Spirituality Column #754

April 27, 2021

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

What the World Needs Now

By Bob Walters

My friend Jim was depressed.

Not “can’t get out of bed depressed” – we were after all having lunch at a favorite local spot – just “don’t see any good answers going forward depressed” about America.

Jim’s an older retired guy like me who stays busy, loves his wife, is proud of his kids and his country, has many interests, enjoys reasonably good health despite the years and mileage, and has a solid relationship with the Lord.  He forged career success in the U.S. military, education, and public service, and has many stories, friends, talents, and an outgoing personality that make him a fun guy to be around.

Except currently, he’s watching way too much news.

I’m no psychologist yet when I greeted Jim at lunch with a familiar “How are you doing?” I immediately knew the answer wasn’t going to be a cheerful, “Just great!”  Still, I was surprised when it was an almost dour, “Not great.”  But I understood.

We’re both concerned about all the same stuff, most of it political and cultural.

The hardest part of these days for me is the entire lack of trust I feel toward the media, followed closely by the revulsion I harbor toward politicians and bureaucrats of nearly every stripe.  I know, “politicians gonna’ politic,” I get that; but the U.S. government has become an especially dark enterprise against God and freedom.

I trust God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and several family, friends, and Christian brothers and sisters … it’s about the only “truth” I see these days.  Praise God for that.

Then here comes the news: daily, proudly bereft of truth, objectivity, and context.  I squandered a perfectly good 1970s journalism degree on a very fun sports writing and sports media relations career.  But the news business was changing back then as the media’s job of “discomforting the powerful” became “lying in bed with the powerful.”

“Truth in media” has become agenda-driven narrative presenting an even blacker darkness than politics.  These watchdogs of liberty are now the lapdogs of deceit.

Throw in domestic corporate globalists who are anti-American-citizen, a profane entertainment culture, an America-vilifying major sports establishment, a morally bankrupt public academia, a mysterious and heinously politicized pandemic, and a media-championed, culture-shredding, variously woke mob grabbing power with nonsense.

What do we have?  Sour, civilization-threatening, anti-truth media Molotov cocktails landing at our feet.  

Where’s the love sweet love?

The media will continue to chortle about “justice being served” as truth burns.  Politicians will continue to add debt, subtract freedom, and equivocate a vacant virtue.

But maybe it’s OK.  God may be teaching us a lesson we’d all learn in church on Sundays if more of us would go; we might more easily see what is missing.  And what’s missing, besides truth, is redemption and forgiveness.  We angrily talk past each other, without love.

The folks in power, when you look at it, are the only ones who benefit when we stay out of church, shun the truth of Jesus, and worship at the altar of “my happiness” rather than at the demanding foot of the cross.  God’s glory isn’t in dispute; we are.

I watch little news because I know that widespread public distrust and confusion floats the collective boat of the Godless powerful, and we are the suckers in the water.

Well, I’m not.  Hopefully you’re not.  And I hope Jim cheers up.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) doesn’t rail at Satan; he calls to Jesus.  Try it.

Spirituality Column #359
October 1, 2013
Current in Carmel-Westfield-Noblesville-Fishers-Zionsville

By Bob Walters
 
“Complaining never helps us find God.” – Pope Francis, August 2013

I am a Jesus-first, Bible-believing Evangelical Christian, and also a bit of a gym-rat when it comes to religious news and commentary.

So it caught my full attention recently when the media reported that Pope Francis, six months into his papacy, declared with a possibly negative insinuation that the Catholic Church was “obsessed with abortion, gay marriage and contraception.”

Imagine, a Pope putting God above secular culture and political correctness.

I have a BA in journalism and my favorite definition for “news” is, “The news is what’s not supposed to happen.”  In the spirit of that definition, Popes aren’t supposed to minimize “abortion, gay marriage and contraception.”  But living daily with, and being sensitive to, the characteristic liberal agnostic slant and frequent technical ignorance of the mainstream media when it comes to all things religious, I hastened beyond the headlines to discover what the Pope actually said.

And as it turns out, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Bishop of Rome, actually did say that.  It was in an unprecedented one-on-one interview conducted over three separate sessions in August, at the Vatican, by an Italian magazine editor (and brother Jesuit priest) at the behest of the U.S. Jesuit magazine, America.

The lengthy interview titled “A Big Heart Open to God” (link) was released Sept. 19 in 16 Jesuit journals worldwide including the post-dated Sept. 30 issue of America.  It covers the gamut of Church issues, doctrine, theology, cultural challenges, the Pope’s personality, tastes and pastoral concerns.  I read all 10,000 words.

My takeaway?  I think Christians everywhere should 1) read the actual interview before passing judgment and 2) applaud the Pope for his priorities.

The Pope sees the Church as a “field hospital” where the wounded and broken are healed and loved, not berated and punished.   That’s what Jesus did.  The Pope steadfastly champions Church teaching, says it’s a mistake for her to complain about culture, and says the Church’s time, energy, and spiritual capital should be primarily focused on the Glory of God and human salvation offered only through Jesus Christ.

My Evangelical friends likely wonder why I’m talking about the Pope, and my Catholic friends likely wonder why this is any of my business.  Let’s just say the Pope’s message covers several important Christian basics.

He’s not promoting the acceptance of sin; the Pope is extolling Christians to have compassion for sinners – all of us – including, he emphasizes, himself.

The Pope is telling us, without complaining, that Jesus is the best company we can find.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) recommends 1) having a dictionary handy when digesting the Pope’s interview, 2) reading America’s editorial The Pope’s Progress, and 3) viewing The New York Times’ story (excellent overview).

Spirituality Column #276
February 28, 2012
Current in Carmel – Westfield – Noblesville – Fishers
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

God Is All Over the News
By Bob Walters

For better or worse, good or bad, fun or serious, small or big – God seems to be all over the news in recent months. Some clips …

- We have a new gerund: “Tebowing” is an identifiable Christian “thing.”

- Indianapolis Super Bowl CEO Allison Melangton regularly listened to K-Love Christian radio in her office as her crew rocked America’s biggest party.

- The Roman Catholic Church, which mounted a nationwide advertising campaign over the holidays (CatholicsComeHome.org), has modified its liturgy. Now, “Passing the Peace” at Mass includes saying “And also with your spirit,” an appropriate nod to the Holy Spirit, the all-too-often-underappreciated essence of the Trinity.

- As for the Mayan Calendar “End of the World” thing next Dec. 21 … who’s running the show, anyway? God, or the Mayans?

- I think it’s creepy when any government official – left, right or center – compares his social/economic agenda to the will of Jesus Christ by proof-texting the Bible like President Obama did Feb. 2 (Luke 12:48, much given, much demanded, etc. to raise taxes)at the national prayer breakfast. That’s a red flag, and unprecedented even at that event.

- Also, the President’s yes-we-will, no-we-won’t federal health insurance contraception contradictions involving Catholic charities tangles public policy and Church doctrine. Pope Paul VI’s 1968 “Humanae Vitae” is revealing, and history shows the Pope had it right (see page 100, column #93, Aug. 18, 2008, in my book Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary).

- The Susan G. Komen Foundation exists to protect humanity from breast cancer, but willingly bows to pressure from Planned Parenthood not to protect humanity in the womb … oops, I mean, “not to infringe on a women’s freedom of choice and right to reproductive health.” See Psalm 139:13. I believe God is serious about his knitting.

- Creationism was going to be, but now will not be, taught as science in Indiana high schools. Fine. Why not just accept science as a fascinating part of the search for God, and thereby allow God in the classroom without trying to dissect Him on a lab table? If anything is a Creationism lab experiment, it’s us, not God.

- A Sept. 14, 2011 “errant” internal memo suggested that Walter Reed Army Hospital ban Bibles and other faith items. Oops! The ban was rescinded as soon as it became public.

- The political, sectarian, tribal, genocidal and budding nuclear hornet’s nest of the Middle East and Africa grows uglier daily. Will God be more glorified if He fixes it, or if we trust God and pray for the strength, courage, and wisdom to endure what comes?

Sadly, the news isn’t always good; but thankfully, God is always the truth.

Walters (www.commonchristianity.blogspot.com) is an Evangelical but heard the new Catholic liturgy Jan. 1 at beautiful St. Ann’s Church in Harbor Springs, MI.