Many of you have read this gem from Ben Stein. My additions are in italics.

“My confession: I am a Jew, and all my ancestors as well. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest that there is a season of Christmas with trees and all that goes with it. It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, ‘Merry Christmas’ to me. In fact, I kind of like it. It proves that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn’t bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a major intersection near my home. If people want a creche, it’s just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.  I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. …”

This is not intended to be a joke; it’s not funny. It’s intended to get you thinking.

 Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed once and was asked, ‘How could God let Hurricane Katrina happen?’ Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.

She said, ‘I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.’

In light of terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc.,….we ask ourselves why children are racist (the Emmanuel Nine, slain by a Lutheran teenager) and lack a conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, why they don’t know the unconditional love of Jesus.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with ‘We reap what we sow.’

• If you infer any political slant in what Ben and I say, it is certainly not intended to offend; only provoke us to love as Christ loves.

Pastor Art