Conservative Christians: A Critical Voice in a Troubled Time

Posted on March 23, 2025 by richp45198

It would appear that Conservative Christians played a significant role in the election of Donald Trump. Several of the issues around which he built his campaign to include abortion and sexual identity appealed to the Conservative Christians. Now that he is elected, their voice becomes especially important.

Since his election, he and Elon Musk have spent much time addressing the issue of government waste by making major lay-offs in several agencies. Indeed, there is much waste and inefficiency in government departments. However, the manner in which this has been done stands at odds with basic principles of Christian compassion. This picture reflects the attitude they appear to have taken about cutbacks.

A publicity stunt but one devoid of any sense of Christian compassion for those affected by the layoffs. Here is an interview with one of many veterans affected by these layoffs. He reflects the lack of Christian compassion.

The callousness reflected in the massive terminations, especially of veterans, and the callous manner in which they have happened is worthy of a response from ALL Christians, not just conservative ones. It is appropriate for Conservative Christians to find ways of holding government officials responsible not for the cuts themselves but for the manner in which they are happening.

Similarly, Conservative Christians need to stand up in support of those Conservative Christians who are Supreme Court justices and who have had the courage to challenge Trump. These justices have already been exposed to decidedly un-Christian attacks because they have not automatically agreed with President Trump and, in the case of Chief Justice Roberts, have held him accountable.

The Christian voices of Liberal Christians are being easily dismissed, labelling them as “Left-wing socialists” etc. This will not change. So it may be the voices of Conservative Christians that will be especially important in demanding that government officials adhere to basic Christian principles in the weeks ahead.

Then there is the Vice-President Vance, an avowed Conservative Christian Catholic who took it upon himself to justify a change in policy regarding foreign aid by referring to St. Thomas Aquinas, a reference roundly criticized by Catholic theologians. See for example https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/02/13/ordo-amoris-stephen-pope-vance-249926 for a thorough assessment of Aquinas’ idea of ordis amoris which Vance uses to justify reducing assistance to other nations.

I am not a Conservative Christian. Issues of government waste, immigration, foreign aid, even abortion are difficult ones that may indeed call for new solutions. But the manner in which they are implemented needs to be done from a position of Christian concern.

Finally, we are all called to reevaluate how well we understand Jesus’ message and how well we integrate that message into our response to the political activities of the day. I need to hold myself responsible for my response to those with whom I do not agree. Do I judge? Do I name-call? Yes, Jesus was critical but He usually was critical of the leaders of His time, not the average Jew trying to get through each day in the midst of an oppressive Roman government and a largely self-centered group of religious leaders. He challenged us all to not be judgmental, to treat each other with loving respect, to help the poor and the disenfranchised. If political leaders claim to be Christians, then we Christians, both liberal and conservative, need to hold them to their claim, using only the teachings of Jesus as our reference point.

If you find this blog thought-provoking pass it on.

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Powerlessness and Politics: What Are We Citizens to Do?

Posted on March 6, 2025 by richp45198

It seems that each day the news includes yet something else impacting on we citizens. Today it included the announcement of further cuts to VA employees. Since the beginning of the year, the news has included announcements of other job firings, cuts in foreign aid, the pardoning of persons convicted of crimes at the Jan 6 riot, and insults to other foreign leaders. Intelligent dialogue seems to be a thing of the past as our country becomes more and more polarized. If you take a conservative position, you ae accused of being a fascist. If you take a liberal position, you are accused of being a socialist.

Shades of Joe McCarthy! In the time of Sen. McCarthy in the 1950s, any criticism of that Senator and his anti-communist agenda resulted in one being labelled as a Communist. Neighbor turned against neighbor. We may be moving in that direction and will be encouraged to report our neighbors who are immigrants, who still work from home, etc.

The issues facing our country are difficult. Immigration, gun control, disease control, the Ukraine. All are complex issues that do not lend themselves to easy resolution. Intelligent study and dialogue is desperately needed. Instead what we seem to hear are insults and threats on all sides with undercurrents of violence to those who speak out. In the face of all of this, we common citizens can feel powerlessness. Or angry.

It is that anger that has been capitalized on. One politician was astute enough to take what I call a Howard Beal approach to things. Paddy Chayefsky predicted not only the TV news environment but the political environment over 40 years ago with his script for the film Network. Here is the signature scene:

There is such a thing as righteous anger, an anger that needs to be balanced by compassion and a capacity to listen. Much of the anger that we see and hear from our political leaders lacks any degree of compassion.

Beneath anger is fear. Fear of the immigrant. Fear of the economy. Fear of the future. Underneath the anger that drove January 6 and that influenced subsequent elections lurks fear. In the face of such fear, many, many of us feel powerless.

To feel powerless is to fell an absence of control, an impotence. Most of us lack a vehicle to directly impact current events. We can write to our congressman or congresswoman yet have the nagging thought that our letter won’t be read. We can march in protests. History shows us that protests can make a difference. Witness the impact of protests against racial discrimination or the Viet Nam War. Yet at an individual level, it can feel like a waste of time.

Those of us who consider ourselves Christian are especially challenged, particularly in the face of so-called Christians acting an an un-Christian manner by resorting to name-calling, violence, and judgment. Some of us Christians seem to have forgotten some basic Christian principles.

What are we Christian citizens to do?

  1. We can educate ourselves. We can select a reliable news source, one that reports all sides of an issue without name-calling.
  2. We can educate ourselves on current Christian teaching and thinking on the issues before us. For example, an excellent recent article in America magazine by El Paso’s own Bishop Mark Seitz presents an excellent examination of the immigration issue from a Christian perspective.
  3. We can be honest with ourselves in terms of what we fear and how that may be influencing our reactions to the issues of the day and in particular whether that fear is being manipulated by others.
  4. We can participate in protests as long as they are peaceful and respectful. Remember that more than a few participants in the Jan 6 riot labelled themselves as Christians.
  5. In the 12 Step program persons in recovery are called to acknowledge powerless and turn instead to a higher power. Perhaps our religious leaders need to challenge us to pray for solutions to problems that embrace the teachings of Jesus rather than ignore them.
  6. As simple as it may seem, we can pray.

For me, the sense of powerlessness is a persistent negative voice. Even as I write this, that voice says “This is a waste of time. Who do you think you are?” Well, I’m a Christian and we Christians have a long heritage of speaking out in the face of negativity. Jesus of course is the original Voice but there have been others since then. All have been willing to speak out in the face of indifference.

It can also be an issue of ego –that I want to make a difference. That I want people to listen to Me! Perhaps I need to humbly accept that I can only be a small but significant part of a voice that can make a difference. And that matters!

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Me and Baseball

Posted on February 9, 2025 by richp45198

It is February and soon pitchers and catchers will show up for spring training. Along with Dan Shaughnessy and others, my sons and I will assess the possibilities this coming year for my beloved Redsox.

Baseball has been a part of my life since I don’t know how long. I can’t remember when I first got into baseball but I remember my first glove. An Early Wynn model. My Dad gave it to me and we would spend time in our backyard like so many fathers and sons do playing catch.

I missed an important opportunity once because I was too young. We had a cottage for a week at Lake Henry in the Poconos. A nice old man was in the cottage next door. My Dad told me his name was Steve O’Neil and that he had played baseball. How I wish I had a time machine and go back to talk with this catcher for the Cleveland Indians. What was Tris Speaker like? Or Smoky Joe Wood? And what was it like the day your friend Roy Chapman got killed?

I never played organized ball. The Green Ridge Little League was the one all my friends played in. But I was ineligible. I lived one block over the boundary between Scranton and Dunmore. And so I contented myself with sandlot baseball. We would come together at a place called Maloney Field. We’d put out rocks for bases and play. Sometimes we’d have enough for a regular game. Sometimes not.

Similarly I would spend hours in my backyard bouncing a rubber ball off of the garage door or the second floor. I’d dive to field the grounders. I’d leave my cap loosely on my head so that it would fly off as I chased a fly ball. I wanted to look like Willie Mays at the Polo Grounds.

In sixth grade we actually formed a real school team. We made hats which were red and white and had the letters SC on them. St. Clare’s. We would play some of the other Catholic school in the area, those being the days when there were lots of them.

One of the high points of my youthful love of baseball involved Jimmy Piersall. Jimmy played for the Redsox and had played for the minor league Scranton Redsox. As such, when a secretary at the truckig comanpny where my Dad worked was getting married, he told me that Jimmy Piersall would be there. Did I want my dad to get his autograph? I rushed into my room and quickly found Jimmy’s card in my extensive Topps baseball card collection. After the wedding, my Dad returned not only with the Topps card but with a second publicity card. Both were signed “Your pal, Jimmy Piersall”. My Pal? I was pals with a real ballplayer!

It turns out that my Mom was a bit of a baseball fan. Thus, on a cold autumn afternoon after I had run home from school. she joined me to watch Bill Mazeroski win the World Series with what is still for me the greatest home run I’ve ever seen.

In 1961 my Dad graciously took me to Yankee Stadium to see Jimmy play. By then, he was with the Cleveland Indians. It turned out that not only did I see Jimmy play but that I also saw Roger Maris hit his 56th of 61 home runs.

Then I began to drift away from baseball. Oh I took note of such events as Sandy Koufax retiring or the Mets winning the Series or Roberto Clemente’s death. But I didn’t follow it with enthusiasm. Little did I know the role baseball played when I needed to rediscover baseball.

My interest started to renew with the 1975 World Series. I was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston and had noticed a Series game on a store televison.I put the game on when we got home and stayed to see the second-greatest homerun of all time–Carlton Fisk’s game winner.

In around 1980 I took my son Matthew to his first Major League game in Philadelphia. I still remember him walking out of the tunnel and seeing the field for the first time. He stood there and could only say “Wow!” What a moment that is! To see a Major League field for the first time!

I became clean and sober on June 2 1983. One year later I was glad I was sober. But my life was tepid. I had heard the phrase “Fake it ’til you make it.” I concluded that I lacked enthusiasm. So I decided I would pretend to be enthused. But about what? I knew it couldn’t be anything like world peace or poverty. I had recently been in a production of Golden Pond when the main character bemoans the fate of the Detroit Tigers. “That’s it” I thought. I’ll be enthused about baseball.

But you can’t just be enthused about baseball. You have to root for a specific team. After some reflection, I realized that it had to be the Boston Redsox. There was the Scranton Redsox farm team. Jimmy Piersall’s autograph. And my Uncle Joe whom I really loved was a rabid Redsox fan. So the Redsox it was! I went out and bought a Redsox cap and a new glove. I started reading the sports page, cursing when the Redsox lost, cheering when they won. It worked. My love of baseball and the Redsox has become a part of my life and that of all my family.

Since I’ve reconnected with baseball, I’ve added to my list of great moments I have seen. All were on TV and included Pete Rose breaking Ty Cobb’s record, Cal Ripkin breaking Lou Gehrig’s record, and Ichiro breaking George Sisler’s record. Two other memories stands out.

In 1989 I was visiting my parents in Scranton and my Dad and I decided to drive up to the Baseball Hall of Fame. My Mom wasn’t going to go until I told her that Red Schoendienst had just been inducted. She was a great fan of Red’s and so she came along. I can picture her standing before Red’s plaque saying “Good for Red.” I also spotted her looking at one of the statistics for Nolan Ryan. I said “Mom, you know who Nolan Ryan is?” She was slighted offended. Looking over her glasses, she said “Of course I know who Nolan Ryan is!”

The other memory happened outside of Fenway Park. My wife, sons Ben and Matt and I were waiting outside for a ballpark tour to begin. Two men walked by and I said to my son Matt “That looks like Dave Roberts!” Dave is beloved in RedSox lore because of The Steal. His steal of second base in the 2004 league playoffs turned the tide from near loss to four victories in a row over the hated Yankees. I called out to him and he set down his bag and came over to shake my hand. We chatted briefly and he went on his way. Dave has gone on to great success as the manger of the Dodgers. I hope he never loses his down-to-earth approachability.

I could also write abut baseball literature but that is for another time. For now I’ll just say that if you want to see a piece of great writing, read John Updike’s article “Kid Bids Hub Adieu”.

Baseball has enriched my life, given me a bond with my children and grandchildren. It has helped me reclaim enthusiasm, a gift I do not have and that I admire in those who come by it naturally. It is after all a gift and a spiritual one at that. I hope you are blessed with that gift. If not, perhaps you can cultivate it as I did thanks to baseball.

In that spirit, I leave you with this great baseball song by John Fogerty

Reflection: About what are you enthused?

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On Speaking Out

Posted on January 28, 2025 by richp45198

I have been writing this blog for over ten years and rarely have I written about anything political. That has largely been because of what I perceive to be a lack of intelligent political discourse these days. This is due not only to the tactics of Donald Trump but to a disturbing reinterpretation of Christianity, a trend made more apparent through the uproar over the sermon of Marian Edgar Budde as directed at Donald Trump. In her sermon, she respectfully asked Trump to deal with both the immigration issue and matters relating to sexual identity with compassion, not judgment. Trump responded not with some intelligent perspective on those issues but by calling Rev. Budde a “left-wing Trump-hater.”

Similarly the US Catholic Bishops have issued a statement challenging Trump’s plans to deport thousands of immigrants. While the Church accepts Trump’s negative stance regarding sexual identity diversity, the Bishops nonetheless have challenged the President, this in spite of the fact that a significant right wing has developed within the Church.

I admire her courage and that of the Bishops.. In these days with Trump elected and clearly having an agenda of payback to political enemies, there is more at stake for those who speak up. There are those who support Trump and who respond to such things as Budde’s sermon with threats of violence. She has even been accused of being “un-Christian.” The response from the laity to the Bishops’ statement remains to be seen. So far Vice President Vance has accused the Bishops of supporting migrants because of concerns regarding the “bottom line” i.e., money.

We have also seen various police officers and organizations criticize Trump for his pardoning of Jan 6 rioters, some of whom were already convicted and jailed for violence against law enforcement personnel. I read of one police officer who spoke up only to have some MAGA supporters throw shit at his mother’s house.

There is a long history of Christians who suffered for speaking out. The most obvious is Jesus Himself who was condemned and executed for speaking out against religious and government leaders. Since then, Christians such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, Daniel Berrigan and others have suffered imprisonment and even death.

The era of McCarthyism has multiple examples of persons condemned for speaking out. Reporter Edward R. Murrow was labelled as a Communist for his public challenge of Sen Joseph McCarthy. Others such as folk singer Pete Seeger lost their livelihood for many years. Sadly, the current political atmosphere has some uncomfortable parallels to the age of McCarthyism.

The biggest challenge to most of us is the feeling of powerlessness. Yes, we can write letters. And, yes we can joins protests. And yes we can jeopardize friendships by speaking out. What threatens those thoughts, though, is the thought “What difference does it make?”

My own belief is that, as legal challenges begin, the issues of the day will ultimately be resolved for better or worse by a Supreme Court that is in part made up of ultra-conservative Catholics..

How am I as a Christian supposed to respond? My Christian beliefs suggest that I should respond with compassion both to the oppressed and to the oppressor. Yes, I can hold the oppressor accountable yet at the same time convey compassion for whatever is dark within that person.

As Christians, we are called to speak up but also to do so with respect. Name-calling much less throwing bags of shit are hardly Christian responses.

The issues of the day also challenge us to discern without passion what we really believe. What should I as a Christian believe about such issues as immigration, inclusivity, the death penalty, or caring for the environment to highlight only a few of the issues generating passionate responses these days? How should I as a Christian respond to those who hold a different point of view about these issues? Do I respond out of anger to hypocrisy or do I strive to hate the sin but love the sinner?

There is a great need for spiritual renewal in our deeply divided country. Hopefully that spiritual renewal an be based on the message of Jesus as seen in the Beatitudes. This, after all, is His central message on how we are to treat one another.

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On Folk Music

Posted on January 11, 2025 by richp45198

Folk music has been on my mind and heart, partially because of the film “A Complete Unknown” and also because of the death of Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary.

The songs of Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Pete Seegar, Joan Baez and others played a significant role in my own spiritual journey. Their songs challenged me to look at my own beliefs about racism, about poverty, and especially about war. Beyond that, they were songs that connected me to others as we would gather at my high school and sing together. And today at a time when our own country is in the midst of a serious spiritual crisis, perhaps they are songs that can speak again to us.

As we face a dramatic change in social values and as judgment of those who are different is fast becoming the rule, the words from Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A’changin'” seem relevant:

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Divisiveness is the order of the day. Folks songs that celebrate our unity as a nation seem unrealistic. Can you imagine persons of the left- and right-wings joining hands and singing “This Land Is Your Land”? This, by the way, is a song that got Pete Seeger in trouble with Sen. Joseph McCarthy and his Communist-hunting cronies. Were he still with us, he would now be labelled as a socialist and condemned.

Some of the folk songs were songs of protest, “We Shall Overcome” being perhaps the signature protest song of the 60s. As our government continues to move in a repressive direction, voices of protest may become more important but those same voices of protest run the risk of the type of blacklisting experienced by Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and others.

Are there folks singers since the 60s? That of course depends on one’s definition. Given that folk songs also tell a story while conveying a message, I would also consider Harry Chapin and Tracy Chapman to be folk singers whose songs convey a message. Harry Chapin’s song “Mister Tanner” tells of the heartbreak of pursuing one’s dreams while his better known “Cat’s in the Cradle” speaks to the price we pay for putting achievement ahead of family. Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” speaks eloquently to a dream of escaping from poverty and the inner city.

In these troubled times, I believe we desperately need folk singers as well as a rediscovery of the classic folk songs. We need songs about the widening gap between the rich and the poor. We need songs about ongoing racism and antisemitism. We need songs about power-hungry politicians. We need songs about the widening gap between religion and the challenges of daily life.

How have folk songs impacted my spiritual journey? They challenged me to open my eyes and face the racism within my own family much less in society in general. They challenged me to embrace non-violence in the face of my own tendencies to fighting. And the great hymn/folk song “Amazing Grace” has become a beacon of recovery from addiction.

Here then is a sampling of some great songs and singers.

Harry Belafonte sang memorable folk songs, including this African song sung with the Muppets

And finally Judy Collins sings a beautiful “Amazing Grace”

If you have a favorite folk song, feel free to add a link in your comment.

Reflection: How had folk music impacted your own journey?

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Veteran Suicides

Posted on December 18, 2024 by richp45198

I recently watched a film titled “The Keeper”. It tells the true story of combat veteran George Eshleman and his journey along the Appalachian Trail. Veteran Eshleman travelled the Trail carrying the names of 363 veterans who had committed suicide, hoping to heighten awareness of that national tragedy as well as face some of his own demons.

Eshleman made that journey in 2016. Sadly, since then veteran suicides have only increased. The VA report of 2023 indicates 6392 veteran suicides that year.

You may have heard the figure of 22 veteran suicides a day. A day! Some challenge the accuracy of that figure yet the counterpoint is the likelihood that veteran suicides are underreported.

The VA system has tried to respond to this crisis with programs such as the Veteran Crisis Line. Veterans can call 988 then press 1 to be connected with a crisis counselor. The original Crisis Line number of 1-800-273-8255 can also be used. According to the VA, over the past two years over 2 million vets have used that number.

And yet the number of veteran suicides continues to increase. There are millions more depressed and troubled veterans who are unwilling or unable to reach out and so battle regular thoughts of suicide.

If we are to help our veterans, we need to try to understand why suicide becomes an option for them. A compelling reason for some is the reality that veterans who have gone to war may return finding it hard to “fit in”. Many feel changed. How could they not be? Some vets tell me that they can no longer socialize the way they used to since they now find crowds and gatherings a threat. Non-veterans may wonder why, thinking that they are clearly safe. Some veterans themselves will be puzzled by such a change.

Some veterans feel isolated, believing that no one but another combat vet can understand what they are going through. Yet their access to brother and sister veterans may be limited.

Some veterans struggle with living with the realities of modern warfare. In modern combat situations, some will put a child in the middle of a road, planning an attack when the military vehicle stops. One soldier told me he was ordered not to stop, the result being the death of the child. He voiced thoughts of suicide as a way of quieting the guilt and horrifying images that haunted him.

For some, the symptoms of PTSD become intolerable. Suicide presents the possibility that the nightmares and flashbacks will stop. A significant number of veterans turn to alcohol and drugs to quiet these symptoms. They may realize that such solutions are temporary.

Tragic too is the impact of veteran suicide on loved ones. Those family members I have met with are burdened by a sense of guilt and failure. “I should have known. I should have done something” is a common response of family.

Many non-veterans will say “Can’t the VA help them?” Those of us who are veterans know that the VA system is overwhelmed. Many suicidal veterans are in need of regular counseling. An overwhelmed VA system can’t always provide an acceptable level of care. When I recently asked a veteran suffering from severe PTSD how often he saw his VA counselor, he said “Once a month.” Beyond that, we veterans as a group take time to develop the level of trust required to make counseling effective. Too many veterans have told me “I just started to open up when the counselor told me he/she couldn’t see me anymore because they were being transferred. I can’t go through starting all over again with another counselor.”

The VA Mission Act of Donald Trump’s first administration tried to improve the VA response to veteran mental health issues by making it easier for veterans to receive help outside the VA. That program has had mixed results and in fact some veterans with whom I have spoken are not aware of that option. It appears likely that Trump’s new administration will continue to move VA services in that direction. This is referred to as “privatization.” Veterans and veteran groups will be keeping watch on the actions of the new administration and new VA Secretary in this regard.

Yet amidst likely back-and-forth on the VA and privatization, the number of veteran suicides continues to climb.

And then there are our female veterans. Some have been traumatized by combat but some have been traumatized by sexual harassment and assault. Despite the government’s claim to be responding to this issue, I continue to hear from female veterans that the system does not respond and in many ways continues to cover issues up by transferring perpetrators or giving them early retirement with full benefits. As one recent female veteran told me, when she went to her commanding officer to complain of sexual assault from a senior NCO, the commander asked her if she really wanted to “ruin his career.” Nothing was done.

Finally some veterans hesitate to seek help for fear of branded as “mentally ill”. Yes, the stigma of mental illness is still out there.

I have no dramatic solution. I wish I did. Mental health practitioners continue to develop and claim as effective newer psychotherapies including the use of virtual reality. Other innovative approaches have been developed by veterans themselves. Project Healing Waters helps veteran through fly fishing. There are programs encouraging veterans to heal through artistic expression. Other programs foster healing through the outdoors, something that George Eshleman accomplished. Horsemanship has been utilized with veterans. These and other creative approaches offer hope. The problem for the veteran is awareness of and access to such programs.

What we all have to offer to our veterans is the gift of listening. Many, many veterans simply want to tell their story to someone who is willing to listen. Not advice. Not prayer. Just listening. We may not all be counselors but simply sitting with a veteran as he/she shares their story matters. In a manner as unpatronizing as possible, we need to remind our veterans they are not alone.

Here then is a preview from “The Keeper” It tells a story not just of one man but of the 363 he honored as well the untold numbers of veterans in our midst who are suffering alone.

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Spiritual Mentors: Harold Kushner

Posted on December 4, 2024 by richp45198

The other day I was roaming through a used bookstore and came across an old friend. I found a book titled “Overcoming Life’s Disappointments” by Harold Kushner. I have written here about other spiritual mentors. Rabbi Kushner’s impact on my life was in many ways more personal.

For most of my life, I have struggled with the Why question, especially as it applied to the deaths of my two infant sisters. I would ask my mother “Why did God do this to us?” She would simply say “Well, some of us have heavier crosses to bear.” Her answer may have comforted her but it never worked for me.

As I became immersed in my work as a psychotherapist, I would regularly encounter the Why question, both from clients and within myself. In my search for answers, I found out that the whole Why question generated a theological area of study known as theodicy.

I can’t remember if it was recommended to me or I came across it myself but somewhere in the early 1980s I encountered a book titled When Bad Things Happen to Good People. I viewed my parents as well as my clients good people to whom some very tragic events had happened. Kushner’s book challenged some traditional notions of my Catholicism regarding the Why question. And I found great comfort in Kushner’s words.

What immediately got my attention was Kushner’s humble sharing. He states that, early in his work as a rabbi, he would counsel people who had suffered tragedy, using some of the more typical responses of religion. But then tragedy struck him and his family when his young son contracted a rare disease and died. Kushner states he revisited all the answers he’d used previously and found no comfort. Thus, began his own personal journey confronting the Why question.

His most challenging yet comforting insight was that perhaps God did not cause everything that happened in our lives. I had been raised to believe in an all-powerful God Whose will guided everything, even the bad things. But suppose some bad things just happen.

Kushner did not stop there. He further suggested that, although God may not cause the bad things in my life, He/She is there as a source of comfort and hope.

Kushner’s words helped me on multiple fronts. One young man in particular stands in my memory as someone Kushner would reach out to. This young man had been diagnosed with AIDS long before medication were developed that contained the HIV virus. After speaking with him and his mother, I asked to speak to the young man alone. I asked him if he had any questions about AIDS. He said “Yes, I have a question. Why did God do this to me? I haven’t had sex. Haven’t done drugs. Why?” I told him I really didn’t have an answer but that I did believe that God does not cause all the bad things that happen to us and that I didn’t believe God gave him AIDS. It just happened as a result of a bad batch of blood. I told him that it was OK to be angry, even angry at God. I wish I could tell you that this had a dramatic impact. Sadly, this young man died a few weeks later.

I have written abut anger with God before. And, yes, there are still those who believe I am wrong for arguing with and questioning God. I continue to take great comfort from what may be my favorite book in the Bible — the book of Job. In studying this book, I found very helpful another book by Harold Kushner — The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Man..

Job demands to know from God why bad things are happening to him and in fact demands that God show up and explain Himself. And God shows up! Interestingly, as best I can tell, God never really answers Job’s question. But, as Kushner points out, it seems that God showing up was what comforted Job. Personally when I allow myself to argue with God, somehow that is a comfort. Despite my anger or perhaps because of it, I feel God’s presence. Once again, Harold Kushner provided me with some comfort.

I leave you with a wonderful clip from the film Tender Mercies. You may want to reflect on what you would say to the Robert Duvall character or, for that matter, to the boy I spoke about earlier. I don’t have an answer for them but somehow Harold Kushner’s words make that easier to accept.

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Welcome Home Soldier

Posted on November 11, 2024 by richp45198

Here is a link to an article I wrote some time ago. The article reflects my feelings for brother and sister veterans as well as the need to be listened to.

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/welcome-home-soldier

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The Big C: An Encounter with Cancer

Posted on October 14, 2024 by richp45198

I was recently diagnosed with skin cancer. Not pre-cancer but melanoma. Full-blown cancer. Thankfully it was treatable since it was in situ, i.e., on the surface. My initial research revealed that in situ melanoma was very treatable if it was caught early. That research also revealed that skin cancer could be deadly, especially if not caught early.

They say there are no atheists in foxholes or at death beds. I suspect there are very few atheists at the time of a diagnosis of cancer. As I awaited the initial appointment with the skin oncologist, I found all my spiritual beliefs confronted.

As a person in recovery, I am directed to “let go and let God.” That works just fine when I am faced with a flight delay or a tough night sleeping. But I struggled with letting go when faced with the C-word.

I also knew I could pray about it. My journey of faith, however, is one replete with questions and doubts. I questioned whether praying for a healing was honest, given all my struggles. I then had a comforting thought: “Try praying honestly” I thought. And so I talked to God about my fears. I talked about how I knew that, at 76, I would not live forever. I also realized that, despite my doubts, I have never stopped believing. In essence my prayer was “Here I am, Lord, with all my doubts and questions.”

I always thought profound spiritual experiences were for other people. Bright lights. Messages from God. These things happened to True Believers not to questioners like me. At that point something happened.

The voice I heard was not mine. It was not outside my head like an auditory hallucination. But it wasn’t my voice. It said “You’ve spent your journey seeking. You’ve spent your journey trying to share what you learn with others. You’ve talked about being a Wounded Healer. See what you can learn from this and share it with others.” After hearing that voice in my head, I felt comforted. I had been given a spiritual perspective that would work for me.

When I shared this with my wife, she mentioned “Today is your mother’s birthday.” Perhaps she who had such a deep faith and who greatly believed in the power of prayer had intervened on my behalf.

I learned today that the surgeon has apparently gotten all the cancer cells. But I also know that, having had skin cancer, I am more vulnerable for it to recur. I understand that the cancer I have faced is not as deadly as that facing friends. It is not the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma faced by my friend for 20 years.. It is not the type of stomach cancer that killed my mother. For that I am grateful.

So what have I learned?

I have learned that fear is real and that accurate information can help allay fear.

I have learned that prayer helps but that the prayer has to be honest. I can’t pray in a way I think I should. I have to be honest amidst my questions and doubts.

I found that reaching out helps. The presence of my wife and children on this journey was invaluable.

I was once again confronted with my arrogance. All these years I never thought I needed sunscreen!

Maybe that was God’s voice I heard. After all, I’ve claimed for a long time that the most powerful thing Jesus said was “The Kingdom of God is within you.” Because it might have been God’s voice, that’s why I decided to share this piece. Cancer called me to reach some clarity on what I really believed and to share.

The journey continues this time with the Big C, an important teaching stop along the way.

Reflection: Feel free to share anything you are comfortable doing so regarding any encounters you’re had with cancer or any other life-threatening disease.

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Prayer of St. Francis

Posted on October 1, 2024 by richp45198

Here is the link to an article I wrote for St. Anthony Messenger. Enjoy!

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/a-new-understanding-of-the-prayer-of-st-francis

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