Deserve

Sometimes we think that we deserve more than we really do.

When we get good things that we think we deserve, we can become prideful and attached to them.

When we do not get everything that we think we deserve, we can become angry and bitter.

rainmaker

We all need to eat. In times past, the overwhelmingly dominant economic sector was agriculture. Most people were farmers. For farmers, weather is very important. My job is a computer programmer, so for me a rainy day means that I need to carry an umbrella. But for farmers, rainfall is an indicator of their economic well-being.

But who can control or predict the rain? Almost every culture has prayers, rituals, sacrifices, and feasts relating to rain.

I remember watching an episode of X-files that included a character who had a paranormal ability related to rain. Wherever this man went, rain would follow him. It did not take long for this man to monetize his ability as a rainmaker. He would seek out people whose region was desperately afflicted by drought and charge them a colossal fee. In exchange for the fee, this man, this rainmaker, would show up, do a little rain-dance act, and the rain would come down.

Today our economy is very specialized and diversified. Most of us are not farmers, and our fortunes are not tied directly to rain. But still we search for people and insight to bring prosperity to the land.

Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, as been described as a rainmaker. And if you have read at all about the current state of banking, financing, and home mortgages, you know that the world is desperately seeking people and answers to end the recession.

So how do lessons learned about rain apply today's economy?

One of the unusual instances of rain in the bible is when bread, called manna, rained down from the sky. Normally, we plant wheat seeds in the ground, wait a few months for normal water rain to come down and help the wheat plants grow, harvest the wheat, thresh the wheat seeds, grind the wheat seeds into flour, mix dough from the flour, and bake the bread. This manna thing was much faster. The bread would come down from the sky, and all you had to do was pick up the bread and eat it. It sounds kind of like how fast food works today.

What happened though was that after a while, this free, easily available, fast food was not good enough for the Israelites who received it. They were offended that the only food available to them was manna, and they complained vehemently. Today, sometimes we in the US lose our perspective and forget to be grateful for what we have. Even the bad times in the US are better than the good times in places where people struggle against starvation and lack of clean water.

Another lesson was taught by Jesus. He said that the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous. The point Jesus was making was that God loves everyone, even the people who don't love Him back, and if we want to follow the way of God, we should love people who don't love us back.

What can happen though is that we can get sucked in to a mentality where we believe that the size of our bank account is a measure of how much God loves us or how good we are. Even worse is when we start applying that mentality to other people. We live in a culture that says if you have lots of money you are awesome, and if you do not you suck. Yes, there are times when God blesses us with money, but God's love is not about money.

Finally, it is important to not get too caught up in the pursuit of rain. James 5:17-18 says that Elijah prayed, and it did not rain for 3 and a half years. Then Elijah prayed again, and rain came. Prayer is more important than rain.

great depression?

This article in the Wall Street Journal articulates a line of thinking I've had for a while. The current economic situation is bad, but the comparisons to the Great Depression are disproportionate. 

What I would favor for an "economic stimulus" is the elimination of the payroll tax. I'm not holding my breath though.

the decline of racism?

Have we reached a point where racism is no longer a dominant force in America? If not, what does that point look like?

What is the content of Barack Obama's character? It is hard for me to tell. I say that not out of spite, but because I don't have enough information to know. We'll see.

The excerpt below is from whitehouse.gov

End Wasteful Government Spending: Obama and Biden will stop funding wasteful, obsolete federal government programs that make no financial sense. Obama and Biden have called for an end to subsidies for oil and gas companies that are enjoying record profits, as well as the elimination of subsidies to the private student loan industry which has repeatedly used unethical business practices. Obama and Biden will also tackle wasteful spending in the Medicare program.

This "plan" sounds both ambitious and lame. Sure, I'd like to stop funding "wasteful, obsolete government programs that make no financial sense". The reality is though, subsidies for oil and gas companies and private student loans are a tiny fraction of the federal budget. I hope President Obama has a football helmet to tackle wasteful Medicare spending. Will said tackling result in a relative decrease to Medicare spending?

glimpse

How does our perspective change? Sometimes it just takes time.

When we see things differently, this changes our situation. 

What is good? I remember that in college, high grades were good to me. It wasn't always easy, but the formula was straightforward. But in life, there aren't grades at regular intervals. 

known but to God

Today I was able to visit the Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) at Arlington National Cemetery.

The inscription on the tomb notes that the soldiers buried in the tomb are "known but to God".

Are we as followers of Jesus comfortable doing things "known but to God"? I think that most of us don't seek out lots of attention or publicity, but it's hard to have a level of confidence that doesn't require affirmation from others. Also we have to be careful not to be too secretive because our lives are testimonies.

Perhaps the question isn't about how many people know, but what is our motivation. Do we do good things to look good or please others, or are we truly motivated by our love for Jesus?

deserted

In the Message translation of Matthew 5:33, the disciples ask "But where in this deserted place are you going to dig up enough food for a meal?"

Have you ever been deserted or been in a deserted place or a deserted time in your life?

It's frustrating when we see nothing. But what does Jesus see?