Discussions on Jesus, the bible, theology, poetry, literature, philosophy, history, politics, church-life, corruption, home churches, evangelism, prophets, prophetic words, sovereign grace, spiritual gifts, sanctification, the gospel, and questions of faith and reason.
How does my beautiful mind that smacks with shards of glass and shackles not recoil at this mystery?
I’d like life to be a bowling alley, but instead it’s a vast horizon of dangerous hills and valleys, a place where those who are catlike enough to tread where few have trod
Have seen the very face of God.
But most recoil like children from bitter food when they see the promised land so good.
Or others weakened by the words of spies, have believe fewer truths and more lies.
Is my Deliverer that good or would he lead me to destruction?
And even that destruction might be good if it destroys my self-love with it.
O let my feeble feet find sweet earth
and soar through the Wind of the second birth.
Michael Moore's recent documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story, no doubt will cause many to chuckle and shake their heads. The prolific documentarian has been a controversial figure. If you like him, people will often get the faint impression that you must be a radical liberal, out to demolish all common sense in a childish Utopian quest. Moore's scathing criticism of George W. Bush's presidency in Fahrenheit 9/11, earned him this title. Whether this extreme caricature is true, though, is another question. It's better to watch a person's documentaries before you make a judgment of him though. In this documentary about the political genuflection of the elite in congress to big banks, there is a lot of interesting, and factual information. Perhaps instead of shaking our heads we should raise eyebrow and engage with the subject.
Moore traces the evolution of a more free market approach to economics in the 80s as a major culprit of our current troubles. In the 50s, apparently the rich were taxed at a much higher rate. This website confirms the data that Moore presented in the film: http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php. In the 80s, as you can see from this chart, the wealthy did receive very large tax cuts. This has continued into the present day.
Moore also accuses President Reagan of being a corporate Manchurian candidate. Perhaps he is, indeed, correct in this assertion. He does point out that some of the wealthiest business elites in America were on Reagan's staff. Are republicans a tad bit too trusting of these associations? You can be the judge of that.
Moore also uses many emotional appeals in the movie. Mostly it concerns working class people being evicted from their homes due to mortgage problems. One family had a graduated mortgage payment that they couldn't pay. Another family was evicted but then came back to live on the property in defiance of the eviction. A group of workers decided to protest GM's mismanagement by staying in their factory after it was going to be closed. All of these scenes were very emotionally moving. It's very sad what's happening to so many Americans these days. Sure, many of them should have known that they couldn't afford the mortgage payments. You could make the same argument about people who fall victim to scam artists, yet we still punish the scam artists. In the case of these crooked loans, we reward the banks with 700 billion dollar bailouts.
Perhaps the most provoking part of the film was the footage and interviews of the 2008 banking crisis and the negotiations in congress to bail out the banks. Goldman Sachs and other big banking firms apparently have a very cozy relationship with the office of the Presidency and the big wigs in Congress. It doesn't matter who is in the oval office; it appears that they appoint Wallstreet heavyweights to be the Secretary of the Treasury every time. Whether it's Henry Paulson, or Timothy Geithner, it doesn't matter.
Wait a minute, I thought republicans were the only ones who were into cozy, corporate relations. Nope, it's the leaders of the democratic party as well. Barack Obama, himself, was a very vocal supporter of the Bail out. Moore hints at this gently, but it doesn't appear that he has the kahonas to take on Obama. That would probably lose him a lot of support from his fan base.
Moore should have come right out and talked about Obama's deep entrenchment in corporate ties. He would have gained more fans than he lost, in my opinion.
While Moore's documentary was very thought provoking, I think he fails to really address the problem. He does this by associating all of this corruption with Capitalism in general. Capitalism in general is not the problem. Monopology Capitalism and corporatism is the problem. Real free market capitalism does conjure up images of small shops and the economic enterprise of the little guy, as one guest on the film accurately stated (it was the guy who played the leader of the gang in the Princess Bride). Monopoly Capitalism, however, destroys the real free market because it dodges the market by government aid and corporate cartels (corporations working together to fix prices etc...).
In summary, I find a lot of value in Moore's work. I cannot agree that we need more top-down, central economic planning to fix the problems, however. We do need regulations of banks and we do need to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act to separate commercial and investment banks again. We also need leadership who will not bow to the filthy lucre of corporate lobbyists anymore. It doesn't matter if they call themselves Democrats, Republicans, or Independents.
How is this possible without a radical intellectual, ethical, and moral change in America? Many historians believe that the Great Awakening gave a great impetus to the American Revolution. Perhaps we need a new Great Awakening if we want to see another American Revolution. Let's hope and pray for that and seek a peaceful revolution.
Welcome weary traveler. Pull up a stool, have some mead, and tell me about your wayfaring. Yes, this world is a weary land and it's a dry, thirsty ground in these times. There is a famine of the word of God in the land and those who lead Christ's own people don't often see it. We so often settle for making mud-cakes in the corner instead of a holiday in the sea of knowing Jesus Christ and his amazing grace, love, and mercy. We are far too easily satisfied. (C.S. Lewis). How long are we going to settle? How long am I going to settle?
The reason I'm starting this blog is to express my own thoughts concerning issues in the church and the world. Also, I'd like to talk with some like minded people and receive feedback about my own comments. Lastly, I'd like a forum to post some of my poetry, which I enjoy writing; although I don't claim to be very skilled or able with it.
One thing I see as an area of opportunity for us as Jesus-people is the general neglect of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that when he left he would send the comforter and that we wouldn't be orphans (John 14), yet we've so often managed through life without getting to know this comforter very much. If we began to know him more, we'd see what we've been missing: a wondrous divine friend who always has our best interest in mind, who always wants us to know the magnificent love of Jesus and the Father, and one who is a perfect leader in this life. To discover this, is to have a renewed sense of the Christian life and our calling.
Well, if you're like me, right now you're thinking, "How does that work? How do I get to know the Holy Spirit?" Well it's a mystery and there really is no formula to control the Spirit. Sorry guys, there is no remote control for him. In fact he wants to be a remote control for your life. You can't manipulate God.
I think Jesus would say to start by studying the Holy Spirit in scripture. John 8:31 "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Get to know his personality and know that he loves you just as much as God the Father and God the Son. Realize that he has an agenda for your sanctification that might not be the same as yours (more on this some other time). Also, find some books on the Holy Spirit's person and work. A good one is Martin Lloyd-Jones's book, Great Doctrines of the Bible. There is a wonderful section on the Holy Spirit towards the end of this book. Also, the book Keep in Step with the Spirit by J.I. Packer is a good one. Another one I'm reading now is The Voice of Jesus by Gordon Smith, and so far it is excellent.
Holy Spirit will always point us back to Jesus. He loves Jesus infinitely more than we can imagine. John 15: "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." John 16: When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."
He also always leads us in humility. James 4:3 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
One final comment. Often we talk about being gospel-centered in the reformed wing of the church. My question to all my reformed brothers is how can we be gospel-centered without the Spirit of the living God keeping us that way? We don't want to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
Grace and peace to anyone who reads this. Feedback, questions, or correction is welcome.
