Community Caring for People and Land

The Engish word, "community" is derived from the Latin word, communis, meaning "in common," or  "public, shared by all or many."  Similarly, our word "conservation" has the meaning of "serving together with."

Conservation of land and resources makes us aware that we are members not only of the local civic community but also of a complex “biotic community.” Within this community, we share a vital interdependence upon “the land”-- the soil, water, landscape, and creatures.  Participation in conservation draws people into a community of caring individuals as they develop awareness, and then, an ethical commitment to be stewards or caretakers of the land.  Their commitment to serve together toward a common goal strengthens the human community and benefits the biotic community.

Reasons for Caring
Caring for the land brings many rewards or benefits.  Some of these are monetary as urban residents recognize under the heading of “maintaining property values;” or, as our dedicated farmers realize, and therefore are committed to conserve their soil, water, and wildlife.  Local and regional businesses and corporations can also profit by presenting an environmentally conscious image.

The motivations for caring about the land we have so far discussed, while certainly valid and worthy of merit, rest heavily upon the hope of direct or indirect personal gain—i.e. they are ultimately human-centered, or anthropocentric, and utilitarian.  However, for some of us, the human-centered motivations can lead to a deeper level of commitment to the land which becomes interwoven with the people and things we hold dear.  The great land conservationist, Aldo Leopold, inspired his followers to develop a love and affection for the land out of a conviction that it has value in its own right apart from human valuing.  The ethicist J. B. Callicott has stated that the biblical environmental stewardship ethic confers “objective intrinsic value on nature in the clearest and most unambiguous of ways:  by divine decree.”  [For those wishing to read more on the subject, we have discussed land conservation ethics elsewhere (Click HERE.)]

Conservation in Madison County, OH
Regardless of our motivation for caring about the land within which we live, participation in land and community stewardship efforts tends to deepen our awareness, appreciation, and commitment to the land.  Although we are no longer residents of southwest Ohio, and in particular Greene, Clark, and Madison counties, our commitment to land and community stewardship was deepened through our association with those local landscapes and the land stewards who were committed to their care.

This article is a tribute to both the land and people who have invested so much because of their love and respect for the land and the community within Madison County.  We will especially highlight their efforts to conserve pre-settlement prairie community remnants for their ecological, historic, and aesthetic value.

Historic Treasures of ‘Madison Plains’
Residents of Madison County are familiar with the “Madison Plains,” a name that was derived from the historic existence of extensive treeless areas dominated by prairie grasslands.  [We have discussed the geologic and historic origins of these prairie areas and their current remains (remnants) elsewhere (Click HERE.).] 

The focus of this article is upon several personalities who recognized the significance and value of these prairie remnants and were instrumental in educating local residents and visitors as to their worth.  Each of these would humbly defer to others as having a more significant role—evidence of a cooperative effort for the sake of the community and the land. 

Speaking of cooperative effort, the Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails (FMCPT) and the Madison Soil and Water Conservation District represent great cooperation between organizations and within the membership.  I have relied heavily on the excellent website of the FMCPT (Click HERE.) maintained by their webmaster, Gregg Alexander; and communications with FMCPT Executive Director, Wayne Roberts, for information shared below.

Jack McDowell
Our tribute to conservation of remnant prairie areas in Madison County in recent years must acknowledge Jack McDowell, “friend, nature advocate, and community leader,” who died in 2012.  According to the Jack McDowell Memorial webpage of the FMCPT, Jack was an early member of the organization and was “involved with the work of parks and trails for decades.  He was researching and identifying wildflowers and prairie grasses along the Prairie Grass Trail long before the idea of the Ohio to Erie Trail was born.  Jack was a key proponent of the trailheads and nature preserves in Madison County.”

It was my privilege as a student at Malone College to learn of Jack’s interest in Madison Co. prairie communities through my biology professor, Dr. Charles C. King.  “Charlie” had met Jack while each of the two Ohio conservation enthusiasts were exploring remnant prairies back in the 1960’s.  Nearly a half-century later, in 2008, it was my honor to walk the Prairie Grass Trail with Jack to experience his passion for native flora and to observe some of the fruit of his vision and field work.  An informational sign honoring the contribution of Jack McDowell has been located at the London, Ohio trailhead.

“Roberts Pass”
Bicyclers who travel the segment of the Ohio-Erie Trail from Maple Street to Wilson Road, London, Ohio traverse what is affectionately known as “Roberts Pass.”  But instead of seeing steep topography or tall canyon walls as the name suggests, bikers may learn that “Roberts Pass” is named in memory of two humble men who will always stand tall in the records of Madison County conservation and community enrichment.  One of these men is Wayne Roberts, Executive Director of FMCPT who has not only capably led the organization but has been instrumental in establishing cooperation of FMCPT with many other community, state, and national organizations related to conservation and recreation as recorded in the FMCPT website.  Among the appropriate recognitions of Wayne’s valuable contributions was the induction into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, in 2013.  It has been difficult to write in tribute to Wayne because he insists on deflecting credit and referring to the contributions of so many of his committed Friends of Madison County.

One such loyal friend of Wayne and of FMCPT, recently deceased, was Gene Pass whose name fittingly completes the name for “Roberts Pass.”  In recognition of his decades of hard work, cooperative spirit, and leadership related to advancement of Madison Co. parks and trails, Gene was inducted into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, in 2006.  The following excerpt from a letter supporting Gene’s nomination describes a portion of his admirable participation prior to 2006:

During his tenure on the board, Gene played a key role in extending the Ohio to Erie Trail across Madison County.  He helped document key engineering points such as bridges and culverts.  He donated the use of his truck, trailer, mower, chainsaw, and many other personal tools to help prepare for the construction of this multi-purpose trail.  He personally picked up and carried away literally tons of trash along the trail right-of-way.  Along with cleaning up the trash, he spent nearly three years clearing trees and brush to develop a construction road 6 ½ miles long to help reduce the cost to the community for the actual construction of the trail.  During the cold of winter and heat of summer this tireless senior was the shining example of persistent volunteerism.  Later, he was on the site on a daily bases to assist the contracted construction company during the building of the trail.  As a result of his dedication to this project, the Madison County Park District, the City of London, and the Ohio to Erie Trail Fund, without prior knowledge to Gene, placed a stone marker at the start of this 6 ½ mile section of the trail calling it “Roberts Pass” in recognition of Gene Pass and Wayne Roberts.

Gene’s magnetic personally has attracted volunteers to the various non-profits he has served in the community.  Part of this is because he quietly leads by example, preferring to leave the recognition to others.  However, when put into a leadership position he has carried out his duties professionally.

Abby’s and my acquaintance with Gene began later in his life when he was dealing with age-related ailments but still maintaining an active role in FMCPT and bikeway-related events.  Like Wayne Roberts, Gene’s life is a testimony of dedication to a enhancing his community and its residents by participation and leadership in efforts aimed at conservation and recreation.

Jerry Miller

Jerry Miller is another tireless worker who we have been blessed to know.  A recognition of Jerry on behalf of the FMCPT for his character and contributions is worthy of reprinting here in part:

It’s not unusual for people to give back to their communities.  But when someone over 70 with physical pain, gives cheerfully and energetically back to others, it’s an inspiring example and deserving of recognition.  However, when that person had a tough start in life, when his parents separated while he was three and placed him in foster care, it’s even more inspiring.  After living with several foster families, and changing schools thirteen times before graduating from high school, Jerry decided to make some changes.  He moved to Columbus, found a job, and joined the National Guard.  During the next six years he married his high school sweetheart, received an Honorable Discharge, and was asked to run the construction company where he worked.  In a few years, he decided to open his own company, hired workers, and never looked back.

After retiring due to a deliberating ankle injury, Jerry started looking for volunteer work.  He heard that FMCPT was trying to acquire space in a building that needed repairs.  Jerry explained about his building experience and soon gave the building a thorough review and a checklist of repairs for FMCPT to consider.  The FMCPT Board soon came to understand that Jerry was a leader and a doer so they decided to nominate him to the Board of Directors, in 2010.

Jerry has donated his carpentry skills toward making display cabinets and kiosks for the London Trailhead and along the trail; and, donated his own equipment to assist in brush removal and excavating to create level platforms for a camping area near the trailhead.

Besides Jerry Miller’s extensive physical contributions to the community, the tribute to him also includes reference to Jerry’s character, noting that …what’s even more important is what he teaches us.  That at any age, even with medical issues, one can express kindness and generosity in a manner that motivates others to do more, to try harder, to resist the temptation to give up when the going gets tough.  Jerry shows us that being strong has very little to do with one’s physical size or strength.  That a person’s high moral character while doing one’s best persistently and consistently, are what people see as a truly strong person.  Jerry inspires others to do their best by the life he lives.

Public Recognition, Private Satisfaction
By now, I suspect that readers of this tribute will be thinking of the names of others that deserve recognition but have not been included.  I recognize that anyone’s good intention to honor individuals who are worthy will invariably come with the risk that omissions will offend.  However, I hope readers will forgive me.  Indeed, my omissions speak more of my own limited acquaintance with the many other noteworthy individuals and projects of the FMCPT over the years.

I trust that those who expect to see more names, including perhaps their own name, will rest in the fact that contributions of whatever sort that are made in good faith from the heart will be honored much beyond our poor ability to do so here.  I am comforted in the fact that I know from my acquaintances and friendships over the past 15 years that Friends of Madison Co. Parks and Trails work for a cause much above personal recognition—rather it is for community, recreation, conservation, and the betterment of biological, soil, and water resources.

Not only do we find comfort in worthy work well done regardless of public recognition, but there is much encouragement when a family and an organization honor their members and their dedication long after their death.  To illustrate, we offer personal tributes to two Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails whom some of us remember fondly from personal experience:  Bill Young and Richard McKenzie.  Although they are no longer with us, their names engraved on memorials or functional structures along the trails remind us of their dedication and respective contributions. 

Bill Young
Bill Young was a  much beloved and dedicated member of the FMCPT.   A tribute to Bill on the FMCPT website (Click HERE.) includes the following:

John W. “Bill” Young, founding member and Board Director of FMCPT died on Saturday, November 1, 2008 while doing what he loved – cycling. He suffered a fatal heart attack along the Prairie Grass Trail just outside of London. Bill was actively involved in the community for many years. He helped clear brush, trees, and trash in preparations for the Ohio-To-Erie trail being built through Madison County. He was a trained and certified Trail Sentinel. Bill actively served as a fundraiser and past Treasurer for FMCPT.

I was privileged to work with Bill in one of my first encounters with FMCPT while we were clearing brush along the Prairie Grass Trail.  The memory of Bill’s life and dedication to community and conservation lives on in our hearts and is reinforced by a wonderful memorial located near the London trailhead.

Richard McKenzie 
Visitors to the London Trail Head who use the walking bridge connecting the Prairie Grass Trail to the nearby Madison County Senior Center will learn that the bridge has been named the “McKenzie Bridge” in honor of Richard McKenzie.  According to Wayne Roberts, Richard literally “was the bridge” that connected the ministry of the Senior Center to the Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails. 

The “bridge construction” between the Center and FMCPT began when Richard retired from the State of Ohio Corrections and Adult Parole Authority after 31 years and began to volunteer at the Senior Center.  He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1996 and devoted many volunteer hours to brightening the lives of seniors and other needy folks through teaching a carving class, distribution of food, and offering kind assistance and a listening ear to the elderly and lonely.  In 1999, Richard was honored with a service award by the Summerfield United Methodist Church for his “dedicated food deliveries to the church.”

In 2000, Richard became interested in the Ohio-to-Erie bike trail and was elected to the Board of FMCPT as one of the original members.  He soon became the main fundraiser for FMCPT for a number of years by organizing the live auction which was held at the Senior Center.  His commitment to both the Senior Center and FMCPT enabled Richard to serve as a major force behind the funding and construction of the bridge that bears his name.  Richard along with Bill Young, and also Gene Pass whom he brought into FMCPT, helped clear the path for the Prairie Grass Trail.  Appropriately, Richard has a memorial bench at the Prairie Grass Trailhead and he was inducted into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, in 2002.

Enduring friendships made in community organizations like the Friends of Madison Co. Parks and Trails enrich our lives.  They also enrich our experience of bicycling on the trails that now bear the fruit of those whose sweat, skill, creativity, and passion have maintained the trails and native plant populations that adorn the landscape.  And, speaking of memorials and history, the latest project of FMCPT and cooperating organizations makes a great addition for cyclers to enjoy.

Community Mural Project
The Community Mural Project was accomplished by FMCPT under the leadership of Gregg Alexander and coordinated with Wayne Roberts, Van Viney, and Ray Thornton.  They enlisted young volunteers from Michigan to restore the trim of a deteriorating brick building located along Roberts Pass Trail in London, OH. The volunteers who serve within the nationwide Student Life Camp network scraped, primed, and painted the trim.  The students were provided housing on campus at nearby Cedarville University.

The renewed trim now surrounds beautiful murals painted by local artist, Clay Hurley, featuring various stages in the history of the landscape of what is now Madison County.  Landscaping between the murals and the bikeway includes 1,400 plantings of native plant species and is still a work in progress.  The Madison County Master Gardeners are planning to add 900 more plugs of native grasses and wildflowers in September.

Conclusion
In conclusion, we began by emphasizing that participation in land conservation makes us aware that we are residents not only of the human community around us, but also the biotic community with its landscape of creatures, soil, and water.  Hopefully, our tribute to several noteworthy participants in Madison Co. community and conservation efforts will motivate us all toward an appreciation of and commitment to our own community as participants who fulfill our responsibilities as stewards of that which is entrusted to us for our care, enjoyment, and commitment to purposes and values that extend beyond ourselves and our time on Earth. 

Comments: 
As always, we welcome “Comment” from readers.   You may use the “Comment” link below or contact us personally at silviusj@gmail.com

Reference:
 ¹ Quoted from Fred Van Dyke, 2006.  Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 58(1):48.

#BlackHeartsMatter: Getting Our Hearts Right

This blog article originated partly from a social media exchange and partly from a phone conversation.  Both were related to our current national response to the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, on May 25.  During the phone conversation, my friend noted that one or more of her friends had been called “racist” for not including #BlackLivesMatter in their social media posts.

Watching Our Words and Hashtags
My first thought was to remember my own current blend of emotions over Floyd’s death and the passion now on display across America—the mixture of grief, disgust, anger, hate, hopelessness, etc.  These emotions have also embroiled social media.  Even well-meaning posts can erupt into exchanges that express the dark side of our hearts. 

I hope not to add to the tensions that already exist among people online.  But I am trying to make sense of what is being reported in the media, and through conversations I have had recently.  Forgive me, but it helps to write out my thoughts—hopefully, I am not worthlessly “spewing.”

First off, we may agree that virtual conversations involving brief repeated exchanges can easily be misunderstood by our inaccurate wording.  Even well worded sentences do not convey the tone of voice or facial expressions we normally see in real-time, face-to-face conversations.  On top of this, add a “hashtag” and suddenly, a well-meaning statement can become a flaming arrow with a life of its own, ricocheting about and stabbing into hearts of readers.

Today, “#BlackLivesMatter” is a potentially incendiary hashtag that carries with it much of the hurt, grief, passion, anger, and disgust that is driving both peaceful demonstrations and accompanying looting and violence.  I am honestly trying to be sensitive to these emotions.  I also believe there is justification for prolonged expression of these emotions along with respectful, impassioned calls for justice and reform.  However, it is also evident from the instance I cited at the beginning of this article that the use of #BlackLivesMatter (or other similar expressions--e.g. #BLM, the phrase “Black Lives Matter”), because of the connotations it carries, can easily squelch constructive conversation as well as legitimate public demonstrations.

Evaluating #BlackLivesMatter
As I am trying to understand some of the incendiary nature of #BlackLifesMatter, it seems to me that some who use this slogan have given in to the temptation to appoint themselves as the standard for how all others ought to think and act toward “Blacks” (or other ethnic minorities).  With all due respect, they seem to be the self-appointed “high priests of ‘blackness’.”  Therefore, to them, because I am “White” (or “white”), nothing I am writing here carries value or authority.  Neither am I perceived as one who understands or empathizes with Blacks, Black cultural heritage, or the current struggles of Blacks.

Because of my ethic background and my personal experience, I will admit that I have trouble understanding and empathizing with Black Americans.  Nor do I currently experience the kinds of ongoing, subtle or outright emotional and physical causes of anxiety, suffering, and death that have been or are currently being experienced by Blacks.  But then, who is worthy to represent Black lives and to define its mission?  And who possesses the authority to decide when the #BlackLivesMatter mission is accomplished?  And what will the area now occupied by the United States of America look like when the mission is accomplished?  The answers to these questions are not obvious to me but they would appear to be at least somewhat elusive.  In fact, many people wonder whether the Black Lives Matter movement has any consensus as to its actual mission and desired outcome.  For example, here are several points I’ve been pondering.

Biology and Politics of “Black”
First, we would assume “the worthy” person or persons of #BlackLivesMatter ought to be “Black.”  But how “Black?”  Biologically speaking, I have explained elsewhere that humankind is of one race, not many.  How black must a person’s skin be in order to be “Black?”  Or how “White” in order to be disqualified?  According to D. J. Witherspoon, S. Wooding, et al. publishing in the journal, Genetics (176: 351–359 May, 2007), “…most human genetic variation is found within populations, not between them.”  Rob DeSalle and Ian Tattersall, both at the American Museum of Natural History, conclude, “race is a totally inadequate way of characterizing diverse humankind or even of helping understand humanity’s glorious variety.” [See “Black History 3:  Bible and Biology Erase Racism”].
 

There are many Blacks such as Ben Carson (@SecretaryCarson), Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO), and Jack Brewer (@JackBrewerBSI) who disagree with the tenants of Black Lives Matter.  Therefore, some in #BlackLivesMatter dismiss these Blacks because they are not really “Black.”  Legitimate voices from both “Blacks” and “Whites” are rejected or silenced, often by both #BlackLivesMatter and some media outlets, if they do not meet the standard of “the worthy.”  But what constitutes the “standard” for being among “the worthy?”

Individual versus Institutional Sin
Turning our attention to a major source of the passionate cry for justice, our law enforcement officials across the nation, it is clear in at least some cases that there is need for reform, greater accountability, and justice to those who are proven guilty of abuse of their authority.  George Floyd would likely be alive today if Derek Chauvin had been held accountable for multiple earlier violations of proper police guidelines.  But, while it seems clear that Chauvin and his colleagues who were complicit in the murder of George Floyd should be charged and sentenced for their grievous crime, some in #BlackLivesMatter claim that all police regardless of ethnicity, professional record, or character are unworthy to be our protectors or enforcers of the law.  In fact, #DisbandPolice movements are emerging in major cities on the premise that all police are unworthy. 

If Black Lives really Matter, how can anyone who cares about Black Lives support dismissal of entire police departments and leave some of the most vulnerable communities including Black communities vulnerable to what will undoubtedly become vigilante law?  Here we can see the illogic of “throwing out the whole barrel of apples” when one or two “bad apples” are discovered.  It is both biblically and legally justified to condemn individuals who commit acts that clearly stem from bigotry.  It is also right to identify and reform institutions guilty of “institutional racism”—i.e. where one or few “bad apples” have spread their “rot” to the point of corrupting the mission and purpose of the institution.  However, it cannot be either biblically or legally justified to condemn a whole institution for the actions of one or a few.  This point brings us to the social media exchange I noted at the beginning.

Church Discipline or Demolition?
The following is a Facebook post from my friend followed by a response from one of his/her friends:
FRIEND:  The decline of Christianity in Europe and North America, whatever its proximate causes may be, is ultimately God saving the Church from white supremacy.  God can, in his time, rebuild what he tears down. But now is a time for tearing down (Ecclesiastes 3:3).  Let us not be found opposing God’s will.  I’m sure others have already said this, and I confess I am late in seeing it clearly.

RESPONSE:  Yes!!  Thank you, __ (name)!  The church has been one of, if not THE main agent in perpetuating white supremacy.

I love my friend and his/her family.  We have been friends for many years.  I do not know his/her friend.  I also understand and respect his/her genuine concern and desire for the Church to flourish in all of her roles on Earth to proclaim the good news of salvation, release to the captives held by sin’s bonds, to bring man sons to glory, and to glorify our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But I also understand the tremendous diversity that exists within the true Church and within Bible-based local churches.  Therefore, I resist the pessimism that many seem to have.

Some local churches are almost entirely Caucasian, others are a mix of many ethnic groups, and some are almost entirely Black.  Our church is largely Caucasian.  Therefore, we may be unknowingly naïve or ignorant of ethnic diversity and struggles.  Ignorance is not sin unless we are not teachable and allow it to lead to wrong judgments.  We are fortunate to have a godly Black man who is married to a lovely Caucasian wife who serve on our pastoral staff.  We can learn from their example and teaching, first as our brother and sister in Christ, and secondly from the insights on cultural diversity which they bring to us.  But most of all, where the Scriptures are taught and sincerely followed, and where even biology is understood, there ought not to be a hint of bigotry or white supremacy.

Here, we must return to our question, “Who is Worthy?”  Specifically, who among #BlackLivesMatter is worthy to pass judgment on a local church, or upon “the Church” worldwide?  For those who reject the authority of God and His inspired Word in Scripture, nothing beyond this point in the article will be agreeable to you—I understand your rejection for reasons you can find taught in the New Testament.  If you are currently choosing to reject the teachings of the Bible, please consider what Jesus Himself taught in His parable of the sower and the seed (Luke 8: 5-15) and what the Apostle Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 2: 6-16.  Personally, neither can I discern these truths apart from God’s love and His grace that opened my eyes spiritually.  Regardless of our personal choices, we must be assured of this:  All men and women are created to live under authority—the question is which authority will we choose or allow?  If not our government and our local justice system, then who?   And will that authority have our good interests in mind?  Sadly, anarchist views are being directed toward both local police and toward our children to incite them to defy their parents.  

Church Discipline and Restoration
Based on the authority of Scripture, I also find no teaching in Scripture that licenses an individual to judge a local church or “the Church (worldwide).”  That right is reserved for God Himself and His Son Jesus Christ who condemned proud, corrupt religious leaders (e.g. Matthew 23).  He wept out loud over His holy city (Matthew 23: 37; Luke 19:41-44) and promised stern judgment against apostate and lukewarm local churches (Revelation 2 and 3).

But what if there are indications of bigotry among God’s people in a local church today?  The Scriptures teach the individual born-again believer how to interact in the body of Christ.  We find particularly in Paul’s Epistles instruction for right living for husbands, wives, children, employees, church leaders, etc. The focus is on individual responsibility and accountability before God for how we conduct ourselves in relation to God and toward our neighbor, whether they are a brother or sister in Christ or an unsaved person-- and we are to make no distinction between ethnic groups (1 Corinthians 12: 13; Galatians 3: 28 and Colossians 3: 1-17, especially v. 11).  Bigotry is a sin against God and our neighbor!

The Scriptures give clear instructions that it is the responsibility of mature Christ-followers to confront a brother or sister in Christ who is believed to be living in sin.  Galatians 2: 1-2 states, Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ [which, see Gal. 5: 14, is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves].  Jesus outlined our responsibility as individuals if we are offended to go directly to the offender privately (Matthew 18: 15) and if he or she doesn’t repent and turn from the sin, bring one or two others with you and confront again (v. 16).  If he or she still refuses, then the whole church membership should hear the matter and if there is still no repentance, the offender is to be dismissed from the local membership as a step toward their repentance and loving restoration when that occurs.  When local churches practice godly discipline, individual sin of any kind does not become “institutional sin.”

The question remains, “Who is Worthy?”  Answer?  None of us is ultimately worthy to judge his or her neighbor, regardless of ethnicity or spiritual condition for the purpose of condemnation.  Nor are we worthy to condemn our parents (Exodus 20: 12, the fifth Commandment), our churches, the Church, or our institutions of government for God has placed rulers in authority over us for our good (Romans 13).  Instead of pessimistically judging and condemning individuals and institutions, we are to exercise stewardship, living as salt and light to others—one at a time (Matthew 5: 10-16), even in our dutiful confrontation where necessary.

The Life and Death that Matters Most
In all of these claims, my authority is the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered the most unjust and horrible death imaginable, and He alone is with without any sin.  Read carefully Isaiah 53 and allow God’s Word to speak truth into your heart—Jesus died not only for your sin and mine, but also for our sorrow, our grief, our frustration.  Let us look into our own “black hearts” which can so easily express the fallen tendency of our sinful nature (Galatians 5: 16-21).  At the foot of Christ’s Cross, we see how much He suffered to take away sin from us (1 John 3: 5).  Praise God!  May God help us to adopt a lifestyle of repentance of our sin and arise in new life, yielded daily to the work of the Holy Spirit in us.  He alone can produce the Fruit pleasing to God and a blessing to our neighbor—Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, etc. (Galatians 5: 22-26). 

How About You and I?

Do you and I need to “call ourselves out” to repentance (James 1: 19-27)?  

If we do, repentance will help us rightly discern the error in the spirit behind #BlackLivesMatter.  Perhaps we will be directed to live by #BlackHeartsMatter, being among those who look first into our own hearts, taking the log out of our own eye first before pointing to sin in our brother or sister (Matthew 7: 3-5).  Above all, we must never forget that no one is truly Worthy except our Savior, our Redeemer, our Counselor, and our Friend.  Why not take time, as I want to do again, to read carefully the Scriptures I have cited in this article, especially Colossians 3: 1-17. Let's allow God’s Spirit to speak His Truth to our hearts?  I would recommend while you read, to listen to Chris Tomlin’s lovely song, “He is Worthy.”  Indeed, only Christ is Worthy!

Love and Forgiveness Can Overcome Injustice

Just when many of us thought we were beginning to emerge from the separation of the pandemic and gaining a sense of “normal” again, we heard the tragic report from Minneapolis on Monday, May 25.  George Floyd, also known as “Big Floyd,” was mercilessly asphyxiated under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, while other officers stood idly by and bystanders begged Chauvin to stop.  Floyd, who was described as “always cheerful” and “the gentle giant,”  had been laid off from his job as a bouncer at Conga Latin Bistro when Minnesota was placed under the pandemic lock down.

The report of George Floyd’s murder spread faster than Chauvin was charged for his alleged crime.  Within hours demonstrations began in Minneapolis, eventually spreading to other major cities.  Now, over a week after this senseless murder, America is embroiled in yet another national tragedy, piled on top of our continuing anxiety over the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Law and Order Is Needed for Reconciliation
We should note that lawful demonstrations to express grief and grievances is a legitimate and historic part of our First Amendment rights.  Unfortunately, this precious freedom of expression comes with a responsibility to respect both law and order and those who seek to enforce it.  When this responsibility is dismissed for the selfish pursuit of material gain, then the looting and destruction of property begins and the original cause for the demonstration is lost in violence and destruction.  In addition, far left, anarchist groups have crept in to incite legitimate protesters to join in destructive behavior for the purpose of destroying the foundation of American government and society. 

It is clear from a biblical understanding of the nature of man that there can be no meaningful expressions of grief, compassion, repentance, or forgiveness unless human communities are maintained with law and order.  Yet, while destructive behavior can be forcibly quelled, police strong-arming can only provide the structure within which the emotional and spiritual roots of violence can be addressed.  The widespread violence and destruction of property suggest that many Americans simply do not know what to do with their anger over what they perceive as yet another grave injustice toward a Black American at the hands of a law enforcement official. 

Biblical Meaning of Justice
According to Scripture, all of us have a God-given sense of right and wrong, and a desire to see justice done for wrong committed.  Even when we were children, we sensed when we were unjustly (and justly) accused.  And, while it was unpleasant at the time, when discipline was applied and we recovered emotionally, we were relieved at having paid for our wrong and experienced restoration.

The Bible reveals what God says about law, law-breaking, our conscience, and just judgment.  The Apostle Paul reminded the Jews that, although they were favored by God by being given the Law in the Ten Commandments written by the finger of God on tablets of stone (Exodus 31: 18), God wants to write His law on the hearts of all mankind, both Jew and Gentile (“non-Jew”).  In Romans 2: 14-16, Paul writes (emphasis mine):

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

When Derek Chauvin saw what he had done to the life of George Floyd, assuming his conscience was not totally seared, he knew something terrible (which God’s Word calls sin), had caused his horrible action.  The same sense of guilt and shame was there in the heart of Cain when murdered his own brother, Abel (Genesis 4: 8-13).  Cain’s sin was so grievous that the Scripture says God heard “the voice of [Abel’s] blood crying to Me from the ground (v. 10).”  From that time on, every time Cain looked at the ground from which he earned his livelihood, he would think of his brother’s blood spilled there.  His response to God, “My punishment is too great to bear (v. 13)!”

God’s Answer to Hate and Violence
For every murderer since Cain right down to Derek Chauvin, and for those who have become murderers during the recent riots in protest of George Floyd’s murder, the same is true—“the punishment is too great to bear.”  It is also too great for all of us who have not murdered outright but who have responded in anger—perhaps toward Derek Chauvin or another person who has aroused our sense of right and wrong.  Jesus said, “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty [of murder] before the court… (Matthew 5: 21-22a).” 

By God’s standard, we have already committed murder in our hearts when we are angry at our neighbor.  My anger against Derek Chauvin or against the masses who have risen up to plunder and destroy lives and property puts me right there among those who actually commit murder.  Indeed, I was also there among the jeering crowd at the Cross of Christ, angrily accusing Him of being just another sinful criminal.  My heart was full of anger, hate, and murder when I once thought that Jesus Christ was no different.  The Prophet Isaiah wrote the following description of Christ on the Cross 500 years before the coming of Christ (Isaiah 53: 4-6, emphasis mine):

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles
were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.

Jesus Christ’s death was the most unjust murder of all because He was totally sinless and blameless.  Who knew?  We thought He was getting what was coming to Him!  Yet, He yielded up His life as an atoning sacrifice, bearing the penalty of our sin that He might bring to God all of those of us who will repent of our sin and ask in faith that His blood cleanse us of our sin and cover us in His righteousness (1 John 1: 9). 

Love and Forgiveness:  Unique to Christ-Followers

Our conscience is too unrelenting of an accuser to allow us peace as long as our sin is unconfessed and unatoned.  And the punishment is too great for us to bear.  Only Jesus, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, can take away or sin and cleanse even our “conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9: 14).”  Only by the love of God can the sinner be forgiven (John 3: 16).  And, once forgiven, we ought to have a new compulsion to love God and love our neighbor.  Just hours before His brutal death on the Cross, Jesus spoke the following intimate words to His disciples (and to us):

A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another:
just as I have loved you,
you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know
that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.
               –  Jesus (John 13: 34-35)

In these few words, according to Ellicott (Ellicott’s Commentary), Jesus gives His disciples “a bond of union, by which they should always be linked to Him and to each other in the principle of love.  The followers of great Teachers and Rabbis had their distinctive marks. Here was the distinctive Christian mark, which all men should be able to read…, not in any formulary or signs, but in the love which asserts the brotherhood of man.  The Pulpit Commentary adds that this love “…is new to the human race: and it is the power which has revolutionized thought, society, and life.”

But how do we express the love of Christ in us?  One distinctively Christian way is through forgiveness.  When we are wronged by someone else, we ought to remember the love of Christ expressed on His Cross when He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23: 24).”  Before His death, Jesus taught His disciples to pray like this, "Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who fails in his duty to us (Luke 11: 4, Weymouth)."  There is no greater power on Earth than the love of God expressed through forgiveness on the part of dedicated Christ-followers.

F. B. Meyer wrote, in Our Daily Walk (May 7),
Forgiveness is the exclusive prerogative of Christianity. The schools of ancient morality had four cardinal virtues—justice in human relations; prudence in the direction of affairs; fortitude in bearing trouble or sorrow; temperance or self-restraint. But they knew nothing of mercy or forgiveness, which is not natural to the human heart.  Forgiveness is an exotic, which Christ brought with Him from Heaven. As long as He abode on earth, He forgave, and He left it as an injunction and example that His people were to forgive even as they had been forgiven.
 
Neither the grieving Floyd family, nor the protesters, nor those trying to maintain law and order can ultimately bring peace of mind and conscience to us as individuals or to our divided America. 

However, maintaining law and order is essential to healthy communities where people can express grief, compassion, repentance, and forgiveness as appropriate.  We need restored human communities and especially Bible-based churches because our struggle is ultimately in our hearts (James 4: 1-10).  Jack Brewer has rightly pinpointed the source of our current struggle in America as a spiritual battle because of the evil in our hearts (video clip).  Only if we yield to the love and forgiveness of Christ and then express His love and forgiveness to one another will we gain the victory and bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2: 10).

How About You?
While we all observe the unfolding of demonstrations and associated violence, each of us face the same challenges as the any of the participants we observe.  How do you and I deal with perceived injustice, our need to control anger, offer forgiveness, seek forgiveness, or just plain understand people that are difficult to get along with?  As for myself, today is the birthday of a family member very dear to me, a person with whom I have sought reconciliation for several years.  I mention this person only to emphasize that we all need God’s love and forgiveness and to be channels of this love and forgiveness to others.  How about you?   Your “Comments” are always welcome.  

Helpful Resource:
“The Risk of Forgiveness:  What It Means to Forgive”   by Gary Inrig.  Discovery Series, Our Daily Bread Ministries.   Available at the above link or in booklet form.

Hope for a Grieving Community

On this cold winter night, as northeast Ohio endures its latest wintery blast, many homes in Perry Township, Ohio are reeling from another kind of icy stab.  Yesterday’s news reported that a sixth student in Perry Local School District has committed suicide since the beginning of this school year!

Meanwhile, the Perry Local School administration has been taking this “epidemic” seriously by making what they consider a valiant effort to provide counseling and other means of support to grieving students and faculty.  The school district had already begun suicide-awareness training and counseling sessions last autumn after the first suicide occurred.  However, this week’s report of a sixth suicide must have many in the district wondering what they should do next.

Superintendant Scott Beatty who was born and raised in nearby Massillon, spoke to Fox 8 TV saying, “I think it goes around one word:  Hope.  I would tell our kids there is hope, there is hope.”

I cannot imagine how I would react to this news if I were a parent of the latest victim; or, if I were any parent, teacher, or administrator of this Stark County, Ohio school district.  But as a resident of nearby Wayne County, my own reaction is one of grief and concern for those affected by these deaths.  How tragic that six students who had walked the “halls of learning” in Perry Local Schools had reached the point at which they could find no reason to live another day.  At the same time, while I commend superintendent Beatty for offering “Hope” to his students, I am curious as to what he believes is the object of this Hope.  In my experience, hope without a reliable object or basis for possessing it, is unfounded, unreliable, and unsatisfying.

Thankfully, Perry Township residents are beginning to realize that, with suicides continuing to occur, something more is needed than simply encouraging students and parents to call suicide awareness counselors, helpful as that might be.  A phone call this morning to two friends in North Canton, Ohio provided both disturbing and encouraging news.

What my Google search revealed--key words: Perry, God, religion, church

First, the disturbing news:  Officials related to Perry Local Schools have reportedly refused to allow people of faith to come onto school grounds to offer spiritual counseling.  Many readers will not be surprised.  As we have often lamented, America has removed God from her public schools; so, what should we expect?  But in truth, the erosion of strong spiritual leadership in America’s families began long before God’s disinvitation from public schools.  Deterioration of the family unit has coincided with a neglect of the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, study, and prayer in our homes, the weakening of commitment to the marriage bond, less regular worship and service in a local church, and weakening commitment to exemplary moral living and service to the local community and beyond.

The Bible has been clear in its call for the moral and spiritual disciplines for thousands of years.
Proverbs 29: 18 states: 
Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,
But happy is he who keeps the law.
Hosea 4: 6 claims:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee…
seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God,
I will also forget thy children. 

It is not enough to offer Hope. The Scriptures make clear that there is no hope unless we turn to our Creator and submit to His plan for living.   In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul professes that he is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe….(Romans 1:16).  But sadly, Paul continues, explaining how humans throughout the ages have rejected the truth of God, exchanging it for a lie, and suppressing the truth.  Professing to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1: 22).

My previous article in Oikonomia, entitled Resolutions for 2018: Pursuing God --On Purpose, emphasizes the fundamental need of every person to know their purpose for living.  Our schools may do well in teaching the three-R’s along with computers, science, and technology.  But our students are facing many additional challenges outside the classroom, such as learning who they are as developing individuals and finding social acceptance and meaningful relationships.  All the while, individual development in mind, body, and spirit, and self-awareness are challenged by social media, poor family structure, access to drugs, and an ongoing deterioration of morality in our culture—an unbiblical morality that no longer regards the ancient foundations supporting biblical marriage and gender distinctions.  

Good suggestions are meaningless without a moral foundation.

Public school science and social studies undermine student moral and social development when they deny that Judeo-Christian principles have any place in these disciplines.  Instead, students are indoctrinated into atheistic, naturalistic evolution which purports to explain human origins by time and chance movements of molecules, and therefore, offers students a view of reality that is without morality and purpose.

But there is also good news for the Perry community.  A network of people of faith has been forming to assist students and parents who are willing to meet with them.  Rocky Perkson, one of my North Canton friend's former students, has announced on his Facebook page a “Community Come Together” meeting on Monday, January 15, 2018 at 5:00 pm at
Canton Baptist Temple
515 Whipple Ave NW
Canton OH 44708
Enter through Door G please. Opposite side of Whipple Ave
The FREE event is open to all and the speaker is Christopher Milo.

While it is true according to Proverbs 29: 18 that Where there is no vision, the people perish, it is also true that happy is he that keeps the law.  The psalmist David, in Psalm 19: 7-11, expands upon the “happiness” of the law-keeper who turns to God’s Word to find wisdom, joy, forgiveness, and warning:

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

What the young people and families of northeast Ohio and our nation as a whole need is more exposure to Christ-followers—people who have found Hope in the Eternal God and have responded in faith to the call of His Son Jesus.  Jesus laid down the path of a true Christian with these words:

If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow  me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  – Luke 9: 23-24

God so loved the world of His creation that He sent His Son to give us the gift of everlasting life (John 3: 16). Christ came to replace our fear and despair with Love and Hope.  But surprisingly, this faith transaction requires a “death”—death to self and sin as we are individually buried with Christ so we can rise to new life in which God’s loving Spirit enables us to yield control of our lives to Jesus Christ.  This “death” to self and resurrection to New Life is symbolized by believer’s baptism.

If you are a Christ-follower, a true Christian by faith in the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and His death and resurrection, you may want to become more knowledgeable of teen and even pre-teen suicide in your community and efforts to prevent it.   For example, you may want to locate a church or community ministry that provides support and spiritual teaching and encouragement for adolescents.  Many communities have so-called “Breakout” programs for adolescents to attend during or after school hours.  Why not Google “Breakout” to find the nearest program in your area?

If you are not a Christ-follower, perhaps you would like to learn more about the Eternal Life of Hope that Christ offers freely in response to your faith in Him.  Check out the website for "Steps to Peace with God” which outlines how you can believe and respond to God’s love, how your sin separates  you from God, what Jesus has done to address your separation, and what you can do by faith to receive God’s righteousness (right standing with a Holy God).  If you have additional questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you.  Just post a “Comment” below or e-mail me at silviusj@cedarville.edu

Campus Chaos: A Call for “Higher Education”

Some analysts are not surprised about the chaos on the campuses of University of Missouri, Yale University.  Consider the values being taught on campus and the nature of their millennial students, those born between 1980 and the early 2000’s.  But Stanford Dean Julie Lythcott-Haims claims that parents of millennials are also part of the problem.  She supports this claim in her book, How to Raise an Adult.  The subtitle expands on her thesis-- Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success.

I haven't read Lythcot-Haims’ book.  However, a review of the book by Paul Bonicelli in The Federalist, entitled The College Kids Are Not All Right, presents Lythcot-Haims’ thesis and adds an important context beyond simply implicating parents. Bonicelli attributes the problems of the millennial generation to the deterioration of the framework of moral and ethical teaching in the home and the lack of reinforcement of lessons of the home by the child’s elementary and secondary school, church, and community.

As readers of Oikonomia will realize, I have been emphasizing the important role of the “traditional family,” church, school, and community in the rearing of young men and women with godly character.  See “Learning How to Respect and Exercise Authority” and additional links below.   Knowing my thesis, you might say that I am guilty of highlighting a book with which I agree.  And you are right; but, allow me to quote a couple of paragraphs from Paul Bonicelli’s book review that, in my judgment, make it valuable in its own right.

First, Bonicelli highlights Lythcot-Haims’ indictment of the parents of today’s college students, noting that she… does a good job of reviewing the problems of millennials at the university and beyond. We all know how so many kids come to college and into the workplace needing their hands held, being sensitive to criticism, and being unable to simply function as mature and independent adults. But she does more than offer a litany of problems. She examines the roots of the problem—namely, pressure from parents and brand-plumping elite universities—and tells parents forthrightly they are hurting their own kids. Finally, she offers suggestions for how everyone can fix themselves.

Bonicelli later adds:  The book is replete with often heart-rending examples of unhappy, depressed, unnecessarily medicated kids and young adults whose entire lives have been micromanaged and dominated by parents oblivious to what their kids want or need.

But what impressed me about Bonicelli’s review of How to Raise an Adult was his criticism of the book’s lack of emphasis on the need for parents and our schools to raise good human beings.  Bonicelli attributes this void to the state of education at the elementary and secondary levels and the lack of moral training in our culture...  He makes his point by asking us baby boomers and Generation X readers to get in the time machine and go back to yesteryear when kids learned at home, in school, and at church or synagogue that the highest aim was a life well-lived.  Everywhere children turned they were encouraged to be upright, kind, self-reliant, giving, and hardworking. They were taught to abjure evil, sloth, immorality, selfishness, and idleness.  They got these lessons from their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  They heard sermons and homilies and got life instructions from whatever their religious institution taught as the moral law.

When they went to school, these lessons were reinforced through the curriculum and the standard of behavior required of them. Kids, understood implicitly as moral beings, had adults to rely upon to help them navigate life’s ups and downs as they matured.  For those rare kids who were spared much adversity in their young lives, there were lessons and examples aplenty in the things they read as a matter of course at school. No parents are perfect, but social pressure and the way things were constantly taught and reinforced living well.

Take one example: If one wants to know how human beings are supposed to face trials and overcome, how to be generous and giving toward others in need, great literature like the Bible, Dickens, Shakespeare, and Aesop’s fables offer excellent instruction with timeless examples for all ages and stations. For some kids in the past, that included Cicero and Aurelias, and Augustine and Aquinas.

For those of us tempted to dismiss Bonicelli’s point by pointing out that we cannot return to how things were before modernism and postmodernism emerged, he is quick to offer a counterargument: 

Pointing out that times have changed and that we can’t go back to yesteryear doesn’t impress me.  Right reason and experience tell us the truth about how to raise children into adults.   No amount of postmodern sophistry and relativism can overcome reality.   Our efforts should be put into fixing the problem the right way—one kid, one family, and one school at a time.

Having composed this snapshot of a great book review and a worthwhile book, I am more motivated to be a part of the solution.  Instead of bemoaning social unrest in our cities and on our campuses, and debating the causes, let’s be part of the solution to the problem by reaching out and mentoring—“one kid, one family, and one school at a time.”  As we do, let us remember to emphasize godly character more than “success,” and encouraging good stewardship of opportunities to serve others rather than simply encouraging pursuit of material wealth for personal gain. 

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. – 2 Timothy 2: 2

Further Reading:
Paul Bonicelli’s review of How to Raise an Adult:  See “The College Kids Are Not All Right”
Related Oikonomia articles:
Dominion 101 - Spheres of Responsibility – Christian responsibility in three spheres (family, church, and government)
Jackie Robinson -- “YOU Don’t Belong Here!” – How character was developed in Jackie Robinson and Ben Carson through strong families.