Our Lord compared signs of the times to common sense weather prediction. So we see storm clouds on the racial horizon internationally. That UN conference on racism drug past the eight days into a ninth before an agreement could be reached that the European Union would sign. Instead of agreement to the demand for reparations, an apology was made by the EU to African nations for 248 years of slave trade, which most of us now agree to call a "crime against humanity." But such harsh language had to be deleted, as well as statements equating Zionism with racism. Perhaps something worthwhile was achieved? We were represented there after all, though not by Colin Powell. I did a little research on "reparations" and learned that president Woodrow Wilson had chosen that term after WW I for collecting criminal damages from the defeated Germans for causing the war. In the previous century the custom had been called "indemnification" imposed on defeated nations by those who won. (Of course it was always the looser's fault and "to the victor elongs the spoils") But America was far gentler to the vanquished and never collected, though France and Belgum were so hard nosed that they took Germany's major industrial Ruhr area. That inflamed hatred that would give Hitler vast support in his rise to power and finally lead to WW II. So reparations create animosity but again the U.S. was generous in giving Marshall plan aid to West Germany instead of collecting for criminal damages; though the other Allies got theirs plus large amounts to Israel for the suffering caused to the Jews. Then in the nineties Switzerland, business partner with Nazi Germany and banker for a a lot assets out of Jewish holdings that Hitler had stolen, had to fork over reparations to descendants of Holocaust survivors. So all that helped set the stage for Durbin. A book published in 1991 by the Black Muslims also helped create the anti-Israeli sentiment, "Secret Link Between Blacks and Jews." It sought to prove that the Jews were kingpins in the slave industry. It was anti-Semitic and has been largely refuted. But their money was what got the Bank of Amsterdam going in 1609 and of London in 1693. From there on it was capitalism that fueled the fire for two more centuries. There's and ARM (African Reparation Movement) reaching up to collect now and a new book out by a Randall Robinson entitled "The Debt Owed to Africans." It claims the Holocaust in Germany lasted only ten years as compared to five centuries of the Black Holocaust. And the Jews were given compensation because they are not black. (But also they owned wealth that was taken from them while Africans lost mainly their reedom) So Americans must repent and make restitution for national sins in the 18th and 19th centuries, when unskilled labor was so in demand for development over in this New World that slaves seemed the answer. Now several major cities in the U.S. including Detroil, Cleveland, L.A. and most recently Chicago have already endorsed the call, with mayor Daily up there in the windy city saying "We are ready to make an apology wherever apology needs to be made." Of couse the next opporunistic demand will be "Then put your money where your mouth is." How much of his own money will he shell out? Looking back again toward 1917 when an apology was demanded of Germany along with the payment of reparations, we see it's aftermath clear through that most violent of all centuries. So this business now seems ominous and forboding to me. There was a big "Christ Church" congretation of blacks on TV Sunday in Detroit observing a "reparations day" and it didn't sound like Martin Luther King Jr. nearly so much as Louis Farrakhan and his Nation of Islam speaking. May our black Christians turn a deaf ear to John Connier, Al Sharptons and their like because race relations will suffer a big setback in my opinion if they listen. May the Lord especially bless black Christians with wisdom and insight. I once pastored a small black church and know what spiritual Christians we have in that part of the Father's family. May they see that the Civil War was quite a colossal punishment for our national sin when both Yankee and Confederate soldiers paid the ultimate price. Abraham Lincoln said "So if for every stripe of the slavemaster's whip, the white man must pay with equal blood, then the ways of the Almighty are true and righteous altogether." Finally he was assassiated by the actor John Wilkes Booth for siding with the slaves rather than their masters in a time when some were still quoting the Bible to justify it, "Bondservants be obedient to those who are your masters after the flesh." (Eph.6:5). Now we know how wrong that was. Furthermore, the times are wrong today to press reparations when a slowdown in the economy has caused the federal surplus (which probably whetted an appetite for retribution) to disappear. With more and more Americans laid off, there will be far less sympathy for paying long past dues; if in deed they are due. The columnist David Horowitz infuriated black activists with his statement in a paid add that the descendents of African slaves have a far better life in this country today than blacks anywhere else in the world and have received welfare benefits to more than remunerate them. He bought space in several large newspapers to express this view, though a number refused to sell it to him or printed their own apology to readers. Still that doesn't deny the truth of what was said back then in March. And Horowitz didn't get any reparations from Germany for what his ancestors suffered as I understand it.

The spring of 2001 began with a mystery of the vanishing D.C. intern and the fall has begun with a World Trade Center that has disappeared. The whole world seems to be reeling and rocking in this actual year of ending for the millennium. All the hype about Y2K came a year early because there was no zero when the calendar began. So it started from the Roman numeral one and that put us a year ahead. Now the awesome things expected a year ago are actually coming to pass, and they may not soon subside. Someone suggested that nine- -one- one was the number for for last Tuesday, Sept.11. Surely it has shaken us to call on heaven's hotline of prayer for divine grace; and to also see how fragile and temporal the security of earthly existence can be in money and military strength symbolized by the WTC and Pentagon. I pasted that flag in Thursday's "Oklahoman" on the back of my car as a patriotic display.   All of us know that our national motto is "In GOD we trust" so now we're put to the test. Let us thank Him for a president that we can honestly hold up in prayer as our leader in this hour of such distress. He'll be at the National Cathedral for a prayer service on Friday, then up to visit NYC. I've never been a preacher of hell fire and demnation, but it's a reality of the Bible for which we can be grateful now. Those suicide terrorists who flew innocent passengers into the consuming fire of that jet fuel aboard the liners they cunningly hijacked will be cast into an everlasting fire from which they can never die to escape. The Almighty said "Vengance is Mine. I will repay" and He always keeps his Word. The heat of those flames that caused people to leap out the windows of the WCT's twin towers will be mild compared to that lake of fire in which Satan and all his agents must spend eternity.   I also pray that their human sponsors will be found and punished in this world as much as possible, though nothing earthly could suffice, Only the wrath of Yahweh can punish enough for all the sorrow those maniac terrorists have caused innocent men, women and children of our land and other countries. The grief is not limited to America, but global instead.   In this war on terroris now begun, let us heed Eph.6 by putting on the whole armour of GOD.   And let us continue to "be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."   So much compassion and mercy is being shown already. Hallelujah!

All the drama by local actors in both WW and PV this weekend makes me recall the Jr.Sr. play in '44 at PV High. It was a murder mystery and I had the part of a dumb cop just taking orders from the Inspector, played by Walter Nance as I recall. I just called him "Boss" and I was named Shultz. So that's been a tag for heavy drama in my own psyche ever since, though I was only sixteen then. Now it's become fully manifest in this production, "War of the Worlds" directed and partially written by Jeff Shultz. So I look forward to seeing one of the three performances. It's bound to go "well" since the original 19th century story comes from an Englishman named Wells and the Americanized 20th century   version was done in '38 by another Welles. So it's H.G. and Orson combined. WELL, what more can I say?   I was only eleven when it hit the news with such astonishing power. We must have be tuned in for Edgar Bergen's Charley McCarthy instead, because I have no recollection except being told by others. Yet the thought of evil aliens from the sky stayed around ever after. Not too long ago the falling cylinders had become UFOs. And the late Carl Sagan had shifted their source to far out in our Milky Way galaxy with his novel, "Contact." Then a swing from science fiction back to the Bible brought the Parousia back on screen. The sacred chapters of Revelation surged into our awareness or at least into mine. So I try to mention the Lord's final coming in each column. That truth is the angel fire that burns in our hearts for all who await "our blessed hope of His appearing."   Looking back at '38 now, it seemed almost as traumatic as "42 when Pearl Harbor was bombed. In fact, there's even some comparison to 9/11 in this observer's consciousness; when evil beings from the sky made that attack on NYC and DC using kidnapped airliners and forcing innocent passengers to join their insane suicide missions. But 9/11's magnitude dwarfed even the science fiction of that long ago radio enactment by Orson Wells. Wynnewood's General Tommy Franks has named 9/11 the "crease in history" as told in his book American Soldier. I'm reminded of that every time I press my blue jeans to wear for the paper route. We're on the top side ironing, or increase of endtime awareness. Underneath was the decrease that is over and finished. Then I put them on to wear for the day ahead as I pray "Come Lord Jesus." Shalom

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