It seems that when we don’t know what to say, most of us go ahead and say something anyway. One of the most asinine comments is often heard in funeral parlors during “visitation.” It is, “doesn’t he (she) look natural?” I say asinine because the one thing the deceased most certainly do not look is natural. At least, no dead bodies I’ve ever seen did. They look the very opposite. Death is the most unnatural and horrible phenomenon there is. It is the ultimate enemy…as well as the ultimate consequence of our collective sins, beginning, of course, with our first parents. That is one reason the sermon series we’ve been hearing on Corinthians is important and dear to me. A lot of people I love have died in my lifetime, and it has never felt right or natural. It feels very wrong. The sudden loss and complete disconnect with a big part of your life. The emptiness. The helplessness. Once someone has died, there is NOTHING you can do to help them…comfort them…bring them back into your earthly existence. I am so Thankful to be told, with the authority of God’s word, that this horrible enemy is being conquered and will be completely destroyed one day…that death will die….or, as the scriptures say, be “swallowed up in victory.” Only then will everything resume its state of creation. Only when there is no more death will everything be fully “natural” again.
I perused a toy catalogue that came in my mail from a large chain…wondering what’s popular with kids now. No real surprises, thankfully. The usual fare. What bothered me was the “take” on boys’ toys vs. girls’ toys. The girls’ lead page … and I quote: “she already thinks she’s a princess…make it official.” The boy pages lead quote, ” gifts that inspire good behavior….toys for boys.” Now, this statement about the boy toys is certainly not true in my opinion…I mean … it’s the usual guns, games, fast cars…dinosaurs, power vehicles and power action figures…etc. They’re obviously the things boys enjoy…the major theme being power. So why the odd intro….things that help boys behave? You want your girls to feel empowered….like princesses. But the boys, well…you just want them to behave? Personally, I WANT our BOYS to feel empowered….brave….strong… warriors for all that is right. I know it’s messy, though. I raised three boys. You don’t make warriors at tea parties. Don’t get me wrong, I want boys who respect authority, know what it means to be under authority, and who learn self-control and thoughtfulness for others. What I detest, though, is our cultures’penchant to try and feminize boys….make them kind and gentle creatures who wouldn’t hurt a flea if they knew it carried the plague! So….from a Christian mom who wants boys to be boys and men to be men….I encourage you parents of boys to let them climb, push, run, jump, hunt, take some chances, get a few knocks and bruises and learn to jump up, brush off, and keep going..always protecting the fair damsels in their midst (sisters, classmates, mom, etc.) at the same time…maybe even treating them like princesses from time to time, because they have the strength, power, and right-headedness to do it.
Though this seems impossible, it was twenty years ago today that the Berlin Wall fell. By the time I studied in Germany in 1993, what had been THE symbol of the iron curtain had been reduced to a small patch in the concrete in front of the Brandenburg Gate. As the wall fell, I remember the utter shock that this was actually happening, since of course before 1989 the conventional wisdom was that such was impossible. It was, in many ways, a whole new world. The “Evil Empire” was about to vanish.
Twenty years later, I’m not sure very many people remember this or even care. President Obama couldn’t be bothered to attend, sending Hillary in his stead. I suppose that Germany was OK for a campaign rally, but not so attractive when the celebration turns to the defeat of communism.
So to commemorate, I post again what was one of the best speeches ever delivered by my political hero, Ronald Reagan.
Try to imagine this sort of clarity of purpose coming from any contemporary politician. If you can, your imagination is more vivid than mine.
From the information available about the Fort Hood shooter, Nadal Malik Hasan, it seems as though he was an adherent of radical, jihadist Islam. This morning, there are stories coming out that the Army may have missed (ignored?) some pretty important warning signs:
Law enforcement officials also faced questions about whether they had missed possible warning signs. Six months ago, investigators came across Internet postings, allegedly by Hasan, that indicated sympathy for suicide bombers and empathized with the plight of Muslim civilians killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a federal official briefed on the situation. The official, and another source, said investigators never confirmed whether Hasan was the author of the postings and did not pursue the matter.
The postings were among a handful of possible red flags that preceded Thursday’s rampage, in which 13 people were killed and 38 were wounded in the deadliest mass shooting on a U.S. military installation to date. Friends and acquaintances said Hasan had been increasingly agitated over the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he reportedly said the U.S. “war on terror” was a “war on Muslims.” Officials have seized Hasan’s computer to determine his role in the blog posts and other writings.
The same article goes on to fret over whether “stress” caused Hasan to carry out his attack.
The UK Telegraph also has a story about the links between Hasan and a radical mosque where two of the 9/11 hijackers worshiped:
Hasan, the sole suspect in the massacre of 13 fellow US soldiers in Texas, attended the controversial Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia, in 2001 at the same time as two of the September 11 terrorists, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. His mother’s funeral was held there in May that year.
The preacher at the time was Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Yemeni scholar who was banned from addressing a meeting in London by video link in August because he is accused of supporting attacks on British troops and backing terrorist organisations.
Hasan’s eyes “lit up” when he mentioned his deep respect for al-Awlaki’s teachings, according to a fellow Muslim officer at the Fort Hood base in Texas, the scene of Thursday’s horrific shooting spree.
This is obviously very disturbing on a lot of levels. But, add to these the AP report that he shouted “Allahu Akbar” while shooting, and NPR’s report that he gave a lecture on the Koran at what was supposed to be an academic conference, and it seems very clear from all the available evidence that this man was at least partially, if not fully, motivated by a jihadist impulse to slay the infidels. Moreover, it seems clear that there were many warning signs that went unheeded.
The question on the table, then, is whether the signs were simply missed - as depressingly familiar as that would be, or, were rather ignored out of fear of offending a Muslim. At first, I wondered which was worse - negligence or willing blindness. I think I’ve answered that question. A society can recover from missing the signs of coming attacks by the enemy. But when the powers that be see the attacks coming and choose to ignore them, I’m not sure how that society survives.
Maybe, if it wants to survive, it needs new leaders.
