Christmas is War!

© Alfred D. Sandstrom -- All rights Reserved
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Christmas is often seen as the season of Peace: angels, a King and the promise of peace. Let’s take a look at Luke’s text from the Bible. Luke was a scientist and historian hired to investigate the events surrounding Jesus' life. As such, Luke had no vested interest in proofing anything other than what really happened and one can presume that he would have a pretty factual take on events in Bethlehem. I don’t think it is too far fetched to say that Luke would have gone and found as many eyewitnesses as he could. At some point he heard about the shepherds and their story. Luke records his findings in Chapter 2 of Luke.

To take a more contemporary read on vs. 13-15…”Suddenly a whole slew of angels pitched up, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom His favor rests.’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘What the heck was that?!’ ‘I don’t know but let’s go to Bethlehem and check it out.’”

The historical setting for this visitation was the ‘Pax Romana’ or Roman Peace. The longest recorded span of time without war. The reason for that was the Roman Empire owned most of the western and Middle Eastern world making for a large, relatively peaceful dictatorship. Despite this world peace, the shepherds were so moved by the angel’s words they immediately went to see the Savior of the World who brings peace.

Of course, even during the Pax Romana the world was still violent, and people were oppressed. In fact, just two years after Christ was born, Herod sent his troops to Bethlehem. Herod, as king, was threatened by this infant who was proclaimed King of the Jews and set out to eliminate the competition by having all males 2 years and younger in Bethlehem and the surrounding area killed. So much for peace on earth. I wonder what the shepherds thought when they heard about that. Fortunately, Jesus’ parents were warned by angels to flee to Egypt until Herod was dead.

So, what about peace on earth both then and now? Take a look around; we are at war – again. We can’t stop killing each other! It has been estimated that in all of recorded history there have been only 7 years of peace.

Were the Angels lying? Is this God’s idea of a joke? God may have a sense of humor, but he is not a liar. No, this is yet another of the Bible’s many ironies – such as, to live you must die, and to be first, be last. To understand all of these things we need to go beyond our human perspective and try to see what God sees.

I submit to you that when God considers peace he first sees the need for us to be at peace with Him. It is from peace with God that our experience of peace flows. In other words, spiritual peace leads to emotional peace and then physical peace or peace in community. While that sounds simple enough let’s put it in the context of the annunciation and what was going on behind the scenes, as it were.

In Luke’s account of Christ’s birth we see only some of the angels that night, there are many more and they aren’t singing. There is also another king, and he too is very threatened by this baby King of the Jews.

Let’s take a look at a parallel passage in Revelation Chapter 12. It is called Revelation because it was revealed to the apostle John in a vision while he was living in exile. As one might imagine with visions, this is pretty wild. John gets to see what is going on in the spiritual dimension of reality. So, where Luke recorded the 3 dimensional reality of Christ’s birth on earth, John gives us a look at the goings on in the spiritual dimension of reality.
The angels are at war! The King of this world is Satan. It is clear from this passage that he is not happy about God showing up. Satan hates everything about God – and since God loves us, Satan hates us all the more. It is his personal mission to make us as miserable as possible and that includes stealing our peace, both spiritual and physical.

In a daring move, God establishes a beachhead on Earth in a bold midnight raid led by… an infant! Only God would be so audacious and counterintuitive. What’s more, who is at this beachhead landing with the infant? A choir!

Now, I was in an army band for six years. We had some real soldiers in our unit, expert shots and physically fit. But honestly, in battle we would have been little more than cannon fodder. You just don’t send the band in first unless you hope the enemy will run out of ammo shooting the band!

When we see Xmas as more than God visiting Earth and also see Christmas as an act of war, we are reminded that we are actually living life in a spiritual battle that is played out in out 3 dimensional reality and in the spiritual dimension of reality. Peace for those on whom God’s favor rests – a spiritual reality – a state of mind – peace with God, a hope for 3 dimensional peace as well.

Are you experiencing peace with God this season? Peace with God is the beginning to finding emotional peace, as well as physical peace. And on our spiritual journey we will find seasons of peace, and seasons of turmoil. We will experience violence, hatred, anxiety, depression, because we live in a messed up world and we in turn are messed up. But the message of Christmas is that through Christ we can have peace with God and we enter into a process of becoming more like him.

The angels didn’t lie. If anything, we have had too narrow a perspective. I have found Christmas becoming more and more meaningful as I think of it as more than Christ’s birth, but a daring and bold act of war as God brings the battle into Satan’s back yard.

I encourage you to reflect on your view of Christmas. How might seeing Christmas as an act of war change, and hopefully enhance, your view of Christmas and what God did that night 2000 years ago? Like it or not, you live in a war zone, but are you at war with God or at peace with God?

I always enjoy reading people's comments and the same is true for this post. Agree or disagree, all I ask is that you sojourn with me.

To read more about this concept check out this article by Philip Yancey.

Flashback Friday

I promise, this is the last original song from me.

What would a Christmas song sound like if it were recorded by the Byrds? In 1991, the band I was with, FlashBack, recorded this as an answer to that question.

The pictures are from 2005 when I was living in Singapore and playing drums in... wait for it... a Chinese pop band! No, I don't really speak Chinese but I can count to four in Chinese, which is all a drummer needs to know. I was able to bring my son on tour and we spent ten wonderful days on tour in  China with some great friends and talented musicians. I am eager to return.

I hope you enjoy this week's Flashback Friday!

another Mike

Flashback Black Friday

Back in the early 90s I had the privilege of working with a group of talented musicians in a band called FlashBack. We played classic rock and have the distinct honor of being asked if we were the Doobie Brothers, and a reporter from a major network thought we were the Beatles when he heard our sound check. Granted he couldn't see us, he thought it was on the radio. My last attempt to build credibility in the hopes that you will listen to this recording is that David bowie's bass player needed a back up band, and he asked us to play behind him at Daytona beach during Spring Break - we respectfully declined (one of many decisions I often second guess).

We went into the studio in the summer to cut two tracks for a compilation Christmas album. As a classic rock band we were going for a sort of "Byrds" feel: tight harmonies (which I had NOTHING to do with) and acoustic guitars. Fortunately the studio had an electric 12 string and our guitarist had always wanted to play one. So they let him use it and without practice he laid down a beautiful track. Me? I messed up the drum intro and so they just brought me in on beat 1. 

My wife and I, being frugal, went shopping this morning. This song came to mind amidst the yelling, grabbing, pushing and shoving. It remains one of my favorites and I am privileged to have recorded it with these musicians.

Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to Advent!

another Mike

Darlene's Dogs: A story of hope and help

Welcome to Fishers!


An inauspicious begining:

Special education teacher, Darlene Gosnell, had her life and career changed by a drunk driver one night after a head on collision. Darlene’s injuries were so severe that when she was finally released from the hospital she needed a dog to keep her mobile, guide her and remind her to take her medications.

Molly

As Darlene continued with her own rehab, other rehab patients would play with and enjoy Darlene’s cairn terrier and personal pet/therapist, “Molly.” Darlene’s own rehab took nearly 2 years. During that time Darlene experienced first hand the benefit of a pet/therapist. She and her doctors also saw how others benefited as well. With her doctors’ encouragement and no longer able to teach because of her brain injuries, she began a two year process of establishing TheraPets of Indiana, Inc.

Drugs or dogs?

Adam is one of Darlene’s biggest fans. Adam was born with a compromised immune system. As a result he is frequently ill and too frequently hospitalized. Adam and his parents are enthusiastic about their experience with TheraPets.

“I like the dogs and they help me to not be scared. It is a lot easier to go to the hospital when the dogs are there” says Adam, now 11, recalling the surgery he had at age 8 to have a heart port put in so his medicine could be directly injected into his heart. It was a scary procedure for the whole family but with the dogs there it was a lot easier.

Adam & Molly

“I still remember sitting there waiting for the doctors to take him into surgery when these two dogs came around the corner. As soon as Adam saw them his eyes lit up and his countenance totally changed,” recalls Adam’s mom, Theresa. “He was able to relax and the whole procedure went much more smoothly. When we are at other hospitals, they have to sedate Adam to help him calm down, but when he has a dog, he can just sit there and pet the dog. It is such a blessing.”

In fact, the dogs are a blessing to hundreds of patients. They are even able to ride into surgery with patients. Once the patient is under anesthesia the dogs are removed from the operating room. When the patient is coming out of the anesthesia, the dogs are there on the bed making the transition much more peaceful.

Mac, a dog who knows:

Many times when a patient is in hospice or the hospital and about to die “Mac” is there offering comfort to the person and family. “Mac” is a bereavement dog. When the person is about to die, “Mac” will fold his paws and rest his head on the patient. It is truly remarkable.

Darlene lives in a small, unassuming ranch in Fishers, Indiana, with anywhere from 4 to 15 rescue dogs. It is from here that Darlene runs TheraPets. Many of the dogs (23 in total) stay with doctors or other foster families, so Darlene’s house is not always full of clamor. She gets her dogs from a local breeder or she rescues them from shelters to give them a new life, even as she now lives a new life.

TheraPets HQ

To look at her house one wouldn’t know that the occupants face death, injury, disaster and suffering on a daily basis. Darlene and her little terriers don’t look like the type you would see mobilized by the National Guard, working alongside FEMA personnel or roaming the halls of a hospital. Yet she and her mighty army of little cairn terriers and west highland terriers, known as “westies” are stalwart in the face of tragedy.

Bringing peace to tragedy:

Recently, the police called on Darlene and her dogs. A couple of men had broken into the home of immigrants and tried to rape the daughter. As the father fought off the assailants, his daughter escaped. The father was severely beaten for his intervention. Adding insult to injury, his wife was then brutally raped in front of him. The wife spoke only Spanish and was distraught to say the least. The presence of the dog was a great comfort to the woman. As she sat there stroking the dog, she was able to calm down and talk about her ordeal.

Darlene and her TheraPets are a great example of the type of people who make up the fiber of a community: unsung heroes who selflessly care for the needs of the hurting, the victims, the forgotten, and the people who, while most of us are working and going about our normal routine, are facing the fragility of life.

Other fun and/or helpful links:
Fishers, Google Video
TheraPets on FaceBook (Maybe Mac will get on Twitter someday!)

Special thanks to Darlene Gosnell, Adam and his family, and boost media entertainment

Procreation and Cooperation: lessons from New Harmony, Indiana

I have now lived in Indiana longer than any other place in the world. I understand that Indiana is seen as somewhat "backward" and conservative in the worst sense of the word. This, despite Indiana's history of pursuing avante-garde Utopian designs. We won't touch on Kinsey's fatally flawed "research" in this post. but let Kinsey stand as an enduring symbol to the world that Indiana is not as backward as some might think, though Indiana's esteem of Kinsey would rank us among the blindest.

On to New Harmony. Truly this is a fascinating story. A testament to the world that if we learn from history, life really would go a lot easier.

Harmonie was settled by a break-away Lutheran religious sect known as the Harmonists. Fleeing persecution in Germany they landed in America and kept running! Lest we disparage these hearty souls, history shows that in Harmonie they were able to found a prosperous community. Most of the people in southern Indiana at that time lived in one room cabins but the Harmonists lived in massive dorms. They were able to build a town that was thriving and successful. Their spirit of cooperation and hard work paid off in spades.

What does one do with a thriving town? Sell it! For a cool $150,000.

Robert Owen was a Welshman with a vision. As a social reformer and Utopian thinker Owen sought the perfect society with the aid of William Maclure. Together, the two started their grand experiment in 1825 with the creative name, New Harmony.

(cue soundtrack: Imagine, by John Lennon)
They created a cashless society where everything was owned by everyone. Private ownership was not allowed. Many leading intellectuals joined Owen and Maclure. They even started the first public school.

(cue new soundtrack: Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney)

Alas, all was not well and there was trouble in paradise. They couldn't get along and the intellectuals didn't want to work, they wanted to think. Others didn't want to work and not get paid. Josiah Warren, one of the founders along with Owen put it like this, "our 'united interests' were directly at war with the individualities of persons and circumstances and the instinct of self-preservation." New Harmony was anything but harmonious and in 1829 the experiment concluded in discord. 


What has become of New Harmony? It is still there and there are still some intellectuals living there as well. People own houses and are paid for their labor. It is a nice place, and a fun place to visit with its rich and interesting history. In fact, throughout the year many intellectuals visit New Harmony. They take in the history and wonderful art exhibits. I wonder why they don't stay?


The Harmonists? Well, whereas Owen and his friends could not seem to cooperate and thus are no more, the Harmonists weren't so good at cooperating either. They were industrious, but they were celibate. It is hard to keep a society growing without procreation. I think it is safe to say that procreation takes cooperation as well. Interestingly enough, the Harmonists settled in Pennsylvania, the same state with a town called Intercourse.


(cue sountrack: anything by Barry White or this from the Flight of the Conchords)


What lessons are to be learned from history? Well, without procreation, extinction is assured. This is why in about 20-30 years Europe will be Islamic. (We can do that post later)


Owen's experiment is trickier to dissect. Many communal societies have thrived. They tend to be small and people willingly lay down their individualism for the good of the community. Yet, time after time we see a coercive type of "communalism" show up in the forms of socialism and communism. When that type of community is coerced the community seems to be doomed. This is what was alluded to in the Scrooge nation post. When the government is in control of society the people don't need to care about their neighbor, nor really their location. The "pride in ownership is lost." Is collapse inevitable? Are people born with an innate sense that they are meant to be free? How is the tension between free and cooperation best managed? 


Please comment and let's see what we come up with.


(cue soundtrack: People Got to Be Free by The Rascals)

Scrooge Nation: could welfare be eroding community?

Growing up I really did not like Charles Dickens' novel, A Christmas Carol. All I could see was a grumpy, mean old man with regrets and yes, a scary ghost or two. To my young mind this was not the stuff of Christmas. I am glad to say that over the years I have matured and learned to appreciate A Christmas Carol and would even name it among my favorites.

Early in the novel, Ebenezer Scrooge is approached by two fellow businessmen and asked to make a donation to the local orphanage. You may recall Scrooge's response, "No." Do you recall his rationale? He reasons away his lack of charity because he pays taxes. Since the government takes a part of his tax to help fund the orphanage, he has already made a contribution.

Do you know when American giving was at it's apex?

*During the Great Depression. Yup, when people had the least amount to give, they gave the most. Is it possible that the sense of community, caring for one's neighbor and bearing each other's burdens led to charity on the micro level? In other words, people were giving locally in order to care for their community, more specifically the people in their community.

Is it also not possible that the growth of the welfare state has contributed to the decrease in charitable giving because like Scrooge we, as a nation, view our taxes in part as a charitable contribution?

Additionally, I wonder if welfare implies that the government is caring for my neighbor and I am in turn absolved from my responsibility to my neighbor. In a sense, I have "subcontracted" my responsibility to the government. This article by Arthur C. Brooks seems to confirm that idea.

As "Soaps" said in response to the first blog about community, "When I am my brother's keeper n he is my keeper Community happens :)"


I am not advocating a total stop to welfare, nor is this intended to become a political post and debate. Rather the focus is on community.


What do you think? Is it possible that welfare enables a conscious, or even subconscious, abdication of our duty/responsibility to our neighbor and community? Might another unintended, and ironic consequence be the weakening of community and a strengthening of classism?


As always I look forward to your comments.




* I have been looking for this stat but can not find it. If anyone has this verified lease let us know. I know I have read that as a percentage of personal income people gave just over 3%, now people give on average less than 3%.

What makes a community, a community?

To all who are stopping by, thank you very much. Right up front I want you to know that I could really use your help. In a moment I will share my thoughts on what makes a community and I really want to see your thoughts as well. In the coming weeks I will be doing some interviews and research about community, and your input will be helpful. Besides that, I think you are interesting and I would love to get your input on the topic as well. OK, me first.

I think that what makes a community a community is people. That may seem like a "duh" statement to you, but I find it profound. Community is not a place. A place doesn't become a community until it becomes populated. before that it is wilderness!

If people are the source of community, then what people are necessary for a community? More to the point, what people make up a healthy community. Let's define "healthy" as a place where people want to live. A place where people live in safety and mutual respect. Even if only for the most part. Think about, or imagine a neighborhood where you would want to live. I think I have said enough as I don't want to lead you to certain answers. Hopefully that is just detailed enough to not be too vague, nor too closed a scenario.

Borrowing from the educational paragon that is Sesame Street, "Who are the people in your neighborhood"?

I think a community is made up of leaders, people with a vision of a future of opportunity and promise. Leaders with a compelling vision will attract followers. There are those who provide. Those who protect. Those who nurture and those who heal. In short:

Soldiers
Police
Farmers
Tradesmen
Teachers
Doctors
Artists
Entrepreneurs

To that list I would add two very broad categories, givers and takers.

In the category of giver there are heroes - unsung heroes who serve the community in virtual anonymity but whose presence, whether known or unknown enhances community.

My questions for you and where I need your help are as follows:

In your opinion, what makes a community a community?

Who would you add to the list of people in the community?

Do you know of an unsung hero in your community? If so, name them and honor them here!

Thanks so much, I am really excited to see your responses.