Independence Day for “No Ape Kings!”
“Hurricane Watch and ICE Raid Warning.” Shelter the Innocent. Did we return our soldiers from Afghanistan to serve as the private army of a decaying dictator who orders them to take FEMA funds to kick down the doors of U.S. seniors, drag nursing mothers from their cars, stalk workers waxing the agent’s own car wheels, and grab students off streets to “Alligator Alley” gulags across the country. Once the immigrants are done, What’s Next!? Answer … the poor, the Democrats, the people of color, the elders, the journalists, the teachers, the non-TrumpCultChristians. Today is Independence Day!
Grasp the Wheel and Freedom Ride
I have stood in the pulpit where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and 1000’s launched the 381 day Montgomery Bus Boycott. I touched the face of history at the desk where he penned the words in the small pastor’s office. Today I hear in my soul while reflecting on similar times in our country, “These again are solemn days that call us to grasp the wheel and ride that liberty bus to return a lost country to a place where a person’s color or nationality is not a crime.” I don’t know if he would say that, but I do feel it deep in my heart.
While the present GOP is fallen as Trump’s victims of the mirage, one challenge is how to resist Trump’s Private Army by civil and peaceful means. Justice and freedom do not arise by hate but arise out love for the weak and the poor who beg for a better tomorrow.
Are You, Do You Know, Or Have You Ever Been A Migrant?
While the present GOP is fallen as Trump’s victims of the mirage, one challenge is how to resist Trump’s MAGA Guard by civil and peaceful means. Justice and freedom do not arise by hate but arise out love for the weak and the poor who beg for a better tomorrow. You will likely be faced, until we can vote them out in every election, the with the USA’s version of masked Federal stops that demand, “Show me your papers,” which feels like “are there any gypsies, Jews, socialists, homosexuals, or disabled in your home or your car?”
Everyone Halted by Ice Outside El Paso
Based on true events this year
We were stopped in our motorhome with only my wife and our dog as passengers. The entire eastbound highway to Missouri coned into an ICE dragnet. A 20-something officer asked me who else was in the motorhome. I explained, “My dog and my wife.” He stared at me not sure how to answer my red-faced-sun-glassed stare response to his chit-chat talk. As he let us drive forward but before the window came out, I blurted out some real feelings I had about this mass multilane body cavity search. I put some of what I blurted out in this blog and I told my wife later, “I give you my word. I’m not going to blurt out while stopped in the proximity of the National MAGA Guard my feeling that could cause unnecessary hours of a 30-something Proud Boys veteran of Afghanistan now finding his patriotism jailing grandparents overnight. There is a better way. Reaction in anger in creates a worse result. Many of the Proud Boys want a better America, where all can be free. We may not like their group, but their freedom to Proud Boy gives us the same freedom to write, speak and assemble, and form our groups. In that we find common ground.
However, my red-faced, unshaved beard with veins popping forehead in front of wild white hair is crazy ol’ coot Jim. Trust me, the ICE officer does not think crazy old coots are “cool” (forgive the pun).
Grandma’s Not Home But Loves to Talk!
True with artistic adjustments
I learned a skill yesterday at the rural walk-in clinic while waiting for COVID treatment. This kabuki displays as grandma’s not home but she loves to talk. I had not slept for 4 days and sat with the room full of wobbly senior mask-less women, who pulled their silent unshaved husbands around like purses on wheels. These patients talked more than Methodist women at the potluck pie table. As I moved my chair to the side of the room, in scraped grandma pushing her walker. She came in talking like she was loudly debating a sloth. Not once did she stop talking. She took her chair and she talked on. She talked to the room. She talked to herself. As a captive audience, I realized grandma’s not home but she loves to talk! She talked about weather. She talked about politics without naming anything political. She rambled about grandchildren she never met. When I pretended to close me eyes in blessed unconsciousness, I realized that grandma’s meanderings gave us a slideshow of a trip to nowhere. It was like being served a quart of warm buttermilk to drink in 3o minutes. But she provided a beautiful lesson how to respond to intrusive interrogations. For young people today, a conversation like that smells and tastes like day-old buttermilk. No my wife would say, “Jim, you don’t have to work your character at all. Just be your annoying old self and remove your hearing aids!”
A Paw Step Toward Internal Peace
The ICE dragnet redux would then chill like:
“Who is with you, Sir, where have you come from?” painful smile while reading my face and vehicle. Visual on wife and dog and wince at odor of buttermilk and fried eggs.
“Sure, I keep my gun in a safe down the hall … in Missouri. It’s not loaded. I love to hunt and have hunted northern Arizona mostly. Are you a hunter?” questioning smile.
“NO, ARE … YOU… DRIVING … TO … CHICAGO … OR … NEW YORK?” loudly and slowly to the bearded adult toddler.
“Officer, I am not driving to Chicago for work. In fact I don’t work at all. But I hear they have the best steak sandwiches in the windy city! Did you know some of the best chefs in Chicago are not American citizens?”
Cars now train-car’d back a mile behind the RV. But the officer cracked a smile when our Lab-Retriever jumped up, smothered grandpa’s face in fur, to give priority to the nice man’s hand for cookie. Grandpa sat still in dog fur until the petting and frisking ended.
The black dog fur now an Elvis sideburn stuck on grandpa’s white beard cracked the officer’s first real smile of the day seeing who now looked like crazy retired Elvis, his aged hound mix, and old smelly RV named “Buttermilk.” The officer missed his own grandpa in Kansas, like “crazy ol’ coot” and his dog, “Sir, be safe down the road with you and your dog” big arm Elvis karate chop wave kick forward go!
And with that the country was one paw track toward internal peace.
Reminder of Other Good-Hearted Officials Trapped by the Paw of The Axis Evil Ape
Schultz reminds us that a protest against a dictator does not demand cruelty to politicians, employees, officers, and soldiers who are trapped in his ideological mirage. We can help pay forward the same kindness. In my last church I served as executive pastor, the grandfather (perhaps father) of a leading woman in my church spoke as a former young man in NAZI Germany. He brought his collection NAZI paraphernalia from those years. As part of his presentation, he presented in-character how Hitler spoke addressed their youth on the radio. Hitler began with speech a softly humming desk fan that grew into a the incessant war cry of a possessed banshee. After I asked, “Why didn’t the other citizens or leaders organize and end this?”
The solemn, loving guest gave this humble warning: “Hitler made the NAZI party not one organization. He made it the country. The schools taught NAZI propaganda. Trade guilds and universities revolved around Nazi ideology. Judges held sham NAZI trials. And the companies sold their soul to it. If you denied the NAZI party, where then would your children attend school or find work? Where would you bank? What would happen to your business credentials? Where would you wife work? Would your children be immediately expelled?”
His words fixed in my mind. This movement flowed like Evil Amish Shunning in which you became invisible to society. I had no follow question to that and wonder now what would happened if in Mr. Trump’s use of the AI Big Beautiful Database he would, virtually unrestricted, send any politician, group, or (citizen or not) or accountant to his personal cyborg gulag … with a Tweet. Now we know why his politicians stare like North Korean hostages. The ethics of truth, trust, and Constitution, and due process of the law protect the careful, legal path of a person before inflicting the worse punishment man can inflict upon man. Due process means we care for ethics and the born rights of all persons, the precedents of the case, the provision of fair treatment during process, and the right to be innocent before found guilty by a jury of our peers, without which the silverback’s midnight Tweet could use tariff sharpened canines to bite off our hand and put any of us in cyborg gulag. One revenge Tweet from the silverback’s finger could gulag politicians, lawyers, institutions, Federal agencies, constitutional scholars, schools, judges, officers, citizens, or residents arbitrarily as, “His Yorky peed on my turf.” Tariffs chewed off one corporation at a time as company champions tremble that an arbitrary tariff fangs bite inflicted to shutter their entire operation. Then we realized the ape never used the tariff plan for the good of the country but to feed its own appetite of infecting new victims with the pithecophobia, fear of ape.
Did you hear about the gazillionaire and his cronies whose money elected a monster silverback gorilla to the Oval Office for ultimate power?
“Is it a Dem or MAGA monkey?” asked one man trembling who approached the titanium bars and peered into the unblinking orange eyes of the gorilla.
“We don’t know,” said his friends. “Put your hand out and see if he takes your offer of friendship.” The man obliged, an inch at first, fingers, then the whole arm. The primate sat rock still.
“I think what you bought is a stupid gorilla!” but before the man could retract his hand the ape bit off the man’s hand and held it up with a fanged grin. His friends pulled him free with the ape crushing three of the other’s fingers. The third man wasn’t so lucky. The big ape ripped off his blonde coiffed widow’s peak and set it on his forehead, ate a banana, and flung manure at them, covering priceless art with ape dung.
“This is so exciting!” shouted the man missing the widow’s peak. “We bought the perfect presidential gorilla! He is exactly what we wanted!”
“How the heck do you think he’s MAGA?” said the man who bandaged his hand with his shredded white shirt and half-bitten red tie.”
“That’s easy. You missed it? … Only a MAGA hates a ‘hand out!”
For where there is fear; there is control. You say, “Jim, why that’s just a phobia! It’s not real.” A: Yes, and that’s why it’s called a phobia and so effective as a malicious weapon. You don’t bite your opponent; you show how you would share that the Communists endorse and worship him, building secret red statutes of him. Then let the phobia bite metastasize in him. Same of effect of tariff canine sharpening during a “loving” unblinking hour of “You know how much your company loves staying in love with us” between the sounds of fang filing. Now that some evangelical churches and pastors have embraced the warmth and power of primate love, not all have kissed the hairy knee.
While the present GOP is fallen as Trump’s victims of the mirage, one challenge is how to resist Trump’s MAGA Army by civil and peaceful means. Justice and freedom do not arise by hate but out love for the weak and the poor who beg for the table scraps of a better tomorrow.
Justice and freedom do not arise by hate but out love for the weak and the poor who beg for the table scraps of a better tomorrow.
Remove Not the Ancient Landmarks
A senior friend, out of curiosity at a birthday party we attended, asked me smiling how many degrees I had, I answered (and rarely volunteer) a Bachelor’s, Master of Divinity, Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Ministry, with a Chartered Property Casualty Adjuster, Senior Claim Law Associate, a published U.S. patent, other certifications.
I asked back, “Do you know what that makes me?”
“No, what?” slyly grinning.
“Old.”
At the end of the birthday party table sat a bright young local emergency manager. He keeps multiple phones with him to keep his grandma and my friend safe from fast mover tornados and other emergent threats. He was the educated man at the table who teaches and protects us. But he’s not standing, chest beating his daily achievements. He quietly stands by for us.
Experts like him remind me of my seminary PhD neighbor who looked like Superman’s “Clark Kent.” Quiet at unassuming, you wouldn’t know he was an expert in ancient Hebrew and wrote his dictionary size dissertation on the Hebrew letter “and.” Who wants to spend 6 years in seminary studying “and”?
“Johnny and tell what your father does for show-and-tell today.”
“That’s it … ‘and’!” Insisting his father’s job is “and.”
“Father and what?” puzzled!
“Exactly, and that’s what! And they’re both right here!”
My neighbor also didn’t advertise that he tutored also at three universities fluent German, along with ancient Greek and Hebrew. His wife held a doctorate in education. They were the smartest people I ever met. They are like the scientists and government experts who are now fired by political Tweet because folks didn’t get the real story played on the conspiracy channel.
Tragically, the new DOGE intern sits with his emergency Blackberry in his efficient studio, multitasking TikTok binge videos. From his apartment hive/office, he sends out a Tweet, “And this week will come a fire and floods and hale and fire and tornado and hurricane and earthquake and chicken flu outbreak and COVID and be ready. And hit with with any ??. And Chill :o).” Now you know the importance of those studying “the and’s” and when these “and’s” will arrive, with specific details of each revelation.
Prayers for Flood Victims. Prayers for Our Local, State and Federal Servants and Leaders Standing By,
Pastor Jim
This has been a long but necessary blog. It’s my “big beautiful post.”
The Miracle of Dialogue: For Your Discussion
How the GOP spending bill will fund immigration enforcement
Budget Bill Massively Increases Funding for Immigration Detention
- Read and apply Psalm 82:3-4. How would this verse apply to the actions of ICE against aliens peacefully working and paying taxes and living among us? How can we as Christians respond? How can we balance justice with kindness? How can your protest in a defusing way with local officers and community?
- Watch the following video below What They Found in a Boeing 787 about the U.S. company performing hidden quality shortcuts for profits. With FAA staff reductions, what is the Christian direction for a cost-cutting company on whom the Government trusts with more responsibility and trust for its own inspections? How can a company restore the flying communities lost trust in its ethics now that all this is discovered? Why is being true to our words and actions important for our Government leaders and companies on which our lives consume, ride, and fly? How would the following Bible verses apply:
- Leviticus 19:11:“You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” This verse lays a foundation for ethical business practices.
- Proverbs 11:1:“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but an accurate weight is his delight.” This verse highlights the importance of accurate measurements and honest dealings. Why do leaders now value concealment from their quality workers? What is the cure? Leviticus 19:11:“You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” This verse lays a foundation for ethical business practices.
- Proverbs 11:1:“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but an accurate weight is his delight.” This verse highlights the importance of accurate measurements and honest dealings. Why do leaders now value concealment from their quality workers? What is the cure?
- Consider for a moment the massive purge of U.S Government scientists across multiple federal and state agencies, from NOAA to NWS to FAA to FEMA to NSGS Water Watch (monitors real time river and stream flood data gauges). State officials and citizen live and die by the bat phone data local leaders get from these science experts. But if politicians cancel and cement the bat caves of these mystery scientists, who will see our cries help on the clouds? Proverb 23:10 warns us against bulldozing over those ancient landmarks that prospect our ancient way of life, this would erasing whole swaths scientists who hold down the corners of our fort so we know when the dust devil turns into a city killer tornado. We don’t need to hear about “thoughts and prayers” while we find help from the FEMA money used to run down table bussers and car detailers in Tampa and truck the resources only to race our troops too late back to the real disaster. Watch the second set of videos :”Texas Officials,” “Trump Panics as Fired Official Goes Public (On flood and federal mass firings)” and “Flooding in Texas: Ex-NOAA Lead Talks Impact.” Discuss:
- What makes expert and a scientist different from conspiracy? Why do we so quickly become enraptured by conspiracy which causes us to distrust the science? How can you help support these experts and scientists who work quietly behind the scenes but who are subject to unnecessary blame and job loss?
Does prayer mean robo-signing and stamping a piece of gold embossed letterhead that says, “I prayed for you!”? Or, does prayer mean, “Out of the love flowing from my prayers for you I protect the resources that will carve out a safe place for you, by my own hands if necessary”?
Coming attraction “Hallmark Card Christianity”
As a St. Patty’s baby, I have always enjoyed colorful green cards of leprechauns and lucky charms, as well as other holiday cards. Our friend, Patty, sends the most beautiful animated e-cards. We need more beauty of that on this earth. The coming story addresses the need for hands that care and boots on the ground as tangible manifestation of our prayer.
Having served as pastor in three different faith groups of Southern Baptist, United Methodist, and International Council of Community Churches, I understand this message but have fallen short myself. We have spent far too much time in church board meetings, wringing our hands over spreadsheets, to hammer out the next parking lot sealing project than reaching out to a needy world. “You can’t be a true Christian church without freshly painted handicapped parking for your wealthy donors to make a walker beeline into their reserved front pew seats.”
One particular sin of omission aims at the unwed mother. The evangelicals organize to stamp out any access to abortion, even propose banning travel to another state where she might obtain an abortion. Rather a few token “family life centers” provide much needed mother-to-be counseling, followed by 6 weeks of diapers and infant formula. “We have done our Christian duty! We saved a baby! Hallelujah!,” you brag and dance around the yearly fundraising bonfire. Does the right to life end at the womb or stop at the border?
Meanwhile, the young mother is crippled due to severe post-partum depression. She can’t sleep due to a colicky baby. She doesn’t know how to begin to quality for Medicaid. The food banks closed because the same evangelicals cheered at purging undocumented farm workers from the U.S. “Don’t you know we don’t believe in funding any lazy people! We don’t believe in socialism. We don’t pay for daycare people to raise their babies. That’s communism!” Those young mothers should strap that baby on their backs and get out there and harvest melons! And, please, pick more seedless melons.” (To be continued ….)
