Choices for Troubled Times – 3. Redemption and Restoration

BACKGROUND: In the previous blog of this series, Choices for Troubled Times - 2. My Responsibility Matters, we discussed our human tendency to demand our rights and insist that others accept our way of viewing the faults of our fallen world.  At the same time we shirk our individual responsibility to show kindness and contribute in positive ways as stewards of the relationships and institutions that support our culture.  Among the loud voices and angry demonstrations occurring this summer are some with a sincere motive to improve American society. But there are many who are motivated out of selfishness and greed, and who are in fact criminals in need of redemption and restoration.  Part 3 of this series aims to present the good news of how people written off as criminals or victims of crime are finding Redemption and Restoration.

This morning, I was awakened by the brightness of the dawn.  Having slept peacefully for about seven hours without fear of danger, I paused to remember and reflect on the gift of life and the promise of a new day.  To be sure, I’m not a perfect man.  Even when I offer thanks and praise to God, it is only my response to His Spirit already alive within my spirit calling me to walk in step with Him. 

According to the Bible, each person bears God’s image and is created with a spiritual awareness, a capacity to respond to God’s Spirit.  Like a tuning fork used to tune a musical instrument, our spirits are designed to vibrate and resonate in harmony with God’s Spirit so that we are able to walk in step with our Creator.

Thankfully, I am blessed with a family heritage and Christian home environment that led to my submission to God through faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for my sin.  My faith and walk with Christ have allowed Him to influence the choices I have made over the past seventy-three years.  Those choices, though not always the best, have led to habits or disciplines, including the blessing of having my first conscious thoughts directed to God in thankfulness for a new day.

But on this same morning, there are many men and women who have awakened to a new day with a different disposition, one ruled by selfishness, greed, anger, malice, and suchlike.  This is not to say that I am a better man than they are.  But the fact is, not all men are blessed with a family heritage and home environment that nurtures them in body, mind, soul, and spirit.  Not everyone is blessed with parents and mentors to help them honor God and make the choice to submit their lives to His love and authority. 

Broken People
Today, people all around us are suffering from bad choices.  Although each were born with the free will to choose rightly, many were born into dysfunctional families and have not had the blessing of godly friends, good schools, or a supportive community.  The following lyrics from Mac Davis, popularized by Elvis Presley, describe the plight of so many children who grow up without the supporting network to shape their character and values:

People, don't you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day?
Take a look at you and me
Are we too blind to see
Do we simply turn our heads,
and look the other way?

Restoring Broken People
During the past century in America, there have been many attempts to restore the brokenness of people who suffer from bad choices and bad decisions of their ancestors and those in leadership in their communities and cities.  The infamous War on Poverty launched by the Johnson administration in the 1960’s illustrates how a government welfare program falls short of having a positive impact.  While it aimed to lift the poor and disadvantaged out of material poverty, it did not address the poverty of their soul and spirit. According to the Cato Institute, this welfare program has cost $15 trillion dollars since its inception in the 1960’s but has scarcely moved the needle on poverty.

The “welfare approach” fails to address human need of love, respect, a sense of dignity, higher education, job skills, and development of character and responsibility.  However, in recent years, the federal government with emphasis on the private sector has begun to recognize these human needs.  Several initiatives, some launched and supported by the Trump administration, are showing success in redemption and restoration of “forgotten people” because they address the needs of the whole person.  Many of these programs were highlighted in the Republican National Convention held this week and are featured in video recordings accessible via C-SPAN.

Living Testimonies of Redemption and Restoration
What follows is a sampling of personal testimonies and video clips that reveal how the lives of broken people are being redeemed spiritually and emotionally, and being restored with dignity and the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to American society.  Just click on the highlighted text to view each.

I watched as President Trump awarded a full pardon to Jon Ponder, a former felon who grew up without a father and made a series of bad choices leading him to serve time for a number of bank robberies.   While serving time, Jon started the non-profit re-entry program called Hope for Prisoners.  In the words of President Trump, “Jon’s life is a beautiful testament to the power of redemption.”

Criminal justice reform advocate, Alice Johnson, once sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison, was released by the efforts of President Trump who later signed legislation called the First Step Act which will allow many like Alice to be pardoned from unreasonable prison sentences.  In Alice’s words, “What I did was wrong.  I made decisions I regret…none of us want to be defined by our worst decisions.  I always knew that God  remembered my name, even in my darkest hour, but I never dreamed that a president would.”

Immigrants to the United States were sworn in as citizens at a naturalization ceremony and were honored for having chosen to complete the legal path to citizenship.

Tera Myers, wife and mother who is also a school choice advocate.  Tera works in support of efforts to allow parents, especially in urban communities with failed schools, to choose a better school for their children so that they may break out of the cycle of poverty to fulfill their God-given purposes.

Jack Brewer directs The Brewer Group, a consulting firm that aims to promote educational programs, health care, agriculture, sports and media, particularly in many of the underserved populations.  Jack is a “former 3-time NFL team captain, college professor, coach, husband, son, and father; and tells the story of his personal successes and struggles.  

Lou Holtz, former Notre Dame and NFL coach explains how his life was fulfilling in spite of his humble beginnings because of the right choices he made in life.

Herschel Walker, Heisman Trophy winner, former NFL football player, bobsledder, sprinter, mixed martial artist, and 37-year close friend of President Trump.

Stacia Brightmon, Marine Corps veteran and single mother of two boys who works in Houston, TX as a warehouse receiving clerk.  After becoming homeless, she applied to a learn-while-you-work apprenticeship program supported by President Trump and daughter Ivanka.

Abby Johnson, formerly a worker at Planned Parenthood, now leads a pro-life ministry called, And Then There Were None (ATTWN), which encourages abortion-clinic workers to make the bold choice to leave the industry.  ATTWN provides financial support and counseling for those who make the right choice.

Two Visions for America—One Involves Redemption
Today, America is deeply divided over what appears to be two major visions for her future.  One vision sees America as an unjust product of colonialism that has never been “great,” and is beyond redemption and restoration.  Seldom included in this truth claim is the truth that only God is great, good, and just.  But God is also merciful.  Lacking belief in this biblical claim of God’s justice and mercy, the first vision of America is darkened by pessimism, selfishness, intolerance, judgment, and even violence toward anyone who disagrees.

The other vision for America, often grounded in biblical truth, recognizes the fallen nature of man.  Therefore, America is “great” not because it she perfect, but because she recognizes she is part of a noble experiment “to form a more perfect union” by eliminating injustices and continually pursuing God in an attitude of humility and repentance.  This vision recognizes that ultimately, individuals are responsible for their actions, and that whole groups or nations are only as good as their citizens. 

Therefore, because God is both just and merciful, we who have received His mercy and forgiveness ought to extend mercy to our neighbor (Matthew 18: 21-35).  Many of those whom I have referenced in this article are living by this truth and are acting as channels and “stewards of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4: 10).  May their stories inspire us all to a positive outlook, and to an awareness that, as stewards of God’s grace and  mercy, we ought to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts and always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3: 15).

How Do You See America and Her “Forgotten?”
I have presented my vision of America, hopefully true to a biblical view of and relationship with a God who is just, yet merciful toward me.  This article also introduces you to the testimonies of many who have received God’s mercy and who now are a part of extending mercy to others.  I welcome your insights, comments, and questions.  Just use “Comments” or email me at silviusj@gmail.com.  Thank you for reading.

A Greater COVID-19 Danger: Misinformation

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  – Prophet Hosea (710 BC) 

The financial firm, Franklin Templeton, has teamed up with Gallup to determine people’s behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Their hypothesis: What people know and don’t know about the pandemic will play a crucial role in shaping the economic recovery. 

Maybe you’d like to participate in part of the survey.   If so, write down your answer to three of the questions based on what you know about the COVID-19 pandemic.  Here you go:  What percentage of total COVID deaths have occurred among Americans…
(1)  …age 55 or older?
(2)  …age 44 and younger?
(3)  …age 24 and younger?

COVID-19 Risk:  Survey Results
Now, let’s compare your answers to the actual COVID-19 mortality statistics from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), as of July 22, 2020.  First, in order to make you feel better in case your answers are far from the actual percentages, here is part of the conclusion made by authors of the “Franklin Templeton–Gallup Economics of Recovery Study:”

These results are nothing short of stunning.  Six months into this pandemic, Americans still dramatically misunderstand the risk of dying from COVID-19.

Maybe you will be "stunned" as well.  To compare your responses with the responses of Americans included in the survey when the three questions were asked, here are the results:

Based on this sampling from the survey, can you see the stunning discrepancy between perceived health threat of COVID-19 and reality?  Amazingly, in spite of Americans having access the best health care system in the world and excellent access to information at our fingertips, we demonstrate a stunning misunderstanding of the risk of death from COVID-19.  

As the table below suggests, Americans 65 and older are much more aware of the heightened risk for their own age group.  On the other hand, the younger the age group polled the more misled Americans are about their risk of negative health consequences from the virus.  Shockingly, school- and college-age young people (age 24 and younger) overestimated the danger of COVID-19 by a factor of 40!!

What is even more unfortunate and even frightening is the way in which the misinformation causes fear among us.  The table below clearly shows the increasing fear of negative health consequences among the younger age groups in spite of the lowered risk of death from COVID-19.

The following statement from the Franklin Templeton report summarizes how misinformation can be used to generate fear and influence partisan outcomes (emphasis mine):

Fear and anger are the most reliable drivers of engagement; scary tales of young victims of the pandemic, intimating that we are all at risk of dying, quickly go viral; so do stories that blame everything on your political adversaries. Both social and traditional media have been churning out both types of narratives in order to generate more clicks and increase their audience.

Media and Partisanship Blamed
The more access we have to information about risks to our health and well being the greater the likelihood that we will make decisions that favor our safety and minimize our fears.  If this claim is true and the survey data is accurate, how can Americans make good decisions based on risk to personal health if they misunderstand the risk.  The same applies to making good policy decisions on the part of policymakers.

For instance, if the risk of death among school and college age young people is less than 0.2%, how can we justify closing classrooms and canceling sports?  If the survey results are accurate, the current debates about whether or not to open classrooms and schedule school or college sports this Fall are being made by poorly informed administrators, educators, students, athletes, parents, and policymakers.  But never mind the actual data.  If the media and political actors can create the “perception” of greater risk than reality, then they can use a falsely generated fear to manipulate us to follow unrealistic guidelines.

Proof of media involvement in creating a misinformed public is seen in the differences in responses between those who identify as Democrats and those identifying as Republicans.    “People who get their information predominantly from social media have the most erroneous and distorted perception of risk.  Those who identify as Democrats tend to mistakenly overstate the risk of death from COVID-19 for younger people much more than Republicans.”  Most cable news watchers are aware of the vast difference in messaging between CNN or MSNBC and FoxNews.

The Franklin Templeton/Gallup survey predicts that if “…those who can afford it are willing to pay significantly more for extra perceived safety, we might see a significant rise in inflation down the line.  Again, misinformation can lead to unwarranted fear which in turn makes a population vulnerable to manipulation in directions that fit partisan priorities and visions for a restructured American government and society.

It is becoming clear that misinformation and resultant unwarranted fear may be the greater threat from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Consider the following statement from the survey report:

From a public interest perspective, we believe the top priority should be better information and a less partisan, more fact-based public debate.  The fact that a large share of the population overestimates the COVID-19 danger to the young will make a targeted public health response more difficult to agree on. We think it is also likely to delay the recovery, causing a deeper and prolonged recession.

We Need to Be Informed
Maybe it is time we devote some extra time to becoming accurately informed by doing our own research and making decisions accordingly.  At the same time, we who are called to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12: 31) need to deal graciously with those who are more fearful of negative health consequences whether or not their fear is warranted. 

Hopefully, readers who look in more detail at the Franklin Templeton and Gallup Survey will be better informed and able to articulate truth to neighbors who are misled or confused.  Otherwise, the greater risk may not be COVID-19.  Instead, we may experience very dire consequences to our culture and nation from those who seek to use the virus for selfish political motives.

Remember the words from the Prophet Hosea, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4: 6).  If you’d like to stay informed as the survey continues to expand over the coming months, you can receive ongoing updates on the project's findings by signing up here.  

What Do You Think?
Do you consider yourself well informed about the pandemic?  How well did you score on the opening three polling questions?  If you’d like to respond to this blog with comments or questions, just use the “Comments” link below, or contact me at silviusj@gmail.com   Thank you for reading, and may God honor your efforts to be informed, make good decisions, and inform others as we try to learn how best to respond to the pandemic and the politics surrounding it.

Moral Character Is Cultured in Community

Growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s meant that I benefited from a community of tightly woven and caring relationships within stable families, churches, public school, law enforcement, volunteer fire department.  Here, I also enjoyed the blessing of community events like parades, festivals, and fundraising dinners.  Rural, farm communities like ours in east central Ohio were formed by hard-working, responsible people who took responsibility for their decisions but also were quick to come to the aid of neighbors who faced misfortune. 

A community, whether rural, suburban, or urban, a is a social unit composed of people sharing a geographic location, moral values, customs, identity, and vision.  It is within a community that our families, churches, and schools teach us as individuals to know God, to love Him, to respect laws and law enforcers, and to love our neighbor.  To respect these privileges and responsibilities is literally to acknowledge and cherish what has produced and sustained American culture and much of Western civilization. 

However, within the past century, greater mobility coupled with more educational and employment opportunities have encouraged sons and daughters to leave their communities and make their homes elsewhere.  Consequently, many communities lack the cohesiveness fostered by stable, long-term relationships.  The resultant instability of communities has been highlighted by the recent violent protests in major cities.  Since May, organized groups of anarchistic terrorists have invaded already unstable urban and suburban communities to stir up vulnerable residents, incite rebellion against civil authorities, destroy property, and assault and murder innocent people.

During these troubled times, we can pray that American voters will soon elect leaders who value long-held moral and ethical standards, and that perpetrators of violence and destruction will be bought to justice.  Regardless, quality of life in America will depend not on government alone but upon responsible individuals and stable communities that nurture responsible residents.  This is why it was refreshing for me to read an article by Rhonda Edgerton, published in the Wooster Weekly News/The Bargain Hunter-Wayne (08-05-20), featuring the life of an exemplary community leader like Jay Lehman.

In 1955, Jay Lehman founded Lehman’s, a hardware store in Kidron, Ohio with the mission of serving the local Amish community with non-electric, simple, household goods.  Since then, Lehman's has grown into a multi-million- dollar international business.  The store now serves customers around the world by offering an extensive catalog and shipping.  Still each year, multitudes of international customers visit to see for themselves the extensive inventory of unique resources for missionaries, homesteaders, environmentalists, survivalists, and doctors serving in developing countries. 

The current 35,000-square-foot facility offers a visual reminder of its humble history and its owner’s appreciation of history and culture.  The store is composed of remnants of a log cabin and four pre-Civil War buildings.  The visual layout, inventory, and friendly help provided at Lehman’s is a reflection of Jay’s Christian faith, his work ethic, his genuine love for his customers, and his love for a simple way of life.

Jay Lehman died on July 26 at the age of 91, representing 65 years of humble service as owner of Lehman’s.  But his legacy lives on through the contributions he made toward his community. During his lifetime, he touched thousands of people with his humble, kind assistance.  Similarly, he enriched the soil, water, and wildlife populations through conservation practices including the planting of over 50,000 trees!  

Alexis de Tocqueville, the French diplomat, political scientist, and historian who is known for his remarkable appreciation of America in the 19th century is quoted as saying: The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.    Certainly, the life and contributions of Jay Lehman will continue to have a lasting impact on his local community, his country, and the international community including the over 70 countries to which he travelled.  

We extend our sympathy to the Lehman family, and rejoice with them at the legacy of faith and practice Jay Lehman has left to them and his community.  And, we thank God for the community that nurtured him and so many people of character like him.

More about Jay Lehman and Lehman’s

Article by Rhonda Edgerton.  Jay Lehman Dies at 91, Leaves Legacy of Simple Living and Christian Life.  The Bargain Hunter, August 5, 2020

Preview Online the Experience of Visiting Lehman's Store 

Decisive Events of History—Did One Just Occur?

History is somewhat like biology and geology.  All three try to explain present conditions based on interplay between two types of causes: (a) uniform processes occurring over long periods of time, and (b) major or cataclysmic events that interrupt the long periods of uniformity.  Uniform processes involving the soil, water, and air include natural selection, erosion, and sedimentation, while cataclysmic processes include pandemics, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions.  Thus, both uniform and cataclysmic processes are responsible for the current state of both animal and plant populations and of whole landscapes as they exist today.  

Likewise, historians explain the current state of nations and cultures as the effects of uniform events that fill most of the pages of history and major “decisive events” that rise above the usual.  For example, I consider the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, and the invention of the microscope by Anton van Leeuwenhoek, as decisive events that have had major impacts on science, health, and technology. 

Do we recognize “decisive events” when they happen today?  I believe one such event has just occurred, but it has received little coverage.  Before we consider this decisive event, let’s consider another event of a similar nature that occurred in a Roman stadium just over 1,600 years ago.

A Decisive Event in a Roman Stadium
A popular pastime in the Roman Empire was for tens of thousands of spectators in a stadium to watch the bloody gladiator duels which usually ended with the slaying of the weaker combatant.  According to an article by Lawrence W. Reed, Senior Fellow at Foundation for Economic Education, “Gladiators entertained the increasingly morbid sentiments of a public thirsty for blood.  Most were free men.  A small number were women.  Professional gladiators were a privileged class in ancient Rome, even endorsing products as idolized athletes.”

But on January 14, 404 AD, with the Roman Empire sliding ever deeper into moral and political decay, a decisive event abruptly ended the tradition of the Roman gladiator duels—forever!  As John Huffman describes the events on this particular January day in Discerning History, “a lone figure interrupted the proceedings.  Without warning, a rough and weather-beaten man jumped over the wall and into the arena.  Shouts of excitement over the combat gave way to a profound silence, as all eyes turned from the gladiators to look at the lone figure.”

“He was covered with a mantle.  He had come all the way from Asia to Rome.  He was a Christian.  He had heard about these barbaric entertainments, and, by the grace of God, he intended to stop them…  He advanced to the two gladiators who were engaged in mortal combat.  Interposing himself between the combatants, he faced the crowd.  Fearlessly, this hero raised his voice.  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, I command these wicked games to cease.  Do not requite God’s mercy by shedding innocent blood.”

“A shout of defiance met the voice of our hero.  Pieces of fruit, stones, daggers, and other missiles were hurled down from the stands.  One of the gladiators, expecting the applause of the crowd, stepped forward and rammed his battle axe into the skull of the man who had dared interfere with Rome’s favorite entertainment.  As the hero sunk lifeless to the ground, the angry cries of the crowd died away into a profound silence in the arena.  As the life’s blood of this new martyr joined the blood of the thousands who had bled there before him, the crowd suddenly faced a courage that was greater than the strongest gladiator. The work of this Christian was accomplished.  His name was Telemachus (Discerning History).”

According to John Foxe, in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, “From the day Telemachus fell dead in the Coliseum, no other fight of gladiators was ever held there.” John Huffman adds, “Such was the legacy of a man who dared to jump over a wall and declare that an aspect of popular cultural entertainment was ungodly and unlawful.”

Telemachus’s bold decision to act upon his faith apparently helped him to fulfill his purpose as God’s instrument.  His bold protest and martyrdom in 404 AD became one of the decisive events in the history of Western civilization.  According to Codex Theodosianus 15-12, gladiatorial games were officially banned by Constantine in 325 AD on the grounds that they were inappropriate “in a time of civil and domestic peace.”  Amazingly, a one-man protest conducted by a foreigner who was not even a citizen of Rome caused leaders of an authoritarian government to outlaw a very popular but brutal custom.  But protests in the years since Telemachus have also been considered decisive events in history.

A Decisive Event in Montgomery, AL

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, an African American seamstress, seated herself in the white section of a Montgomery City bus.  When the bus driver asked her to vacate her seat for a white man, Rosa “refused to leave her seat on the grounds of fairness, freedom and equality. As a result, she was arrested and convicted of violating the laws of segregation, known as the "Jim Crow" laws.  She appealed her conviction and formally challenged the legality of segregation (See Rosa Parks Day, Ben Franklin Transit).”  

Non-Violent Demonstrations
In response to the Rosa Parks incident, civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King Jr., led a boycott of the Montgomery bus system.  Rev. Dr. King, leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), insisted on the principle of non-violent demonstrations based on his Christian faith.  
The most decisive demonstration led by Dr. King was the August, 1963 March on Washington.  There, King delivered his momentous “I Have a Dream” message, again grounded in biblical Christianity as well as the principles embodied in great documents of American history including the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the United States Constitution.  Rev. King described a world in which people of every ethnic group could work together, be educated together, and worship together. He repeatedly mentioned "God's children" in his message and expressed his hope and dream that “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together (Isaiah 40: 5)."

The non-violent civil rights movement under Dr. King moved a step closer to his “dream” coming true when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by the U.S. Congress with bipartisan support.  Less than four years later, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, and his death further immortalized his leadership in bringing about an end to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Freedom of Expression Today

There is no doubt that America has made great progress in securing minority rights in the past 75 years.  However, if Dr. King were alive, I believe he would be opposed to the violent protests currently occurring on American streets.   He would oppose the manner in which tragic events such as the murder of George Floyd have been used by radical groups to stir violent demonstrations, vandalism, and destruction out of hate and greed rather than to promote necessary reforms and the love of our neighbor regardless of ethnicity.  In fact, one need only listen to Dr. King’s niece, Evangelist Alveda King, to hear the same heart of love and reason which she learned from her father and her uncle.  She emphasizes the importance of “pairing social justice with righteousness” when confronting issues plaguing America today (See Black History 1: Correct History Brings Light).

Social justice that is not coupled to God’s righteousness and love for neighbor becomes trapped in pride, covetousness, greed, and resentment others.  Instead of non-violent demonstrations so effective in bringing social reform under Dr. King, many of today’s protesters shout with loud voices and even violent threats against government authorities.  Aided by major media outlets that are biased in favor of extreme left-wing and socialist philosophies, these voices are becoming intimidating toward mainstream Americans.

Americans are guaranteed certain rights, inalienable rights which are ultimately from God, including the freedom of expression under the U.S. Constitution.  For over two centuries, each citizen of the U.S. has been given the right to cast one vote on each issue and candidate put forth during elections.  At election time, regardless of wealth, popularity, political opinion, physical health, or gender; all citizens have an equal influence when voting their consciences.  However, with the crumbling of law enforcement and the rise of threatening voices of the hateful and the violent, many who want to express their opinion and eventually cast their votes are increasingly afraid to speak up.  A recent Cato Institute Summer 2020 National Survey reveals that Americans with increasingly conservative political views are less and less comfortable in sharing their opinions (See adjacent chart of results.).

A Decisive Event in Milwaukee?
My concern for the protection of our freedom of expression has recently been increased by the news of the brutal murder of a Black American.  I am not referring to George Floyd, as tragic as that is; nor am I referring to the dozens of Black Americans being murdered in our major cities every week due to lawlessness.  Instead, I am referring to the murder of a Milwaukee man, Bernel Trammell in broad daylight outside his business where he publishes eXpressions Journal, a small periodical that focuses on political and spiritual news.  At the time of this writing, the murderer and the motive behind Trammell’s death on July 23 is not known. 

“Everybody has a voice. Everybody’s voice has power,” Trammell was fond of saying, according to a friend.  Tragically, the voice of Trammell and votes this simple man would have cast have been stopped by someone more powerful—possibly someone who hated Bernel Trammell’s bold Christian witness and/or his vocal support for Donald Trump.

With America so deeply divided,  I believe our only hope is that God will respond to the prayers of many of us for a spiritual reawakening (See How Firm Is Our Foundation?)  Returning to our notion of “decisive events,” is it possible that the murder of Bernel Trammell could trigger a major change in the direction of history?  The Christian, non-violent intercessions against injustice by Telemachus and Martin Luther King, Jr. each caused decisive outcomes in their respective cultures.  Is it possible that we Americans might respond like the Roman spectators on that January 14, 404 AD when they became sickened at the brutal murder of Telemachus?  Could the innocent death of Bernel Trammell, a Black American known only as a kind, outspoken man in Milwaukee who loved God and Donald Trump, cause us all to stop and say, “Enough!”

How Do You Respond?
I have described how several tragic events became decisive events in world history.  If the tragic murder of a Bernel Trammell is not enough to cause American’s to say, “Enough!” then what will it take to bring an awakening to our country? 

I welcome your “Comments.”  If you have not subscribed to Oikonomia free of charge, please complete the form in the right sidebar above.  Thank you. 

“Playing Better Defense”-- Against COVID-19

Some have called planet Earth the “Blue Jewel” because of the way in which its lovely blue and white appearance from outer space sparkles in the midst of the blackness all around it.  Although there is some disagreement about how it occurred, planet Earth appears to be perfectly suited to support life as we know it.  The anthropic principle maintains that if Earth did not have its precise combination of physical, chemical, magnetic, and cosmic relationships, life as we know it could not exist.

In spite of its amazing, life-supporting, “Blue Jewel” status, planet Earth is also a very dangerous place to live.  Human mortality rate in the long haul is 100%.  Everyone eventually dies.  Each of us have known family members or friends whose lives were seemingly “prematurely” ended.  Pathogens like COVID-19 very often do not directly cause death but instead add stress to the body, mind, and spirit of those who are “at-risk” due to age, genetic, or health reasons.  Because of this, “cause of death” is often difficult to assign to one factor.

Thankfully, there is much more good news for us than bad during these uncertain days of the pandemic.  For people who understand the more enduring principles of human life, there is a good alternative to succumbing to confusion, worry, and fear of “the virus.”  The alternative is to “play better defense.”  We need to ask ourselves, “Are we ‘playing the best defense we can play’ against the COVID-19 threat?”

To me, “playing the best defense” begins with the understanding that our bodies are the amazing result of intelligent design.  According to the Bible, Jehovah God is the Intelligent Designer (See Creation’s Complexity Can Be Convicting).  God gave the first humans the moral authority to exercise dominion and stewardship over creation (Genesis 1: 27-28; 2: 15).  God’s assignment to Adam (Genesis 2: 16-20) is still ours.  Like Adam, we accomplish stewardship through the obedient exercise of our God-given gifts of reasoning, inquiry, and creativity.  This principle of stewardship features a complementary relationship, or con-service, between God’s creating and sustaining role and our responsible role as wise managers of what belongs to God, including our bodies (See Fundamentals of Conservation, Part 3 "Serving with Our Neighbor)."

Stewardship of Our Bodies
In the context of our stewardship of creation and our own health, let’s examine the basis for “playing the best defense” against the COVID-19 threat.  “Health” in its broad definition is best maintained through wise stewardship of the physical environment of Earth.  Then, within a healthy environment we enhance our own personal health by maintaining our daily rhythms of work and rest, eating of nutritious foods, and recreation through activities that promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  God’s part in this design and plan is evident when we consider three types of defense against viruses and other pathogens.  We’ll classify these as innate immunity, acquired (adaptive) immunity, and “spiritual defenses.”  All three categories function interdependently but we will consider each separately.  My discussion of these will be brief and certainly open to correction by readers who have much more knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, psychology, and theology than I.

Innate Immunity
Innate immunity is generally associated with physical barriers (e.g. skin, body openings and tracts into the interior of the body) and secretions (e.g. mucous, saliva, tears, sweat, oil, wax, and gastric acid) that provide protection both exterior and within passageways and internal organs of our bodies.

Our skin is an organ composed of three layers of tissue and provides the principal physical barrier against pathogens.  The epidermis provides the outer protective layer and determines skin color.  Beneath the epidermis is the dermis which contains sweat glands for evaporative cooling, oil glands for waterproofing, and hair follicles.  Finally, subcutaneous tissue consists of fat, connective tissue, and blood vessels.  Our part in maintaining our health is to keep our skin clean and to protect it from excessive dryness, burning, cuts and abrasions.  And, we must see that our skin is medically treated when it is damaged. 

Our skin covering is interrupted by specialized openings for visual, auditory, respiratory, digestive, and reproductive functions—i.e. eyes, mouth, nasal passage, ear canal, anus, and genitals.  Each of these openings have complex mechanisms to protect our bodies from entry of debris and pathogens.  For example, our nasal passages contain nasal hairs which collect dust particles and control moisture.  Our respiratory tract is lined with ciliated epithelium which physically directs particles away from our lungs.  In addition to its function in physical and enzymatic digestion of food, our saliva contains both antibacterial and antiviral agents, and promotes wound healing.  Our eyes produce secretions that have antiseptic and antibiotic properties.  For more details on the human eye, see “Tears for Good Reasons—At Least for Now.”  

Our innate immune system also includes various types of blood cells, including large white blood cells (lymphocytes) known as macrophages.  These cells circulate in the blood and “ingest” viruses, bacteria, worn out body cells, debris, and inflamed body cells that could go rogue and cause cancer.  Macrophages also secrete small protein molecules called cytokines which facilitate the entry of lymphocytes known as “natural killer cells” (NK cells) into tumor cells and viral infected cells, thus facilitating destruction. 

Unfortunately, when our innate immune system is compromised due to age or poor health, it may overreact to Coronavirus invasion, causing a so-called cytokine storm.  COVID-19 deaths often result when the virus causes a cytokine storm leading to widespread attacks by NK cells that inflame the respiratory system.  Again, as with our skin, it is our stewardship responsibility to maintain each of these components if we wish to “play a better external defense” against disease.

Innate Immunity and Masks
Masks or respirators with varying degrees of sophistication have been used for many years in a variety of settings to prevent entry of dust, pollen, pathogens, or toxic aerosols and gases.  There have been confusing signals from the Coronavirus Task Team and a general lack of clear evidence that wearing masks is effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19.  (See “COVID-19 Transmission – “Unmasking” Science.”

According to a WHO Guidance Report, “…the use of a medical mask can prevent the spread of infectious droplets from an infected person to someone else and potential contamination of the environment by these droplets.”  However, according to a Nature Medicine report, “surgical masks can efficaciously reduce the emission of influenza virus particles into the environment in respiratory droplets, but not in aerosols.”  The report also stated that “Among the samples collected without a face mask, we found that the majority of participants with influenza virus and coronavirus infection did not shed detectable virus in respiratory droplets or aerosols…” An updated WHO Report this month (July) calls for further studies on “what role aerosols might play in transmission.”

Our brief summary of innate immune defenses ought to impress upon you just how complicated, overlapping, and potentially effective these defenses are.  While there is much attention and controversy focused on the social implications of wearing a mask and social distancing, let us not forget our individual stewardship responsibility to maintain our innate immune system through proper hygiene, nutrition, rest, and outdoor exposures.   The same principle applies to our acquired or adaptive immune system.

VIDEO CLIPS:
Nutrition and Your Immune System

How Coronavirus Confuses the Immune System

Acquired Immunity
Our acquired immune system is fully integrated with our innate immunity, especially since both systems rely on lymphocytes within the bloodstream.  But while all of us are born with the components of the innate immune system, lymphocytes of the acquired immune system are designed to respond in specific ways towart specific pathogen we encounter during our life.  The response involves white blood cells known as B Cells and T-cells.  The B Cells secrete antibodies when triggered by the presence of an antigen, a foreign protein of a pathogen; whereas, T cells produce and “wear” antibodies on their surfaces to bind the antigens of pathogens.   

If we are exposed to Coronavirus, a healthy defense response would involve production of antibodies that should be able to defeat the virus.  The hope is that we can develop a vaccine which would contain a weakened form of the Coronavirus antigen(s) to trigger antibody production and thus “acquired immunity.” The Life Science website gives additional details on B and T cell immunity and how they relate to acquiring natural immunity and also, the chances of manufacturing an effective vaccine.

Our brief introduction to acquired immunity again reveals the importance of maintaining our health.  Among factors that can weaken our immune system are prolonged grief, stress, alcohol, and smoking.  Nutritional deficiencies include low vitamin D and insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables.  Lack of sleep, exercise, and exposure to the outdoors also weaken immunity.  The result of poor health habits are health conditions that weaken our immune system.  Besides aging, these include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, respiratory condition, and cerebrovascular disease.  Given the high frequency of people who practice poor health habits and who experience emotional as well as physical problems, is it possible that our third and final type of defense against pathogens and disease has been underestimated?

“Spiritual Defense” against Disease
It is scientifically established that emotional stress weakens the human immune system and can lead to greater susceptibility to infections and disease.  According to a publication of the American Psychological Association, “Stress Weakens the Immune System.”  We have already discussed the role of a healthy spiritual life in helping us to “play a better defense” against viruses and other pathogens.  In the article, “Coronavirus Resistance: Biological and Spiritual,” we presented evidence from Scripture and from science to support the belief that a person of strong, practicing faith in God can find joy and peace emotionally and spiritually in place of fear, hopelessness, and despair.

COVID-19 Meets the Human Immune System
This article has outlined the amazing design and function of the human body’s defenses against pathogen infections.  We have only scratched the surface of subject of how the human immune system defends against viruses.  However, if our immune systems are as effective as they are claimed to be, then the proof should be in how well humans can resist infection, disease, and death from pathogens like COVID-19.   Let’s test this hypothesis against the current mortality and percentage of recovery from virus infection.

The data table represents total population in selected states, number of tests, positive tests, deaths, mortality, and percent recovery.  Of particular interest to demonstrate effectiveness of the human immune system against COVID-19 is the relatively small number of positive cases compared to the number of tests; the relatively small number of deaths compared to the number of positive cases; and, the relatively small percentage if infected people who died compared to the percent recovering.  In each of these pairings, the degree to which first number (or percentage) is smaller than the second is a testimony not only to our health care system and access to generally good nutrition, sanitation, and living conditions but also to a generally very effective immune system. 

In many states, especially where elderly people with COVID-19 were not moved into crowded nursing homes, percent recovery is up to 99%!  These data suggest that we have an amazing immune system which is largely effective in providing resistance to COVID-19 infection, and where infection does occur, effective in overcoming the infection and resulting in a high percentage of recovery.  The upshot is that our most certain and ultimate protection from COVID-19 resides in making good choices to maintain our health in body, mind, and spirit.

What Are Your Thoughts and Questions?
There are many “invitations” in this article for you to respond with your comments and questions.  I’m especially interested in what you are doing to maintain your nutritional and spiritual health. Please use the “Comment” link below.  Also, may I encourage you to “Subscribe to Oikonomia” by responding to my invitation in the right sidebar above?   Thank you!

COVID-19 Transmission: “Unmasking” Science

I’d like to think that most Americans still believe that truth exists, that truth can be known, and that we make the best decisions when we have truthful information.  Science, especially “good science,” is one way of finding and publishing correct truth claims.  However, in the era of COVID-19, it seems there are many “middle people” operating between what science discovers and what the average person reads or hears in the news.  For example, there are scientific studies of the efficacy of masks in preventing spread of viruses.  Then, there are news reports recommending whether or not we ought to wear masks.  What is the truth about masks?  

You are no doubt aware of the mixed signals regarding whether or not we should wear masks that have come from the Coronavirus Task Team members, especially Dr. Anthony Fauci.  This confusion could be an indication that political bias and efforts to influence policy may be creating static in the signals between the actual scientific findings on mask wearing and the recommendations we receive through media sources.

The purpose of this article is not to convince you of whether or not to wear a mask. Instead, as I tried to do with an April article, (See COVID-19 Policies & Outcomes: Learning Online), my purpose here is to simply reference several scientific studies to show how researchers report their findings, make conclusions, and offer recommendations based on their results.  In other words, I want to take us back to the primary sources, the journal articles from the scientific laboratories.  These are the sources of information from which newspaper and TV journalists obtain their information.  Resultant newsprint or media newscasts which most of us receive are considered secondary sources, and perhaps tertiary sources, any of which are subject to accidental or deliberate errors.

What follows are references to two primary (scientific journal) sources which report recent studies of the effectiveness of masks in intercepting COVID-19 and other viruses.  I am also including one secondary source compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) based primary sources.  Each title is accompanied with the link so you can obtain the article in PDF format to read for yourself.  I have given each source a handy label which I can use to refer to each article as follows:

1)  Vietnam Study (2015)
MacIntyre CR, Seale H, Dung TC, et al.  A cluster randomised trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers. BMJ Open 2015;5: e006577. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006577
Locate Article:  HERE

2)  WHO Guidance Report
Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19  -- WHO in April, 2020

Locate Article (automatic download of PDF): HERE

3)  Nature Medicine study:
Leung, N.H.L., D. K. W. Chu, et al. Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks.  Nature Medicine 26: 676–680, May 2020
Locate Article:  HERE

Vietnam Study
The “Vietnam study” involved 1,607 hospital health care workers (age 18 or older) employed full-time in selected high-risk wards among 14 different hospitals.  The objective of this study was “to compare the efficacy of cotton cloth masks to medical masks in hospital healthcare workers.”  Their conclusions are as follows:

Caution against Cloth Masks:  “This study is the first randomized critical trial of cloth masks, and the results caution against the use of cloth masks. This is an important finding to inform occupational health and safety. Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection. Further research is needed to inform the widespread use of cloth masks globally.  However, as a precautionary measure, cloth masks should not be recommended for health care workers, particularly in high-risk situations, and guidelines need to be updated.”

The results of the “Vietnam study” were summarized in the adjacent graphic presented by the Laura Ingraham Angle on Fox News.  This news channel is a secondary source that is seen by millions of viewers.  The Fox News summary accurately presents the conclusions of the study.  However, reading the journal article reveals several complicating factors that are typically missed in news reporting.  The following excerpt from the journal article addresses some of the limitations of the study:

A limitation of this study is that we did not measure compliance with hand hygiene, and the results reflect self-reported compliance, which may be subject to recall or other types of bias. Another limitation of this study is the lack of a no-mask control group and the high use of masks in the controls, which makes interpretation of the results more difficult. In addition, the quality of paper and cloth masks varies widely around the world, so the results may not be generalisable to all settings (MacIntyre C.R. et al, p. 7).

What can we take away from the “Vietnam Study?”  First, the “Vietnam Study” appears to demonstrate “good science.”  The researchers were objective, conducted experiments and analyzed data with care, tried to avoid bias, were careful not to overstate conclusions, and invited scrutiny and critical analysis by peers and readers.

Second, primary journal sources often contain admissions of limitations that may or may not affect the conclusions; and, usually suggest the need for additional scientific research.  However, news reporting based on these primary sources often do not include these details.  Therefore, I encourage readers to check out the “Vietnam Study” article itself to gain more of a sense of how science is conducted and reported. 

Finally, the “Vietnam Study” provides much reason for us to question the efficacy of cotton cloth masks in preventing transmission of virus, and suggests that “moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection.”  We ought to be asking, “Is it possible that by wearing a mask I am increasing my risk of infection?”  How will this scientific study affect your choices, and the current policies of our state governors regarding masks?

WHO Guidance Report
Unlike the “Vietnam Study,” the “WHO Interim Guidance Report” is a secondary source with recommendations based on primary research reports.  This secondary source by definition represents interpretations and recommendations made by at least some people who were not directly involved in primary research and reporting.  However, if the interpretations and recommendations are accurate, the secondary source can reveal patterns and trends based on multiple research results including the “Vietnam Study” by MacIntyre CR, Seale H, Dung TC, et al.  cited above. 

The “WHO Guidance Report” offers the following summation concerning the efficacy of wearing masks to prevent spread of COVID-19:
When infected people wear masks:  “Studies of influenza, influenza-like illness, and human coronaviruses provide evidence that the use of a medical mask can prevent the spread of infectious droplets from an infected person to someone else and potential contamination of the environment by these droplets.”

When uninfected people wear masks:  “There is limited evidence that wearing a medical mask by healthy individuals in the households or among contacts of a sick patient, or among attendees of mass gatherings may be beneficial as a preventive measure. However, there is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whether medical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community setting, including universal community masking, can prevent them from infection with respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 (WHO Interim Guidance Report, p. 1).”

This April, 2020 recommendation by WHO was consistent with the recommendation at the time from Dr. Anthony Fauci who informed Americans that “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.  When you’re are in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a bit better, and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is.” 

Facebook now flags the April interview with Dr. Fauci as “false information.  Dr. Fauci later recommended wearing of masks and explained that his turn-around was based on his concern that if everyone wore a mask, healthcare workers would be left in short supply.  However, another April study, this one published in Nature Medicine, seems to confirm Dr. Fauci’s original recommendation against the need for wearing masks.  Is it possible that Dr. Fauci was scientifically correct in his April recommendation?  Let’s have a closer look at the “Nature Medicine Study.”

Nature Medicine Study
This report, published online April 3, 2020, is a primary source from a reputable journal.  The study was conducted from March, 2013 through May, 2016 in a general outpatient clinic of a private hospital in Hong Kong.  Researchers “screened 3,363 individuals in two study phases, ultimately enrolling 246 individuals who provided exhaled breath samples.  Among these 246 participants, 122 (50%) participants were randomized to not wearing a face mask during the first exhaled breath collection and 124 (50%) participants were randomized to wearing a face mask. Overall, 49 (20%) voluntarily provided a second exhaled breath collection of the alternate type.”

Results of the “Nature Medicine Study” were summarized as follows:
Virus Transmission in Air:  “Our results indicate that aerosol transmission is a potential mode of transmission for coronaviruses as well as influenza viruses and rhinoviruses.”
Efficacy of Masks:  “Our findings indicate that surgical masks can efficaciously reduce the emission of influenza virus particles into the environment in respiratory droplets, but not in aerosols.”
Very Little Virus Shedding:  “Among the samples collected without a face mask, we found that the majority of participants with influenza virus and coronavirus infection did not shed detectable virus in respiratory droplets or aerosols…”

The “Nature Medicine Study” affirms that coronaviruses can be transmitted in respiratory droplets (size greater than 5 micrometers) and in aerosols (size = less than 5 micrometers).  Surgical face masks (# 62356, Kimberly-Clark) reduced transmission of virus in respiratory droplets but not virus transmission in the smaller aerosols.  This result should be unsettling to infected people who depend on mask wearing to reduce transmission to others, and even to noninfected people who depend on masks to avoid infection.  However, there is some good news from this study; namely, the indication that the majority of those infected with coronavirus did not shed virus in either droplets or aerosols!

Summary Considerations
In summary, I have reviewed two primary literature sources and one secondary source.  All of them provide significant findings that should be taken into consideration when policy makers and we as individuals decide on whether or not to wear a mask; and, for what purpose, or what kind of mask, or how to avoid increasing risk of infection as a mask-wearer.  Perhaps most telling to us is whether we have been surprised by any of the results reported in these three studies.  I suggest that the degree to which we are surprised reflects the degree to which we have depended solely on broadcast media (secondary sources) as most Americans do.  

Unless we have a media source that does the hard work of extracting results from primary scientific sources, and reports it objectively without political bias, we will not be able to do as many say we should do-- “just follow the science.”  In the case of mask wearing, as I have discussed here, there appears to be “good science” and at least some good journalism, suggesting that we do well not to put too much trust in cotton cloth masks even if there are dozens of websites that tell us how to make cloth masks.  Furthermore, depending how we use the mask we could even increase our risk of infection.  Nor is there clear evidence that masks are stopping aerosol transmission of virus as much as the fact that virus shedding by infected individuals may be much less than we imagine.

What Do You Think About It?

As always, I welcome your opinions, corrections, questions.  Just use the “Comments” link below.  And, if you would like another COVID-19 related topic to research “back into the science,” consider hydroxychloroquine which as been shown to be efficacious against COVID-19 if prescribed appropriately but which has been opposed vehemently by many in the liberal media.   See Hydroxychloroquine: “Good Science” Challenges Politicized Science and a recent interview with Dr. Harvey Risch, Yale epidemiologist.  Why aren’t we following the science?”