God's Love In Action

Yesterday I wrote about the escalating meanness in America. I am a full blooded Latino, of Spanish extraction. I am proud of my heritage and proud to be an American citizen. While I don't know anything about my ancestors that immigrated to this country, several generations of Salazars have lived in this country and made positive contributions. I hate the racial overtones that are dominating the situation in Arizona. We have made so many strides forward, I don't want to go back.

In the 1950s there was a migrant worker program in the US called the Bracero program. It actually started in 1947 and ended in 1964. Workers from Mexico, largely agricultural workers, were allowed to come to the US and work for a period of time. I remember going with my grandparents to some of the farms and ranches around San Jose, California to visit with Braceros in the evening. My grandparents shared the Gospel, took clothes and other necessities, and I remember my grandmother talking with some of the ladies, perhaps comforting them because they were away from their children. My grandfather had pioneered a Spanish speaking Assemblies of God church by this time, and other church members joined them on their trips to the Bracero camps. There were not any ulterior motives here, none of them would join the church, they wouldn't contribute any offerings, they wouldn't bring other people into the church, this was ministry, pure ministry.

While this took place over 50 years ago, this is a memory that is vividly etched in my mind. I can still still see the little huts where the Braceros slept. I can almost smell the smoke from the fires that burned in 55 gallon drums for warmth, and I remember my grandfather walking from hut to hut telling the men that we were there and asking them to gather together. The farmers and ranchers welcomed the ministry because they saw the changes that occured in the Braceros lives as they committed themselves to the Lord. Who knows the impact of these changed lives as they went home to their families and communities? What I know, is, that I saw God's love in action. We really need to see more of that today. Oh God, help us to engage the meaness in our country with Your love.

This Is A Mean Time In America

This has really become a mean time in America. People are angry about health care, the Tea Party movement, a new law in Arizona, the rising cost of living, the uncertainty of the future, and the list goes on and on. People are disgusted with all the various levels of government and aren't afraid to voice their opinion. Charges of "racism" are being tossed back and forth and today I heard a call by a national leader for people in Arizona to defy the new law. Wasn't this presidential administration going to be the one to unify us? What happened to "Yes We Can"?

Even Christian leaders are being swept into the chaos. Franklin Graham was "dis invited" from a Pentagon Prayer Breakfast because of some of his comments regarding Muslims. News of the Schuller family squabbles and the near financial collapse of the Crystal Cathedral grab headlines. Where are the Christian voices proclaiming peace, repentance, reconciliation and unity?

I believe that one of the most successful tools in Satan's weapons arsenal is fear. Fear of the future, fear of consequences of misguided policies and legislation, fear of each other. We're hiding behind labels; liberal, conservative, racist, Tea Party member, homophobe...

What is our most powerful weapon? God's love. God's love demonstrated in our lives in such a way that a watching world cannot deny its power. Oh God, help us demonstrate your love and begin to dissolve the meanness in our country.

Social Networking By Age

I saw an interesting chart recently. It showed social network site users by age. Here are the stats:
75% of 18-22 year olds use one or more social networking sites
49% of 23-35 year olds
21% of 36-49
9% of 50-65
3% over 60

I personally use Facebook. I have really enjoyed connecting better with family members, particularly more distant family members, and all the friends and acquaintances from places we have lived and worked around the country. According to this Pew Research chart, I am among 9% of my age group that does this. For me, it seemed pretty natural to launch into social networking because I have always tried to stay up with technology as it has developed at such a rapid pace. I must admit, however, that I don't have a Facebook farm, I don't look for eggs, I'm not a Mafia member, nor any of the other myriad of opportunities that are available. I just enjoy the posts and pictures and all the "catching up." I was thumbing through a college catalog the other day and wondering about taking a computer networking class. I think it might be time to stretch some more...

A Long and Rewarding Day

About 3 times a year I am an assistant supervisor at one of our St. Louis County polling locations. What an assistant supervisor does is to arrive at the polling location by 5 AM and set up all the machines that the voters will use in voting. Yesterday we had 3 touchscreen machines and 3 paper ballot stations with a paper ballot scanner. From 6 AM until 7 PM, my job was to assist each person as they voted. The polling location that I serve is in a very large Methodist retirement center and many of the residents come down to their recreation room and vote. I have come to really enjoy helping these folks, talking with them and hearing some of their life stories. The other end of the spectrum was helping a couple of 18 year olds vote using the touchscreen machine. In both cases, this was their first opportunity to exercise their constitutional privilege of voting.

Unfortunately, our Republican supervisor got sick during the afternoon and had to leave. I stayed later than normal and helped prepare all of the materials and went with the Democrat supervisor to drop everything off. (Elections are very bi-partisan. Everything, and I mean everything, has to be signed off by both a Republican or Democrat worker. This includes the voting stub that everyone gets when they first come in, to the reports that must be assembled at the close of the polls)

So I arrived home at 8 PM, 15 hours after I left in the morning. A long day, but rewarding...rewarding because I had a very small part in a democratic process that insures that the people of this great country get to choose their leaders and vote on issues that come before them. Rewarding because I got to help a lot of seniors vote, and to applaud them for their interest in this process even at their advanced age. They haven't stopped being involved even though they are retired. Rewarding because I saw brand new voters vote for the first time. Young people who are plugging into the system as soon as they can, and will help our country stay the strong nation God has blessed it to be.

He Is Risen! He Is Risen, indeed!

Somewhere in many church service worship schedules today, the song "Because He Lives", by Bill & Gloria Gaither, will be sung. As we closed our early worship service this morning, the strength and hope of the resurrection overwhelmed the uncertainty of the future for me. "...Because I know He holds the future; and life is worth the living just because He lives."

There are times in our lives when several things seem to collide all at once. Periods where almost everything in life is affected. In my case, dealing with raising 3 teenagers, again; the cost of living that has skyrocketed, working through issues at work, health issues that complicate life and the list goes on and on. I know this is part of life, valleys that seem to go on forever without a path to the mountain top. Last night was tough...teenager vs. dad, enough said.

It's too bad the Gaithers didn't live at the time of Christ on earth. The disciples could of used their song. Their future seemed over, they were afraid for their lives. And then came the wonderful news; "He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed." ( Matthew 28, the Message)

For me, those song words triggered the hope of the resurrection this morning in my spirit. Life is worth living because of what Christ did for us. I will find the path to the mountain.