Solar Eclipse of the Soul- Part 2

Just as I am trying to get my house and garden in order and complete my spring cleaning regime, my friend Ron* needed a cleaning of another sort. Maybe an exorcism is more like it. As a doctor and a man of science, it was clear that he did not know how to handle all that he was feeling and thinking lately. The spiritual world was an unexplored realm for him. He was more comfortable exploring the topics of medicine, A.I., or robotics. There, he could hypothesize, quantify and reach a comfortable conclusion. These days as he wondered about the direction of current events and conjectured about end of times scenarios, he was anything but comfortable. I was even a little worried about him. Could all of this be leading him to God? I certainly hope so. When he called me and invited himself over for a visit, I was not entirely surprised.

Since I moved away from Westchester County, New York, I have not seen Ron as often as usual. He did visit me once though. It was soon after I moved into my new house. He came bearing housewarming gifts aplenty. He brought me fabulous food stuffs from Manhattan as if to show me what I was missing. I don’t think he understood that New York was killing me. The hostility and hatred for Conservative Christians in New York that I felt was terrible as Marxist and anarchic tendencies increased. Don’t try to hold onto your money in Westchester County either, because it is one of the most highly taxed regions in the country. I missed seeing Ron of course, but since moving here I am happier as I have begun to rebuild my life in a more politically conservative and Christian environment.

I am glad Ron has kept in touch though. Even though he is more liberal than I am, he was never one of those liberals who assumed I was unintelligent and less than human because I disagreed with him. Or, he never closed a discussion by calling someone a Nazi. Ron was not like that. In fact, Ron liked a good old-fashioned debate. He was more likely to shake hands with any adversary and to “agree to disagree.” He always seemed to respect people’s rights. But, lately those gentlemanly tactics that he has lived by were less and less useful in his native Manhattan.

I knew as soon as I heard Ron’s voice that day when he called that this visit would be different from all his other visits. Ron was asking me about things that he had always avoided talking about, i.e.God. I had to put aside my rakes and scrub brushes temporarily and pull out my Bible to get ready for his visit. I have always prayed for Ron. I knew that if he ever asked me about my faith, I wanted to be sure to lead him in the right direction. So, I began to think about all that he was pondering and pulled up some key chapter and verse that might assist him.

Ron had two days off from work and we agreed that he should set out just before sunrise and arrive just in time for one of my famous farmhouse breakfasts. Although Ron kept to a strict and healthy diet most of the time, he loved nothing better than to kick back, relax and enjoy some fun comfort food once in a while. However, my mind was more on the book of Ezekiel and Revelation than cooking as this could be the one moment when Ron might be open to studying the Bible with me. Still, even Jesus refreshed himself with food and beverage as he went about his earthly ministry so I better come up with a menu quickly since he would be coming in two days

I know Ron enjoys my blueberry French toast casserole, so I quickly began my shopping list. Maybe, a slow-cooked taco bar for lunch. Okay, added to the list. Next, make a list of bible quotes that would be of interest to Ron. 

Ron arrived in an early morning fog. Perhaps it was a metaphor for his current state. He hugged me and all he could manage was, a whisper in my ear, “my life used to be so good.” I looked in his eyes and said, ”welcome.” My husband shouted from an open door that my kitchen timer had just gone off. Perfect timing! 

That morning, Ron dispensed with his usual formality and began to tell us how his life suddenly changed. It began with the October 7th attack on civilians in Israel. Then, his shock at his brother Jakes’* decision to head to Israel into the path of danger. “Why would he run into danger like that?” At first Ron thought it was a fluke and that he would be coming back to New York quickly. He shared that, “I worry about him every single day.”   

In the midst of his turmoil, I noticed Ron was stress eating. Oh-oh, better bring out more food. He seemed to be having a meltdown right there in my kitchen so, it was time for me to steer the conversation. “Ron, let me start by saying, that Jake is going through an identity crisis. He is coming to terms with the fact that he is a Jew.” “Is he studying the Hebrew Scriptures?” “Yes, yes he is,” was his reply. With downcast eyes he looked like he was about to cry, or set shiva or something. 

“Ron, that’s wonderful!”Although he clearly did not share my opinion, I had his attention. I said, “Ron, something extraordinary happened on October 7th and it is changing both you and your brother’s lives.” “Honestly, that event is earth shattering.”  “Is this the beginning of a mid-life crisis? “was his reply. “I don’t think so. You and Jake have had extraordinary lives. You are both at the top of your professional careers. You and your brother have traveled to places that many people only dream of visiting. Every place except the state of Israel, it almost seems like you were purposely avoiding it.” With a smile he said, “we were.”

“You two are like 1930’s Berlin Jews going about your daily lives and thriving. The Jews of Germany and Austria had ascended to the highest levels of societal achievement until it all came crashing down. Many Jewish people had stopped identifying with their cultural and religious past as Jews until events changed and began to unfold. Don’t you see any parallels Ron?” He remained quiet, which was unusual for him.

In some ways, his life as a doctor had exacted effects on his personality. His words were important to countless people every day. He was used to speaking and having people listen. There was also the added weight that people expected him to always have a profound commentary or even to be perfect. Doctors who are not perfect or who make a mistake are sued for malpractice. The culture of doctors in New York City is one of perfectionism. In that environment many doctors languish and refuse to get help for their problems, even though help would be the next ward over. For these reasons doctors are sometimes hesitant to admit to their problems.

I could see this was the case with Ron. His orderly life had been disturbed and he was struggling. Even in his heightened emotional state his description of life in Manhattan read like an historical treatise of 1930’s Germany. Graffiti had sprung up where he went for his morning jog. Police reports were made by local Jewish business owners of harassment or vandalism. New York Universities hassling Jewish students and professors. Suddenly, people that he trusted or cared about were accusing him of things. 

The moment that had brought him the most trauma came when he decided to watch a Pro-Hamas rally in Times Square. The rhetoric and the speaker were Hitler-esque and did not fail to whip the crowd into a resultant frenzy. With arms raised, and pumping fist's the shouts began to ring out, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will soon be free.” “Intifada, intifada!” And then it happened, as his eyes panned the crowd, he saw two familiar faces. The faces of a father and son, the latter of which he had treated. The Pakistani natives had come to visit Ron in a desperate situation. Ron’s diagnosis of a rare condition and subsequent treatment of it, changed a young man’s life for the better. Ron had received cards with kind words and updates on their son’s life and anchievements over the years.Ron had immense satisfaction as a doctor at moments like this. In his mind, he may have even thought that it was these type of interactions that could heal the Middle Eastern hostilities.

As he locked eyes, with them, and the moment of recognition occurred, he saw nothing but hatred. Pure, deep and profound hatred. The men kept shouting, “Israel go to hell!”At this point with eyes still locked, they turned and faced Ron. Still chanting, they began to elbow their way through the crowd towards Ron.” He instantly felt unsafe and began to run away. He hated himself for it but, he was terrified and ran away. 

It was mid-morning by this time and I wondered if it would be appropriate to offer to add a shot of Irish Whiskey to our coffee. Ron’s eyes were glazed over, and my husband and I were dumbstruck. As much as I wanted to make Ron feel better I resisted the urge to soften the blow. Instead, I said, “Ron, let me read you a few things, let’s see if it relates to what you are experiencing.” 

 “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the King’s palace anymore than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”- Esther 4:13-14

“O God, do not keep silence, do not hold your peace or be still, O God! For behold your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. They say”Come let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”-Psalm 83:1-4

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.”-Ecclesiastes 1:9

Zechariah 12:3 (ending) “all nations of the earth are gathered against you”-Zechariah 12:3

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land.- Joel 3:1-2

“For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, sayeth the Lord: because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.” Jeremiah 30: 17

“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, “There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, then I shall take away their sins.:-Romans 11:26,27

Yes, Ron and I had a lot to talk about and only two days to do it! 

* the names are changed but these might have been your doctors. 

Solar Eclipse of the Soul-Part 1

Have you heard of that song,”Total Eclipse of the Heart?” It was a song from the 1970’s by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler which hit all types of milestones again on playlists promulgated to mark the Solar Eclipse which just happened in Canada, the United States and Mexico. 

A solar eclipse happens when the moon is directly in front of the sun. In this case, the eclipse was called a total eclipse because for a few minutes, the moon completely blocked out the suns rays to those in the viewing area as it passed the sun. It is an eerie dark too, the type of dark that since time immemorial drove our ancestors wild. Apparently, nothing has changed.

Or has it? Our ancestors were humbled before such great changes occurring in their daily lives like an eclipse. They were even frightened and offered sacrifices to their pagan gods to appease those gods and beg them to end the unnatural effect of having the sun blotted out in the middle of the day. 

We think better of that these days after having determined the scientific explanation for what is happening. We have viewing parties because we now think of eclipses as fun events. We create desserts like donuts covered with big black oreo-like cookies to depict that celestial event.  We bite into those desserts just as the zone of totality hits us. Or, we toast the eclipse and one another with total eclipse margaritas. Some toast with an eclipse detox drink. We are no longer afraid of natural phenomena because we have conquered the universe with our scientific investigations into such events. Right? 

Maybe not. It seems that people go way overboard these days when an event like an eclipse happens. Millions of travelers descended upon the areas where the total eclipse was predicted to descend. Niagara Falls, Canada had to declare a state of emergency to get additional help from their government in order to get more funds and personnel to handle the huge crowds expected to descend upon the city. That happened all over.

This overzealous reaction to a solar eclipse looked more like it was a neo-pagan religious service than anything else. I imagined seeing our ancestors gathering before a great statue, mountain or a grove of trees before the event and it looked a lot like the viewing parties that just occurred. If you have given up your Judeo-Christian worship days, why not replace them with the worship of celestial events the way our ancestors did? Is that what just happened? Well, it looked like that to me. 

Did the natural reticence or fear that our ancestors had at such events actually save them from being blinded by looking at the sun at such times? The internet was all a flutter after the eclipse with people describing eye pain, and solar eclipse sickness. Maybe those who went before us did not yet know their creator but, they understood that powers far beyond their understandings existed. Many people today feel as if there is no God, and that science will eventually explain everything.

The big way we celebrate could also be a huge pretense to cover up people’s real discomfort on an unconscious level. That’s right we desire to be in control but, we are not. We want to get the job we want, but we don’t. We want to control our bodies and health but unfortunately things happen. It feels good to think wow, I am not afraid of these colossal celestial bodies. I know just what’s going on and I’m in control. But we are not in control of the laws of the universe. God is. The sun could do something we don’t expect or a large comet could hit the earth and bam. 

Does the solar eclipse portent end times approaching? I had been asked this questions for weeks leading up to the recent solar eclipse. It started with friends from Manhattan and Westchester County, New York. One such friend wondered if there was a connection among a number of worldwide happenings. Ron* is a Medical Doctor with a practice in New York City. A man thoroughly ensconced every day in the world of science. I was a little bit surprised when he asked me that question. 

But, just like all of us, Ron has a soul which looks for the spiritual answers to life’s questions too. He had been given a first hand account of all that happened during the recent 7.8 earthquake in Taiwan by one of his work colleagues who has family in the area. Then, Ron got a jolt of his own right there in New York City when a 4.8 quake shook his apartment. It was not a feeling that he liked. His cat has stayed in the closet ever since. 

Ron, put the spiritual two’s and two’s together and he had some thoughts on a possible eschatological sum. He asked me if the quickening of events is a portent of the biblical end times. That’s a good question. To start with I read him a portion of the Gospel according to Matthew 24:3-15: 

3.And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 

4.And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 

5.For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 

6.And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

7.For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  

8.All these are the beginning of sorrows.  

9.Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.  

10.And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

11.And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.  

12.And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

13.But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

14. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto the nations; and then shall the end come.

15.When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readers, let him understand:)

Ron reflected and accessed the current world situation and was able to articulate his thoughts on why events seem to be lining up with the above passage. Since we ended with Daniel, which is an Old Testament reference he quite naturally asked me how prophecy from that part of the Bible meshed with the New Testament teachings on the topic. My answer was that one can not fully understand the meaning of prophecy in the New Testament without fully understanding the prophecies of the Old Testament because the New Testament teachings rest squarely upon its’ shoulders. Ron was open to learning more.

Throughout his life, Ron, a longtime atheist was one of the people that looked to science as the omnipotent, omnipresent source of his inspiration, not the God of Abraham, Issaac and Jacob. I never saw him to be a man who would think to pray to Jesus for the answers either. I surmised that although reared in a Jewish home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, his families’ beliefs in the previously mentioned God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac had waned. 

But, something happened last fall that shook him to his spiritual core. His brother Jake*, also a doctor, had felt called to go to Israel to use his skill as a doctor in the aftermath of the massacre of October 7th. Ron has been struggling to understand the meaning of it all. He does know that since October 7th, his life as a Jew in New York has changed dramatically. Amid the new reality of the anti-Jewish sentiment he has felt, and his brother’s new found commitment to Israel, he is in a Solar Eclipse of the Soul.

This was demonstrated to me when I called Ron up to talk about the solar eclipse glasses that I had just procured so my husband and I could view the phenomenon. Usually full of geeky facts and figures on such topics, he was strangely not interested in which agencies or institutions had or had not given my solar eclipse lenses their seal of approval. He didn’t even want to talk about solar eclipse studies that would be conducted during the astronomical event.

Instead, he asked me point blank, if we are in the end times. I was shocked but I shouldn’t have been. Signs and wonders have always got people’s attention throughout history. Jesus had to deal with that phenomena as he tried to teach a deeper spiritual lesson. Even a man of science can notice patterns and the scientific method will point towards trying to hypothesize, experiment and quantify. Sometimes, it all points to God.

Next Week: Solar Eclipse of the Soul- Part 2

* The names were changed to protect identities. They could be your doctors.

Easter Evangelism

The beginning of spring has come to my little corner of the planet and with it a perfusion of bright and cheerful daffodils. As soon as Valentines’s Day is over and I see the first robin of spring searching for worms on my back lawn, I know it’s time to rake up winter debris from the garden beds. This must be timed so that the cleanup happens before the bulbs come up. I have snowdrops, winter aconites, crocuses and the biggest display of daffodils around! They are so beautiful, especially after winter’s dull display.

Spring cleaning has just begun in my house, just in time for Easter. That means some extra work on top of what I normally do. Cooking for any holiday is always a big chore, along with entertaining, and decorating. It brings me a lot of joy but, I have to be somewhat strategic to make sure that I get things done in time. After the house is in order, and the garden tended, it is time to plan the Easter dinner menu.

Every Christian country has favorite foods associated with their Easter celebration. I grew up with many classic choices ranging from sweet Easter bread to desserts resembling bird’s nests.  In general, my main course is either ham or lamb but sometimes both. A quiche is featured and I always have what are the spring seasonal vegetables in the northeastern United States prepared in a variety of ways. Those are: spinach, peas, carrots, lettuce or asparagus.  Dessert could be something citrusy, a fancy cake and of course plenty of chocolates and jelly beans in our Easter baskets. 

Just when I would like to keep my “nose to the grindstone” and get some work done, evangelism called. As life challenges descended upon two people close to me, spiritual questions naturally arose for them. Tatum,* is an old friend from Westchester County New York who I met at one of those children’s activities that we all attend. She has never had good health. As a young child she had learning disabilities, a thyroid problem and vision impairment. She had difficult childbirths too. Her health went from bad to worse when she took a job laying cable for a communications company. She ended up sustaining a back injury which was a career ending event. Tatum chose to go on permanent disability at that point.

Doctors did not agree on the severity of the injury or its’ treatment. Tatum who was always as thin as a rail put on weight during her convalescence and one doctor thought that only exacerbated her condition but, with diet and exercise she could improve dramatically. Another, Doctor Mandy* thought that the condition was chronic and would only get worse as time went on. Doctor Mandy thought that all that could be done was to alleviate the pain. So, she prescribed opiods.

Tatum, tough as they come, somehow lost her will to fight. She just took the pain killer route. In her mind, Doctor Mandy was the most sympathetic health care professional that she had met since her injury and if the doctor was prescribing this medication then it must be okay. She trusted Doctor Mandy.

As the years went by, I was concerned about the direction that Tatum’s life had taken. She became housebound. I would try to get her out of her house even just to get a cup of coffee or go to the mall. I eventually gave up and our relationship became one of phone calls and text messaging despite the fact that we lived a short distance away from one another and I would work out at a gym around the corner from where she lived. Her home was no longer neat and clean and so she was reticent to invite people in. She was completely cut off with her only outlet being the internet. 

She became an internet junkie, just like she was a pill junkie. Her real friends and family replaced by her online support system. The internet gave her everything that she wanted. People who she could filter. A sub-culture of people who she chose that fit her niche lifestyle. They were all pill-popping for pain relief. She could always get approval and commiseration on the internet. 

Jason* is an old friend and professional colleague. He ended up being the person who introduced me to my husband. They met while in college. It was from there, that the journey of our Christian marriage began. We haven’t stopped thanking Jason since then. Jason’s love life has been nothing like ours. Most of Jason’s relationships lasted no more than 3 years, including his one and only marriage. The longest relationship he had might have been 5 years. When I asked him why his relationships only last such a short time, his response was, “I don’t know?” Really Jason, you don’t know? 

There was the sexy doctor, the Haitian woman looking for a green card, the overbearing vegetarian, the tall Swedish girl who was stronger than him and scared him a little bit. There was a classical music student and a nuclear physicist. 

This nuclear physicist went to Moscow University and lived with Jason for 5 years. That was his longest relationship. When it ended, he didn’t know why, she then married a musician from the nation of Georgia (not the location in the southern United States). They had one son who has some mental health struggles. He is brilliant though. Gregor* lives in the tiny Georgian village that his father grew up in. He doesn’t like to leave his apartment and programs on his computer all day. Lena* and her husband often disagree as regards Gregor’s needs. This has created distance between them. 

This distance created an opportunity for Jason to squeeze back into Lena’s life. Jason always supports and agrees with Lena in everything she does, and this has only made her closer to Jason and further away from her husband. In my opinion, Jason holds all the women he has ever been with in his heart like a harem of sorts. He went out of his way to have cordial relationships with all of his exes after their breakup and would love to still be friends with all of them. But let’s be clear here, more than friends and more like part of a spiritually adulterous harem. 

This reminds me of the 1984 song sung by Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson entitled “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.” Jason loves to tell me about,🎶”All the Girls he’s loved before, that traveled in and out of his door.” 🎶  I recently got a call from Jason with some sad news about Lena. Lena, the Nuclear Physicist has come down with cancer. She is young and it is aggressive. It is the kind of cancer that is often associated with jobs in the nuclear industry. The prognosis does not look good. 

Each of my friends, both Tatum and Jason, had reached an emotional and spiritual turning point. They were both trying to cope with questions of health, life and death and the meaning of it all. They each contacted me while I was making my Quiche Lorraine, Jason by phone and Tatum by text. “Let me put this in the oven and I’ll get right back to you.” I got my quiche in the oven and started to put together a vegetable side dish while I began to text with Tatum.

A crisis had happened. Her medical case was being reviewed. What was once called okay in pain management has effectively been revised. Medicine can sometimes be capricious. Doctor Mandy’s cases were being reviewed and Tatum’s life was about to change dramatically just before Easter.  Another doctor reviewing Tatum’s case concluded that Dr. Mandy had prescribed her as much painkillers as a terminal patient would get to ease their pain. She would no longer be able to get her painkillers and she was in a panic. 

Tatum voluntarily agreed to reduce her dosage under a doctor’s care but, she is worried about how this will affect her health and her pain level. Tatum, who can run hot and cold on the topic of God, was running hot again!  Jason had phoned me, just as I was answering questions about God by text and he was essentially asking the same questions.

I began to see a deeper meaning in my Easter celebration this year. As Jason’s story unfolded he confessed his love for Lena and told me he would do almost anything to save her, even bargain with God. He wondered if he should go to church and light a candle and beg God to save her. Where do I start?

Although Tatum and Jason do not know each other and are different in many ways, they do have some similarities. They both came from homes with several religious Catholic family members. This left an impression on them and although they were not religious, they never had hostility towards Christians the way some other people I know do. 

Over the years I have planted many little seeds of biblical truths and prayed for their salvation. I have spent copious amounts of time studying the Bible with them and answering spiritual questions only to see them pull back from a final commitment to God once they realized what they would have to give up. Of course, they were not ready to understand the biblical passages describing God’s comfort, guidance and the help available to us as we deal with life’s struggles.

But, this Easter, something seem to be different. Jason, for example, seemed to have a more open attitude. Seeing Lena sick has made Jason realize what’s at stake. He was willing to hear more about who Jesus was and what his earthly mission was. For the first time ever, Jason seemed to connect with the fact that he was a sinner. This was huge. Over the years, he would continually tell me that,” he was a good person.” Or, “why did he have to go to church if it was so boring.’ If Jason, you, or I are such “good people” then why do we need a Savior? The answer is we don’t. Now, Jason finally realized, that he needed a Savior. All the years that I have know him, I have never heard him cry until that day on the phone. He cried out that he needed “a savior, and that he could “not do this alone.”

At this point,  Jason could finally look at his life and realize that he did not meet God’s standards. He emotionally repented this Easter and stated that “with God’s help he would sort out his relationship with Lena”and would “follow God” in his conduct with her. He was also able, from the bottom of his heart, to pray for Lena’s marriage on the telephone. He wanted to be a good role model to her and her husband now, especially because he knows that Lena’s condition is so dire. He would do that for God’s sake and for Lena’s soul.

This Easter one is saved and with God’s help from grace to grace, Jason will choose to continue to make the changes in his life that he needs to make. With Tatum however, she is still playing the same games. She wants God but is not willing to give up living with a man outside of marriage. She will not stop foul-mouthed tirades against people who she perceives to have done her wrong, or accept responsibility for some of the things that she has done wrong. She got closer this time to almost accepting the Lord in her heart! Closer than she ever did. “Close but no cigar.” The cigar being forgiveness of her sins, comfort for the tribulation she must now undergo and eternal life with God. Will getting off the pain meds give her a new attitude toward life and God? Only time will tell. 

I know that I must be patient with Jason, and Tatum. I must also remember to be patient with all my friends and family who do not yet know the Lord. I can see what that patience did for Jason. I am literally the only Christian that Jason knows. Finally, this Easter season I must remain strong in the Lord, and pray and never give up hope for the unsaved people in my life. What about you? Will you have patience and hope for the salvation of others? Remember the most important thing that you can do this Easter season and always is to talk about God, talk about Jesus, talk about sin, resurrection and how Jesus saves. A small planted seed can grow in time. 

* The names are changed to protect privacy. 

Tucker, Putin & Navalny

Tucker Carlson’s interview of Vladimir Putin was an embarrassment in an otherwise stellar career. Even more so after the death of Putin opposition leader Alexei Navalny on February 16th. Alexei Navalny has tragically died at the age of 47 in a former gulag labor camp just ten miles north of the Arctic Circle. His crime or crimes? I won’t lie to you and even dignify the false charges by repeating those heinous trumped up charges in this blog. They are politically motivated. 

It seems I am on a jag of sorts and Russia is the topic. Last week, I discussed Russia and as I almost had the finishing touches completed on a post about Tucker Carlson’s interview of Vladimir Putin, the death of Alexei Navalny was announced. With just about one month left before the Russian Presidential election there are so many things going on it has my head spinning.

We have the Interview. We are marking the 2nd anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and now the death of a Putin opposition leader. None of this seems accidental. Let’s start with Tucker Carlson. For a man with a history degree, he let Vladimir Putin get far afield of historical facts without a redirect. Putin’s views on Poland, Hitler and WWII were delusional. 

It crossed my mind, as Vladimir Putin droned on and on, that Tucker did not interrupt the dictator because he was afraid he might go to jail in a place like Navalny was just in. Maybe he was afraid of being tortured and tormented as Navalny was. Did he know enough Russian history to understand that? I refuse to refer to Putin as the President in this post because I believe Russian elections don’t count for much. 

A short time before his death, Alexei Navalny said that the elections were rigged and he called on the Russian people to arrive noon at the polls on March 17th to do a protest vote. Simply take your ballot and leave with it, he said. Or, vote for anyone else but Putin, he suggested. What if every Russian wrote in Navalny on their ballot. What would happen? A simple review of Russian history teaches the possibilities

Tucker Carlson gave a brutal dictator the podium to spew lies and propaganda to a large audience. This at a time where Putin is not free to travel in the West due to the possibility of being arrested as a war criminal. No problem, Tucker will get your message out for you. Tucker Carlson fawned over Russian subways and supermarket prices without the scrutiny that would have served to unmask the dirty little secrets beneath the facade. His interview was not journalism it was propaganda at its’ best. This was not the Tucker that I once knew. Has he traded sides? If it walks like a duck, it might just be a duck.Tucker’s interview sounded like any other RT ( Russia Today TV network) report. 

To recap, Tucker Carlson gave Vladimir Putin a chance to defend his invasion of Ukraine to a huge world audience without any opposition from the usually competitive and feisty debater. He laughed at Putin’s jokes like a besotted teenager. While the dust was settling from that train wreck of an Interview, the cars were arriving at one of the remote Russian prisons in the Arctic Circle that Alexander Solzhenitsyn so palpably described, to disable the cameras and do the dirty deed of killing Navalny. 

The 1,162 year history of Russia that Putin forgot to mention was the total eclipse of freedoms’ light and the brutal repression of opposition that has without abatement continued to haunt and revisit the Russian people on a periodic basis. A long line of people have died hideously in a place devoid of light, warmth or hope. Millions of people have died the way Alexei Navalny has and that was the ugly elephant in the room with Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin. 

Stalin would sign death orders on the opposition every night before bed. It was like a little night cap before sleep. As Carlson interviewed Vladimir Putin, he had already ordered Navalny’s death as he has with so many others. The Putin Death count is in the thousands. I think he planned this interview for three reasons. 1. To rally the Russian people to continue their support of the war. 2. To divide the West with the ultimate goal being the withdrawal of support for Ukraine. 3. For re-election purposes.

Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in 2020, just four years ago. There is a reason substances such as these are banned by international consensus, they induce terrible symptoms and often result in painful death or lasting physical ramifications. Navalny faced the choice of staying in the west or returning to Russia. One of the rules of exile from Russia is that your influence and contribution will be cancelled. 

Navalny wanted change to happen and had amassed the organization to be able to promote change within Russia. He could never do that from the outside. He went back knowing that Putin wanted him dead. To many people, he went like a lamb to the slaughter. A lamb sacrificed for the possibility of freedom. What will happen next? In a now famous video that Navalny filmed in 2021 when he left Germany to return to Russia, he said, “My message if I am killed is very simple, don’t give up!”

Christian Housewife reviews “I.S.S.”

It was a last minute decision to go to the movies on a Thursday night, but maybe I needed the distraction. I had my eyes glued to the computer screen far too long this week leading to a bout of what I call “computer eyes,” a condition that means you need to be forcibly removed from in front of your computer screen. Although going to the movies was probably not the best treatment for this, it was a good way to relax after a busy week.

The topic intrigued me. “I.S.S.” stands for International Space Station. It is a small budget movie with a limited release in Canada and the U.S.A. It was the last day on the big screen in my neighborhood. Wow, since when did going to the big screen cost less than streaming?  Note to self, this is a good deal!

The premise of the story couldn’t be more timely: a group of Americans and Russians aboard an International Space Station must cope with the outbreak of WWIII. The movie opens with a reminder of one of the original goals of the space station which was the belief in improving international relations at the end of the Cold War. 

Scientists cooperating for the benefit of mankind was idealistically considered an achievable goal. Scientists, were considered the epitome of rationalism and civilization, or so it was thought and some still believe. One of the Russian scientists Weronika seems to mirror this point to an incoming American scientist Kira, who is beginning her first voyage aboard the space station. 

Weronika highlights the view from space and notes there are no national boundaries from above. As the movie continues, she expresses her view of scientists having a vaunted societal role. Weronika is also in a romance with Gordon, one of the American team members of the I.S.S. This establishes her as a character more inclined towards a globalist point of view.

The Russian team also has two apparatchik characters ready to serve the motherland. In true classical Russian literary tradition, one of the men appears to have no remorse, while the other was a tortured individual. Each of the men had a little bit of “The Brothers Karamazov” characterizations within them.

As far as the American team, there is the now required gay character that Hollywood demands, and two other men who seem to have very little in common. Perhaps, this mirrors the emotional and spiritual U.S. civil war that is always part of the background noise these days. As the movie goes on, the Americans seem more self-motivated rather than motivated to do their countries bidding. I’d say the story reflects the truth that we are all sinners regardless of what nation we hail from.

But, when the story opens, the mood is one of cordiality and cooperation. The international team raises a toast to celebrate their upcoming mission together. However, cracks soon emerge due to cultural traditions and mindsets that would mock the notion of true unity.

Then, one of the characters catches a glimpse from space of the earth and what she thinks is a volcanic eruption. When the color of the earth from above turns into flames, it is then that the team realizes that the world is at war. Specifically, Russia and the United States are at war and the I.S.S. now has strategic importance. Before they lose all communications with earth, (that will happen when the weapons of modern warfare are poised and ready to shut off the electronic grid), each country tells their people to take the spaceship over by whatever means necessary. 

Everything begins to fall apart immediately and each person has to decide quickly what they believe and who’s on their side. There are surprising twists and turns and changing loyalties. Are the three Russian crew members all one big happy family, are the Americans? The answer is no. The close quarters and the conditions of zero gravity make you wonder how the hardships of their physical state and the vulnerability of being on a space station would factor into the story line. All of that is part of the taut storyline.One thing that I can say is that any notion, that I had as a child of wanting to be an astronaut, were quickly ended when the movie depicted how truly difficult those conditions are. 

The situational ethics of this movie, reminds me of my college philosophy class and brings up many of those old questions. This alone makes the film well worth watching if you can get it. Some of the questions that come to mind are how this story would play out if one of the Russians and one of the Americans were Christians? What if I, an American, and you, fill in your nationality, were both Christians and aboard a space station when WWIII broke out? How would the shared bond that we have as believers factor in?  As Christians, we understand the difference between right and wrong, through God’s grace and a study of the Bible. We know that we must follow God and that there are rules for godly living. Can we just go along when someone tells us to do something “by whatever means necessary?” We all know the answer to that is “no.”

Then the question of whether I could actually imagine the world in a large scale war came to mind. It is shocking to think that it was not difficult to imagine that at all. In fact, the world seems dangerously close to some sort of disaster. It could be with China and Taiwan. China and the Philippians are mixing it up over International waters and Philippine territory. The disaster could be between North Korea and almost anyone. Seriously, that guy is unstable and is liable to fire his missiles and start a war with anyone.  Russia and the Ukraine. As I began writing this the NATO Alliance had just scrambled some F-16 fighters over to Poland because Putin got a little closer to bringing Europe into this. 

Then there is the Middle East. What can I say? Iran is out of control and the whole world seems to be going along with that. Not that I expected anything else. First, the Obama and then the Biden Administration did everything possible to destabilize the region. They shifted the balance of power dramatically towards the Iranian regime and hence its’ proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi’s. China and Russia are with Iran too. “Show me your friends and I’ll show you, yourself.”

Practically the whole world is against Israel. Isn’t that crazy. It’s just a little piece of land and it is a small tribe of people. Why, why, why do they seem to be so worthy of all this hatred and violence? If you answered the Bible predicted it, you are correct. Or, if you answered because they are God’s chosen people, you are correct. If you answered Satan has a vested interest in getting rid of them, then you are correct. God Almighty calls the Jews the “apple of his eye.” God describes Israel as his land and he instructs not to divide his land (even if the current man in the U.S. Presidential office says otherwise)

Joe Biden recently used a profanity to describe the current President of Israel. However, in my mind, I wondered if his recent spate of bad language, he also called President Trump a similar name, has more to do with his advancing neurologic impairment than anything else. 

So going back to the movie, imagining a situation where there is a worldwide conflagration is not all that hard to do. What will people choose to do if the whole world seems to have gone mad? In the astronauts race for survival, I imagined my own race for survival. The desire to get out of even a desperate situation alive is instinctual. But, what will we all do to survive? What have we done? That is our ethics and it shows where we are in relationship to God.

This movie does not make anyone a hero. And in the end, the characters become less Russian, and less American as they are humbled and broken by the situation they are in. It becomes more about the humanity that we share and the sinners that we are. It seems symbolic that in the end, one Russian and one American leave the failing ship together. They are fast heading back to earth and to the unknown fate that must lie ahead. 

P.S. True unity with one another comes through our faith in God through his son Jesus. With that comes an understanding of right from wrong, which leads to the basis of what our relationship with one another should be.

NEXT WEEK: Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin

Christian Housewife reviews “THE BLIND”

Do a little survey some morning when you have the luxury of perusing the news. Look through your local newspaper source and count the number of bad relationship stories that make the news. Then, add to that the number of your friends and family members who have had a divorce or bad breakup. Next, divide that all by the number of sermons on marriage that you have heard at church or during a Bible study.

Bad relationships can bring financial and emotional damage. Unfortunately, there appears to be an uptick in the number of murder-suicides showcasing just how far a bad relationship can go. Yet, if your math is anything like mine, not enough is done to combat these trends at our churches. However, a recent movie does much to bring some issues to the surface. 

I have asked myself over the years, why the discussion of marriage problems and Christian solutions are not more central to the life of the believer. Oh, it’s not like I have not attended some wonderful Biblical teachings on the topic or even picked up excellent books by prominent Christian authors on the topic. But, at times I have been underwhelmed by the Church’s response. 

I believe there are various reasons for this. Firstly, it is because the Holy Spirit filled believer has everything they need to solve these problems. Between that gentle voice speaking and the wisdom in the Bible, a believer is equipped to go full-speed ahead and attack any marital problems. 

Secondly, people are naturally reticent or even ashamed when their picture perfect life, as seen on Facebook, does not match some emerging truth. This leads to isolation and even the belief that you are the only one facing a particular issue. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wise King Solomon was right when he said, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun”- Ecclesiastes 1:9. There is nothing that you or I are going through that someone else hasn’t experienced. 

Whatever the reason, people, church-going or not, are hurting. God instituted marriage and blessed family life and we as believers must fight for our marriages and families. I could not imagine anyone fighting harder than Kay in the movie, THE BLIND. When this movie came out, I was not inclined to watch it because I was not a fan of the “Duck Dynasty” reality show family that the movie depicts. 

I can honestly say that I was not a fan of the reality TV series simply due to the fact that I am not interested in hunting, although I have nothing against it. Furthermore, the reality series showcased a Christian family which I am inclined to watch. So, when the movie “The Blind,” first premiered and teased revelations about marriage and family problems, I think I had a little more of my interest piqued than before. The movie did not disappoint.

The story goes back in time and tells the story of Phil and Kay Robertson’s childhood and their eventual marriage. Phil’s background included coping with many trials and tribulations including poverty, a mentally ill and sometimes hospitalized mother, and a father who had an away job. Yet, God greatly gifted Phil in many areas. He was able to play football opening a pathway for his higher education to be paid for. He had a natural talent for being an entrepreneur and a young lady who was devoted to him.

As success would come to him he seemed to always find a way to sabotage it. That happens to a lot of us doesn’t it? Sabotaging ourselves I mean. Why is that? Don’t we feel worthy of that promotion or that relationship? Or is it the old taking things for granted thing? I don’t know but, Phil seemed to do this a number of times in his life. 

Many of his problems may have stemmed from the exposure to the mental illness of his mother and the habits of coping that he picked up. He eventually fell and started to drink. It was not long before things between him and his wife Kay began to deteriorate. By then, he had a young family who suffered too. 

When Kay and Phil separated she got serious about growing in her faith in the Lord and began to attend church with her boys. The church helped Kay and the children find a place to stay and even reached out to Phil Robertson a number of times with the message of God’s love and redemption. 

There are so many reasons to watch this film. For one thing, I believe that more problems than we think stem from either mental health problems or alcoholism. For another thing, most movies don’t tell the story of the transformative power of God in many people’s lives. I have seen many marriages brought back to life when they were seemingly dead, including my own, by the power of God. 

Spiritual Resolution

As the New Year begins, and the old year fades away, there is the wonderful possibility of spiritual growth for each of us. I could talk about a variety of good resolutions that we could make as we begin this New Year but, none would be more important than a Spiritual Resolution to know Jesus or to know him better. All the desires that you may have for turning over a new leaf begin with Jesus. Knowing him will give you the best answers to your questions. There are other answers out there but the eternal and truthful answers all come from Jesus.

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart-Psalm 37:4.

All civilizations have instinctively thought of their New Year’s celebration as a time to wipe away the old and to look forward to the new. Traditional cultures all have customs which show this. But, besides New Year’s we have various times in our life when we want a fresh start. Who among us hasn't thought or longed for a new beginning? It could be after an epic failure in our academic studies, career or when a relationship ends. It might be then that you or I have wondered when or how to change our life. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new- 2 Corinthians 5:17.

We have to examine our conscience, physically walk into a church, attend a bible study, and meet with a Pastor. Then, the decision to follow Jesus can be fully understood and your journey begins. I want this to be a time of new beginnings and finding out God’s plan for your life is paramount. We are special because we are made in the image and likeness of God. He gives us meaning, not what we look like, what we wear or what we do. How’s that for identity politics?

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God-Psalm 146:5.