Child of Man, Face of God - Part II

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys...

The children of the depression carried all of the hopes for a better future, better times, and a great society.  A great majority would find themselves fighting in WWII or working the factories in support of that war effort.  When it was over, we would enjoy a resurgence of American pride and plenty.  We would finally realize the dreams of a car in every garage, a chicken in every pot, and the house that goes along with it.  We would finally, in the mid-1960s become the Great Society.  Really?  It doesn't matter the century, decade, or year which a government outlines programs based on bullshit, when the programs finally launch they still smell just as bad.  Like missiles with built-in, American made, intentionally malfunctioning guidance systems, they go everywhere but where we were led to believe they would end up.  All we prove is how continually gullible we are, and all we do is harm our children.  

Look closely at the soup kitchen photo above; a sad reminder of mistakes made in our past.  Now, check out the photo below.

History isn't repeating itself, history never really changed.  We never learn anything except how to exacerbate a problem.  We vote morons into office to assist us in our efforts to continually fail.  We seem to enjoy voting these incompetents into positions of authority so they can spend our money and live better than we do; we must, because we keep on voting them in.  

Our children keep on suffering for this inability to vote in quality leadership.  We send them to colleges and universities, we can't afford, so instructors well versed in failure can instruct our children how to carry on this same tradition of failure.  Government wins by creating a society of young people brought up to believe said government is better than it is.  Like an addictive Everything Drug, our children are given everything and are expected to produce nothing.  The drug is bought on credit because society is broke.  This Everything Drug is given away with government's full knowledge that this young society will never be able to pay the drug lord, the government, back for everything given.  Our children become indentured servants to the government we put in place, and they don't much care because they're hooked.  They become whores for their votes until such time as government either takes over completely, or implodes from massive, uncontrollable debt.  Our children will love us, right?  Of course, because we have allowed our children to become numb to being screwed over.  "It's okay; just give me more of everything."

"Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him."

-- Psalm 127:3

But, what does all of this have to do with children and God?  According to Nelson Mandela, "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."  Children are a gift, a heritage, to mankind from the Lord.  They are a reward which we have endeavored to corrupt through our abuse.  We have forgotten what Christ said about how to treat these gifts of God, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  The point is driven home with, “And everyone who commits an offense against one of these little ones who believe in me, it were profitable for him that a donkey's millstone would be hung around his neck and he be sunk in the depths of the sea.”

And yet, we support government programs which rewards poverty and stagnates initiative.  We allow parents to continue not progressing forward as productive members of society, not making of themselves everything the Lord intended, and to abuse their children by blatantly teaching them, encouraging them, to follow in their footsteps to nowhere as if this abuse reflects some twisted praise of God to be further rewarded by the Almighty.  The rest of us shake our heads at this lack of parenting, yet we give passive encouragement for abuse by not curtailing the programs which, in themselves, encourage continued abuse.  Not one of us is immune to culpability for what we do in the face of God for these gifts of life, our heritage, not one of us.  Where one child fails, so fail us all!  It makes one well up with pride, doesn't it?

I challenge everyone to visit a shelter for youth in this country, and not a government controlled excuse for one.  Visit a shelter run by people who really care, if you can find one.  Ask those people about the youth they are there to assist.  Volunteer at a soup kitchen.  Meet some of the young people.  Meet their parents, if they're there as a homeless family.  Ask your questions of them.  Listen to their stories, their hopes and fears.  Dare to look into their eyes, if your conscience can handle it.  Dare to look for the face of God and, if you think you see a glimmer of it, dare to see passed it to what the future holds, and remember this poem by John Donne:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Click here to continue:  Child of Man, Face of God - Part III

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.