Occupy Wall Street

I am a supporter of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. I find that it is an honest grassroots movement to help end the corruption of our financial system and the role that money plays in our electoral system. Until we are able to have honest elections that are not bought by big money, corporations and special interest, I don't believe that the system will get better.

I have been a part of the protests and one of the best parts of being there in the "thick of things" was seeing the people. I walked along side an old man using his cane, a blind woman, babies in strollers, college students, middle aged people, veterans of the current conflict and veterans of past conflicts, even members of the Tea Party. It truly was a representative group of our nation. I am smiling as I think about this eclectic group of people. It makes me think of the children's song:
"Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world."

The message is not clear cut and all the people who work in the financial section are not crooks. However, until the crooks that are there are punished, it will continue to be percieved as such. Regarding the message, I think that one thing that is clear is that our system is not fair. It favors the super rich. Since this was such a controversial subject, I have done my research and have thought long and hard about such a movement. Is it perfect, No. We saw where groups with their own agenda can hi-jack the peaceful  protests marches, such as what happened in Rome. It does not take away from the movement itself however.

I am amused by some of the media coverage and some of the back-pedaling by politicans regarding this movement. The media wants short and sweet sound bytes. Not easy for them to cover the message in a bumper sticker mentality. The politiians who were so hard nosed in the beginning (read this Eric Cantor) are now seeing the direction that the wind is blowing and have toned down their hate-filled rhetoric.

The biggest and best of the objectives was to wake this country up and get them involved in the process. It is hard to get this slumbering giant awake but we saw that it can happen (think the civil rights movement of the 1960s). Some of the same things that people were saying then about that movement are the same things that were said to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Read his response to some of those white religious leaders in his Letters from a Birmingham Jail.

The founders of our nation foresaw things like this happening in the future of the country. Therefore, they built rights into the constitution to make sure that the people had a way to make their voices be heard by those in power. I hope that one of the things that this movement does is help people register to vote and be a part of the process.

On another note: I saw four clergy people at the walk in my city. A Presbytarian, a Roman Catholic and two United Methodists. I hope that those who are members of the clergy support this movement and don't wait on the side lines. It is scary to step out in faith and risk alienating members of your congregations, but sometimes we have to make a stand.

In Defense of Christianity

I will be the first to admit that religion has not ever done a great job at promoting world peace but there are a couple of things that I would like for you to think about. 1) Hospitals were started because of religion. Now I realize that now with all the money to be made, hospitals are pretty much a secular industry but the word hospital is a derivative of the word hospitality. In the third century, one of the Roman governor's said that "these Christians just go around loving everyone". Now we have really fallen a long way from that time and entered into a hate filled and vicious circle, I realize that and so do a lot of other Christians who are hard at work trying to rehabilitate our image.

Part of the problem is that the normal Christians...and yes there are some out there....get overshadowed by all the nuts that the media loves to make such a fuss about. For instance, the nut jobs from Westboro, which I would argue are not Christian and have just hijacked the term. Or that idiot from Florida, who thought that burning the Koran was a good idea. Normal Christians go around trying their best to help people or if not that, at least do their best not to cause any harm.

Do we succeed? You might say no, but I think that for the majority of us we are doing just as good as anyone else is and maybe just a little better. I am not trying to convert you but to not group all of us together when you hear (another idiot) Pat Robertson saying America is going to fall because of gay marriage. I am a Christian who believes that two people of any gender have the right to live their lives out together with all the privileges and pitfalls that come from being married. I personally choose to be single, but it is my choice.

Now I am not holier than thou either, I like to have a beer and I cuss like a sailor (especially if I stub my toe). I, also, help hand out food to the hungry and visit those who are sick and dying in the hospital because of my religion. I am not uneducated or naive. I am not a Republican or a hater. And I'm not trying to convert you. This is my path and I came to it later in life than many but it is working for me. I just ask that you don't make blanket generalizations about Christianity. We are not all bad.....or all good.

Transitions

I am in the midst of a pretty big transition in my life right now. I'm starting a new position in my organization, which requires a move to a different location and job site. And in the midst of all of this, I finally finished my dissertation and sent it off to the book binders. God, I hope they don't any problems because I truly am sick of it. Four years of writing a dissertation makes for a lot of nightmares because it is always at the back of your mind.

Anyway, I tell you guys this because I have not really been doing a good job of keeping up this blog. Just wanted you to know that after the move it might get better.....hopefully, it will get better.

No Take Back

Well, we had a big week. After extensive probing and prodding, managed to slip into the inner sanctum and join the big boys...(insert evil laugh here). I truly hope to shake some things up with the help of my brother and sister witchs and warlocks. Now we just need to plan for some of the old people to die off or retire so we can start turning this big ship around, make some changes, and truly learn to follow the path. Or maybe we will just fish and drink, I haven't decided yet.

Unfortunately, the above mentioned change comes with a change of address. Therefore, I have spent all day today digging up all of my hemlock and other important "medicinal" herbs to transplant to the new place. I already have my new vegetable garden planted, although it was probably too late in the season for some of the plants to do very well.

Damn Shame

I spent the evening at a local hospice with the family of a young woman who died from liver failure. It hit me pretty hard because she basically drank herself to death. She even lost her chance at a liver transplant because she wouldn't get sober. That is bad, sad and a damn shame but the part that really upset me was her children. I asked if they had any stories about their mom that they wanted to share with people. The answer was so sad, "No we don't remember any good times. She got sick when we were too young to remember."

It really hurt to think that these kids didn't have any good memories of their mother. I pray that they will remember something as the days go by but it tugged at my heart. I came home and cried. I seldom do that when it comes to funerals....jaded--maybe but I believe it is more a profound faith in the promise of Jesus. Death isn't the boogie-man to me.

Garden

The one good thing about the upcoming move is that I will have a new raised bed vegetable garden. My pagan roots will be able to come out as I put my hands in Mother Earth and do something productive or at least with tangible results. That is one of the things that makes being in Christian ministry so hard, not always getting to see tangible results or only seeing them at the end of a particular tenure.

It is much harder to see the Fruits of the Spirit in people than it is to see the actual fruits (and veggies) that Mother Earth will provide. Come to think of it: Mother Earth is much easier to get along with than most people are....but that is for another day.

I Hate Moving

I am being moved again and I really hate moving. I just moved into my house a year ago and got it painted, decorated, and finally pleasantly messy (just my style). It isn't moving into a new neighborhood or even a new house that bothers me. It is the ACTUAL day of moving. I hate the process itself. I could live almost anywhere....not picky but getting there is always such a damn hassle.

This is one time that I regret not getting remarried, so that I could make him do all the heavy lifting (figuratively speaking of course). The new position comes with the free house and more money, so I'm not going to complain too much (well I will but not where anyone can hear me).

Joplin

Tornadoes are not a new phenomenon but as the population of many of the previously empty plains start filling up, more people are affected. The popularity of all these storm chaser TV shows make it more prominent in many American minds. Storm chasing has become cool.

People were making fun of the CDCs Zombie Preparedness Campaign but it was for a very serious reason (just with a fun spin). Most people are not prepared for emergencies. I have went on several trips to help hurricane, flood, tornado ravaged areas and most people live with their heads in the sand. They don't think it will happen to them. And I am a perfect example; I don't have three days of food and water at my house. Even though, I have been one of the first responders handing it out to other people countless times.

I listened to the people in a gas station as the Joplin tornado headed towards them. They were all telling each other how much they loved each other and some were praying to God. My advice, pray to God on a daily basis but remember that God doesn't send tornadoes....they just are a product of warm and cold air. And tell the people you love, how much they mean to you every day. You might not get a second chance.

First Time

Starting a new adventure in a month or so and it is going to be a wild ride, teaming up with CeltFarFromHome to bring things to the people from a different perspective. It won't be your old kind of Christian message, so if you are easily offended this is not the place for you. We will be exploring the Christian message and all of the inconsistency's that we run across.

It will, also, be a place that we frequently rant about our experiences as Christians. Once again, if you are easily offended stay away. If you want to talk, stay around.