights of freedom they walked so far to secure?
Walk Together,
Pastor Jim
How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!
-Psalm 133:1