7-2-01

Most folks agree that America's favorite hymn is "Amazing Grace," written by a former English sailor, sinner and salve-trader, John Newton in 1790, who turned from his wickedness to seek the Lord. It has been suggested that the tune was first a song sung by the black slaves. What a combination of origins to give us such a beloved and profound song of faith. Maybe in this new century it could become a part of Independence Day celebrations even though it's about heaven beyond any nationality. And it deals with the ultimate freedom that only GOD can give by divine grace, though He's only mentioned in the last verse. Newton died in 1807, having been transformed into a powerful preacher in the Church of England and the author of many songs. Text for this most famous one on is 1 Cor.17:16-17. At one time he'd been eslaved himself and thus could express great amazement at being set freed. In the same year Newton died, an American patriot was born who would author our national anthem: Francis Scott Key grew up to become a lawyer in Washington D.C.. He watched the all night bombardment in September, 1814, of Ft.McHenery in his state, Maryland, by off shore British war ships. Seeing the stars and stripes still aloft at dawn inspired him to write those immortal lines: "Oh say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming." They were later set to the tune of an old British drinking song, "Anacreon in Heaven." Anacreon had been an ancient Greek writer of beautiful poems about the joys of wine, women and song; a far cry from English Puritanism. Then Scott's poetry transformed it into a word/music vision of Old Glory like no other nation's. I heard last Sunday, which was Canada Day, that nearly 80% of American citizens know our first line while in Canada only some 30% know the first line of their anthem, "O Canada." It recalled for me a long conversation years ago with a young Canadian. We talked about their flag and the maple leaf symbol on it. I told how the sight of our's sent a shudder of patriotism through Americans, especially with playing of "The Star Spangled Banner." And we put our right hand over our heart to pledge allegiance. He said they didn't feel anything like that, but he sure wished they did. I think the two songs we've talked about depict how divinity comes first fo us, and country second: "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Thus our president takes the oath of office with his hand on a Bible, that BOOK which ends with a blessing of amazing grace: Rev.22:21 "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (NKJV)."

1-3-02

Hard to believe it's been nearly six months since I've added to this catch22. But last night I was recalling a poem that stirred my heart in youthful days that reminds me so much now of the NYC fireman who give their lives, over 300 of them, in the line of duty. It was by Alfred Lloyd Tennison about British duty expressed in a battle in the Crimean War with Russia: CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE Half a league, half a league, half a league onward. Into the valley of death rode the six hundred. Cannon to right of them cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them volleyed and thundered. Stormed at with shot and shell, bravely they rode and well into the jaws of death, into the mouth of hell. All the world wondered.

"Charge for the guns" they said. Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew someone had blundered. Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die! Into the valley of death rode the six hundered.

Choking in battle smoke, right through the line they broke. Cossack and Russian reeled from their sabor stroke. All the world wondered.

Then they rode back again, but not the six hundred. Stormed at with shot and shell, while horse and hero fell, bravely they rode and well back from the jaws of death, back from the mouth of hell; all that was left of them, left of six hundred. O the wild charge they made, honor the Light Brigade, when can their glory face, noble six hundred.

Armed only with swords, they had been sent against an enemy fortified with rifles and even artilery. But they performed the task given to the limits of their ability. It was a military blunder. With the NYC fireman at the WTC there was no blunder, just the same steadfastness to duty. That place is hallowed to America and should be known as "GROUND HERO."

1-2-01 Electricity was all off in our town last week so I couldn't get on-line to write. We are among the few still without it, bt I've rented a gasoline power generator. So here goes the first column of this new year and millennium. Most folks realize by now that all the Y2k excitement a year ago was ahead of time. Only at the end of the last year of each century does the next one begin. That's because we began numbering years A.D. with Roman numberals back when there was no numberal for zero. The Arabs came up with it and we switched to their way of numbering, which sure beats the Roman numerals for brevity. But getting along without a zero wasn't as difficult as doing with zero electricity. After over a week, I've finally realized that the refirgerator and microwave are not available. Doing without lights hasn't been as bad because we have candles and now a propane lamp, which seems almost back to normal. Still we've been made aware how completely electrical the world has become. Just everything runs on it anymore. If only that could be a metaphor for the power from heaven, so necessary to human existence. When that Source fails, then all is lost. So surely this past week has caused an awakening to what is truly primary. On a couple of nights when our town was completely dark (except for a few car headlights) I did some star gazing in the back yard. How amazed I was at the brightness of the stars when there's no other light going into the sky. Usually I find the big dipper first, but somehow I picked Orion and looked at his belt TV I'd seen an Egyptologist explain how the pyramids (those of Gaza) are build in a row of three exactly as the three stars of Orion's belt. That was to honor Osiris, Egypt's god who befriended mankind. So I wondered why it's not called by that more ancient name. Well the Greeks renamed it for their god, but they didn't leave any pyramids. I thought about the folly of projecting man's imaginary beings out into the constellations. It's like the horoscope, just idolatry. But that led me on to re-read the Genesis account of creation with new understanding. It would take too long o share in this column, but my new year's resolution is to write it on my web site for any who care to punch it up. Shalom

1-4-01

As I sit here during the halftime of OU's game in Miami, it gives me a chance to start on the new year's resolution I made to share an insight I gained about the Bible's first chapter, Genesis 1. The accounts of creation given in the Bible are first general and then local. Of course that shows between chapter one and two, but right in the first there's a drawing down from the whole universe to the planet "Earth" as we've come to now it. I'm glad to see the New King James version using "heavens" instead of just a singular heaven, as the 1611 version did. Most newer translations also use the plural. That allows for a supernatural heaven existing before the "firmament" (heaven) placed above the unformed earth, which was dark and void (thus describing all matter that came into existence). The "face of the waters" pertained to expanding oceans of gas and liquid that were yet unable to emit any radiation. So the creation of light on that "first day" was when some of the dark matter began to radiate after the big bang. In the 20th century scientists discovered that so much of the expanding universe is still dark, yet not enough to cause all the gallexies to ever collapse again into that original black hole out of which the Creator brought it forth, which would result in an oscillating universe. Thus a highest heaven is created even before this physical cosmos and is far more vast, almost infinite. It is the abode of GOD and all the angels that serve Him. Their number is greater than all the stars and planets of creation and even the name "Elohim" used for GOD by that opening line (In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth) is plural. Thus we see Yahweh and Yeshua and the bond between Them, Holy Spirit. as a plural One. And also implied are all the heavenly host that "Sabaoth" later denotes i.e. Yahweh Sabaoth. When the Holy Spirit was "moving over the face of the waters," all the innumerable agents of divine providence were shaping and directing the Creator's plan. So Ps.8 tells us that "the heavens declare the glory of GOD, and the firmament showeth His handiwork." Highest heaven is beyond the rim of this physical universe, but the firmament (our dome of sky) is within it, as the place into which glowing matter has been exploding for 12 or 13 billion years; and where it will continue perpetually according to latest scientific estimates. All the visible universe is evidence of a divine design! Hallelujah!! About midway in the seven "days" of creation, there's a shift from the universe in general to our planet in particular (just as in the two creation stories of Genesis 1 & 2). Earth's atmosphere has cleared enough for the sun, moon and stars to appear to earth creatures, including man. In fact, that's exactly what Adam means: "earthling" as distinct from heavenly being. Not male because that becomes a later feature of the name after the creation of female. So Adam's being made in the image of GOD has nothing to do with gender, just as the Creator transcendends that creaturely characteristic. Yahweh is a name taken from "I am" which is niether male nor female. The first words of the Bible need not offend our scientific view in today's world, and can keep the supernatural dimension as primary for those with humble minds who are willing to see that the heaven of heavens is a more basic reality than even OU's winning a national football championship for this 13th time. Highest eaven has been there for at least 13 billion years, all aeons of time that the Creator has spent preparing for this race of earth creatures to be reborn into His eternal realm. He (the Son) became one of us and took our humanity back up to that throne beyond creation at His Father's side. Now we wait for Him (the Son) to come back to prepared to join Him forever. The lowest, or first heaven, is the one to which He will return as stated in 1 Thess. 4.16 & 17, as coming in the clouds when we are caught up together with Him in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord." This is the atmospheric heaven surrounding planet Earth, which may have poetic connotations as much as the six days of creation. Being prosaic about Scripture interpretation gets into such detailed descriptions of a "rapture," though that word isn't even in Scripture. We take it literally sometimes and figurtively at others, but always seriously. And at times we just can't be serious with literalism. Jesus's parables were not understood by the literalistic Pharisees, and we must avoid demanding such explicit revelation, in my opinion; though it seems the most explicit interpreters gain the largest followings.

4-17-01

Remember what happened on April Fool's? It was so serious that no one made any reference to that designation of folly. And the Chinese don't even have it on their calendar anyhow. But pilot Wong Way finally reaped the consequences of his dare devil flying as proven by the videos we've now seen on TV. China's Communist government has lionized him there as a great martyr to their cause. And even our own ;ilots, whose lives were so put in jeprody by his tactics, have all expressed regret and compassion for his family left to grieve. Though he bailed out of his doomed jet fighter, the Chinese searching for his body in that South China Sea finally gave up on Saturday. So now our officials are meeting in Beijing with China's to try getting our plane back, as well as mending damaged relations. I felt that Bush handled it just right to get our crew home, but we can turn hard as nails now with only a plane to loose. China has sure lost my business as I'll be more careful not to purchase anything made there, just as many other Americans. And surely we won't be buying those black berets from China for our soldiers to wear. Trading with them so far has been much to their advantage economically, while adding to our balance-of-payment deficit (we buy far more there than we sell to them). I'm also glad that Jesse Jackson wasn't sent to the rescue, though he got attention by offering. Jesse Ventura would been more suitable. And Rev.Jackson has all he can handle to hold his place against Rev.Al Sharpton, who led a march up the alley in Cincinnati where the latest lethal shooting took place by police of yet another black person, fifteenth in a row. Sharpton gets on camera more than Jessie now, it seems. And Cincinnati looks as dangerous for blacks as the South China Sea is for American spy planes. Mississippi could help moderate the naional

1-4-01

4-17-01