Keeping a Christmas Attitude

You stand in line for what seems like an eternity. You approach the check out counter and drop your bargains in front of the haggard sales associate. At that very moment the computer system malfunctions and the clerk has to call for assistance from a manager already dealing with a problem on the other side of the store. Or one of the items you have chosen rings up with the incorrect price and the store associate does not the ability to override the price on their own authority. How do you react?
Shopping at Christmas can be an exhausting and frustrating experience. Fighting over parking spaces or over the limited selection of sales deals can inflame tempers. There comes a point when the least little grievance can trigger a wave of anger and an unkind outburst. Often it comes over something as small as a store employee saying the wrong greeting.
The true spirit of Christmas is not just found in whether people say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays." Keep in mind that big box store associates are instructed what to say and must keep with the script or lose their job. Often they have worked long hours for a low salary and dealt with very difficult customers. The last thing that they need is another Grinch venting their frustrations.
Instead of griping about people not showing the real spirit of Christmas, start showing mercy. Christmas is the revelation of God's mercy to the world. Christians should exemplify that mercy even in the most difficult situations. Here are some actions we should be doing as we shop:
1) Smile. It is the easiest action that brings the biggest return. A smile improves your own attitude as well as those around you.
2) Give a pleasant greeting. Sales associates are people too. They need a kind word on a difficult day as much as you do.
3) Be proactive in wishing people a Merry Christmas. When you say Merry Christmas first it gives an associate permission to respond in kind.
4) Remember that you are blessed. Most of our Christmas problems are First World problems. Look for ways to help the less fortunate.
5) Remember, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Celebrate Christmas by showing mercy and loving your neighbor.

Anticipating the Plague

The announcement that Ebola patients were being transported to the United States made me nervous. Ebola is one of the most dangerous viruses in the world. There is no cure for the disease and it has a fatality rate around 90 percent. Currently the best way to deal with Ebola is containment. Quarantine is the traditional and most effective means of dealing with a virus. Isolate the area of contamination and let the virus burn itself out. Though effective, it is not foolproof and it is also cruel. At times it requires a level of callousness that simply consigns people to die a horrible death. Quarantines, though, are becoming more difficult in our modern transit age. SO, is it wise to intentionally bring infected people into a country that has not had a single case of Ebola?

There are dangers in transporting Ebola patients into the US. Ebola is not airborne and if proper steps are followed it can be contained. But humans are notorious for making mistakes. The missionary from SIM did not have direct contact with patients, but was infected because of failure in safety protocols. There is always the threat of a mistake that will have horrific ramifications. And by the time the mistake is realized hundreds of people may be exposed to the virus. The ones who worry me most are those who claim there is no significant threat. Rational fear is a good thing and those who dismiss any fear are those who are prone to mistakes brought on by hubris. 

A virus is not a sentient being (despite what you may see in movies), but the virus follows a biological imperative to spread. The nature of a virus is to reproduce and it will adapt to fulfill its imperative. At the moment the Ebola virus is stable, but there is the possibility that it may adapt and become more contagious. It is an unlikely scenario, but with a virus this deadly every scenario must be kept in mind. 

There is also a historic note that worries me. Nearly a hundred years ago the world was ravaged by a mysterious virus known as the Spanish Flu. The 1918 Flu Pandemic killed somewhere between 3 and 6 percent of the world's population (perhaps as many as 100 million). That variation of the flu, which actually originated in China, was spread because of mass transit. Soldiers and laborers were transported to meet the needs of armies in World War One. The infection spread among those deployed in the war and then they took it back home with them. Public transportation and crowded public venues helped to spread the virus throughout urban populations. The same elements helped spread the SARS virus in urban Asian cities. There is not a direct correlation between the 1918 flu pandemic and the current Ebola outbreak, but is does paint a bleak picture of what can happen with an uninhibited virus.

HOWEVER, there are some good reasons for bring back the two infected missionaries back to the US. First, these are people who are dedicated to help others and every effort should be made to save them from the disease. Though Ebola has a high mortality rate, it can be survived with the right type of support. Basically, victims need support to keep them hydrated and to keep organs from failing. Primitive hospitals lack the equipment and personnel to meet the needs of large outbreaks. A modern, well staffed hospital can meet the needs for a handful of patients. The best hope for any victim would be a First World hospital. It would be impractical to bring all the Ebola patients to the First World and such a course of action would eventually overwhelm available resources. Epidemiologists have to be selective in who they bring out of Africa. At the moment a Spanish priest has been evacuated to Spain and two Americans have been brought to Atlanta. 

The evacuations are more than an attempt to save medical missionaries. Emory is an university hospital and as a university hospital they not only train doctors, they also perform cutting edge research. Many First World hospitals (or even medical ships)  can treat Ebola, but few facilities are equipped to cure it. I have no doubt that part of the motivation to bring the Ebola patients to Emory is to find a cure (and earn a Nobel Prize). If the two infected missionaries survive the virus it will provide needed data to create a vaccine. The expense and risk of bringing the Ebola patients to Emory will be worthwhile if a solution can be developed. 

Intentionally bringing Ebola patients into the US is risky. However, history demonstrates that Ebola will make its way into the US at some point. Global air travel guarantees the spread of viruses. At some point an Ebola carrier will enter the US undetected. By the time the disease is diagnosed hundreds will have been infected. The best way to head off this threat is find a treatment before that event transpires. The treatment of the two Ebola patients is still the best hope to protect the US population and to provide hope for the infected in Africa. 

Connecting the Dots

In May 2001 the Taliban announced that all non-Muslims in Afghanistan would be required to wear tags identifying that they were non-Muslims. The announcement brought immediate condemnation from nations around the world. India objected because the Hindu minority was being targeted. Christians around the world worried about churches being attacked. Germany objected because it was too similar to the treatment of Jews during the Nazi regime. The Taliban responded that since Afghanistan was under Sharia law that it was necessary to identify non-Muslims to protect them from enforcement of laws that applied only to Muslims. No one really believed them.
Earlier that year the Taliban had destroyed two large Buddha statues because they violated Muslim rules concerning idolatry. These large carvings were considered an international treasure and a great deal of furor was raised over the demolition of these monuments. But beyond the international outcry, nothing happened.

These were isolated events in a foreign nation. The Taliban were in a backward country and lacked the means to be a significant threat to anyone outside of their region. Political pressure was the best way to deal with them and the international community would keep an eye on them. That response was ill advised. In September the world learned how far the Taliban and their ally Al Qaeda could reach.

Fast forward to July 2014 and we see a similar event occurring in Iraq. In Mosul ISIS has ordered that all Christians must either convert to Islam, leave, or die. ISIS members have spray painted the Arabic letter N on the homes of Christians to insure that none are missed. ISIS has also destroyed important Christian sites such as the Tomb of Jonah and converted churches into mosques or outright destroyed them. The international community has been outraged, but little is being done.

There is a pattern that is easily discernible in these events. Fundamentalist Muslims will always seek to identify and mark those who are outside of Muslim. These markings are no different from the Star of David marks used by the Nazis to identify Jews. The purpose is to make it easier to round them up for execution when the final plan is put in place. They will also destroy any historic site outside of their faith. They cannot tolerate the presence, even symbolic, of a different worldview.

The important thing to keep in mind is that a worldview is involved. Al Qaeda, ISIS, and their brethren are never content to keep their beliefs to their region. They will always reach out to challenge any worldview that does not match their own. They truly believe that they are on a mission from God. At the moment ISIS is not a threat to the United States. Many are war weary and do not want to put any effort into confronting ISIS or other radical terrorists. Many, though, will change their minds when a few thousand Americans die in another terrorist attack. Terrorists are ambitious, well financed, and dedicated to a cause. They will not stop with the take over of Iraq or Afghanistan. The Taliban already views the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as a victory. ISIS believes that they have chased the US out of Iraq. They will try to capitalize on their victories and expand their borders. We must keep a watchful eye on these areas and do everything in our power to stop them. That does not necessarily mean military action, but military options must be kept within the toolbox of dealing with volatile regions. We need to be proactive with these threats because the cost is too high to deal with them as a reaction.

Why Bullying Won't Go Away

For the past several years there has been a major media campaign to end bullying. From the White House to public service commercials we have been told how bad bullying is and that no one likes a bully. In principle I doubt anyone would object to the aim of the campaign. It is not fun to be picked on and the social media age has amplified the damage that comes from taunting.

In reality, though, bullying is not going away. First, what is often portrayed as bullying is a stereotypical image of bullying that comes largely from TV, not real life. In real world situations it is often hard to distinguish playful banter from actual insults, both by the participants and observers. Traditionally boys always give their peers, especially their best friends, a hard time. Further, the social structure of groups is far more complex than the TV portrayals. The role of bully and victim can change frequently and sometimes within the same day. The child that is bullied one moment may bully someone else the next. For example, borrowing from TV stereotypes, Bart Simpson is frequently bullied by Nelson, but Bart in turn bullies Milhouse even though Milhouse is his devoted lackey. Bart has also turned the tables a few times and bullied Nelson. Milhouse has also bullied Bart and other characters when he was given the advantage. Rarely is there actually one arch-typical bully, but bullies vary on who has the advantage in a given situation.

This past week an example of the lasting spectre of the bully emerged on ESPN. It is a common practice for cameramen to pan across the audience of sporting events. Supposedly they are surveying crowd reaction to certain aspects of the game, but in reality they are looking for silly, funny, or dumb people or events to evoke humor on the broadcast. In other words, they are intentionally looking for people to mock. During a Boston/New York game a cameraman found a gold mine. One fan, Andrew Rector, was caught napping in the stands. Not only did the game commentators mock Rector, but they came back to him more than once to mock him. Rector was then put on ESPN's website for further ridicule and became a highlight on multiple sports broadcasts. Further, comments about Mr. Rector from baseball fans have been visceral and cruel. Mr. Rector has filed a lawsuit, but Major League Baseball and ESPN point out that the back of the ticket warns that if you are hit by a ball or mocked on national TV it's your own fault.

But consider for a moment that this is the textbook definition of bullying. An overweight individual was mocked by a group of athletes. Many justify their insults by pointing out that he fell asleep during a baseball game. I would counter, who hasn't fallen asleep in a baseball game? But that is beside the point. I don't know Mr. Rector, but there are many plausible reasons why he may have fallen asleep. He may have narcolepsy or sleep apnea. Both are common ailments for overweight people. If he is diabetic his blood sugar may have been off and that could also have caused drowsiness. Perhaps he has been under a great deal of stress and came to the game to relax. He may have nodded off due to exhaustion. These are possibilities. Bullies don't care about those reasons because they are not being empathetic. Those broadcasters didn't consider any medical or other reasonable explanation for his dozing, instead their childhood tendency to mock the fat kid arose. Instead of being chastened by the rest of the media, who supposedly oppose bullying, news directors and producers piled on for fun.

I doubt Mr. Rector's lawsuit will go very far. ESPN and MLB have plenty of lawyers and written justification for their behavior. They don't have the moral high ground, but legality and morality are two different realms. Besides, the public, which cries out against bullying, has sided with the jocks. Bullying is not going anywhere.

I don't like Cricket.

Imagine the following conversation:
"You should like Cricket."
"But I don't like Cricket and I don't want anything to do with it."
"But kids love Cricket."
"They have been misled. They should be playing baseball and football."
"Cricket is the most popular sport in the world."
"It's still not popular with me."
"The whole world is focused on the Cricket play-offs right now. A professional Cricket team is coming to your hometown. Cricket is everywhere. Why can't you get excited about Cricket?"
"I find it long, tedious, and filled with rules that make absolutely no sense. Plus, I don't follow a sport because it is trendy. I follow sports that appeal to me."
"You're being close-minded. Have you ever watched a Cricket match?"
"I am being opinionated. And yes, I have watched Cricket matches. It greatly contributed to my distaste for the sport."
"Fine. Then be a dinosaur."
"I like dinosaurs."

Now replace Cricket with Soccer....

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

I always enjoy St. Patrick's Day. I try to eat my share of corn beef and cabbage. I listen to Irish music and enjoy reading the history of Ireland. St. Patrick is also a remarkable figure. We actually do not know a great deal about Patrick. Most of the reliable information comes from his own Confession. Beyond that his story has become shrouded in legend and myth. You can check out http://www.timothypauljones.com/2014/03/12/church-history-who-was-the-real-st-patrick/?utm_content=buffercf3a4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer or http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2014/03/17/happy-saint-patrick-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+between2worlds+%28Between+Two+Worlds%29&utm_content=FaceBook to separate the fact from fiction. 

What we do know is that Patrick was a missionary. He was not the first missionary to Ireland, but he was the most successful. He understood Irish culture and knew the language better than previous missionaries. Patrick trained indigenous pastors and teachers. He also kept cultural elements that were not detrimental to the Gospel. Many traditional Irish symbols and concepts were essentially baptized to further the spread of the church. 

So, there are two things that I keep in mind about St. Patrick's Day. First, it is a day to celebrate a missionary. I pray that our current missionaries are as successful as Patrick and we should certainly appreciate their service now. 

Second, it is an immigrant holiday. In Ireland the day has primarily been a religious holiday. The crazy shenanigans were created in the United States. The first St. Patrick's Day parade in New York actually occurred before the establishment of the United States! It was a celebration of Irish immigrants. St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of Irish culture and the impact of Irish immigrants on the US. The first generation of Irish immigrants were integral in building the colonies. However, successive generations fleeing famine in Ireland were met with disdain and hatred. Poor peasants seeking a new life wore clothing styles a century old and spoke a strange combination of Gaelic and archaic English. Signs were placed around major cities declaring no work or vacancies for Irish. New York and Boston eventually closed their ports to Irish ships. Politicians decried the crime brought with these immigrants and newspapers declared that the Irish should go back to Europe. But the Irish did not go home. Instead they stayed and did the jobs that no one else wanted. They worked the mines, built the railroads, and fueled the industrial machine until the next wave of immigrants arrived. Irish Americans now comprise the second largest ethnic group in the US. Several presidents of both parties have Irish ancestors. It is the story of America. Immigrants building and blending into the country while contributing something unique to the American culture. As a descendant of Irish, Scot, and German immigrants I find that worth celebrating.

Ash Wednesday 2014

For most Baptists Lent is something you clean out of the dryer. It is an old joke, but still relevant. Most Baptists do not use the liturgical calendar and traditions such as Lent may seem a little too high church for us. Though it may seem unlikely, the Baptists started out as extreme iconoclasts and the remnants of that mentality remain.
However, I do find value in Lent. Ideally it is a forty day spiritual preparation for Easter. I am pondering the ways in which we can get ready for celebrating the Resurrection. I have not thought about giving up anything, simply because I can't think of something that would have a profound impact on spiritual growth. I have a few habits that I would like to further develop and that will probably be my focus.
I am curious, though, and would love some feedback. What are you giving up for Lent and how will it help you prepare for Easter? Or, even if you are not giving up anything for Lent, are you preparing for Easter and how?