Trump is wrapping up his first year as President, and perhaps the only thing that most would agree on is that the Trump Presidency, like his election, has been a most unusual one. His core supporters still love him and see the real problem as a Washington establishment more concerned with its own problems than those of everyday people like themselves. Trump’s main goal is to clean out “the swamp.”
His opposition hates him, and yes, it is hate, often to the point of fixation as they see him destroying the country and setting up a fascist regime. While such hatred occurred to some extent with all recent Presidents, Obama, Bush, and Clinton certainly had those who hated them, there are two differences with Trump and Trump hatred.
First, with Trump it is much more mainstream. Those who hated Obama, Bush and Clinton tended to be on the fringes, but given how Trump’s election was such a surprise, many Democrats simply cannot accept that he actually won, and is the legitimate President. In addition, his detractors are not just on the left or even limited to Democrats as many Republicans, the so-called Never-Trumpers, were so opposed to Trump before the election that they are essentially in the same camp as their Democratic counterparts.
Making matter even worse, many in the media are among the haters and as a result the daily news cycle is dominated by stories on how bad Trump is and the damage he is supposedly doing. A report by Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy found that in the first 100 days Trump had 3 times the coverage of earlier presidents, “without a single major topic where Trump’s coverage, on balance, was more positive than negative, setting a new standard for unfavorable press coverage of a president.”
Not only does such slanted coverage feed the hatred, it reinforces Trump’s base concerning how entrenched “the establishment” forces are, strengthening their support for Trump. As a result, the hatred is far more main stream than with previous Presidents.
The second factor is Trump himself. Trump is a fighter at heart. It is one of the reasons his base likes him. But often he is his own worst enemy, particularly when it comes to his tweets. Many a time I have been disgusted at the anti-Trump focus of the media overtaking what I believe to be more important stories, such as the looming danger of North Korea, or the recent protests in Iran. It would be easy to blame the Trump haters in the media, but often it is Trump himself causing the focus. Like two children locked in a battle of retaliation, Trump and those who hate him are locked in battle. Whenever it seems to have finally passed, one side will poke the other and it flairs up again.
While Trump and those who hate him may both be at fault, ultimately this come down as a negative mark against Trump, as he is responsible for his own actions and cannot blame other for what he does. Frankly, as President, one of his jobs is to be above all this. Before Trump can legitimately point to those who hate him as an excuse, he needs to take care of the beam in his own eye. This does not absolve those who hate him, but this is an evaluation of the Trump Presidency not those who oppose him.
Earlier in his first year I would have given Trump a failing grade, but it seems to me there has been at least some improvement, though I admit perhaps I have just become better at tuning this noise out. But whatever improvement there has been, there remain a lot of room for improvement, and so I would give him a D.
Another problematic area would be the general running of the White House. While all new presidents have their struggles, such as nominations that run into trouble, and the like, Trump is the first President where the Presidency was his first political office, and thus has had more problems than normal. One of the more positive aspects is that there does seem to be some ability to learn from mistakes and the While House seems to be running better as we come to the end of the first year, though again there is still room for improvement. Grade C.
As for the rest of his Presidency, while he got off to a very rocky start, he finished his first year reasonably well, and in terms of accomplishments better than most presidents. The tax cut was passed, including even a repeal of the Obama Care Mandate. Also passed was the National Defense Authorization Act and increasing defense spending, along with VA reform. ISIS was defeated in Iraq, he withdrew from the Paris Accords and TPP, and recognized the obvious: that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Net-Neutrality was repealed and there were new rules for Power Plants and Waters of the United States. Probably his most long-term legacy will be the courts with the appointment of Gorsuch to the Supreme court and 12 Appeals courts judges.
Many more accomplishments could be listed, and I am sure his detractors see many of these as negatives. But while Republicans did not like that Obama was able to pass ObamaCare, their dislike for the bill did not remove it as an accomplishment. Trump did fail on his promise to completely repeal ObamaCare, and has yet to fulfill his promise for plan to reach a 350 ship Navy and the Wall, so here he gets a Grade of B.
Then there are the more general things like an improved economy and the return to the rule of law. A good example of the latter would be the announcement that DACA was ending. While soundly condemned on the left, DACA was being challenged in court and it was generally expected to be found unconstitutional, leaving the Dreamer worse off than before DACA, as they had registered with the government under the program. While Trump could have just ended DACA, he instead suspended it, instantly stopping the legal challenge and giving time for Congress to pass a bill that would legalize their status, which is what should have happened in the first place.
This will be a test for the Democrats as Republicans have been clear that there is a compromise to be made here. However, it is unclear whether Democrats (or their base) will be willing to work with Trump on anything, including even allowing the Dreamer to stay in the country. Trump’s recent public meeting to negotiate a compromise was master stroke and seems to have made such a compromise much more likely. So the rule of Law, Trump gets an A.
As for the economy, it is clearly doing better. Whether you look at the Stock Market reaching new highs, GDP growth, low unemployment, or companies moving into the country, the economy is doing much better than it has in a long time, and probably since the turn of the century.
A good indicator of how well thing are generally going came from a liberal friend of mine, who commenting on a change in leadership for a local organization, mentioned the “Obama effect” which she defined as the previous leader got everything in place and the new leader gets to take all the credit for the positive results.
While this certainly can and does happen in life, I do not think it applies here. Such arguments are valid, only when the new leadership generally continues the existing polices. For example, this is a valid argument to the success in Iraq during the first year of the Obama administration as Obama initially continued the basic plan put in place during the surge. After his first year in office things were going so well, the Obama administration was taking credit for it and Vice President Biden said Iraq would be one of the major success stories of administration. It was only after the Obama substantially changed the plan by pulling out all troops that the more recent problems arose, not the least of which was ISIS.
Now at the end of Trump’s first year ISIS has been largely defeated in Iraq, and Obama supporters are saying this was just Trump finishing out the Obama plan. Perhaps. A key difference with 2009, is that Trump did make some significant changes, primarily transferring much of the tactical decision making away from the administration and to the military commanders in the field, in short, getting out of their way and letting them do their job. But regardless, either way this still counts as a success for Trump’s first year, just as the initial success in Iraq counted as a success for Obama.
A more reasonable case for the Obama effect might be made for the economy because, at least in theory, the first year of a President is run under the last budget form the previous President, and economic forces are such that things do not change very quickly. Ultimately, we will not really be able to judge the effects of the Trump presidency on the economy for several more years. But the early indications are positive and unlikely due to any Obama effect.
Looking back, Obama years show very consistent, but very small, growth. Having inherited a very bad economy the Obama administration was able to get the economy back on track and was able to avoid any more additional upheavals. The arguments against the Obama economy were not that it was bad, per se, but that it could have been much better.
Two successes of the Trump administration directly relate to the economy. The first has been the massive shift in the focus of regulation. This has been accomplished in three ways. The first has been through the appointment of new heads of the agencies. The second the reduction in regulations, and the third, has been through the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which has allowed recent regulations to be stopped.
The CRA is key, for while a future President could in theory simply appoint new agency heads who could then restore the regulations back to where they were prior to the Trump administration, any regulation stopped by the CRA, can not be reimpose, nor any similar regulation, without a bill being passed in Congress. While little used in the pass, the CRA was used extensively in Trump’s first year blocking many regulations of the Obama administration until a future Congress acts.
To detractors this deregulation is reckless, putting the public at risk. To supporters this is reducing the needless burden on business that kills jobs and harms the economy. But independent of this controversy, this deregulation has spurred economic growth.
The other major change has been the passage of the tax cut, clearly a success story for the administration, and one that would have a positive effect on the economy. Thus, the marked increase in economic growth is far more likely to be the result of these changes in policy than the ideal that after 8 years of very consistent slow growth, for some reason, the economy would suddenly take off in the 9th year. For the economy Trump gets an A.
In summary, Trump’s first year is very mixed. I guess it is not surprising that his presidency is one of extremes. One moment is success, the next is a face palm. At times it is tempting to separate Trump from his administration, but Trump appointed the administration, and does set the general direction. Part of the real problem is that given the overwhelming negative coverage, it is often difficult to tell what happening. Even when positive things do happen either the coverage will be so baised in its attempt to find a negative slant, or Trump will divert the news cycle with one of his inflammatory tweets. Thus, at the end of year one I will give the President two grades. On policy I will give him a B, if not a B+. Generally, pretty good, but some room for improvement. The other I will call performance, the job of being president. There I give him a D, as he often is his own worst enemy and I hope for continued improvement in year two.
by Elgin Hushbeck, Jr., Engineer, teacher, Christian apologist, and author of Preserving Democracy, What is Wrong with Social Justice?, A Short Critique of Climate Change, Christianity and Secularism, and Evidence for the Bible.
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Trump’s First Year
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Dave Black: Quench Not the Spirit
8:45 AM As a kid growing up in Hawaii, I cut my eyeteeth on the old King James Version Bible. Even today, when I quote a verse of Scripture, the first rendering that comes to mind is the KJV. One such verse is 1 Thess. 5:19:
- Quench not the Spirit.
Most of us doth not speaketh this way anymore, so you’ll find more colloquial renderings of this verse, such as:
- Do not quench the Spirit.
- Do not extinguish the Spirit.
- Don’t stifle the Spirit.
- Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.
- The Spirit quench not (Yoda Standard Version).
1 Thessalonians has an enormous amount to say to our contemporary church situation, not least in the area of Christian living. That’s one of the reasons I chose it as the focus of our Greek 4 class. The way in which Paul handles the “stifling of the Spirit” in Thessalonica has a curiously modern ring to it. Here I think of books like Strange Fire and its response Strangers to Fire. Both of these books call us to reexamine some longstanding assumptions about church life and the role of the Spirit in our daily lives. I want my students to examine for themselves the role that charismatic Christianity plays in today’s world. Hopefully we won’t duck out of the more controversial issues Paul seems to be dealing with in 1 Thessalonians 5. We are far too prone to view the Holy Spirit as a doctrine to be discussed. Alas, He is far more than that. We need constantly, as Paul reminds us in 1 Thess. 5:19, to examine ourselves and check up on our relationship with the Spirit, otherwise for all our preaching and teaching we ourselves might prove to be reprobates. It if could happen in Thessalonica, it can happen in Raleigh and Roxboro and in your hometown. The one lesson from 1 Thessalonians we must all take away is that the Christian life is one of suffering. Holy Spirit power is not always displayed in the miraculous. More often than not, “We have this treasure in jars of clay so that the surpassing greatness of the power might be of God and not of us.” This is Paul’s famous “power-perfected-in-weakness” doctrine, a topic I studied in some detail in one of my books.
The Master suffered. So will we. We are not called to be successes. We are called to obedience. Heirs of the age to come, we are still heirs to all the fallennness and frailty of the present age. I suspect that the young church at Thessalonica struggled with this doctrine, as do some of us today. But a truly apostolic church is nothing if it isn’t a church that carries with it the dying of the Lord Jesus. It’s authenticity is drawn from its identification with the poor and downtrodden, from suffering, from enduring mockery and persecution. That’s why when someone this week belittled the African nation in which my wife grew up, my mind instantly went to a time when someone said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” What a ridiculous idea that the Gospel produces weaklings! Many of us grew up “on the other side of the tracks.” But through His Spirit, Christ makes His followers strong, regardless of the place of their birth or their background. The power of His name is available through faith to all who call upon Him. We read in Hebrews of those who “out of weakness were made strong” (Heb. 11:34). A sickly Christian is subnormal. We can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
The apostles of the New Testament provided the norms of doctrine. A writing such as 1 Thessalonians shows us how newborn Christians sometimes need a bottle. Eventually, however, they also need to be fed meat and to begin to discern the mind of God for themselves through the indwelling presence of the Spirit and through the Scriptures. It is to that measure of maturity that Paul was calling the Thessalonians. And it is to that measure of maturity that he is calling the church of today. There is, perhaps, no higher calling in all the world. -
From World Prayr: Christmas Erupts
Can there be any other reaction when one has encountered the amazing grace of God, than an overwhelming eruption of emotional joy and praise towards God?
If so, then why do we see so few eruptions? Why are the volcanoes of our hearts not erupting with gratuitous affections and instead are often silent? Have we not met this very same grace?
Read more …
World Prayr is author of Energion title Walking in God’s Grace. -
Nancy Petrey: Christmas in Israel
(From our author, Nancy Petrey.) -
Why We Need an Incarnation: A Progressive Vision
From Energion author Bruce Epperly, a post from 2012.
Progressive Christians struggle with the stories and theology of the incarnation. Following Rudolf Bultmann, most progressives see the angelic visitation to Mary and the virgin birth as myths reflecting the early church’s affirmation of Jesus’ uniqueness not unlike stories of other political and savior figures. Moreover, most progressives also question Jesus’ metaphysical uniqueness and relationship to God – that is, the belief that he was not only different in degree of God consciousness from us, but also different in kind, truly God and truly human.
We progressives celebrate Christmas, but often see it primarily as a reflection of God’s presence in the marginalized and powerless. Many pastors gloss over the magi, shepherds, and angels, telling the Christmas story, but keeping their fingers crossed. Deep down, they no more believe in the traditional Christmas stories or God’s extraordinary presence in the manger than they do in Santa Claus.
Still, the child in us — and perhaps our deepest self — wants to believe in the incarnation and uniqueness of this innocent and humble child.
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Making Process Theology Make Sense
George Bernard Shaw once noted that the professions are conspiracies against the laity. We see this dynamic often when we visit our physician or attempt to have a conversation with an attorney. Many of us are baffled by the vocabularies of our automobile mechanics and computer technicians as well. That certainly is the case for the relationship of theologians to laity. Complicated and often undefined words, and complex doctrinal formulae, baffle laypeople, leading to the assumption that theology is utterly irrelevant to their lives and that theologians have little or no concern, or worse yet, value to issues in the “real” world.
Sadly, the gap between theologians and laypersons is also evident the work of many process theologians. While there is a place for academic theology and the linguistic richness of Whitehead’s thought, many process theologians’ desire to be true to the insights and language of Alfred North Whitehead often renders process theology incomprehensible, even to congregants who hold advanced degrees. A friend of mine tells the story of her pastor, who preaches an explicit sermon on a theme in process theology once a year. His congregants greet him in the receiving line after worship with the words, “interesting sermon” or “that was profound” and then remark to one another in the parking lot, “Did you understand anything he said? It was way over my head!”
When I tell my congregants, as I regularly do, “You’re a theologian,” they shake their heads and respond, “Not me. I’m no theologian.” To which I reply, “Anyone who thinks about matters of life and death, about the meaning of life, and their personal calling is a theologian.” Accordingly, good theology must address people where they live and work, responding to their hopes and dreams, their individual aspirations and political ideas. While often the term “practical theology” is used, like most adjectival terms, as a diminutive compared to the “real” theologians, that is, systematic theologians, the most meaningful theological reflection is profoundly practical. Theology, at its best and most profound, should emerge from and then illuminate our everyday experiences of hope and fear, meaning and doubt, aging and adventure, living and dying.
I have been fortunate to be bi-vocational most of my professional life. For nearly forty years, I have walked the halls of ivy as a seminary, medical school, graduate school, and undergraduate professor. I have spent virtually all those years as a pastor at the congregational and university levels. I have gone straight from the classroom and my keyboard to the hospital, a funeral, or a counseling session. I have taught theology in every congregational venue, and my pastoral experiences have shaped my theological reflections. I have lived my theology – especially process theology – in dealing with issues of life and death of body, mind, and spirit; community involvement; congregational and institutional budget priorities.; and guidance on issues of values and meaning in personal and professional life.
I have lived the process vision’s focus on possibility, relationality, creativity, and freedom in my personal and professional life, believing it to be a faithful description of what it means to follow the way of Jesus in our time. In the process, I have coined the term “theospirituality” to describe the intimate relationship of theology and spirituality, Spiritual experiences are the wellspring of theological reflection. Without the encounter with God, there would be no theology. Conversely, theological reflection serves as a means of understanding our mystical and life-changing experiences and describing them in ways that are both healthy and congruent with reality as we know it.
My anticipated five-part series on process theology with Energion Publications is an attempt to make process theology come alive for laypersons as well as pastors and spiritual leaders. Beyond the current, Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God and Process Spirituality: Practicing Holy Adventure, I envisage at least three more volumes related, respectively, to ministry, politics, and bioethics. In the first two books and the projected series as a whole, I have sought to join academic rigor, that is, faithfulness to the insights of process theology, with a commitment to communication and transformation across a broad spectrum of lay and professional preparation. I believe theology touches the heart and hands as well as the head, and theology that emerges from experience can be expressed in ways that interested laypersons and pastors can understand and communicate as well.
In some sectors, reflection on a theological treatise leads to the question, “Will it preach?” While not all theological reflection needs to address lay and pastoral concerns, eventually good theology is embodied in accessible teaching and preaching.
I believe that you can “live” process theology. You can embrace the dynamic, interdependent nature of life; the vision of a relational God who calls you to be a partner in healing the earth; and you can live ecological values in relationship to the non-human world. I believe that in this daily embodiment, mind, body, spirit, and relationships are integrated in a way that brings joy to us and joy to the world.
Bruce G. Epperly is the author of over 45 books, including Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God and Process Spirituality: Practicing Holy Adventure. He is also the author of various Energion Scripture studies including, Finding God in Suffering: A Journey with Job and Jonah: When God Changes as well as Angels, Mysteries and Miracles: A Progressive Vision.
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A Very Process Christmas
Let me be the first person to wish you “A Very Process Christmas.” Process theology and Christmas just seem to fit together. That might surprise you, especially since process theology asserts that God acts naturally, through the regular processes of nature, and not supernaturally, showing up from the outside every so often to overturn the laws of nature to perform a miracle or defeat an enemy. Just the same, process theology joyfully proclaims the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph’s beloved child, and the boy who grew up to be healer, reconciler, prophet, and world-changer. God was in the stable and God is in our lives, too! Every day is an advent adventure in which can train eyes for signs of new birth in a world of threat and challenge.
Alfred North Whitehead asserts that the world lives by the incarnation of God. God moves everywhere and in all things, seeking beauty and love. Each moment emerges from God’s inner inspiration. God midwifes each person’s journey, seeking to bring forth the holiness within. God seeks abundant life for every creature, urging all things toward wholeness.
The world incarnates God! Emmanuel, “God with us,” is just as real today as it was in Bethlehem’s stable. A child is born in Bethlehem and a baby cries in a refugee camp, recalling the fact that shortly after Jesus’ birth, the holy family set out on a refugee journey to Egypt.
Walt Whitman once said, “All is miracle.” Meister Eckhart affirmed that “all things are words of God.” Julian of Norwich rejoiced that something as small as a hazelnut contained the fullness of God’s energy. If a hazelnut can emerge from the fullness of God, so can the baby growing in a mother’s womb.
Process theology proclaims that each moment is an epiphany and every encounter an incarnation. Christ is in us, and we can become Christ-bearers in our place and time.
Bethlehem’s stable is not an anomaly but the revelation of what God is doing everywhere. Our world is full of wonder, and the same love that grew day by day in Mary’s womb grows in every person’s life. God gives life to our souls, but also our cells, even at the moment of conception.
The birth of Jesus expresses the wonder-full world in which we live. The child in the manger is a miracle child, manifesting God’s holy light and giving light to all creation. But, my grandchildren and the children in your life are also “miracles,” energetic incarnations of divine love. They too take birth in an amazing, complicated, and often challenging world.
At Christmas, we listen for angelic voices, and for process theologians there are angels around every corner. Every moment brings a message from God and divine messengers abound. God’s angelic messengers speak in our hearts, inviting us to share in the birth of God in our world today.
God also comes to us as the magi from the East, revealing God’s many-faceted wisdom giving life to every authentic spiritual quest. The unique revelation of God in Jesus of Nazareth also shines in the holy words and people of other faith traditions.
Christmas celebrates God’s birth in a baby in an occupied land. Today, Christ’s brothers and sisters will take birth among Syrian refugees, inner city parents, Appalachian coal miners, grieving friends and relatives Las Vegas, Newtown, Paris, and Beirut, and suburban households.
The word in all its messiness and tragic beauty lives by the incarnation of God! Look under the Christmas tree and you’ll discover God with us. Have a very process Christmas!
Bruce G. Epperly is the author of over 45 books and a number of Energion titles, including Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God and Process Spirituality: Practicing Holy Adventure He is also the author of various Energion scripture studies including, Experiencing God in Suffering and Jonah: When God Changes as well as Angels, Mysteries and Miracles: A Progressive Vision.
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Boston Declaration
With the 500 year anniversary of the reformation having just passed and the beginning of the Christmas season upon us, my Sunday School class was discussing what evangelicals had gained (or recovered) and what we have lost with the reformation. A woman in the class asked about a recent article she had read and whether it was the sort of thing we were discussing. I had not seen the article, so I asked her to email a link, and said I would read it and get back to her.
The article was about the Boston Declaration and the simple answer to her question is no, it was not what we are talking about, although Susan Thistlethwaite, the author of the article and a participant in the event, describes it as,In a dramatic press conference at Boston’s famous Old South Church, where many dressed in sackcloth and ashes to call for repentance and change in Christianity in the United States, the presenters were clear that white American Evangelicalism is in a crisis, a crisis of its own making. It has abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pretty strong words, even more so since I consider myself an evangelical. Yet, as I read on, I very quickly discovered that they were not really talking about me, nor even Evangelicalism in general. In the end the article was much more instructive about the people making the declaration and their mindset than anything in evangelicalism.
I have a lot of problems with the Boston Declaration, but they can generally be summed up into two main objections. The first is that it is not really a religious declaration, but a political statement dressed up in religious language. When you break it all down, it is not an abandoning of the Gospel, but a rejection of their political agenda, that they find objectionable.
For example, the Boston Declaration has an entire section on what they condemn, and it is basically a pretty standard left wing agenda. The very first item they list is, “We reject the false ideology of empire building and the myth of racial laziness and substance abuse that harms the people of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the US territories.” Really? I have been a Christian for nearly 40 years, and have heard a lot of evangelical sermons on a lot of Sunday mornings and I have never heard a sermon that even addressed “the people of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the US territories,” much less supported any sort of oppression there, except possibly to support relief efforts following a natural disaster. Yet this is the first item in their list.
Now, as many of my past articles have made clear, I am very politically active and write on politics frequently. I do not object to theologians making political statements. I object to theologians claiming you either accept their view of politics or you are abandoning the Gospel. To me this violates the commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain. I believe the command is an injunction not to use God to justify your own opinions. To say that God demands we care for the poor, is fine. To say, therefore, I believe we should support a particular government programs or policy, is fine. To say that God demands we support a particular government program or policy, and to do otherwise is to abandon the Gospel, crosses the line.
As a conservative evangelical, I do not look at my brothers and sisters on the political left as somehow less Christian, or not following the teachings of Christ. I see them as politically wrong. If I were to do a detailed refutation of the Boston Declaration, however, it would be almost completely political in nature. Thus, while they are supposedly calling me to return to “the Gospel of Jesus Christ” the areas where I am supposedly deficient are political not theological. I have the right concerns and beliefs, I am just not doing things politically the way they think I should.
The second major problem I have is the lack of truth in the statement. Let me be clear here, I am not accusing the signers of lying. What I am saying is that the situation described in the document bears very little relation to the truth. I am sure they believe what they write, which is why I do not believe they are lying, but much of what they attribute to evangelicalism simply is not true.
Their condemnations are painted with a very board brush. For example, they take individual actions of some, which I believe they are very correct to condemn, and then attribute those to all evangelicals. This is, at its core, bigotry. In addition, like most prejudices, things tend to be very simple and black and white, with little room for contributing factors that do not fit the stereotypes. Thus, as Thistlethwaite writes,When we have torch carrying right-wing radicals marching around in Charlottesville, Virginia yelling ‘blood and soil!’ and ‘Jews will not replace us!’ it is time to confront this kind of Nazism with the historical courage of those who confronted the Nazis in the 1930s in Germany.
I agree, and do condemn such things. What I am puzzled about is how Thistlethwaite gets from those “radicals” to evangelicals as a whole?
Rev. Dr. Reggie Williams, another participant at the event, said,These are sinister times, but they are not new. As a black person educated in Evangelical Christian institutions, I am familiar with a Christianity that has a history of ignoring my being, and providing theological justification for my non-being.
True, to their great shame, many southern churches and institutions did fit his description, but the abolitionist movement did not, so his description again attributes to all, something that was only true of some.
Yet, then he added that it was, “new in my lifetime to have such an over embrace of it.” Really? Where in modern evangelicalism is there even a renewal of the despicable teachings of southern churches on race, much less it being now worse than ever. One will probably find such vile teachings in some sections of fundamentalism, but I believe it would be wrong to paint fundamentalism with such a broad brush, much less evangelicalism.
In summary, I find the Boston Declaration fails in its goal, described in article as a “call for repentance and change in Christianity.” After all, as they put it, “We are outraged by the current trends in Evangelicalism and other expressions of Christianity driven by white supremacy, often enacted through white privilege and the normalizing of oppression.” Such language is hardly likely to encourage much dialogue with evangelicals who see no resemblance between their actual beliefs and the false characterizations of them in the Boston Declaration and among its supporters.
Ultimately, the Boston Declaration is more virtue signaling than anything else. In the end they are proclaiming how good they are by what they denounce. In the process they viciously malign many of their brothers and sisters. Frankly, in many respects, the Boston Declaration is just another form of the bigotry, prejudice and oppressing they decry. Perhaps they should read Matthew 7:5.
Elgin Hushbeck, Jr., Engineer, teacher, Christian apologist, and author of Preserving Democracy, What is Wrong with Social Justice?, A Short Critique of Climate Change, Christianity and Secularism, and Evidence for the Bible.
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The Gathering of the Eternal Five – The Endless Story
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE ENDLESS STORY
Time is a relentless task master that takes no holidays. The story of Jesus would be a guest at countless backyard discussions by friend, kin and convert alike. History making personalities would enjoy their lives and leave behind versions of those fateful days. Story tellers and time would embellish, reduce and re-tell the story to fit their needs. When all is said and done, no other story has ever been told in so many languages, in so many lands by so many campfire story tellers and renowned scholar alike. We must remember that in due process many of the true facts of the day changed by legitimate translation. Alexander the Great ordered all Hebrew works be converted into Latin. Translation, folklore, legends and tradition claim their birthplace from altered versions of the facts.
The lives of personalities around the Nazarene deserve their place in history highlighted for the modern reader. This humble author makes an effort to touch on those not to be forgotten individuals. Renowned astrologers went beyond the surly bonds of earth to give the mother of Jesus and two of her faithful companions an eternal place of honor. No greater shrine could be provided anywhere or by anyone. Within the star studded constellation known as “Orion’s belt” glow three bright stars in triangular formation. They are recognized by many nations as “the three Marys. Mary His mother, Mary Magdalene and Mary Salome.
Jesus called his mother “the perpetual virgin.” She never remarried. The offspring of her husband Joseph from his previous marriage were her only children. The apostle John took care of her near the city of Ephesus until Mary decided to brave the Hebrew persecution and moved to the home she inherited close to Gethsemane. History itself is unsure of the precise location of her demise. Some even say she went to meet her fate in Bethlehem.
She walked through the valley of the shadow of death with no fear. For she knew God was with her. In her sleep the angel of the Lord came to visit the Virgin Mary once again. Gabriel informed her that her mission on earth was complete and that she would soon pass through the portals of life into the realm of heaven. Magically and without being called from near and far the apostles all gathered at her bedside until her final hour. It was said she died on the ninth hour of the day as her only son did. The exact year remains in debate, it is 48 or 49 A.D. (Anno Domini) It is written that Jesus came to his mother in her final hours advising her not to worry. Scholars and historians would argue for countless years as to the exact location of her death. It is properly recorded that her body was wrapped in linen and installed in a wicker coffin then placed in a prepared grave by faithful apostles. From there her body vanished. It was said she was ascended to heaven transformed from human to cherished angel and to dwell in many hearts. Proof remains positive since her body was never found. A shrine to her life was built from her former home in Ephesus and another close to Gethsemane. They have become magnets for pilgrims that come from all over the world to pay homage to the mother of the son of God. The humble Mary of Nazareth.
Pontius Pilate served in Judea from the year 26 to 36 A.D. Rome grew displeased with his service after his Roman sponsor died. He was recalled to Rome in dishonor by Emperor Caligula and was castigated for his brutal handling of an unruly crowd of pilgrims at Mount Gerizim. Emperor Caligula banished him to Vienne in Gaul. The subsequent fate of Pilate and Claudia remains a puzzle of fact and fiction. Some even say he and Claudia finally accepted Jesus as the savior of mankind and there are shrines and locations attesting to it as fact. Unclear records state that the most famous of Judean procurators died in the year 39 A.D. of unknown causes. Some claim suicide, others argue for natural death. His call to Rome left Judea in lawless disarray. It would take time for Rome to appreciate the qualities of their ‘Praefectus”, Lucius Pontius Pilate. Elevation by Rome to the status of Praefectus remains a high level honor shared by very few. In 1962 proof of such recognition was discovered by archeologists in Caesarea, the former home and headquarters of the procurator of Rome in Judea. A limestone block somewhat damaged but legible read :
S Tiberievm
(PO)ntivs Pilans (Prae)ctvs Ivda(ea)e
( Pontius Pilate “Praefectus” Judea)
In a process of arduous elimination the procurator of Judea became Marullus. No amount of effort would ever equal the examples of Pilate. In his youth he accepted his position as a third class knight from central Italy but fought and won his way to far greater honor.
It remains safe to say that Claudia was a prophetess of Jesus. She attended lessons at the temple of Isis and learned much of what Jesus practiced. She was a close friend of Mary of Magdala from which other vital lessons were learned. She suffered from an ability to foresee the future and wanted relief from the agony it often produced. Over all she loved her husband. He was her teen age idol, her teacher, her protector, her companion in countless happy times and the father of her children. For better or for worse, where he went, she followed.
While Pilate was sitting on the judicial seat, his
Wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to
Do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a
great deal today in a dream about him.”Matthew 27: 19 NIV
Heroes and heroines are not born from empty titles but from valiant deeds. As an honorable citizen of Rome, Claudia invited danger by her obvious devotion to a penniless carpenter from Nazareth. Rome was entirely too high and mighty to accept a mother’s gratitude to that penniless carpenter for healing her beloved son’s club foot. She displeased her husband by dismissing his God Jupiter, as a worn-out illusion of times gone by. The son of God was gathering his strength daily from faithful believers and there is awesome power in faith. She experienced that faith herself when she searched for Jesus to touch her son. Her infinite gratitude was her reason for retelling all she knew about the Nazarene to any one that would listen or ask.
With Pontius Pilate gone the Hebrew council strengthened their efforts to exile Lazarus, Martha and namely Mary of Magdala, Apostle to the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Like it or not, the Hebrew council had to accept what rang from so many tongues. Jesus, the Christ. The Christian movement was growing rapidly and nobody could stop it. Five women placed their faith and devoted their lives to Jesus and were in fact the first to be called “Christians.” Followers of the Christ. It was a life threatening time to oppose the angry power of the Hebrew council. Many lives were painfully sacrificed for nourishing the growing faith in the Nazarene.
At the summit of his pain, five women stood at the base of the cross on that fateful day. The magnitude of their faith could feel the soul of Jesus rising from his body to dwell in his father’s home.
The effort to exile Mary Magdalene and her family ceased to be a religious issue. It was their properties that attracted more than one greedy ambassador of unlawful schemes. They complained grieviously to the new procurator that Pontius Pilate had turned his back to their legal claim to the properties. No record was ever found of Tiberius instructing Pilate to intervene in their stealing Mary of Magdala’s family properties. The council claimed the family was guilty of Blasphemy and demanded they be deported. In due process and the right amount of gold invested in the new procurator’s comfort, their wish was granted.
In the year of our Lord 42 A.D. Lazarus, Martha, Magdalene, Bartholomew, their uncle Joseph of Arimathea among others were cast to sea in a boat without sails, rudder, food or water. Oh, they suffered, they suffered greatly but plans for their lives were not complete yet. Their craft was guided close to the mouth of a river called, the Petite Rhone. At that location an ancient village called “Ra” was inhabited by reserved and cautious people with little regard for settling strangers. The village “Ra” became home to the group. Their father Syrus had not raised his children to be lazy. Lazarus, Martha and Magdalene were soon preaching and doing what they could to ease pain and bring comfort to the young, sick and elderly. With time and considerable effort they won the populations trust enough to listen to their words and accept their works of charity. The village would later be named “Notre dame de Ratis” Our lady of the Boat in honor of Magdalene of Galilee. She lived and did the work of Jesus in the vicinity of saint-maries dela Mer in the area of Camarquais. Within these historically noted places Mary of Magdala lived as a stranger with no friends and in poverty. Her wealth was consumed by charitable works in Judea and the remnants devoured by the scheming Jewish elders. It is written and physical evidence exists that Mary of Magdala, was named Magdalene by Jesus since he exalted her above other Marys, she was unique. He paid honor to her devotion to him as well as his disciples.
Solitude took charge of her life and she withdrew to a cave high in the Saint-Baume Mountains. There she meditated and communed with Jesus while angels provided spiritual sustenance on which she existed. The year of her death is uncertain. Her place in history is guaranteed by her devotion and contribution to the birth of Christianity in France.
And, if our faith had given us nothing more
Than these examples of all womanhood,
So mild, so merciful, so strong, so good,
So patient, so peaceful, loyal, loving, pure
These were enough to prove it higher and truer
Than all the creeds the world has known before.
Words by the American poet, Longfellow
With admirable effort and intestinal fortitude Lazarus rose to be a high level leader of the Christian movement. He was granted permission to lie at rest in Bethany. A shrine in his name is visited by thousands every year enriching the Jewish coffers considerably. Civilian visitors, ministers and pilgrims from all over the world visit the site yearly. It has been rightfully said that Lazarus returned to Judea in glorified triumph to rest in peace.
Mary Salome, the unbeliever never reached the grade of disciple. She was nonetheless a dedicated supporter always willing to serve the needs of the men that followed the teachings of the Nazarene. She was the faithful wife of Zebedee and had a home and husband to tend to. Therein rested her prime responsibility and a married woman could not be allowed to follow a group of men that often camped out in the wilderness. Her two sons John and James became known disciples of Jesus and history honors their place alongside the Nazarene as their mother wished.
Bernice, the pious Jewish woman never had ambitions for a seat in the halls of glory. It was whispered in private corners that she suffered from a bleeding disorder for a number of years. When she finally decided to appeal to Jesus for a cure she was not able to reach him. Jesus heard her lament before she spoke of it and turned to assure that her malady was resolved. That act of kindness from Jesus gained her complete devotion. At the crucifixion she was shoved by the mob to the forefront of the bloody drama. Seeing Jesus so brutally penalized brought agonizing pain to her as well. She braved lance and shield to render Jesus some help and could only wipe his face with her head scarf. Sweat, tears, blood, dirt and stones covered the face of the son of God. Adding torment to this were the vile insults from cold hearted individuals. Some of which would even spit on a helpless man dragging a cumbersome cross at the end of his strength. Brutally she was shoved away from the convict into the maddened crowd. Roman soldiers could care less for a Jewish woman past her prime. The discovery of the image of Jesus on her head scarf came later, in the comfort of her home. Bernice deserved more than a merit badge for her courage. Discovering her veil contained the healing power of Jesus is well documented and people were healed by viewing the sacred image. History records that Emperor Tiberius owed gratitude to the head cloth of a Jewish woman since her sweat rag healed him also. That object of reverence is said to be kept and guarded by the Church of Rome. Time pays homage to her devotion and effort to help the son of God. She is revered as “Veronica of the Veil” by Greek translation to this day.
Salome daughter of Herodias was instrumental in the beheading of John, the Baptist. Her possible visit to Golgotha granted her peace of mind and she later answered to the marital call of Philip, the Tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis. The marriage did not last long, Philip was old and it made gossipers laughingly happy to say that “Salome was too much woman for such an old man”. Along came Aristobulus, son of Herod of Chalcis. Wealthy, healthy, handsome and able to meet the physical demands of a sensuous young woman. They had three children attesting to that as fact. Profiles of their children appeared on gold coins of the time. History favors the famous dancer with a near clear record of her entire life. Her presence at the crucifixion is likely but not historically proven.
For reasons ranging from self-serving, (false reports for money) erroneous leadership and greed the Hebrew council continued to hound the followers of Jesus. Volumes of atrocities against early Christians colored the pages of history in vivid red due to Hebrew accusations. Shimon was his real name later known as Shimon Peter and finally just Peter. He too was an apostle to the remaining apostles and a leader head to new converts.
Peter would suffer much from the Power of Emperor Nero, a domineering Roman with demented illusions of greatness. By plot, ploy and scheme Nero was convinced that the maladies of Rome all stemmed from the Christian movement, a cult of ignorant low class individuals with no real value to society. The Hebrew council could reach far and deep to install thoughts and ideas in fertile minds. Then pave the way to reality with gold in hand. And so it is written that Peter, now a high ranking official in the Christian movement would be brought to trial during Emperor Nero’s time. Some people argue that Peter was jealous of the adoration Jesus received in life and for dying in such a unique way. Others would claim that Peter’s devotion was without blemish. It was rumored that Peter stated “no greater honor could befall him than to die as his lord and savior did.” Others would say that he claimed “not to be worthy of dying as his savior did.”
To which twisted Roman minds had an instant solution. “We can fix all that, so you may be honored even more.” The Roman mentality was capable of inventing torturous ways to execute a man. Peter being crucified upside down would be child’s play to a sated Roman mind. Deprived of all worldly possessions he followed in the death example his Lord and savior left behind. Near nude his hands and feet were secured to crude timbers and left to bear his cross alone. Roman documents attest to its reality and record the year of Peter’s death upside down in Rome as being the year c 64 A.D. Little did the Romans know that the name Peter in the Hebrew language means “Rock.” The “Rock” of Jesus continues to fulfill his mission even today.
The glory of Jesus is everlasting. Partly due to victories won without sword, lance or shield. The personalities of five women in this work emphasize that their only weapons were faith and devotion. Two powerful elements when poised in a unified direction. Essentials that can change lives, alter paths, Bring joy to injured hearts and strengthen the soul. They are treasures left to us by Jesus.
Physically strong and mentally keen Onofrio suffered much emotional stress from his tugging wish to lunge forward into field near and far to retell the story of Jesus. He suffered painfully from a common human weakness. He could not bring Senobia or his children with him. His family was raised in great comfort without the hardships of a road life. A camel herder’s camp, sleeping on the dirt, fearing snakes and scorpions, going to sleep hungry without a midnight snack were all hardships Onofrio could not put his family through. He could not bear it if his wife and children were hungry. He cringed to think of the lovely, devoted Senobia suffering through his quest. Knowing she would suffer her hardship in silence and stand by his side always proud to hold his forearm. Chin cocked high, she would tolerate and endure. The ever shifting sands would transform her lovely face into a mask of hardship. Equally so, his children would age before their time. He castigated himself fiercefully for his lack of faith that God so loveth the dove of the field that he provides for them as God would provide for him and his family. He only knew the comfort his work provided and the reality of here and now. Being that he still feared God’s revenge.
No, he could not do that to his family. Fate and time were plotting against the once young man from distant Iberia. Senobia’s father, Tremiyo was now an old man struggling to stay alive. He would suffer immensely if his daughter Senobia and the near grown children all went away suddenly. His wife Camia had died and the old man lived with memories of her and his previous wife, Sintia. No, Tremiyo would not live long if he was suddenly alone. Adding burden to his fading quest would be the pain and suffering Senobia would endure knowing she had abandoned her loving father in his hour of greatest need
Only ever so briefly did he harbor thoughts of going alone. But, he could not live without Senobia. She was his right arm, his left arm and the light that brightened every day of his life. The very thought of going without her brought unbearable pain to his heart.
But, he could not discharge Jesus from his mind and heart. They lived together as one and yet as far apart as heaven is to earth. On occasion Onofrio would stop a stranger and always found ways to channel their conversation to his day at Golgotha with the son of God, Jesus of Nazareth. With his family he often traveled to gatherings honoring Jesus. He lathered his soul with what he heard and could never find justifiable reason not to contribute his day at the crucifixion to the assembly. He invested his heart and soul to his place before an audience and in all he did and as hard as he tried, he was never satisfied with his contribution. There was always something more he wanted to say. He wanted to rip out his soul and show it to the congregation so they may also feel his closeness to Jesus. The guilt he harbored from building the cross received added support with his recent failure to go afield and broadcast the works of the Nazarene. And from his silent suffering he seldom knew peace.
Time was parading past their lives in hastened pace and people would someday turn away from what he spoke of on the street corners of Yerushalayim. As so many other sidewalk ministers he would be regarded as a rambling old man with nothing better to do. And it offended him greatly when someone would toss an unwelcome coin to him. Did they not know that he was Onofrio el Segundo de Iberia, adopted son of one of the richest men in Judea? Serou Master of public works, now deceased and Onofrio was his sole heir.
Always close to home and near Senobia. Never a lack of reverence cast a shadow on his heart. He shamed himself severely for putting worldly comfort before the work at hand. Those of you that read this story will find comfort in knowing that Onofrio, el Segundo de Iberia and his lovely Grecian wife Senobia live on as the perpetual couple united in faith to the works of the Nazarene and their unfailing love. They live today in the hallways of your mind by a different name. They may be your next door neighbor or someone you know at work reincarnated to deliver a message to your heart. Where the Scarab of Egypt and the cross of Christianity met was the birth place of their love. It was Yerushalayim, the cradle of miracles.
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb
and when they went in they did not find the body.
While they were perplexed about this, two men stood by
them in dazzling apparel; and as they were
frightened and bowed their heads to the ground the men
said to them, “ Why do you seek the living among the dead?”Luke 24: 2-5
Away
I can not say, and will not say,
That He is dead— He is just away.
With a cheery smile and a wave of his hand,
He has wandered into an unknown land,
And left us dreaming, how very fair
It needs must be, since He lingers there.
And you — O you, who so wildly yearn
For the old-time step and the glad return,
Think of him as faring on, as dear
in the love of there as the love of here.
Think of him as the same, I say;
For He is not dead — He is just away.James Whitcomb Riley 1849-1916
The End ?
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