Prayer for the Nation grieving the SANDY HOOK Elementary School murders in Newtown, CT

O Lord Our God, how we praise you as Author of Life for loving and accepting unconditionally all whom you have created. As a nation, we mourn the mounting human tragedies that were set in motion nearly 14 years ago with the 1999 Columbine, Colorado high school massacre.  The recently killing of 20 six and seven year olds, and six adults at a Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, has seared our nation's heart as we cry for these our children and members of our American family.  The sheer magnitude of our babies shot down at the starting gate of their young lives wounds us deeply O God, so we turn to you for comfort and strength to make sense of it all.   

In the escalation of mass murders--from a Ft. Hood, Texas Army base, to a Virginia Tech college campus, to an Arizona supermarket congressional greeting, to a crowded Aurora, Colorado theater, to an Oregon mall of Christmas shoppers--we mourn and cry out to you for answers to our "why" questions, we can find no where else?  From the depths of our sorrow, we seek the wisdom and courage to address with clear and open minds the right kind of gun control and mental health reforms these acts of senseless violence signal. 

O Lord, Our God, help us today to embrace your command to "love you and every neighbor as we love ourselves", especially the often hard to understand neighbors who withdraws to dark places that seem beyond our reach.  Through our tears and pain we remember and thank you for sending your beloved Son Jesus to earth to "bear our grief and carry our sorrows" for children taken too soon and much too brutally from our midst. Remind us today that children of every race and background are to be embraced as all of our children, as we remember to express our love more often and hug more tightly the children in our own families. We pray your comfort and strength for the journey of grief, anger, and forgiveness the families of the victims and perpetrators must endure as we hold them close in our hearts and continued prayers.  We rest now in the blessed assurance of your promises that you, O God,  "will be with us through troubles" and will "never leave or forsake us."  In the matchless and magnificent name of the One whose name is above every name, we pray. Amen. 

Christians...The Election Is Over. Time To Unify The Nation.

Elections by nature are divisive. One candidate wins. Another loses. It is quite natural for those on the losing side to feel bitter when the candidate, who represented their views and values, is defeated. 

However, the 2012 Presidential Election seemed far more divisive than any I have witnessed in past years. Television ads on both sides were downright nasty. Voter suppression laws and tactics, aimed largely at Latino and African American voters, were rampant in many states. Over 400 racially offensive emails about President Obama were traced geographically, with several Bible belt states ranking highest. An Arizona woman ran over her husband for failing to vote for Romney and because of Obama's victory. Thirty states filed petitions to secede or split from the United States. Polls showed that anti-African American feelings among White Americans escalated since the election of the first African American President, Barack Obama. Far right extremist, Donald Trump, who consistently challenged President Obama's citizenship and qualifications to be President, called for "a revolution" on election night. And, to deepen the division, Franklin Graham, son of revered evangelist Billy Graham, said that America was "on the road to destruction" because of President Obama's re-election.

Clearly, many people voted for Obama or Romney simply because they thought that one candidate would be better at leading the nation at this time. During this Thanksgiving and Christmas season of peace and goodwill, lingering racial and political divisions highlighted in this election are real causes for alarm by Americans of conscience, but especially for born-again Christians. The word "Christian", used only twice in the Bible, means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. This goes beyond church attendance and religious activities. St. Paul put it best when he said, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

In a real way, Christians, both mainline and born-again evangelicals, who held strong, opposing views about the re-election of President Obama, have a responsibility to model unity in ways that would attract nonbelievers to the faith and bring healing to our nation. Pew research exit polls showed that of those voting for President Obama, 42% were White American Christians; 20% White born-again evangelicals; 95% were African American Christians; and 50% were Catholics with the majority of Catholic votes coming from Latino voters. Heightened racial division, growing Middle East tensions in Gaza; and continued economic hardship for many unemployed and working poor Americans that may worsen with the threatened "fiscal cliff" or crisis, are incredible challenges facing our nation. They are also great opportunities for Christians to stand up and demonstrate four basic unifying lessons of our faith: 

1. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who dwell in it.(Psalm 24:1). The election is over and God who created heaven and earth is still in control and reigns over the affairs of nations and rulers no matter who is in the White House, the Congress, or the State House. Efforts to secede or split from the United States are hopefully short-term temper tantrums of angry voters. Christian leaders need to step up, become the voice of unity, and help America turn to, and not turn on one another, as did the people of New Jersey and New York following Hurricane Sandy. 

2. Who can command things to happen without the Lord's permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? (Lamentations 3:37, 38) God did not choose Barack Obama over Mitt Romney. But God certainly allowed it as He does many things which we do not always understand. This fact of our faith would be true no matter who was elected. Racially bigoted language aimed at President Obama has absolutely no place among those who have determined to be followers of Christ and therefore have become a "new person". 

3. You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31) These greatest commandments are not suggestions or recommendations. They are the primary basis for demonstrating our love for God. Loving God and neighbors as oneself means seeing all others in the image and divinity of God. It means treating others fairly; and welcoming strangers as we once all were in this nation except for the Native Americans. Most of all, it means not using racially negative language toward any person or group even if we disagree with their political views or values. A good start for African American Christians, most of whom voted for President Obama, and White American Christians, most of whom voted for Governor Romney, is to begin building bridges of communication and dialogue around what unites us. We are united by faith and our shared love for a nation where Americans of all races and cultures are hurting financially, and in need of our collective voice for the President and Congress to come together immediately to address the nation's challenges. 

4. Pray for all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.(1 Timothy 2:1, 2) We are called to pray for leaders whether or not we agree with their politics, so that God will touch their hearts to make decisions that are fair and just for everyone. There is power in prayer and prayer changes things. So in a real way we have the nation and leadership for which we pray. Just imagine what would happen if prayer vigils were held outside of the White House, Congress and State Legislative Houses across the nation as important decisions were being made. I have not agreed with every decision of President Obama on such issues as marriage and abortion, nor did I agree with every past President from both political parties on every issue. But I prayed for them. God's word compels all believers to pray for President Obama and for those in leadership, both nationally and locally, "so we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." 

May we use this Christmas season of peace and goodwill to demonstrate God's love in action in ways that bring healing and hope to our world.

Life Is Different From A Wheelchair

Have you ever seen someone in a wheelchair and thought silently to yourself, “How sad; glad it’s not me”?  Of course, you flashed a sympathetic smile to the disabled person as your hurried your “abled” self along.  Or, maybe, you complained to yourself while struggling on a cold and rainy day to find a parking space at the supermarket or mall, and muttered, “why are so many spaces close to the store entrance taken up by the disabled?”

But did you ever stop to think, what your life would be like if you had to spend even a short time disabled and needing a wheelchair to get around?

I honestly never thought about it until this April when disaster struck with a vengeance and I ended up temporarily needing a wheelchair.  Life changed for me, as a Baby Boomer, ex-jogger and vegetarian in superb physical condition, when I experienced a horrific fall.  I do not mean I tripped on the stairs or slipped in the shower for not paying attention.  As an ex-jogger, I had fallen many times on a running path from an unseen dip in the road, or on uneven pavement of city streets.  Over time, I learned how to collapse into an easy fall and have never suffered more than a few bruises and momentary embarrassment.  Sometimes, I could even brace myself to ease the fall. This time, there was simply nothing to prevent my fall. Nothing at all. 

I was speaking at a college and shortly before my session I went with the moderator into a small auditorium to review the format as I normally do.  Surprisingly, in a new, energy efficient building with motion sensored lighting, there were no lights on as we entered the room.  My colleague opened the door and called out for a custodian but no one was on duty.  So we walked along the back wall searching for a light switch with the door ajar to give some light.  In the process, with no lights along the floor indicating stairs, I fell harder than ever down deep steps landing on my right foot with my ankle twisting backward and landed face down.  It happened in less than five seconds.   While being helped up, I prayed that nothing was broken. 

I requested from the custodian, who finally showed up, a bucket of ice for my foot,  gave my message, then left for the nearby medical center very thankful for health insurance.  I could not believe the doctor who said, “the X-rays revealed two broken bones in your right ankle, so I need to fit you with a cast and crutches.”  I could not answer because my mind was racing with questions.  How could I preach in the Chapel tomorrow in a cast and on crutches?   As a frequent traveler who easily navigates through airport, how in the world would I manage now on crutches?  Why did it have to be my right ankle that was broken; and especially my driving foot?  How could I navigate around my house where all the bedrooms are upstairs and the kitchen downstairs.  And what about the travel commitments I have made?  For a moment, I was overwhelmed and settled into a 20 second pity party.

I asked the doctor and nurse to leave the room and give me a moment alone.  Once alone, I prayed “Lord you said you would never give me more than I could handle.  Well I need your help right now to handle this situation.” I added, “God you are so powerful that you could have allowed me to fall without breaking a single bone broken because all power is in your hand.  So obviously, you have a purpose in this that I simply do not understand.  So I will trust you.”

Fitted with a soft temporary air cast, I preached the next day in the Chapel sitting on a stool, after a long, sleepless night of ibuprofen and numbing pain.  With great help from sister friends; I successfully negotiated the airport . . . yes, from a wheelchair.  A second opinion from an orthopedic surgeon back home affirmed that a minimum three months would be required for healing, assuming I spent the time totally off my feet and in a wheelchair when I left the house.  So I went from 3-5 meetings a day to working from my bed on the computer, struggling up and down the stairs in my medical boot that looked like an oversized ski boot.

It has been more than two and a half months since my fall and I tell you life teaches great lessons from the wheelchair, or from any crisis you face.  First, you learn that life may not be fair but God is good.  God will never leave you or forsake you in your crisis. Your illness or disaster gives you much unplanned time alone to pray, meditate, reflect on your life and remember what really matters.  You have time alone with God who has your full attention from the usual distractions to develop closer relationships and deeper faith.  Trust me, God wastes no time helping you to see areas of your life that need a make-over.  Disasters and setbacks also help you to realize how little control you have over certain life circumstances.  Whereas work too often becomes our master, leaving little time for family and friends, disaster forces us to focus and even depend upon family and friends. 

Second, crisis helps you to see people in a whole new way.  I have always embraced as brothers and sisters, people of all races and backgrounds.  Yet, from a wheelchair, from a crisis, you see people of all races and cultures in a whole new way.  You feel a sense of oneness with strangers who from their wheelchair smile at you, not a sympathetic, “O you poor thing smile”, but with an “I know how you feel smile” of understanding and support.   I tell you, there’s total equality from the wheelchair because disaster is an equal opportunity employer.  It favors no race, gender, culture or age.

Third, you get to really know what people are like in your crisis.  The people you thought would be there for you don’t show up at all.  People you never expected to show up, or maybe took for granted, provide amazing emotional, spiritual and physical support.  I love social networking and appreciate my Facebook page, but a true "friend" is the one who despite the inconvenience shows up if only to say, “I’m here; or what do you need.”

Finally, crisis and physical setbacks like mine provide an opportunity for real introspection and for making needed changes in your life.  What about the book or play you have been threatening to write or the advanced degree you have dreamed of pursuing?  And what about family and friends you have not contacted for awhile because 60 hour weeks leave little time for either.  By God’s grace, I am on my way to healing and have started driving short distances near my house.  But even if my injury had caused long term disability, the same lessons would apply and I am thankful for mine.  The next time I pass someone at the airport, or at the market in a wheelchair, I will look at them in a very different way.  I will not look with sympathy, but with understanding because I sincerely believe that when some member of the human family hurts, we all hurt.  Dr. Martin Luther King said it best, “we are all caught in an inescapable web of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.  Whatever affects one directly, affects us all indirectly."