Writes the always-terrific Thomas DiLorenzo, prolific author of The Real Lincoln, among many others:
The great nineteenth-century Massachusetts libertarian abolitionist Lysander Spooner despised Lincoln and his administration with a red hot passion. Here's one example of what he thought of the Dishonest Abe regime, from The Lysander Spooner Reader (p. 49):
"The principle, on which the war was waged by the North, was simply this: That men may rightfully be compelled to submit to, and support, a government that they do not want; and that resistance, on their part, makes them traitors and criminals."
"No principle, that is possible to be named, can be more self-evidently false than this; or more self-evidently fatal to all political freedom. Yet it triumphed in the field, and is now assumed to be established. If it really be established, the number of slaves, instead of having been diminished by the war, has been greatly increased; for a man, thus subjected to a government that he does not want, is a slave."
In other words, the irony of the notion that Lincoln freed slaves is that with his tyrannical, bloodthirsty, and unconstitutional assault on liberty, he sought to ostensibly make slaves of all Americans; slaves to the imperial federal government. And America has not been the same since.
It has been said that before Lincoln, people said:
"The United States are."
After Lincoln, they said:
"The United States is."
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
The Israel of God: An Orthodox View
America is a diverse and pluralistic society, and this is evident no more so than in the myriad of religious beliefs held by so many Americans. Every possible derivation of any religious belief one can think of is represented. The Christian religion is claimed by thousands of all sorts of denominations, groups and sects, with many remaining unaware or unfamiliar with the True Faith of Orthodox Christianity.
Particularly within evangelical protestantism, the Biblical method of interpretation called dispensationalism was popularized by the writings of John Nelson Darby in the 1800's. Dispensationalism is a fatally flawed theory which presupposes that God, Who never changes, changes to accommodate different eras, or dispensations. This view was embraced and promoted by C.I. Scofield, whose Scofield Bible includes his margin notes which had tremendous effect, unfortunately, on how its readers interpreted the Holy Scriptures.
Scofield's fanciful theories regarding dispensationalism and eschatology read into the Scriptures things that were never there, theories never presented by the Church, which gave us the Holy Scriptures. As an aside, this demonstrates the danger of viewing the Holy Scriptures outside Their proper context, which is provided by the “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church,” given to us by Christ Himself. Having a Scofield explain the Holy Scriptures to us would be like having a mechanic theorize on how heart surgery is performed. In such a case, one would do better listening to the cardiologist. And in matters concerning the Scriptures, one would do well to cling to the teachings of the Church. It should be noted that dispensationalism has never been taught by the Church. Thus, it is not a stretch to label it as heresy. Sadly, this heresy has greatly infected America, as is evidenced by countless books, films, web sites, and television preachers who promote the heresy, supporting their false teaching with fancy charts, graphs, cruises, prophecy updates and apocalyptic predictions. Dispensationalism has become its own lucrative industry. Then again, fear sells.
At the root of Scofield's claims was that the physical nation of Israel must be reformed in order for the “end times” to begin. His premillenial dispensationalism did (and does) great violence to the Holy Scriptures, pulling a myriad of verses out of context, marrying them with others, all to support his heretical theories. That Israel did in fact become a nation in 1948 only fueled the fires of Scofield's heresy and misinterpretations, and more modern day authors such as Hal Lindsey, ostensibly riding the Scofield train, continued to promote dispensationalism with books such as “The Late Great Planet Earth.”
Of particular significance is the role the physical nation of Israel plays in dispensationalism. Taking their cues from Darby and Scofield, dispensationalists fail to understand that the “Israel of God” today is the Church, not a geographical nation-state, and has been so since the time of Christ, “Who came unto His own, and His own rejected Him,” thus, a New Covenant was established by the Saviour, Who foretold in the Holy Gospel of Saint Matthew, chapter 24, the cessation of the Old Covenant, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. That the Jewish people rejected, and then killed the Son of God effectively ended the covenant God had established with them.
Dispensationalism maintains that God holds special favor for a certain group of people, in this instance, Jewish people, and that somehow, some sort of exemption is reserved for them. Some dispensationalists would see a challenge to such thinking as anti-semitism. But it should be made clear that God loves all His creation, and has no special class, race or ethnicity that He prefers over another. Salvation is found in the Church, where Christ Himself is the Head, and the call to enter the Ark goes out to all. Dispensationalists do not accept this. Television preacher, and dispensationalist extraordinaire John Hagee, pastor of the mega “Cornerstone church” in San Antonio, Texas, made the following claim:
“I'm not trying to convert the Jewish people to the Christian faith. In fact, trying to convert Jews is a waste of time. Jews already have a covenant with God and that has never been replaced by Christianity.” (Houston Chronicle, April 30, 1988, section 6, page 1)
Writes Professor David Carlson:
Such a false teaching is rooted in the Scofield approach to the Scriptures, this method of picking and choosing verses and forcing them together in order to validate a heretical belief. The Church Fathers faced it too. In his book, Bible, Church, Tradition: An Eastern Orthodox View, Professor Georges Florovsky recalls the image by the second century Bishop Irenaeus which bear an uncanny resemblence to our current "battle for the Bible."
St. Irenaeus described an artist who made a beautiful jeweled mosaic of a king. Another came along and took apart the pieces of this beautiful mosaic, rearranging the tiles to create an image of a fox. This second person then claimed that the image of the fox was the true one, as the mosaic pieces were all "authentic".
This is what heretics do to Scripture, St. Irenaeus maintained. They claim that because they use the words of Scripture, the doctrines they teach are true. But heretics ignore the design, the rule of faith--the Tradition--which the Church has always used to test interpretations of the Bible.
St. Irenaeus' words indict premillennial dispensationalism. Without the Tradition, these fundamentalists pull the text apart and rearrange the verses to create a picture that is at odds with the received Tradition. Christ is replaced by a figure that celebrates the sorrows of our time and despises the efforts to create peace.
Professor Florovsky states, "...the point which St. Irenaeus endeavored to make is obvious. Scripture had its own pattern or design, its internal structure and harmony. The heretics ignored this pattern, or rather substitute their own instead. In other words, they re-arrange the Scriptural evidence on a pattern which is quite alien to the Scripture itself."(p. 78). Isn't this precisely what premillennial dispensationalism, with its pseudo-biblicism, is doing in our day? (1)
Sadly, dispensationalism has crept its way into the Orthodox Church, with such heresy even being embraced by clergy. To have a Bishop embracing the claim that God favors Jewish people over others of His creation is both shocking, and distressing. We must remember, of course, that anyone, Orthodox or not, clergy or not, can misinterpret Scriptures. This generally happens when we attempt to view them without the benefit of the Holy Traditions set before us. If a Bishop cannot show where dispensationalism was EVER embraced and taught as truth in the Church, then there is no basis for clinging to it now.
So, what of the nation-state known as Israel? If the Israel of God today is the Church, what should our view of this geographical entity be?
Prior to 1948, the land now known as Israel was occupied by Palestinians. The establishment of Israel as a nation-state began a new chapter in history as both sides were, and continue to be embroiled in controversy over who should rightfully possess the land, and has led to untold bloodshed and loss of life on both sides. Often forgotten in this mix by American dispensationalists are the Palestinian Christians who are often caught in the middle of the battle.
Since the state of Israel was established, it has been the policy of American presidential administrations to support it, and America has sent untold billions of taxpayer money and military equipment. This policy has been wholly supported by evangelicals, who hold to a heretical belief about just who the true “Israel of God” is. That the heresy sucks in Orthodox Christians, even clergy who should know better, is all the more alarming. Equally alarming would be for a communicant to accept such a belief based on the writings of one cleric, when said writings are at odds with what the Church has always taught. It would be a bad idea to conclude that Marxism is the preferred theory of economics because one read the endorsement of same by some Bishop. It would be equally as bad to accept the heresy of dispensationalism just because one read the endorsement of same by another Bishop.
The best American policy for the state of Israel would be a hands-off policy of neutrality and non-intervention. Naturally, this would be a good policy for any nation, and were it not the policy of the American government to send foreign aid to nations which are sworn enemies of Israel, then Israel would surely be better off. Such a duplicitous policy is seemingly lost on dispensationalists, who apparently see some sort of Biblical mandate for America to protect the nation state at all costs.
We currently see a brewing cauldron in the middle east, and our involvement their only exacerbates the problem. The damage done by a heretical teaching initiated by Darby, further promoted by Scofield, and broadcast worldwide by its adherents cannot be overstated.
1) Dr. David Carlson is Professor of Religious Studies at Franklin College, Franklin, Indiana, and a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Indianapolis, Indiana
Copyright © 2003 David Carlson. Reprinted with permission of the author, from "Orthodoxytoday.org"
Particularly within evangelical protestantism, the Biblical method of interpretation called dispensationalism was popularized by the writings of John Nelson Darby in the 1800's. Dispensationalism is a fatally flawed theory which presupposes that God, Who never changes, changes to accommodate different eras, or dispensations. This view was embraced and promoted by C.I. Scofield, whose Scofield Bible includes his margin notes which had tremendous effect, unfortunately, on how its readers interpreted the Holy Scriptures.
Scofield's fanciful theories regarding dispensationalism and eschatology read into the Scriptures things that were never there, theories never presented by the Church, which gave us the Holy Scriptures. As an aside, this demonstrates the danger of viewing the Holy Scriptures outside Their proper context, which is provided by the “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church,” given to us by Christ Himself. Having a Scofield explain the Holy Scriptures to us would be like having a mechanic theorize on how heart surgery is performed. In such a case, one would do better listening to the cardiologist. And in matters concerning the Scriptures, one would do well to cling to the teachings of the Church. It should be noted that dispensationalism has never been taught by the Church. Thus, it is not a stretch to label it as heresy. Sadly, this heresy has greatly infected America, as is evidenced by countless books, films, web sites, and television preachers who promote the heresy, supporting their false teaching with fancy charts, graphs, cruises, prophecy updates and apocalyptic predictions. Dispensationalism has become its own lucrative industry. Then again, fear sells.
At the root of Scofield's claims was that the physical nation of Israel must be reformed in order for the “end times” to begin. His premillenial dispensationalism did (and does) great violence to the Holy Scriptures, pulling a myriad of verses out of context, marrying them with others, all to support his heretical theories. That Israel did in fact become a nation in 1948 only fueled the fires of Scofield's heresy and misinterpretations, and more modern day authors such as Hal Lindsey, ostensibly riding the Scofield train, continued to promote dispensationalism with books such as “The Late Great Planet Earth.”
Of particular significance is the role the physical nation of Israel plays in dispensationalism. Taking their cues from Darby and Scofield, dispensationalists fail to understand that the “Israel of God” today is the Church, not a geographical nation-state, and has been so since the time of Christ, “Who came unto His own, and His own rejected Him,” thus, a New Covenant was established by the Saviour, Who foretold in the Holy Gospel of Saint Matthew, chapter 24, the cessation of the Old Covenant, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. That the Jewish people rejected, and then killed the Son of God effectively ended the covenant God had established with them.
Dispensationalism maintains that God holds special favor for a certain group of people, in this instance, Jewish people, and that somehow, some sort of exemption is reserved for them. Some dispensationalists would see a challenge to such thinking as anti-semitism. But it should be made clear that God loves all His creation, and has no special class, race or ethnicity that He prefers over another. Salvation is found in the Church, where Christ Himself is the Head, and the call to enter the Ark goes out to all. Dispensationalists do not accept this. Television preacher, and dispensationalist extraordinaire John Hagee, pastor of the mega “Cornerstone church” in San Antonio, Texas, made the following claim:
“I'm not trying to convert the Jewish people to the Christian faith. In fact, trying to convert Jews is a waste of time. Jews already have a covenant with God and that has never been replaced by Christianity.” (Houston Chronicle, April 30, 1988, section 6, page 1)
Writes Professor David Carlson:
Such a false teaching is rooted in the Scofield approach to the Scriptures, this method of picking and choosing verses and forcing them together in order to validate a heretical belief. The Church Fathers faced it too. In his book, Bible, Church, Tradition: An Eastern Orthodox View, Professor Georges Florovsky recalls the image by the second century Bishop Irenaeus which bear an uncanny resemblence to our current "battle for the Bible."
St. Irenaeus described an artist who made a beautiful jeweled mosaic of a king. Another came along and took apart the pieces of this beautiful mosaic, rearranging the tiles to create an image of a fox. This second person then claimed that the image of the fox was the true one, as the mosaic pieces were all "authentic".
This is what heretics do to Scripture, St. Irenaeus maintained. They claim that because they use the words of Scripture, the doctrines they teach are true. But heretics ignore the design, the rule of faith--the Tradition--which the Church has always used to test interpretations of the Bible.
St. Irenaeus' words indict premillennial dispensationalism. Without the Tradition, these fundamentalists pull the text apart and rearrange the verses to create a picture that is at odds with the received Tradition. Christ is replaced by a figure that celebrates the sorrows of our time and despises the efforts to create peace.
Professor Florovsky states, "...the point which St. Irenaeus endeavored to make is obvious. Scripture had its own pattern or design, its internal structure and harmony. The heretics ignored this pattern, or rather substitute their own instead. In other words, they re-arrange the Scriptural evidence on a pattern which is quite alien to the Scripture itself."(p. 78). Isn't this precisely what premillennial dispensationalism, with its pseudo-biblicism, is doing in our day? (1)
Sadly, dispensationalism has crept its way into the Orthodox Church, with such heresy even being embraced by clergy. To have a Bishop embracing the claim that God favors Jewish people over others of His creation is both shocking, and distressing. We must remember, of course, that anyone, Orthodox or not, clergy or not, can misinterpret Scriptures. This generally happens when we attempt to view them without the benefit of the Holy Traditions set before us. If a Bishop cannot show where dispensationalism was EVER embraced and taught as truth in the Church, then there is no basis for clinging to it now.
So, what of the nation-state known as Israel? If the Israel of God today is the Church, what should our view of this geographical entity be?
Prior to 1948, the land now known as Israel was occupied by Palestinians. The establishment of Israel as a nation-state began a new chapter in history as both sides were, and continue to be embroiled in controversy over who should rightfully possess the land, and has led to untold bloodshed and loss of life on both sides. Often forgotten in this mix by American dispensationalists are the Palestinian Christians who are often caught in the middle of the battle.
Since the state of Israel was established, it has been the policy of American presidential administrations to support it, and America has sent untold billions of taxpayer money and military equipment. This policy has been wholly supported by evangelicals, who hold to a heretical belief about just who the true “Israel of God” is. That the heresy sucks in Orthodox Christians, even clergy who should know better, is all the more alarming. Equally alarming would be for a communicant to accept such a belief based on the writings of one cleric, when said writings are at odds with what the Church has always taught. It would be a bad idea to conclude that Marxism is the preferred theory of economics because one read the endorsement of same by some Bishop. It would be equally as bad to accept the heresy of dispensationalism just because one read the endorsement of same by another Bishop.
The best American policy for the state of Israel would be a hands-off policy of neutrality and non-intervention. Naturally, this would be a good policy for any nation, and were it not the policy of the American government to send foreign aid to nations which are sworn enemies of Israel, then Israel would surely be better off. Such a duplicitous policy is seemingly lost on dispensationalists, who apparently see some sort of Biblical mandate for America to protect the nation state at all costs.
We currently see a brewing cauldron in the middle east, and our involvement their only exacerbates the problem. The damage done by a heretical teaching initiated by Darby, further promoted by Scofield, and broadcast worldwide by its adherents cannot be overstated.
1) Dr. David Carlson is Professor of Religious Studies at Franklin College, Franklin, Indiana, and a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Indianapolis, Indiana
Copyright © 2003 David Carlson. Reprinted with permission of the author, from "Orthodoxytoday.org"
Monday, February 13, 2012
"No Man Can Serve Two Masters"
My latest column for Sobornost, an online magazine for Orthodox Christians.
http://thesobornost.org
An Orthodox Christian's Guide To American Politics
Orthodox Christians in America are living in a unique place and time. Since the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts, Orthodox Christians have often found themselves at odds with secular governments. Finally, a nation in the western hemisphere appears which, while not an Orthodox (or heterodox, for that matter) Christian nation, is committed to ideals of freedom, religious liberty, self government, and resistance to tyranny from a central state. Wary of a monarchy, America commits to a separation of powers, and the colonists have little to fear for many years from bureaucrats and politicians from a land far away, known as Washington.
Within a hundred years of its founding, an American president wages war on a state which exercises its right of secession, suspends habeus corpus for citizens, jails judges and political opponents, and presides over the deaths of over 600,000 people. The precedent for presidential abuse of power had been set, and would only lead to further unconstitutional power grabs. Woodrow Wilson set the modern day war machine in motion, gave us the Federal Reserve, and ostensibly waged a war on private capital. Franklin Roosevelt gave us The New Deal, Lyndon Johnson gave us The Great Society, and Americans, Orthodox or not, now find the tentacles of government latching on to every facet of our lives.
For many Americans, theirs is a Pavlovian response to any crisis, real or imagined, and that is to instantly look to Washington for the answer. The Golden Calf has become the latest edict from the White House, wherein many believe salvation is found. It was never the intent of the founders of our nation that the presidency be a seat of imperialism, with its occupant circumventing any hint of restraint from other branches of government, miring our nation in pointless, unconstitutional wars, flaunting privileges, using executive orders to govern, bypassing congress, and generally abusing his power.
But this is where we are. And if it is not enough that we are endlessly at war, over $15 trillion dollars in debt, overtaxed, over regulated, and now at the risk of the president using the American military at his pleasure to indefinitely detain any American, the latest obscenity is his insistence that religious institutions provide free birth control to employees.
Is this a tirade against Barack Obama? It is an effort to demonstrate how the presidency has devolved into a devilish form of tyranny, with the congress ostensibly aiding and abetting the offender. It is a pattern established long ago, now flagrant in its excesses, all masks off, any attempt to conceal the true intentions of those in power cast aside.
What should the response to such abuses be? For the Orthodox Christian, or for any American who has the slightest infatuation for liberty, we must remember the words of our Lord:
“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (St. Luke 16:13)
America is where She is because we have become complacent about the liberties we have largely lost, with many sacrificing the birthright of freedom for a bowl of government-funded mush. Many have “placed their trust in princes and sons of men,” opting out of personal responsibility.
The modern welfare / warfare state is not sustainable. The former is rooted in envy and theft, and is an assault against the Christian concept of charity. Indeed, the pattern was set forth in the early Church, where those who possessed the love of Christ willingly brought their possessions, sans coercion, and laid them at the feet of the Apostles. Today, we see the result of the Johnson War on Poverty, which has bred a generation of able-bodied Americans who could work, but will not, believing that government exists to provide every need – and want, cradle to grave. The admonition of Christ to care for the poor was done to the exclusion of any Caesar; be he Roman or American. Abdication of our responsibility before Christ to any secular entity is to defer His instructions to us to a Christless leviathan whose efforts are not only unconstitutional, but are in no way rooted in love and compassion.
How then should the American Orthodox Christian approach government? It would seem to make sense to embrace any policy which would effectively minimize the role of government in our lives. From health care, to education, to energy, environment, housing: government mangles everything it involves itself in. Consider:
Was there agriculture before we had a Department of Agriculture?
Was there energy before we had a Department of Energy?
Was there commerce before we had a Department of Commerce?
Was there education before we had a Department of Education?
Etcetera.
Rather than placing our faith in government, as Orthodox Christians, should our devotion not first be to Christ, His Church, and one another? If we automatically defer to secular government to sustain us in all areas of life, are we not failing to heed the words of Saint John Chrysostom? Does it not behoove us as Orthodox Christians who find ourselves living in these United States to elect representatives who will do all within their power to minimize the role of government in our lives, thereby abiding by the vow they make to abide by the constitution, a document which exists to protect the liberties of the American people by constraining the very government which now finds itself at odds with the very principles it exists to uphold?
Indeed, no one can serve two masters. Hence, it would seem incumbent on us to do all within our power to see one of these Masters greatly reduced in size, and importance.
http://thesobornost.org
An Orthodox Christian's Guide To American Politics
Orthodox Christians in America are living in a unique place and time. Since the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts, Orthodox Christians have often found themselves at odds with secular governments. Finally, a nation in the western hemisphere appears which, while not an Orthodox (or heterodox, for that matter) Christian nation, is committed to ideals of freedom, religious liberty, self government, and resistance to tyranny from a central state. Wary of a monarchy, America commits to a separation of powers, and the colonists have little to fear for many years from bureaucrats and politicians from a land far away, known as Washington.
Within a hundred years of its founding, an American president wages war on a state which exercises its right of secession, suspends habeus corpus for citizens, jails judges and political opponents, and presides over the deaths of over 600,000 people. The precedent for presidential abuse of power had been set, and would only lead to further unconstitutional power grabs. Woodrow Wilson set the modern day war machine in motion, gave us the Federal Reserve, and ostensibly waged a war on private capital. Franklin Roosevelt gave us The New Deal, Lyndon Johnson gave us The Great Society, and Americans, Orthodox or not, now find the tentacles of government latching on to every facet of our lives.
For many Americans, theirs is a Pavlovian response to any crisis, real or imagined, and that is to instantly look to Washington for the answer. The Golden Calf has become the latest edict from the White House, wherein many believe salvation is found. It was never the intent of the founders of our nation that the presidency be a seat of imperialism, with its occupant circumventing any hint of restraint from other branches of government, miring our nation in pointless, unconstitutional wars, flaunting privileges, using executive orders to govern, bypassing congress, and generally abusing his power.
But this is where we are. And if it is not enough that we are endlessly at war, over $15 trillion dollars in debt, overtaxed, over regulated, and now at the risk of the president using the American military at his pleasure to indefinitely detain any American, the latest obscenity is his insistence that religious institutions provide free birth control to employees.
Is this a tirade against Barack Obama? It is an effort to demonstrate how the presidency has devolved into a devilish form of tyranny, with the congress ostensibly aiding and abetting the offender. It is a pattern established long ago, now flagrant in its excesses, all masks off, any attempt to conceal the true intentions of those in power cast aside.
What should the response to such abuses be? For the Orthodox Christian, or for any American who has the slightest infatuation for liberty, we must remember the words of our Lord:
“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (St. Luke 16:13)
America is where She is because we have become complacent about the liberties we have largely lost, with many sacrificing the birthright of freedom for a bowl of government-funded mush. Many have “placed their trust in princes and sons of men,” opting out of personal responsibility.
The modern welfare / warfare state is not sustainable. The former is rooted in envy and theft, and is an assault against the Christian concept of charity. Indeed, the pattern was set forth in the early Church, where those who possessed the love of Christ willingly brought their possessions, sans coercion, and laid them at the feet of the Apostles. Today, we see the result of the Johnson War on Poverty, which has bred a generation of able-bodied Americans who could work, but will not, believing that government exists to provide every need – and want, cradle to grave. The admonition of Christ to care for the poor was done to the exclusion of any Caesar; be he Roman or American. Abdication of our responsibility before Christ to any secular entity is to defer His instructions to us to a Christless leviathan whose efforts are not only unconstitutional, but are in no way rooted in love and compassion.
How then should the American Orthodox Christian approach government? It would seem to make sense to embrace any policy which would effectively minimize the role of government in our lives. From health care, to education, to energy, environment, housing: government mangles everything it involves itself in. Consider:
Was there agriculture before we had a Department of Agriculture?
Was there energy before we had a Department of Energy?
Was there commerce before we had a Department of Commerce?
Was there education before we had a Department of Education?
Etcetera.
Rather than placing our faith in government, as Orthodox Christians, should our devotion not first be to Christ, His Church, and one another? If we automatically defer to secular government to sustain us in all areas of life, are we not failing to heed the words of Saint John Chrysostom? Does it not behoove us as Orthodox Christians who find ourselves living in these United States to elect representatives who will do all within their power to minimize the role of government in our lives, thereby abiding by the vow they make to abide by the constitution, a document which exists to protect the liberties of the American people by constraining the very government which now finds itself at odds with the very principles it exists to uphold?
Indeed, no one can serve two masters. Hence, it would seem incumbent on us to do all within our power to see one of these Masters greatly reduced in size, and importance.
My Good Father
This story begins in the deep south in the 1920's, on a family farm where sunrise meant toil, and that often past when the the sun retired for the day. There is a small home on this land with no luxuries attached. The typical day is spent in fields either planting, tending to, or reaping that which sustains this humble life. It is a hard and simple life, but it is well-defined, and free of modern entanglements like psychiatrists, life coaches, grief counselors, and Oprah. Work is the order of the day, and there is no time for such silly novelties.
Into this home is born fourteen children, one who is given the name of his father, Frank. From the time he can stand aright, he joins the family crew and learns a work ethic which is as inbred into him as any cell of DNA. Life is predictable enough until years later, when his nation calls my father, takes him from the farm, and sends him to Europe. He earns a bronze star, and refuses to accept a purple heart.
After the war, he comes home, meets his beloved wife Mary, and builds their lives with the tools he has always used: hard work, and industriousness. They build their home, and eventually, my father starts his own business, an auto repair shop which he opens in 1962, the year after my birth. He applies the work ethic (and ethics) he gained from the farm into his business for over 30 years, until he closes the door, but does not retire. He took with him his reputation, ever intact: as honest and hard working a man as ever walked this globe, and left behind a successful legacy, built with buckets of sweat from his brow.
My mother and father gave life to me, and two brothers, Ken and Danny. For that alone, a child should remain ever grateful. As I rapidly approach my 50th year, what I have to give my dear father is little. But the life-long memories linger. Perhaps memories make the best gifts.
My first memory of my father is being draped over his shoulder as he carries me into an emergency room at Kennestone Hospital. I remember the comfort and security I felt that late night or early morning.
Or the funeral we are attending of a deceased loved one. We file in procession at service's end to pay our last respects, my small hand in my father's. At the worst possible time, I declare, loudly, "I can't see him!"
And the nights where at bedtime, he would pause, go to his knees beside his bed, and pray the Lord's Prayer, ever acknowledging our gracious Creator.
The usual Sunday routine is a visit to Grandmother's. Some Sundays, Dad would treat us to a drive up Kennesaw Mountain, where we could look across the city of Marietta to the Atlanta skyline, or north to the mountains, which seemed the end of the Earth.
The Saturdays we'd spend on Coldwater Creek, Dad with his reliable Stihl chain saw, taking down trees, loading them in an old flatbed truck to take back home. It was on those old roads of Elbert County that he would let me take the wheel of an old gray Chevy pickup, and teach me how to drive.
I can still hear him in his home office. It is hot summer Wednesday night, and he is at his adding machine, working on the payroll. To one side is a mound of invoices, and a yellow legal pad. To the other is a large jar of ice water, and an old AM radio which is crackling a station he found somewhere far away.
He is up before the sun, ready to meet the day. He checks on his large garden in the back of our home, where he labored after leaving his shop the previous evening. He produces the bounty, giving the credit to 'The Good Master", and his wife fills our home with the scents, and the goodness, and the canning - Lord, the canning. They are sights, and smells I will never forget, but at the time, didn't appreciate.
He keeps my mother in a Cadillac, his sons in nice clothes, and none of us are deprived any necessity of life. He does all this having never used a credit card.
My father, now that I consider it.....would have made a great president. His inaugural speech: "Let's go to work."
With the loss of his beloved Mary, our mother, many things changed forever. Still, since that sad August day in 1989, there have been some sweet moments scattered amidst a sea of tears.
No one gets to select their parents. I often think about how naive I was, and how fortunate I am to have the parents I did.
And if I could ever be half the man my father was, and is...I will think I did well.
My father was never famous, never an artist, statesman, inventor. What he had is to be valued above all such temporal things, and is captured in the pages of Holy Scripture:
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good name forged by a good man.
A good son. A good American. A good husband.
My good father.
Into this home is born fourteen children, one who is given the name of his father, Frank. From the time he can stand aright, he joins the family crew and learns a work ethic which is as inbred into him as any cell of DNA. Life is predictable enough until years later, when his nation calls my father, takes him from the farm, and sends him to Europe. He earns a bronze star, and refuses to accept a purple heart.
After the war, he comes home, meets his beloved wife Mary, and builds their lives with the tools he has always used: hard work, and industriousness. They build their home, and eventually, my father starts his own business, an auto repair shop which he opens in 1962, the year after my birth. He applies the work ethic (and ethics) he gained from the farm into his business for over 30 years, until he closes the door, but does not retire. He took with him his reputation, ever intact: as honest and hard working a man as ever walked this globe, and left behind a successful legacy, built with buckets of sweat from his brow.
My mother and father gave life to me, and two brothers, Ken and Danny. For that alone, a child should remain ever grateful. As I rapidly approach my 50th year, what I have to give my dear father is little. But the life-long memories linger. Perhaps memories make the best gifts.
My first memory of my father is being draped over his shoulder as he carries me into an emergency room at Kennestone Hospital. I remember the comfort and security I felt that late night or early morning.
Or the funeral we are attending of a deceased loved one. We file in procession at service's end to pay our last respects, my small hand in my father's. At the worst possible time, I declare, loudly, "I can't see him!"
And the nights where at bedtime, he would pause, go to his knees beside his bed, and pray the Lord's Prayer, ever acknowledging our gracious Creator.
The usual Sunday routine is a visit to Grandmother's. Some Sundays, Dad would treat us to a drive up Kennesaw Mountain, where we could look across the city of Marietta to the Atlanta skyline, or north to the mountains, which seemed the end of the Earth.
The Saturdays we'd spend on Coldwater Creek, Dad with his reliable Stihl chain saw, taking down trees, loading them in an old flatbed truck to take back home. It was on those old roads of Elbert County that he would let me take the wheel of an old gray Chevy pickup, and teach me how to drive.
I can still hear him in his home office. It is hot summer Wednesday night, and he is at his adding machine, working on the payroll. To one side is a mound of invoices, and a yellow legal pad. To the other is a large jar of ice water, and an old AM radio which is crackling a station he found somewhere far away.
He is up before the sun, ready to meet the day. He checks on his large garden in the back of our home, where he labored after leaving his shop the previous evening. He produces the bounty, giving the credit to 'The Good Master", and his wife fills our home with the scents, and the goodness, and the canning - Lord, the canning. They are sights, and smells I will never forget, but at the time, didn't appreciate.
He keeps my mother in a Cadillac, his sons in nice clothes, and none of us are deprived any necessity of life. He does all this having never used a credit card.
My father, now that I consider it.....would have made a great president. His inaugural speech: "Let's go to work."
With the loss of his beloved Mary, our mother, many things changed forever. Still, since that sad August day in 1989, there have been some sweet moments scattered amidst a sea of tears.
No one gets to select their parents. I often think about how naive I was, and how fortunate I am to have the parents I did.
And if I could ever be half the man my father was, and is...I will think I did well.
My father was never famous, never an artist, statesman, inventor. What he had is to be valued above all such temporal things, and is captured in the pages of Holy Scripture:
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good name forged by a good man.
A good son. A good American. A good husband.
My good father.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
My first car,,,,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/unclegal/3745576612/
Except mine was yellow. Long as a hearse.
I once ran out of gas, and my brother Sonny had to come fetch me in his wrecker. I tried to explain to him that the 56 cents per gallon for gasoline was making life hard for me. He did not empathize.
Except mine was yellow. Long as a hearse.
I once ran out of gas, and my brother Sonny had to come fetch me in his wrecker. I tried to explain to him that the 56 cents per gallon for gasoline was making life hard for me. He did not empathize.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thankful, Again...
It's Thanksgiving, 2010, and time again for me to ponder that for which I am thankful. So, here goes.
I'm thankful for electricity. Think about it.
No, really. Think about it.
I'm thankful for sugar-white beaches.
I'm thankful for Solarcaine.
I'm thankful for college football Saturdays.
I'm thankful for hugs from little ones who call me "Papa."
I'm thankful for great fuel mileage.
I'm thankful for Nat King Cole, who always makes it feel like the holidays.
I'm thankful for greens. Turnips, collards, whatever.
I'm thankful for Robert Duvall.
I'm thankful somebody invented eyeglasses. I never thought I'd need em. Boy, was I wrong.
I'm thankful for peanut brittle.
I'm thankful for my sweet Tara Marie, wife of Josh, mother of Anistyn, owner of Saban, and a mother to be again. Jude the dude, or Pearl the Girl?
I'm thankful when I get to discover new places to dine, like...."The Royal Scam" in Mobile, Alabama.
I'm thankful for freedom and liberty, especially now, since they are under constant, daily assault from our own rulers.
I'm thankful when actors act, singers sing, and players play, and just otherwise keep their mouths shut, as it were.
I'm thankful my mama didnt hang a tag on me like...."Percy".
I'm thankful when fads die. I'll be more thankful when these do: rims, 'GitRdone', and 'coming out,' especially if it's a preacher in question.
I'm thankful when the waitress lets me complete the cup of coffee before refilling it. Otherwise, it messes up my ratio.
I'm thankful for when I need the receipt, and incredibly, unbelievably, I actually saved it.
I'm thankful I saved this list.....from last year.....
THINKING AND THANKING
Time for that annual time of mental inventory. We could focus on things for which we're not thankful, but that gets old quickly, eh?
I'm thankful for this cup of coffee right here beside me.
I'm thankful for people who still work for a living.
I'm thankful for that first car. May we all find and restore ours one day. (EBay?)
I'm thankful when the light changes green, as I can speed away from the offensive, dull, blasting bass sounds emitting from the rapper's vehicle somewhere around me.
I'm thankful for big oil companies and huge corporations, without which, millions would have no job, and life would be less far less convenient.
I'm thankful that, while I am developing a bald spot up there, I really don't care.
I'm thankful for Ron Paul. How I wish all Americans were.
I'm thankful I don't drive a Smart.
I'm thankful for the moment when you close the trunk, hop in, and officially start the vacation.
I'm thankful for "Fiddler On The Roof", which I finally got around to watching two weeks ago. "Tradition!!!!"
I'm thankful for things which can never be replaced. Like, quilts.
I'm thankful for Cracker Barrel. Especially the VOD on Saturday. Hoo, boy.
I'm thankful for Mount Athos.
I'm thankful for ready change when there's a toll road.
I'm thankful for the throwback uniforms. Except the Denver Broncos. Yikes!
I'm thankful for Troy Polamalu.
I'm thankful for the "12 items or less" register. Now if the gal in front of me could only count...
I'm thankful for Ken Follett. AND....they are making "Pillars Of The Earth" into a miniseries!
I'm thankful for my wonderful priest.
I'm thankful for police officers who behave more like Barney Fife than Steven Segal. And whatever became of Elian Gonzalez?
I'm thankful for Tommy Emmanuel. Google him. Oh, mercy.
I'm thankful for the 4th round, Sundays, Augusta National. I'm also thankful I almost got conked in the head by an errant tee shot from the driver of Jack Nicklaus on the 9th fairway there.
(Okay, it really wasn't THAT close. But it sounds really cool.)
I'm thankful the beach is only 4 1/2 hours away.
I'm thankful there are no pictures (that I know of) of me in a polyester leisure suit.
I am thankful for Tiffany Holcombe-Ball. A wonderful wife, fantastic mother, and my beautiful daughter. I love you, honey. (And you get a year all your own. One child per year, in print anyway)
I am thankful for Mannheim Steamroller.
I am thankful for my loved ones who have reposed. May their memories be eternal.
I am thankful for snow in the south. Manageable, tolerable.
I am thankful for Del Ray Beach, Florida. I'll tell you why in a few short years.
I am thankful we rescued mama's recipe box.
I am thankful for Cubano Cusanos, and I believe I'll go enjoy one.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm thankful for electricity. Think about it.
No, really. Think about it.
I'm thankful for sugar-white beaches.
I'm thankful for Solarcaine.
I'm thankful for college football Saturdays.
I'm thankful for hugs from little ones who call me "Papa."
I'm thankful for great fuel mileage.
I'm thankful for Nat King Cole, who always makes it feel like the holidays.
I'm thankful for greens. Turnips, collards, whatever.
I'm thankful for Robert Duvall.
I'm thankful somebody invented eyeglasses. I never thought I'd need em. Boy, was I wrong.
I'm thankful for peanut brittle.
I'm thankful for my sweet Tara Marie, wife of Josh, mother of Anistyn, owner of Saban, and a mother to be again. Jude the dude, or Pearl the Girl?
I'm thankful when I get to discover new places to dine, like...."The Royal Scam" in Mobile, Alabama.
I'm thankful for freedom and liberty, especially now, since they are under constant, daily assault from our own rulers.
I'm thankful when actors act, singers sing, and players play, and just otherwise keep their mouths shut, as it were.
I'm thankful my mama didnt hang a tag on me like...."Percy".
I'm thankful when fads die. I'll be more thankful when these do: rims, 'GitRdone', and 'coming out,' especially if it's a preacher in question.
I'm thankful when the waitress lets me complete the cup of coffee before refilling it. Otherwise, it messes up my ratio.
I'm thankful for when I need the receipt, and incredibly, unbelievably, I actually saved it.
I'm thankful I saved this list.....from last year.....
THINKING AND THANKING
Time for that annual time of mental inventory. We could focus on things for which we're not thankful, but that gets old quickly, eh?
I'm thankful for this cup of coffee right here beside me.
I'm thankful for people who still work for a living.
I'm thankful for that first car. May we all find and restore ours one day. (EBay?)
I'm thankful when the light changes green, as I can speed away from the offensive, dull, blasting bass sounds emitting from the rapper's vehicle somewhere around me.
I'm thankful for big oil companies and huge corporations, without which, millions would have no job, and life would be less far less convenient.
I'm thankful that, while I am developing a bald spot up there, I really don't care.
I'm thankful for Ron Paul. How I wish all Americans were.
I'm thankful I don't drive a Smart.
I'm thankful for the moment when you close the trunk, hop in, and officially start the vacation.
I'm thankful for "Fiddler On The Roof", which I finally got around to watching two weeks ago. "Tradition!!!!"
I'm thankful for things which can never be replaced. Like, quilts.
I'm thankful for Cracker Barrel. Especially the VOD on Saturday. Hoo, boy.
I'm thankful for Mount Athos.
I'm thankful for ready change when there's a toll road.
I'm thankful for the throwback uniforms. Except the Denver Broncos. Yikes!
I'm thankful for Troy Polamalu.
I'm thankful for the "12 items or less" register. Now if the gal in front of me could only count...
I'm thankful for Ken Follett. AND....they are making "Pillars Of The Earth" into a miniseries!
I'm thankful for my wonderful priest.
I'm thankful for police officers who behave more like Barney Fife than Steven Segal. And whatever became of Elian Gonzalez?
I'm thankful for Tommy Emmanuel. Google him. Oh, mercy.
I'm thankful for the 4th round, Sundays, Augusta National. I'm also thankful I almost got conked in the head by an errant tee shot from the driver of Jack Nicklaus on the 9th fairway there.
(Okay, it really wasn't THAT close. But it sounds really cool.)
I'm thankful the beach is only 4 1/2 hours away.
I'm thankful there are no pictures (that I know of) of me in a polyester leisure suit.
I am thankful for Tiffany Holcombe-Ball. A wonderful wife, fantastic mother, and my beautiful daughter. I love you, honey. (And you get a year all your own. One child per year, in print anyway)
I am thankful for Mannheim Steamroller.
I am thankful for my loved ones who have reposed. May their memories be eternal.
I am thankful for snow in the south. Manageable, tolerable.
I am thankful for Del Ray Beach, Florida. I'll tell you why in a few short years.
I am thankful we rescued mama's recipe box.
I am thankful for Cubano Cusanos, and I believe I'll go enjoy one.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
People I Miss
So there I was showering, considering how the landscape changed as life goes on, when I considered a few souls who are no longer making appearances. Some you know, some you don't.
I miss
Bob Hope
Johnny Carson
and Chuck Connors. The Rifleman! Ah, the days of 3 channels on the TV.
Henry Aaron
Mr. Greenjeans
and Uncle Walter. Sweetest man ever.
The Frugal Gourmet
Jack Nicklaus
and Miss Jones, my third grade teacher. Yes, I still love her. So did every boy in the class.
The Monkees
Don Knotts
and Ronald Reagan. Not perfect, but not going around the world apologizing for America to everyone, as does our current disgrace of a president.
Beverly Cleary
Bill Melear
and The Wolfman. (Furniture salesman or deejay. Take your pick.)
Lewis Grizzard
Erk Russell
and Mr. Camp, who owned the country store near my childhood home.
Howard Cosell
Officer Don
and Junior Samples, surely in the ancestry line of Larry The Cable Guy
Pistol Pete Maravich
Elvis
and the Road Runner. I know, I know. But I'm not gonna write an entire blog about cartoon characters.
Lester Maddox
Roger Staubach
and Jackie Gleason. To the moon, Alice! To the moon!
John Berry singing it,
Larry Munson calling it,
and Herschel Walker claiming real estate all over the SEC.
And right now, I miss my little Annie Bug, and if you're reading this sweety....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
I miss
Bob Hope
Johnny Carson
and Chuck Connors. The Rifleman! Ah, the days of 3 channels on the TV.
Henry Aaron
Mr. Greenjeans
and Uncle Walter. Sweetest man ever.
The Frugal Gourmet
Jack Nicklaus
and Miss Jones, my third grade teacher. Yes, I still love her. So did every boy in the class.
The Monkees
Don Knotts
and Ronald Reagan. Not perfect, but not going around the world apologizing for America to everyone, as does our current disgrace of a president.
Beverly Cleary
Bill Melear
and The Wolfman. (Furniture salesman or deejay. Take your pick.)
Lewis Grizzard
Erk Russell
and Mr. Camp, who owned the country store near my childhood home.
Howard Cosell
Officer Don
and Junior Samples, surely in the ancestry line of Larry The Cable Guy
Pistol Pete Maravich
Elvis
and the Road Runner. I know, I know. But I'm not gonna write an entire blog about cartoon characters.
Lester Maddox
Roger Staubach
and Jackie Gleason. To the moon, Alice! To the moon!
John Berry singing it,
Larry Munson calling it,
and Herschel Walker claiming real estate all over the SEC.
And right now, I miss my little Annie Bug, and if you're reading this sweety....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
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