Too much, too much, too much...

I've been away - I didn't go anywhere physically, but mentally I think I may have checked out for a while.  Actually, I might have just been overwhelmed.  Let me explain.

First, with all the "normal" issues affecting our country, there was already so much to comment on.  So much that divides our time and attention.  So much to be worried about and so many causes to champion. Then pile on Ebola scares, immigration amnesty, the Ferguson shooting and riots, and the protests trickling through the country I just got overwhelmed with conflicting thoughts and didn't know which way to turn or where to focus my attention.

I trolled Facebook for a month.  Reading everyone's thoughts and ideas on what is right and wrong.  You know what I discovered?  Hate.  A lot of hate.

People hated on those who want same sex marriage.  People hated on people who want gun control. People hated the guy who brought Ebola into the U.S. and then subsequently died from it.  People hated the hospital and those who cared for him and were unable to save him.  People hated the immigrants who just want a better life.  People hated the people who want to focus on legals.  People hated on Michael Brown.  People hated on Darren Wilson.  People hated cops. People hated the Democrats, and people hated the Republicans.  People just hated on each other.

As Taylor Swift sings, "Haters gonna hate, hate, hate."

I don't know if you were guilty of any of that hate.  I didn't keep score or write down names.  But I did note a few things.

1) People who several months ago were calling pro-choice supporters 'killers' were now calling Michael Brown a 'thug'. My own thoughts are conflicted on the whole ordeal.  I don't have an answer to balance a police officer's safety yet still ensure he is able to perform his duties.  I don't have an answer to the killing of a suspect, armed or unarmed.  For some reason, every time I tried to figure out what I thought was right in this situation, this particular Bible verse came to mind, Luke 15.  The parable of the lost sheep.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable:  “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Jesus was trying to illustrate to the 'law abiders' that he came for the sinners.  That he loved them as much as he did the righteous.  He died for the sinners. And that every lost soul hurt him dearly. Oddly enough, we forget that we are the sinners he died for.  We're quick to point out other's sins - yet each one of us guilty of our own.  We should remember those nails pierced his skin for all sins, ours included.  The sin we should worry about most is our own...

2) Amnesty for immigrants, health care, giving aid to foreign countries - those are tough ones.  We have poverty and hunger already in this country.  Americans are homeless at alarming rates.  Many of the homeless are veterans who proudly served in the defense of this country.  We've got a huge problem that doesn't appear to have a solution.  Piling on millions of more people into this system of support doesn't make any sense, but every time I try to get a grasp of how I feel about it, this Bible verse comes to mind, Luke 10, the Good Samaritan.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
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 and Love your neighbor as yourself.”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denari and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Now, neither one of these parables solve the immediate problems we face as a nation.  Or do they? The first one shows God's love for us - deserving or not.  The second one shows we should love others - deserving or not.

Imagine you are faced with Jesus after your death and he asks you these questions.

What did you think of Michael Brown's death?  What is your solution to the immigration issues?  What is your stance on gay marriage?

Will you answer Jesus with the same tone and stance of your Facebook posts?

I came across this video the other day.  I wasn't familiar with this young man, his ministry or anything about him when I watched it.  But his words hit home with me.  He very eloquently expressed so many of the thoughts I have been having recently.

Please watch it.  Listen to the words.  See beyond the hate that society wants to promote.  See into Jesus eye's and truly ask yourself, what would Jesus want you to do?  The next time you get ready to comment on some post or share your opinion of what would 'fix' the problem - ask yourself this - is it God's solution to the problem, or my own selfish solution to the problem?

This particular video focuses on homosexuality - but the premise and message could apply to any thing we deal with.  Let this resonate with you during the Christmas season this year.  Many of you have boldly claimed you want to put CHRIST back in Christmas.  You can do that by just following what Christ declared as the Greatest Commandment.  Love God and Love your neighbor.


Clayton Jennings Video on YouTube.


Peace and Love,
Rob
www.starvt.com

Kristen Stewart said what??? I can't believe it... and you shouldn't either.

Bear with me.  Read all of this...

First,
1) I am a military veteran.
2) My family is full of military veterans.
3) I have a son currently serving in the Marines.
4) I love the military.

Next,
A) I'm not a Kristen Stewart fan.
B) I don't think she is a very good actress.
C) I disagree with her having an affair.
D) I only liked the fight scenes in Twilight.

Now that we have that established my baseline for this article, let's get to the crux of this post.  There is a Facebook article circulating with a headline reading this. "IDIOT: Kristen Stewart Trashes the Military And Defends 9/11 Terrorists."

This article is an example of many like it you will see floating around the Interweb - especially Facebook.  I caution everyone before they share these articles, comment on them, or "like" them and here is why.

90% of these types of articles are complete crap.  Their only intention is to rile your emotions and get you to share or comment on the article so it can drum up "visits" to their blog or website.    The hacks that call themselves journalists have no regard for proper journalistic etiquette or publishing the truth.  They only want site visits to drive revenue for the ads.  And unfortunately I see these types of articles bleeding over into what once was more prestigious news sources.  Their second most absurd tactic is that they know most people won't read their article (much less the original) and will only respond based on the title.

Case in point on this article.  If you dig deep enough into the trash being thrown, you'll find that the original quoted source is an interview done of Kristen (The full interview can be found at the Daily Beast.) about her new movie, Camp X-Ray (which I haven't seen and know only what I've read).  The movie is about a girl who joins the Army and is a guard at Guantanamo Bay.

Here is my problem with what is being done with these 'hate' articles (as I call them).  Kristen is describing her character when she says, "she's not very smart..."  She is not describing the military in general.  Her character is looking for an identity and thinks she'll find it in the Army.  She goes on further to describe the characters plight with what she is confronted with at the detention center - she can't handle it and begins to have doubts about what she is doing.  Again, this is the CHARACTER in the movie.

One of the things Kristen does state as her own opinion is quoted below from the original article- first the question and then her response (please forgive the language).

Q: Right. The mistake we make is not viewing these detainees down there as people, too. We’re all people. 

A: That is essentially so f***ing evil, it’s crazy. It’s a ridiculous idea for you to think that you know anything for sure in life—other than to take care of your fellow people. Where the f**k do you get off thinking otherwise? These two people couldn't be from more different worlds and perspectives, and probably disagree fundamentally on most things, but there’s a through-line for all of us—and that’s what people forget, and that’s what makes people capable of doing terrible things to each other. What makes you different from any other person that walks the earth?

Go back to items 1) and A) above.  I love the military and I'm not a Kristen Stewart fan.  But what she says there is pretty darned profound.  I'll admit that I want to see every terrorist punished to the ends of the earth.  I've also felt hate in my heart towards them.  But what she is saying here is that underneath all that hate her character has for the terrorist and below all the hate that the terrorist character has for her character - it is just two people.

She is not bashing the military or sympathizing with terrorist.  She is simply describing what her character goes through in a movie - and draws a parallel to a lesson we should all remember.  And probably without her even knowing, it is a lesson Jesus taught us.

Mark 12:31- Love your neighbor as yourself.
Luke 6:27- Love your enemies

As a matter of fact, the interviewer tries to get her to expand on current topics and she artfully declines.

Q: This is a pretty ripped-from-the-headlines film. What issues are you passionate about in the news? 

A: I don’t want to talk about that s**t at all. Trust me, I’m only asking for it. When it comes time to stand up and affect change, I’m not the type of person to shout from the rooftops. Just because you’re an actor and in the public eye, people think that’s how you must be. But there are other ways to do that. That’s not me.

So before you go bashing her on Facebook or sharing any of those hate producing articles - go a step further and do your own research.  Get to the truth.  And if the truth is something that fires you up - then by all means sound off.  But do it according to how we were commanded - don't contribute to the hate.

God Bless
Rob
www.starvt.com