Not a day goes by that the National News doesn’t lead off with an update on the disastrous effects of the giant oil spill caused by the explosion of Deep Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. Brian Williams begins, “This is day 72 of the massive spewing of oil. And still no end in sight.” The next four stories are submitted by on-the-scene reporters, complete with pictures and video. They show birds covered in oil, tar balls on beaches, and families lamenting the loss of their livelihood.
It is estimated that perhaps 20,000 to 50,000 barrels of oil are pouring into the Gulf every day. That’s a total of 150 million gallons. The floating oil slicks and subsurface plumes are destroying the ecosystems in the marshes of Louisiana. It is poisoning the fish of the sea, including sperm whales, whale sharks, blue fin tuna, sea turtles, shrimp and coral. It is starving the birds of the air and coating them in oil so they can no longer fly. We’ve all seen the heart wrenching pictures of birds being pulled out of the sea - some barely alive. And for others, it is already too late.
The government has prohibited fishing in what it has labeled “The Dead Zone” - which is 80,000 square miles of contaminated waters. Commercial fishermen have docked their boats, laid off their workers, dipped into their savings and filed their claims, hoping to get some financial relief from the $2.35 billion that BP has dished out so far. Hotels and resorts, and restaurants and tourist attractions remain deserted as the masses stay away from the white sand beaches that are no longer white. In a kneejerk reaction, the President has placed a 6 month moratorium on deep sea drilling - but that only compounds the problem because 120,000 people in the South make their living from oil - not fish.
It is bad. Everything about it is bad. The consequences are devastating on so many levels. The Gulf was once full of life and beauty. People longed to go there to get away and enjoy all it had to offer. And now, it has very little to offer because of the enormous amount of oil that is polluting the Gulf with very little resistance.
It was at our Saturday morning Men’s Bible Study a few weeks ago when Todd Schroering brought to our attention something that had not hit me before like it did this morning. We were discussing the book of James, a verse that we are all familiar with: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...” (James 1:27). We sat around and talked about the practical implications of this verse in our lives and for our church. We talked about what God expects of us. We talked about the need to help widows and orphans, and the children, and the poor, etc. This is good. This is acceptable by God. And deep down inside - most people know this. They might not make it to church on Sundays. They might not do a lot of other things in the name of religion, but they do feel passionate about taking care of the widows and orphans.
And then, Todd brought to our attention the second half of the verse... “and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.“ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is.. to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. And that’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks - that you and I are created in God’s image. We are filled with life and beauty. We are just like the Gulf of Mexico! But something has gone terribly wrong! We are being poisoned and polluted by some bad stuff in this world. And we stink. And we are dying. And we are covered with sin that keeps us from soaring. We are spiritually starving. We are so far from the robust spiritual economy that we were destined to be because we have allowed ourselves to be polluted.
It is strange to me that this verse in James is so popular - and yet we have completely missed the importance of the second half of the verse. Keeping ourselves from becoming polluted by the things of the world is just not that big of a deal to most of us.
Uhmmm. I bet it would be if you were a bird in the Gulf!
Go Bless,
Pete Baumgartle, Lanesville, Indiana
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Fathers Matter
Where Are All The Dads?
Once upon a time, Fathers mattered. But in today’s world, do children really need a dad? Isn’t it enough to live with mom, and watch Sponge Bob on the TV?
Perhaps the role of a father is outdated and old-fashioned. Perhaps a father doesn’t contribute much to the health and well-being of the children or the community. Maybe that explains why divorce has become so common and acceptable. Maybe that explains why more women are trying to raise children without the children’s father. After all, who really needs a dad?
The Downward Plunge
How does the absence of a father effect a child’s education? Research is pretty conclusive that children in one-parent homes have lower test scores, miss more days of school, are more likely to be suspended or expelled, are more likely to drop out of school, and are less likely to attend college. The absence of a father has significant negative effects on the education of children. As a result, they tend to make less income and receive more government assistance.
How does the absence of a father effect the crime rate? James Q. Wilson, one of the nation’s leading scholars on crime says, “neighborhood standards may be set by mothers, but they are enforced by fathers… Neighborhoods without fathers are neighborhoods without men able and willing to confront errant youth, chase threatening gangs, and reproach delinquent fathers. The absence of the father… deprives the community of those little platoons that informally but effectively control boys on the street.” The divorce rate and the percentage of households headed by women are the leading indicators of a community’s crime rate. Travis Hirschi, author of A General Theory On Crime, states, “The more strongly a child is bound to his parents, the more strongly he is bound to their expectations and, therefore, the more strongly he is bound to conformity with the legal norms of the larger system.”
David Blankenhorn says, “We have too many boys with guns primarily because we have too few fathers.” Boys need fathers in order to observe masculinity in productive and socially acceptable ways.
How does the absence of a father effect sexual promiscuity? Girls need fathers in order to learn the proper ways to interact with and receive affection from men. Wade Horn, Commissioner for Children, Youth, and Families explains, “If a girl experiences the love of a father who places her well-being above his own and who acts as a natural protector, then the girl is likely to delay sexual relations until she finds such a man herself. If she is denied such fatherly love, then the girl is likely to seek it elsewhere – often inappropriately and often at very young ages.” While boys without fathers turn to guns and crime, girls without fathers seem to turn to having babies – out of wedlock, and before finishing school.
And the cycle continues…
Go Bless,
Pete Baumgartle, Lanesville, Indiana
"Bless me, even me also, O my father!"
Genesis 27:34
“A growing number of analysts of all political stripes believe problems with the economy – as well as a number of other social ill – could be best addressed by halting the disintegration of the traditional American family.” - Investor’s Business Daily
It is imperative that we fathers learn to depend on God – because our children are depending on us.
Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.
Once upon a time, Fathers mattered. But in today’s world, do children really need a dad? Isn’t it enough to live with mom, and watch Sponge Bob on the TV?
Perhaps the role of a father is outdated and old-fashioned. Perhaps a father doesn’t contribute much to the health and well-being of the children or the community. Maybe that explains why divorce has become so common and acceptable. Maybe that explains why more women are trying to raise children without the children’s father. After all, who really needs a dad?
The Downward Plunge
How does the absence of a father effect a child’s education? Research is pretty conclusive that children in one-parent homes have lower test scores, miss more days of school, are more likely to be suspended or expelled, are more likely to drop out of school, and are less likely to attend college. The absence of a father has significant negative effects on the education of children. As a result, they tend to make less income and receive more government assistance.
How does the absence of a father effect the crime rate? James Q. Wilson, one of the nation’s leading scholars on crime says, “neighborhood standards may be set by mothers, but they are enforced by fathers… Neighborhoods without fathers are neighborhoods without men able and willing to confront errant youth, chase threatening gangs, and reproach delinquent fathers. The absence of the father… deprives the community of those little platoons that informally but effectively control boys on the street.” The divorce rate and the percentage of households headed by women are the leading indicators of a community’s crime rate. Travis Hirschi, author of A General Theory On Crime, states, “The more strongly a child is bound to his parents, the more strongly he is bound to their expectations and, therefore, the more strongly he is bound to conformity with the legal norms of the larger system.”
David Blankenhorn says, “We have too many boys with guns primarily because we have too few fathers.” Boys need fathers in order to observe masculinity in productive and socially acceptable ways.
How does the absence of a father effect sexual promiscuity? Girls need fathers in order to learn the proper ways to interact with and receive affection from men. Wade Horn, Commissioner for Children, Youth, and Families explains, “If a girl experiences the love of a father who places her well-being above his own and who acts as a natural protector, then the girl is likely to delay sexual relations until she finds such a man herself. If she is denied such fatherly love, then the girl is likely to seek it elsewhere – often inappropriately and often at very young ages.” While boys without fathers turn to guns and crime, girls without fathers seem to turn to having babies – out of wedlock, and before finishing school.
And the cycle continues…
Go Bless,
Pete Baumgartle, Lanesville, Indiana
"Bless me, even me also, O my father!"
Genesis 27:34
“A growing number of analysts of all political stripes believe problems with the economy – as well as a number of other social ill – could be best addressed by halting the disintegration of the traditional American family.” - Investor’s Business Daily
It is imperative that we fathers learn to depend on God – because our children are depending on us.
Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.
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