The marketing genius of the Duck Dynasty "controversy"

There is nothing quite like a made-for-television drama. Unless you have been living under a rock or in prison, you have heard people flapping their lips for the past month about Duck Dynasty and the Robertson clan that stars in the “reality” television show. The show features the same old stupid you can find on the Kardashians, but with lots more facial hair and camouflage instead of couture. Clan patriarch Phil Robertson took to the pages of GQ to mouth off about religion, homosexuality, race, and his love of guns. Controversy and hilarity ensued.

The Robertsons put other reality stars to shame.

Phil and the gang are reality television royalty when it comes to making money. They make the Kardashians and silicon-laden Real Housewives look like amateurs.

They made millions on selling their Duck Commander brand of mating calls for hapless waterfowl. Their net wealth hit the 9-figure range when they scored a hunting show on the Outdoor channel. It was the perfect marketing gambit. Before long, their line of hunting apparel and quacking gadgets was sold in Walmart stores across the nation and they were living on a 20,000-acre family compound in Louisiana. Four years ago, A& E network came calling and offered them their very own reality show called Duck Dynasty. In addition to being paid $200,000 an episode, books filled with their folksy wisdom were written for them and became best sellers. Their likenesses now graces all sorts of cheap crap made in China and royalties from Duck Dynasty videos and downloads pile up faster that manure at a factory farm. Glory be.

One advantage the Robertsons have over their reality show competition is in their target demographic. They are aiming for evangelical Christians, where they have little competition. Alan Robertson said Hollywood missed the boat on reaching that demographic. By contrast, shows with spoiled rich women partying and fighting while exposing as much flesh as possible are a dime a dozen. Audiences and paychecks are shrinking. The cat fighting market is so last year.

Here is how Phil Robertson explains the Duck Dynasty schtick in GQ.

It’s a funny, family-friendly show, with “skits that we come up with,” as Phil describes the writing process. They plunder beehives. They blow up beaver dams. And when the Robertson-family ladies go up to a rooftop in a hydraulic lift, you just know that lift will “accidentally” get stuck and strand them.

The Robertsons have become rock stars on the megachurch circuit. From CNN:

As Robertson's fame has grown, so has the size of his pulpit. He has preached at megachurch Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in California. Publishers peddle "The Duck Commander Devotional" and churches clamor for guest appearances by the Robertson family.

A & E Network and the Robertson clan are marketing geniuses. 

A & E is jointly owned by the Hearst and Disney media empires so I expect great public relations stunts from them. However, they outdid themselves in promoting Duck Dynasty in this latest gambit. It should be used as a case study in every business school in the country.

Here are a few of the basics. Phil Robertson offered GQ an exclusive, no-holds-barred interview. It is safe to say that no one that watches Duck Dynasty reads GQ, but is is the perfect vehicle to stir up controversy and publicity. Old Phil could not wait to say things that do not make it into the show to get folks a talking.

Phil calls himself a Bible-thumper, and holy shit, he thumps that Bible hard enough to ring the bell at a county-fair test of strength. If you watch Duck Dynasty, you can hear plenty of it in the nondenominational supper-table prayer the family recites at the end of every episode, and in the show’s no-cussing, no-blaspheming tone. But there are more things Phil would like to say—“controversial” things, as he puts it to me—that don’t make the cut. (This March, for instance, he told the Christian-oriented Sports Spectrum magazine that he didn’t approve of A&E editing out “in Jesus” from a family prayer scene, even though A&E says that the phrase has been uttered in at least seventeen episodes.) 

What came out of his mouth during the interview had people talking plenty. Every news outlet in the country had at least one Duck Dynasty segment. The cable news shows could not get enough of it. Publicity gold.

The timing of the GQ interview was perfect. The interview was done in November and publication was set for December, just in time for the Christmas buying season. Filming for the next season of Duck Dynasty was nearly complete and it was scheduled to premiere in January. The Robertson gang has a new book of ghostwritten wisdom scheduled for release.

When the controversial things that Phil wanted in print hit the stands, it worked like a charm. When gay rights groups complained, A & E "suspended" Phil from the show, causing those on the political right to howl religious persecution, circulate petitions (more than 250,000 signed the "I stand with Phil" petition in a week), and raise money. Those on the political left screamed just as loud, circulated their own petitions, and also raised money. Duck Dynasty merchandise flew off the shelves. Holiday season Duck Dynasty marathons attracted millions. The Duck Dynasty cruise sold out in a matter of days. Kaching kaching kaaaaching.

After 2 weeks of publicity and marketing gold before Christmas, the network announced that Phil's suspension was lifted on the day after Christmas.

"So after discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming 'Duck Dynasty' later this spring with the entire Robertson family," the network said. "We will also use this moment to launch a national public service campaign (PSA) promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people, a message that supports our core values as a company, and the values found in 'Duck Dynasty.'"

A public relations service campaign to spin "unity, tolerance, and acceptance among all people" as network values is the perfect icing on the marketing cake.

The moral of the story is that A&E, the Robertson clan, and GQ laughed all the way to the bank.

It is abundantly clear what roles money, politics, and fame play in this tempest in a teapot. The question in my mind is how any of it ultimately serves Christ. It is that blending of the things of Mammon and God that has me confused.

Magnificent witness

Stories like this one make me proud to call myself a Christian. A man in Arkansas finds and delivers much needed items to the homeless in the Little Rock area. This labor of love grew out of finding God in the midst of his own struggles and turning that grace into a blessing for others.

The Van is often the most visible part of The One, Inc., the nonprofit organization Reddin founded in 2011 to help a cause close to his heart. After struggling with his own drug addiction during his teens, Reddin got clean and found work at homeless shelters and rehab centers. “Once I found God, I started trying to help folks I could relate to,” he says. “I saw there were a lot of people living unsheltered with a lot of needs unmet…until someone went out there and helped them.” His charity is named for the Christ parable in which a shepherd leaves his 99 sheep to find the lone missing one, the one lost soul.

Reddin was moved by the sight of homeless people turned away from full shelters. So he posed a simple proposal on Facebook: If someone would give him $1,000, he’d buy a van and drive it around Little Rock to bring the homeless supplies they desperately needed. He did better than that. In less than a week, a man whom he’d never met donated a 2005 Ford from his used-car lot.

From that initial interaction, Reddin has built a philanthropic machine, combining old-time grit with modern-day social media. A 15,000-square-foot warehouse in North Little Rock—an auction house in another life—serves as The One’s headquarters. There, Reddin and his colleagues store all the donated items, including blankets, sunscreen, clean clothes and canned food, much of which they solicit using Twitter and Facebook. The original van has more than 1,000 followers on Twitter (@itsthevan) and more than 3,500 Facebook likes. “I built most of what we’re able to do through social media,” Reddin says. “It’s how we’re able to tell people what we need when.”

There are many things about this story that move me. One is the new wine in new skins (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22) example of Aaron Reddin. His newfound faith has transformed his life and very being into the hands, mouth, and heart of Christ for people neglected or even abused at the margins of our society.

Reddin has made a difference by simply rolling up his sleeves and diving in. All too often we are tempted to question what we can do as simply one person, especially if our resources are limited. It lends itself to mental paralysis. The needs are too great. The obstacles are too many. I cannot do it alone. It is as if we really do not believe that all things are possible with God.

Reddin proves the old adage that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. He cast about for van to deliver items desperately needed by the homeless. Before long, he had a van, enough donated items to fill a warehouse, and eventually the warehouse to put it all in. He used social media to connect with people in need and those with things to give.

His example has inspired others to follow his example.

The Van’s work—and Reddin’s uncompromising ethics—have made him something of a folk hero in Little Rock, a burly saint clad in ripped blue jeans. The local Sync Magazine has dubbed Reddin the “homeless heretic.” And his message is spreading. In addition to the original Van, Arkansas now boasts “The Mission Machine” in Searcy and “The Russ Bus” in Russellville— thanks to volunteers spurred by Reddin’s mission. Terry Smith, who drives the “VanLanta” in Atlanta, got word of The One last year and thought the same kind of operation could work in her city, right down to Reddin’s divine inspiration: She wrote “Jesus was homeless” in white ink on her van’s back window.

In a few short years, Reddin has touched many lives through his simple acts of loving kindness. It is walking the walk of Christ.

One section of this article I found particularly thought provoking.

Josh Fendley, the founder of The People Tree, which helps Little Rock’s homeless through urban agriculture projects, recalls an eye-opening exchange with Reddin when the two were just getting their respective nonprofits off the ground. “I asked him one important question. ‘Tell my why you’re doing this: Do you love these people—do you feel in your heart this attraction and pull and love for them that makes you serve them—or is it a sense of rage that these people are in this state?’ ” Fendley says. “And he said the first one…love of the individual.”

If I were asked the same question, I would say both. As much as I am moved to tears by the humanity and struggles of those in need, I find it difficult not to be angry at the injustices heaped upon them. However, the later carries many temptations.

We live in a society that is becoming increasingly hard-hearted. Our political leaders disparage the less fortunate and demand larger and larger cuts to government programs designed to provide a safety net for those in need. The rich demand larger tax cuts and find fiendishly clever ways to protect more and more of their wealth even though they have more than 20 generations of their offspring will be able to spend. Corporate leaders do away with jobs that pay decent wages and benefits, all in the name of boosting profits and stock prices. Together, these worshippers of Mammon push more and more people into difficult, if not desperate, financial situations. When so many people have to work two or three jobs just to make enough to escape poverty, our nation has a sick if not outright evil heart. The crowning achievement of that evil has been the recent spate of laws that criminalize the homeless and even those that give them money or food.

As Christians, our silence in the face of monumental injustices becomes complicity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it much more eloquently.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Liberation theology was premised on the idea that as Christians we should stand with those suffering at the hands of an unjust society. The problem was one of praxis. Some adherents joined in spirit with those seeking to use violence and other ungodly means to right the wrongs. We know as followers of Christ that returning evil for evil is wrong, yet the temptations to do so are great when the injustices are so large.

My gut tells me that Reddin's approach is in many ways superior. He demonstrates a solidarity in body and spirit with the homeless that unequivocally satisfies the teachings of Christ. It is an example that we can all emulate.

It is much more difficult to follow the example of someone like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was able to appeal to the conscience of millions, using scripture as inspiration, without succumbing to the temptation to violence. He rejected the idea of righting systemic wrongs by any means necessary. That takes extraordinary courage.

Even a cursory reading of the canonical gospels reveals that Christ never held his tongue about the injustices he encountered, but I find it interesting that the targets of his outrage were the religious leaders of his day. With the crowds he attracted, Jesus could have joined with the zealots in seeking to overthrow Roman rule and restore power to the Jewish people. Instead, he taught that the Kingdom of God is open to all who seek it, warned the privileged not to value the things of this world, and told his followers that they would be judged by their acts of compassion for the poor, sick, and disabled.

Today I give thanks for the witness of Aaron Reddin.

A parable comes to life

Jesus told a parable about the folly of greed and materialism, recorded in Luke 12:15-21:

15 Then he said to them,“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

For some reason, this parable came to mind as I read the story about how the rich in America are flocking to South Dakota to protect their wealth from estate taxes. Even the title is priceless. "Moguls rent South Dakota addresses to dodge taxes forever." I would not bet on eternity if I were them.

Here is a little taste of what is going on in South Dakota.

In the past four years, the amount of money administered by South Dakota trust companies like these has tripled to $121 billion, almost all of it from out of state. The families needn’t actually move to South Dakota, or deposit their money at a local bank, or even touch down in the private jet. Little more than renting an address in Sioux Falls is required to take advantage of South Dakota’s tax-friendly trust laws.

Congress just passed a budget that cut unemployment and assistance programs for the poor, all in the name of reducing the federal deficit. The budget savings are a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of the $121 billion that has flooded into empty storefront offices in the past four years, but alas, I digress.

The story goes on to describe how the rich are attracted not only to the loopholes, but also the secrecy and protection from creditors and ex-wives. The tale was sufficiently nauseating that the oatmeal I had for breakfast felt like a rock in my stomach.

Then I came to the part where the state lawmakers put a gaudy shade of red lipstick on their pig.

In South Dakota, a farm state that’s home to two of the 10 poorest counties in the U.S., lawmakers say they’re bolstering the trust industry to generate work for local law firms and bankers, and forge ties with prosperous families that may one day decide to build a factory or a warehouse here.

Yes, pearls before swine. So these lawmakers, who claim to be such righteous, God-fearing men and women on the campaign trail, are doing something they know does not benefit the people in their state. The chance of any future benefit is less than that of winning the latest mega-super-powerball lottery. That is probably not completely accurate. I am sure these glorious public servants will be rewarded with generous and anonymous campaign contributions so they can continue to serve state residents to the best of their ability. Trickle down economics at its very finest.

“If you’ve got several hundred well-paying jobs, it’s worth it to us,” said Governor Dennis Daugaard, a Republican who used to travel to Minneapolis pitching tax-saving trusts when he worked at a bank in Sioux Falls. “It also gives us the opportunity to develop relationships with people who have the ability to encourage business here of other sorts. Now, I can’t point to a single case where that’s occurred yet, but I think it’s possible.”

I am curious what sort of "relationships" one can have with people who rent out offices in empty storefronts. I am sure they are deep and meaningful, just like a Kardashian marriage.

To try to maintain its edge, South Dakota assembled a permanent task force comprising industry players such as McDowell to monitor developments in other states and propose new legislation each year. In March, Governor Daugaard signed the group’s latest submission into law, making it harder for former spouses and their offspring to tap certain trust assets. The bill was sponsored by the House’s Committee on State Affairs, whose chairman, David Lust, is also House majority leader and head of the trust task force. When the part-time legislature isn’t in session, Lust works at a Rapid City law firm where one of his partners is a leading trust lawyer.

Come on, Lust, say something in lawyerese.

Lust receives no “direct benefit” from the legislation, he said.

Thank you.

Meanwhile, in the real world, millions of Americans are struggling to pay for food, shelter, utilities, and medical care. Lord, we need guidance and we need it quickly.

Iraqi Christian diaspora

Christmas was marked with more bloodshed in Iraq. Christians were targeted in three powerful bomb blasts that killed 38 people and wounded 52 others. Many of the victims were leaving a church following services. The scene was simply horrific.

Ahmed Edan, a policeman on duty in the area of the attacks, said the sound of the first of the two explosions caused worshippers to leave the church.

"A car parked near the church exploded when the families were hugging each other goodbye before leaving. The blast was powerful," he said.

"Bodies of women, girls and men were lying on the ground covered in blood. Others were screaming and crying while they were trying to save some of their wounded relatives."

My heart goes out to the Christians of Iraq. During the past decade, they have fled their homes, churches, and communities because of growing violence and persecution. It is a morality play worthy of Shakespeare.

After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, his followers dispersed across the Mediterranean basin to spread the good news of God's abiding love for all. The gospel is thought to have spread eastward from Damascus into the plains of Nineveh through the tireless efforts of two of the original disciples - Thomas and Jude.

Ironically, we remember Thomas as the disciple that refused to believe Christ had risen from the dead until he saw and touched the wounds left by the nails. His doubt lead to the encounter recorded in John 20:24-27.

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

All we know of Jude comes from his short letter warning of Christians in name only that treated Eucharist feasts as excuses to eat, drink, and be merry. The brief epistle ends with powerful benediction (Jude 1:24-25).

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

The seeds scattered by these and other disciples grew into a vibrant Christian community that has lived and worshipped together for nearly two thousand years. Never more than about 5% of the population, the strength of their faith allowed them to hold fast to their beliefs.

I stand in awe of Christians in places like Iraq where they are a tiny minority, outnumbered 20 to 1 and no doubt subjected to social pressures to conform to the beliefs and practices of the majority. Saints Thomas and Jude are surely pleased with the faith taken to heart by those that heard their message.

In America, it takes little courage to practice Christianity as it is the overwhelmingly dominant religious belief. We have our sectarian divisions within the body of Christ often leading to unseemly squabbles, but worship free of fear. Sometimes we even get so full of ourselves that we fail to respect people in our communities that have different religious beliefs or none at all. It has even become fashionable for some Christians to disingenuously claim persecution if they are not given dominion over all.

I sometimes if it is a blessing or a curse for Christianity to be the dominant religion. It is probably both. We can practice our faith with ease but it lends itself too easily to lukewarm and lazy practice. But I digress.

Ten years ago, our political leaders engaged in false witness against the people of Iraq. They accused Iraq of harboring weapons of mass destruction and colluding with terrorists to harm America. We now know those were nothing but lies. However, egged on by some prominent Christian leaders, our country bombed, invaded, and occupied Iraq. In the process we squandered nearly two trillion dollars and countless people in Iraq died from violence and the collapse of infrastructure.

Even when the lies, incompetence, corruption, torture, and random acts of extreme cruelty associated with this debacle were exposed, none of the Christian leaders that supported the war repented. In fact, some even mocked those that opposed the war.

One of the bitterest fruits of our arrogance and malice has been the persecution of Christians in Iraq after the war. The persecution has several root causes. One is that the chaos created by the war fostered sectarian violence. Thanks to our ugly mixture of faith and politics, many in Iraq became convinced that the war was part of a "crusade" against Islam. Adding further fuel to the fire, many American evangelical organizations rushed into Iraq after the war to proselytize. They did so over the objection of Iraqi Christians who had a 'live and let live' relationship with their Muslim neighbors.

When the fruit of "evangelism" is the persecution of a Christian community that traces its roots to two of the original twelve disciples of Christ, the tree seems suspect at best. Iraqi Christians with the means to emigrate have fled, finding new homes in Chaldean communities in Syria, Lebanon, and the west. The less fortunate languish in refugee camps. The exodus has decimated this once vibrant body of Christ. Poisonous fruit indeed.

The injustice of this inglorious mess troubling. The Christians of Iraq seem to have paid a terrible price for the hubris of Christians in America. Too many here championed violence instead of peace. They gulped down lies like beer at a college fraternity party. Puffed up in pride, they sold Christ like just another commodity. Their consciences seem bullet-proof against the suffering left in their wake. Reflection and repentance are nowhere in sight. All of these folks claim to have been led by the Holy Spirit, yet the fruits of their actions are anything but good. I find it all hard to fathom.

Lord, I pray for the victims of violence in Iraq, Christians and Muslims alike. Give your peace to all that mourn. Uproot the trees sewn in hatred. Wash away the tears. Heal the broken in body and spirit.

Peace

Dear Mr. President . . .

Dear Mr. President

You have professed your faith in Christ. As a brother in Christ, I have to question to your leadership on our country's assassination by drone program. Such callous policies cover your hands in blood and splash it all over mine as a citizen of this country because it is supposedly done to protect me.

It is the height of arrogance to give ourselves the right to execute citizens of other countries based on some enemies list. Yes, I know you promise that the drones only incinerate people that are a “continuing and imminent threat to the American people.” However, this enemies list is created in secret and based more on rumor and innuendo than painstakingly gathered evidence. Without judicial oversight or accountability, there is too much room for mistakes.

You know all too well that the intelligence "tips" often come from individuals who have personal or ethnic grudges to settle, often with the added inducement of a bounty paid for information. It is a system ripe for abuse. Those abuses have been all often documented as we have annihilated people gathering for weddings or funerals. When people are murdered over petty jealousies or grievances in this country, the full weight of our criminal justice system comes crashing down on the heads of perpetrators. Yet if I live in some remote area of Pakistan, I can report my neighbor as a terrorist, collect a reward, and take advantage of his subsequent death to lay claim to his assets. 

Other governments are also using our trigger happiness to have us kill their enemies. A story in the New York Times about drone strikes in Yemen called attention to the role of the Yemeni and Saudi governments in developing our hit lists. 

Over the past two years, the Saudi government — which for decades has used cash to maintain a network of influence in Yemen — has increased its payments to tribal figures in Bayda to recruit informers and deter militants, according to several tribal leaders in the area. This shadowy system appears to contribute to the secretive process of information-gathering that determines targets for drone strikes, a process in which Saudi and Yemeni officials cooperate with Americans.

If we are killing people that other governments want dead, then your claim that the strikes are only done to protect America is not true. Such lies demand repentance.

Consider the death of Christ. The religious authorities in Judea did not like what Jesus was saying about them and decided to report him to the Romans as a terrorist. Thanks to the shouts of an unruly mob, the Roman prelate washed his hands of the decision and allowed Jesus to be crucified. In our drone program, you are sentencing people to death at the behest of our supposed "allies," making you no better than Pontius Pilate in this sad saga.

The lies that form the basis for our hit lists are further compounded with each strike where everyone killed is automatically labeled a terrorist until the weight of evidence proves otherwise. We have quietly paid millions of dollars in reparations to families of victims mistaken for terrorists even though official statements after the strike claim all killed were legitimate targets. This is true for the latest strike in Yemen according to the Times story:

At first, the Yemeni government, a close partner with the Obama administration on counterterrorism matters, said that all the dead were militants. But Yemeni officials conceded soon afterward that some civilians had been killed, and they gave 101 Kalashnikov rifles and about 24 million Yemeni riyals (about $110,000) to relatives of the victims as part of a traditional compensation process, a local tribal leader said.

Yemeni government officials and several local tribal leaders said that the dead included several militants with ties to Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, but no one has been able to identify them. Some witnesses who have interviewed victims’ families say they believe no militants were killed at all.

Pardon me, Mr. President, if I am nonplused by not only the lies and taking of innocent lives but also the sheer insanity of arming families victimized by our drone strikes. It makes my head spin.

Raining death on people in Pakistan or Yemen sets a poor example for the rest of the world. Others will point to our behavior as justification for their own blood-thirsty behavior.

We would all be outraged if some foreign power decided it had the right to kill people at will in America. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure it would be considered an act of aggression. Then why do you and other members of our government do to others what would never be tolerated if done to us? 

In fact, I cannot find a single thing about the targeted assassination program that is remotely consistent with the teachings of Christ. Not one single thing. Yet you personally have embraced and expanded these murderous policies. I find that hard to understand, especially from someone who believes in the deity and substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus.

I beg of you, in the name of Christ, to stop this madness. 

Setting an example

Pope Francis continues to set an example all Christians can be proud of.

(CNN) – Pope Francis marked his 77th birthday on Tuesday by welcoming three homeless men to a Mass and a meal at the Vatican, according to Catholic officials.

The Pope wanted a "family" environment, with just a few top aides, the staff of Casa Santa Marta – the Vatican guesthouse – and the homeless men, one of whom brought his dog, the Vatican said.

The worldwide reaction to this man over the past nine months should be eye-opening for all of us who follow Christ. The most effective evangelism is loving others, especially those society has neglected, abused, or forgotten. That is the example set by Jesus as he walked Judea countryside and the back alleys of the larger towns. And if we all followed that example, the world would be a better place.

Instead we get caught up in the trappings of this world, lusting for power, money, and things. Success is defined by what we have rather than what we give of ourselves. We work hard to exclude others. We turn our heads from the injustices that befall others and rationalize how they "deserve" to suffer. And all of it runs counters to the teachings of Christ.

Today I will give thanks for a man whose most remarkable acts have been to reach out to people with  compassion. He has spoken out against the economic injustices that left too many without opportunities and hope while more and more of the wealth of God's creation is concentrated in the hands of the privileged few. I am hearted by the response of many whose profess to dislike religion but are moved by the words and deeds of this man.

Once upon a time

Only in America. What are the most heavily debated topics in our country? Our aggressive foreign policy that squanders trillions on wars of aggression, secret prisons across the world, torture, and assassination by drones? Nope. Pax Americana is just as ugly as Pax Romana. The growing economic injustice where 50 million live in squalor and the only jobs being created in our economy pay slave wages? Of course not. Shenanigans in the financial sector? No way, no how. Our health care system with the highest costs and worst outcomes of any developed nation? Guess again. Watching millions face the choice between financial ruin from medical bills and death from treatable medical conditions makes us exceptional. The epidemic of despair that makes suicide now more common than accidental deaths and homicides? Not a chance.

So what gets our juices flowing? One of the biggest kerfuffles this advent season has been race. Aisha Harris wrote a piece in Slate that the image of Santa needs a makeover. Instead of a white man, she suggested that the part of Santa be portrayed by a penguin. 

And so I propose that America abandon Santa-as-fat-old-white-man and create a new symbol of Christmas cheer. From here on out, Santa Claus should be a penguin.

That’s right: a penguin.

Why, you ask? For one thing, making Santa Claus an animal rather than an old white male could spare millions of nonwhite kids the insecurity and shame that I remember from childhood. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, Santa is one of the first iconic figures foisted upon you: He exists as an incredibly powerful image in the imaginations of children across the country (and beyond, of course). That this genial, jolly man can only be seen as white—and consequently, that a Santa of any other hue is merely a “joke” or a chance to trudge out racist stereotypes—helps perpetuate the whole “white-as-default” notion endemic to American culture (and, of course, not just American culture).

If it were up to me, I would dispense with the wretched concept of Santa Claus altogether. It is the ultimate symbol of political correctness. Instead of having a holiday to celebrate the humble birth of Christ, a boneheaded myth has been created to serve as the iconic symbol of the season. St. Nicholas was a great servant of the Lord, but any connection between Santa Claus and St. Nicholas is convoluted and silly. Aisha Harris is a much nicer person than I in discussing the sacrilegious stand-in that is associated with materialism and consumption during Advent.

Into this debate steps a talking head over at Fox News. She firmly proclaims that Santa Claus and Jesus are both white.



Despite what this glorious panel thinks, Santa Claus is not a historical figure. St. Nicholas was Greek and a good deal swarthier than northern European artists depicted long after his death. It is a stupid conversation. As for the Jesus was white comment, clearly these sorry excuses for journalists have no clue of how olive-toned the skin of people living in Judea 2000 years ago really was.

After being mocked for her pronouncements about the true skin color of Santa and Jesus from every corner of the media, with the usual partisan divisions, the Fox News commentator called her detractors race-baiters and humorless for not knowing she was speaking "tongue-in-check" about the jolly fat man that rides a sleigh pulled by 8 tiny reindeer while bringing toys to children all over the world. As for Jesus, she claims that jury is still out on his skin tone.

As luck would have it, the debate over the race of Jesus raged on. One skirmish in Florida centered on the use of a book in grade school that says the following about candy canes.

Horice Hymes asked his 7-year-old daughter an innocent question about what she learned in school on Monday. He found her answer horrifying.

"She told me, 'I learned that the white on the candy cane stands for Jesus, because he was white'" Hymes said, "and the red on the candy cane was for the blood that he shed, and if you flip it upside down, the 'J' stands for Jesus."

So for the past 10 days, we have had nonstop discussion in the print and broadcast media about the race of Santa and Jesus. I am tempted to pray, "Lord forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." The trouble is I do not believe it. Wringing our hands over trivia while ignoring the army of 800 pound gorillas in the room is exactly what is intended. We do not want to confront the evil in our midst and work together to heal this broken world.

Lord, as I stare into the candlelight and sing hymns during the coming few days, I can only pray for those scarred by violence, greed, hatred, and injustice. Make my hands instruments of yours to help heal those in need.

Praise the Lord

I give thanks today for coming across something uplifting and inspiring. A woman received an email containing pictures of people collecting money for the homeless. They carried signs that explained that they had a comfortable existence but felt compelled to do something for those in need. It struck a chord with her.

Basically the email had pictures of individuals posing as panhandlers. And this my Friend, took me out of my comfort zone. I knew I needed to do this so thus the Underground Outreach was created.

So the Holy Spirit nudged her to step out of her comfort zone. She listened and obeyed.

Right when I stepped onto the grass next to the highway, I was immediately taken back to the halls of middle school. You know the feeling? The “What in the world am I doing here?!?! EVERYONE IS STARING AT ME! I AM WAY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE!” Yes, I would love to sit here and tell you how I spent the hour and a half praying for all the drivers, all the homeless and for world peace. Yeah, I can’t. I did pray for the homeless when I consciously thought about it. To be very raw with you, the glares and the lack of eye contact sucked every bit of self-confidence and assurance completely out of me. No, this outreach was not scheduled to be all about me but it is hard to not take away life lessons when you purposely place yourself in a situation you have never been in before.

She quickly learned something about being vulnerable and asking for help. It was psychologically painful. She then remembered how she reacted as a driver seeing someone by the side of the road, holding up a sign and asking for money. Avoid eye contact and drive past as fast as possible. That was the reaction of most of the drivers she encountered that afternoon. A small number stopped, some to question her intentions and others to give money and encouragement. It got her thinking (and feeling).

Friend, where are you? Specifically for people standing on the side of the street, where are you? If you do not feel comfortable giving money, please let me encourage you to keep something in your car to help: McDonald’s giftcards, QuickTrip giftcards, Ziplock bag filled with crackers, socks, bottle of water. Do you make eye contact? Do you pass judgment? Where are you? I promise you, I was the person who immediately thought, “Why can they not spend all this time and energy and just go get a job!” Hey, I am being real with you. And then God gently opened my eyes to the love He so graciously lavished upon me and He simply reminded me of these verses……………

You can guess the verses from the gospel of Matthew that came to her. And so she prayed.

Dear Jesus, thank You for Your forgiveness. Thank You for forgiving me of my judgmental thoughts, my lack of compassion, my ignorance, my determination to NOT care…Father, thank You for opening my eyes to the poor, to those in need, to the individuals who You died for. Father, I pray for the gentleman who was standing at the very corner we stood. Who just minutes before we arrived held a sign, “I need a miracle.” Father, please open the eyes of Your followers, may we be followers who not only PROFESS to follow Your teachings but OBEY Your teachings. I pray for this Reader. Father, only You know this Reader’s heart. I pray they seek You and ask their compassion to grow more like Your compassion. May they desire to grow in their walk with You so they may be used to bless another, give to another, clothe another, feed another, visit another. Father, may we not be judgmental people….Oh Father, may we not be judgmental people……………..through the blood of the Cross I pray, Amen.

Amen.

Insulting the Creator

The oppressor of the poor insults the Creator,
but he who is kind to the needy honors him.

-- Proverbs 14:31 

Between the two testaments of Jewish and Christian faith, there are about 2000 verses like the one above from Proverbs. Moses described God's heart for the poor and the expectation for people of faith to help. The prophets called neglect of the needy the sins of Sodom and her sister cities. Jesus said he would judge your faith by what you do for those in need. So it stands to reason that we who profess faith damn well better honor God by serving the most vulnerable.

If all that is true and we genuinely believe it as followers of Christ, then why all the verbal attacks on the poor by our political leaders? The poor have been painted as undeserving of help, particularly any assistance derived from taxes. Some cities have gone so far as to criminalize homelessness, even making it illegal for charitable organizations to feed them on public property. Violent crimes against the homeless are also far too common.

The perpetrators are often young, ignorant and shockingly callous. In this year’s report, half of those committing these crimes were under the age of 20. The victims are predominately older, 72% 40 years of age or older.  

At its root, this violence is prompted by a profound lack of empathy for fellow human beings – the same moral failure that allows our society to tolerate the larger tragedy of homelessness. We could not ignore our own brother or sister so carelessly, or grandparent or dear friend living on the streets,yet we pass by all of those individuals when we ignore the humanity of people who are homeless. Their plight is just as desperate as ours would be in that same situation. They are just as legitimately in need of help as anyone we know who might find themselves in such circumstances. 

It is this false anonymity of homelessness that creates the conditions for violence against homeless people. The absence of empathy is a dangerous thing in any society, with repugnant and horrifying consequences as described in this report.

-- Jerry Jones, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless

Violent crimes against the homeless seem to be more common in states like Florida which have many local ordinances criminalizing homelessness. It seems like young people of impressionable age have taken the rhetoric and laws as permission to commit random acts of senseless violence.

For a society supposedly founded on Christian principles and values, we seem to suck at following scriptural guidance to love the poor. You would think that biblical inerrancy crowd would be all over this like white on rice. Mention sexuality and they are full of long-winded opinions using a hand full of verses. Many even take to the street over homosexuality, contraception, and abortion. Given the breadth of verses related to God's expectation for how we are treat the least fortunate and most vulnerable among us, I would expect these same folks to be outraged by the treatment of the poor in our society. Vein-popping, red-faced indignation.  If such an outpouring occurred, I must have missed it and web search engines cannot find it.

A tale of two Christians

I came across the following post on the online cancer support sites. It is the response to the topic of how has cancer changed your perspective on life.

From a Christian perspective; I fully believe that nothing comes to me that has not passed the approval of my God in Heaven, why I have been given this hill to climb, I don't know. That being said, I have just continued my life as though all is good, which it is. The only difference is I now have a greatly enhanced ability to appreciate my family, friends and loved ones which includes all of those on this board. I have met some great people here whose love and friendship I cherish. I just do what the doctors say and live every day the best I can. Then, when I see the news about 2 young teenagers in our small town being killed in needless car crashes, I realize just how blessed I am to have lived and loved these many years.

This person, a 10 year cancer survivor, gives a tour de force look at this disease through a very Christian lens. It is effective witness for team Christ. You can find love and gratitude in every sentence. No wasted or weasel words.

The same cannot be said about the recent mutterings of a Christian business leader in his capacity as insurance commissioner for the state of Georgia.

“Well, a pre-existing condition would be then you calling up your insurance agent and saying, ‘I’d like to get collision insurance coverage on my car,’ and your insurance agent says, ‘Well, you’ve never had that before. Why would you want it now?’ And you say, ‘Well, I just had a wreck, it was my fault and I want the insurance company to pay to repair my car,’” Hudgens said to laughter. “And that’s the exact same thing on pre-existing insurance.”

Humbled by criticism for his blame the victim mentality, he issued the standard perfunctory oops.

But Hudgens, who made the remarks to a group of Republicans last month, said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wednesday that he had used a “really poor analogy” and “nothing could be further from the truth.”

“I’ve had family members, I’ve had friends … who have pre-existing conditions,” he said. “It’s not the person’s fault they have a pre-existing condition.”

The hypocrisy did not stop with just having family members and friends with pre-existing conditions that would make it impossible for them to buy health insurance if they could not get it through their employer. He has a major pre-existing condition of his very own - prostate cancer.

A day after Georgia's Republican insurance commissioner Ralph Hudgens was criticized for "out-of-touch" remarks on pre-existing medical conditions, spokesman Glenn Allen revealed that Hudgens has a pre-existing condition of his own. 

Allen told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday that Hudgens has gone in for regular checkups following surgery for prostate cancer more than a decade ago.

What an odd set of values. Instead of being grateful to God to have been given 10 years of good health after a bout with cancer, he exhibits little concern for people struggling with a life-threatening condition and how to pay for medical care without health insurance coverage. He did not misspeak. He spoke through the lens of political privilege and personal wealth. That was Mammon talking.

What was it Jesus said about what is expected of those that have been given much? I think it went something like this:

To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.

Behold, two Christians given the gift of 10 years of life as a cancer survivor. One counts his blessings and the other mocks the less fortunate. Guess which one hurts the public perception of the Christian brand.

• The Afford

Tis the season

It is the best of seasons and the worst of seasons.

As followers of Christ, we celebrate the season of advent with candles and hymns. It is a quiet time. A time for prayer. A time to meditate over the humble circumstances of his birth. A time to be still and know God's presence.

Here is America it is also the season of consumption and waste. People are encouraged to spend as much as they possibly can on expensive presents for themselves and family members, binge on food and drink, and teach their children that only the good gets lots and lots of toys. Some even compete to hang enough lights on their house and yard to be seen from orbiting satellites. We call like to call this the "Christmas" season, but nothing about it is consistent with what Jesus taught his followers.

It borders on blasphemy to associate any part of this holiday with Christ. Every year, the buying frenzy for "Christmas" has people fighting over bargains and hard to find items. This year is no exemption. Here are some people in North Carolina shopping on Thanksgiving day.




Scenes like this one can be found in stores all over the nation. Brawls. Stabbings. Shootings. That seems like an obscene amount of aggression by people supposedly overcome with "joy."

Analysts dissect every aspect of the four day shopping spree that has gradually replaced the holiday formerly known as "Thanksgiving." They wring their hands over retail sales. The postmortem number-crunching on this year's shopping frenzy has been that all the hype and heavily-advertised bargains failed to boost cash register tallies. The marketing blitz brought record numbers of people to the stores but they spent less.

There is even a new shopping-related meme - "missional shopping."

That’s when someone heads to a store to buy a specific discounted item and then leaves, avoiding the impulse purchases that boost sales for retailers, especially during the holidays. This is likely to hurt retailers’ profit margins this year.

Missional shopping will lead to "panic sales" where merchants slash prices as the "Christmas" shopping season comes to a close.  Bloated year-end inventories are the proverbial lump of coal for retail giants with visions of sugar plum bonuses dancing in their heads.

Meanwhile many retail workers face long hours, low wages, and nagging despair. Here is an all too common story.

Chardé Nabors, a mother of two who works as a $9-an-hour cashier at Sears in the Chicago Loop, feels left behind by the holiday festivities, partly because she was scheduled to work from 7:30 p.m. Thanksgiving to 6 a.m. Friday. “I’m here watching shoppers buy all these items, and I’m working to help these people, and I can’t even buy my children the same products,” said Ms. Nabors, whose 3-year-old son wants a Spider-Man doll she cannot afford.

The "Christmas" shopping season is little more than a war on advent. None of the excesses of this ugly season have anything to do with celebrating the birth of Christ. The worship of Mammon has replaced and destroyed the spiritual meaning of this holiday. The Evil One has to plenty to celebrate. Perhaps it is long overdue for the people that believe in Jesus as messiah to reclaim this season. That is probably too much to hope for.