No Sympathy From the President

A letter to the editor, published May 28, 2007:

To all those young men and women who are considering joining the armed forces of the United States: While your desire to serve our country is noble and brave, be aware, if you are send to Iraq to fight in an illegal and unjust war and you are killed or maimed, do not expect sympathy or gratitude from this present administration. The war was started by a president whose sole purpose was to offer substantial business opportunities to his and his father’s cronies. The aftermath was not planned for nor expected because this administration was not aware, or did not care, that the now feuding factions have been doing so for 1,100 years. The attempt at putting the top on a furiously boiling pot (that we created) may very well cost you your life. And neither gratitude nor sympathy will be afforded your loved ones.

WHAT I HOPE WE KNOW ABOUT GOD

I've been thinking a lot recently about God's abundant, amazing love.

We're so unlike God, regardless how we see ourselves, or how religious that we think we are.

God overlooks our crazy imperfections, our terrible faults, our lunatic ideas, and He just loves us.

I think He smiles at us, and sometimes just shakes His head with amusement.

We work so hard to try to get His attention and to make Him happy with us. But we don't realize that He loves us just the way we are. No hard work necessary.

All we can do, if we want, is go to church or gather with friends, and learn a little about Him.

And please don't believe for a second that your pastor or your "spiritual" friend is perfect or has an "in" with God. "All have sinned and come short of God's glory." And we still do. No matter what we say, or who we try to convince.

And God just smiles. He knows our frame. He knows we're but dust. He not expecting perfection in any of us. Jesus was perfect. He fulfilled the Law. He died so we don't have to. Its all been done.

All we can do now is enjoy our life, enjoy what God has given us, enjoy what we are.

See how simple it all sounds.