politics | the view from over here

Category: politics
- What can we learn from all these veterans and the graves of their comrades?
  
  Posted at 9:58 am by derekmaul, on November 12, 2018
  War, huh, yeah
  What is it good for
  Absolutely nothing
  War, huh, yeah
  What is it good for
  Absolutely nothing
  Say it again, why’all
  
  War, huh, good god
  What is it good for
  Absolutely nothing, listen to me… – Barret Strong / Norman Whitfield
  
  I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield
  Down by the riverside
  I’m gonna study, study, war no more
  
  I ain’t gonna study war no more
  Ain’t gonna study war no more
  I ain’t gonna study war no more – Louis Daniel Armstrong
  
  One hundred years ago the world tried to make a decision for peace. It was Armistice Day, November 11, 1918.
  
  The brutal conflict that had consumed Europe was named, “The War to End All Wars.” It seemed a reasonable title at the time because, well, who could imagine doing anything like that ever again?
  
  So this is a good day to look at pictures of cemeteries. The stories they hold speak of real people who lived and loved and who were loved – each loss a bitter wound to a family and a community. They are stories of sacrifice, of bravery, of heroism, of service, and of struggle. But the poignant images of grave markers – row after row after row – also speak of how little we learn from generation to generation and how precarious the balance remains between war and peace.
  
  Remembrance Day:
  
  Growing up in England, Armistice Day was also known as Remembrance Day. Not just to remember with gratitude the selfless commitment of those who serve but also to remember (with caution) the dangers of nationalism, of “_____________ (any country) First”, of xenophobia, of arrogance, of racism, of polarization, and of the widespread creeping disdain for compromise that is rearing its head again today, that always leads to conflict, and that is disturbingly reminiscent of the world that went to war in 1914….
  
  These photographs are from our last visit to Arlington National Cemetary. May their sacrifice guide us to a more lasting peace – DEREK
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  Posted in commentary, Current News, life, politics, The Story, Travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Arlington National Cemetery, Armistice Day, featured, Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, Wart to End all Wars, World War One
- about today’s midterm elections – please read this and pray for our country
  
  Posted at 8:22 am by derekmaul, on November 6, 2018
  He has told you, human one, what is good and
  what the Lord requires from you:
  to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8
  
  Author Derek Maul lives and writes in Wake Forest, North Carolina
  
  I had a post just about ready to go for today, and I’ll let it stand after this new introduction. But then I woke up this morning thinking, “What issues matter the most to you on election day, Derek?” And I kept coming back to the following – not so much “issues” but neccessary qualities in those we elect to serve.
  1. Integrity.
  2. Humility.
  3. Honesty.
  4. Open-mindedness.
  5. Teachability.
  6. A willingness to reach across the aisle.
  7. A disdain for manipulation.
  8. Someone who does justice.
  9. Someone who loves mercy and embraces faithful love.
  10. Someone who walks humbly with their God.
  Today’s Elections:
  
  So it is election Day, 2018. Mid-terms. Lots of races. Tons of stuff to think about. Billions, literally billions, of dollars spent in advertising. I’d be cautious about those ads, though, there sure is a lot of obfuscation going on in politics this fall.
  
  Here’s the thing. How about we vote thoughtfully? And if you’re not sure because all the policy stuff you want to be thinking about has just gotten too complicated, or too muddied, I’d like to suggest that we vote based on the simple general idea of decency and character.
  
  I’d like to suggest that we vote based on the simple general idea of decency and character.
  
  Here’s the interesting truth. None of us are right all the time. Most of us – and I’m likely not much better than average in this regard – are wrong the majority of the time about the majority of things. This is why we would be doing ourselves a favor if we voted for people more inclined to listen than to pronounce judgment, and more likely to reach across the aisle than to double down on the party line.
  
  Compromise and humility:
  
  Think about the United States Constitution, for example. Do you believe for a minute that a delegate from one state had the thing written out just like we see it today, then argued and argued, yelled and screamed, pitched fits, belittled and put down everyone else, retrenched his position, riled up his base, and repeated all this again and again until the other twelve states finally agreed that he was right?
  
  Of course not. Compromise – informed, properly debated, prayed over, chipped away – was the order of the day.
  
  If you want your party/leader/position/argument to be right all the time then what you need is a dictatorship not a United States of America.
  
  That, I believe, is what this election is all about. I believe it is about justice, about mercy, about faithful love, and about walking humbly with God and with one another. I believe that our national character is on the line.
  
  – DEREK
  
  He has told you, human one, what is good and
  what the Lord requires from you:
  to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8
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  Posted in commentary, Current News, leadership, politics | 1 Comment | Tagged Democrat Republican, do justice, election day, love mercy, Micah 6:8, Midterms 2018, walk humbly
- Bob Marley, Pete Seeger, Ecclesiastes, and Jesus #RedemptionSong
  
  Posted at 10:48 am by derekmaul, on October 4, 2018
  I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. – Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
  
  me, teaching
  
  Something that fascinates me, puzzles me a little, and often informs my writing life is the way apparently disparate ideas, sources, philosophies, and constructs sometimes conspire together to help shape my thinking.
  
  Wednesday, for example, I spend quite a bit of time in and around the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. That evening we talked about it in my men’s Bible study group. Then, when you might have expected me to be humming The Byrds’ version of Pete Seeger’s “Turn, turn, turn,” instead I can’t get Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” out of my head.
  
  In Ecclesiastes “The Preacher” talks about the sometimes overwhelming stream of life that seems to flow over us as mortal beings: life, death, planting, uprooting, silence, noise, love, hate, killing, healing, building, tearing down, weeping, mourning, laughing, dancing, searching, gathering, war, peace… so many things we can do little to impact or change. Yet there is a foundational truth that stands under – and over, beyond and all around – everything, because our Creator has “set eternity in the hearts of people.”
  
  Redemption Songs:
  
  At the same time, I hear the voice of Bob Marley singing that – despite imprisonment and slavery and what he calls “the bottomless pit” – his hand has been made strong by the hand of the Almighty, and that his generation moves forward triumphantly…
  
  But my hand was made strong
  By the hand of the Almighty
  We forward in this generation
  Triumphantly
  Won’t you help to sing
  These songs of freedom?
  ‘Cause all I ever have
  Redemption songs
  Redemption songs
  
  So I think about this juxtaposition of deep, heartfelt poetry separated by almost three millennia, understanding the fact that in spite of his cynicism the writer of Ecclesiastes insists that God has “made everything beautiful in its own time,” and hearing Marley insist that in spite of everything, stronger than his people’s history and his generation’s disillusionment, all he ever really has to sing are Redemption songs.
  
  I don’t know about you but that is a prophetic word that strikes to the core of what I need to hear today.
  
  Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
  None but ourselves can free our minds…How long shall they kill our prophets
  While we stand aside and look? Ooh…
  
  Won’t you help to sing
  These songs of freedom?
  
  So how do we help to sing these songs of freedom? How do we free ourselves from the shackles of hate and division? How do we stand up and speak as prophets instead of standing aside and looking? How do we claim God’s gift of beauty and sing songs of freedom without giving in to cynicism?
  
  The Preacher in Ecclesiastes reminds us that God has set eternity not just in our hearts but in the hearts of all people, and that even the haters want to sing songs of freedom too. But – and this is both the hope and the responsibility – those songs of freedom are, first, Redemption Songs.
  
  Redemption Songs. Songs we really can’t sing without Jesus. Songs the world is hungry for. Songs we must learn to sing together.
  
  – DEREK
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  Posted in commentary, culture, faith, God, leadership, Men's ministry, message, politics, writing life | 2 Comments | Tagged Bob Marley, ecclesiastes, featured, Redemption Song, sing together, writing life
- Derek’s easy guide to the midterms – (There’s not enough Glade® in North America…..)
  
  Posted at 7:37 pm by derekmaul, on September 27, 2018
  author Derek Maul lives and writes in Wake Forest, NC
  
  I watched five minutes of the hearings. That was four minutes and thirty-seconds too much. Oh. My. Gosh.
  
  Shame. Regardless of party affiliation, shame on you. Not shame on the witnesses, but shame on the manipulators, the opportunistic, the hypocritical – the hyper-hypocritical, shame on the lot.
  
  This may be the shortest mid-term post in history. But it has the absolute best most timely and hopeful voting guide in history too.
  
  Wait for it. Here goes. “If they’re incumbent, vote for the other nominee.”
  
  Simple. I don’t know the math on this other than the House; everyone’s up for reelection there so it’s a straight swap. In the Senate, who knows. Don’t even think party, friends, just think “Goodbye.” “See ya.” Toodles.” “Don’t let the gate hit you on the way out.” “Adiós.” “Arrivederci.” “Auf Wiedersehen.” “Sayonara.” “Bon voyage.”
  
  You know, like after the storm and a “hog-pond” flows right into your house. There’s nothing to do but knock it down and start over.
  
  We’ve got one nasty mess up there, friends. There’s not enough Glade® in North America….
  
  – DEREK
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  Posted in Current News, politics | 0 Comments | Tagged brett kavanaugh hearings, featured, midterm elections, politics
- The Twin Towers of Integrity and Goodness
  
  Posted at 11:55 am by derekmaul, on September 11, 2018
  “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – Philippians 4
  
  (featured image found on the Internet – photographer unattributed)
  
  September Eleven is always going to be a date that is evocative, it’s always going to bring that day – images, memories, and feelings – into sharp focus. One, ten, fifty years on and I will continue to see clearly and feel again that tight knot in my stomach as the scenario unfolded over the surreal morning until the twin towers crumbled into clouds of dust and debris and we were all left stunned and reeling.
  
  I remember gathering for a prayer service along with the Lutheran Church down the street and the Episcopalians too. My friend Nathan and I were asked to do special music and we played “How Great thou art,” and then the classic Eagles tune, “Love will keep us alive.”
  
  Post-Nine/Eleven World:
  
  That was seventeen very quick years ago. That number is stuck in my head this morning because I remember that our daughter, Naomi, had just turned seventeen at the time. She has now lived exactly half her life in a post-9/11 world. Funny thing is I really don’t think of her as any older – just grown up with another lifetime of experience and wisdom on hand.
  
  The next day the Tampa Tribune published a commentary I had penned in response to the previous day’s series of attacks and it led to the first death threats I ever received as a newspaper columnist. People get testy when they perceive their entire way of life as being under attack. There was a lot of fear going around in 2001 but then there was a lot of unity too. We thought we knew where the threat was coming from and that common focus brought people together.
  
  In 2018 we face other threats:
  
  Today, September 11, 2018, I’m concerned that we as a nation are facing a more sinister and complex long-term danger than we were seventeen years ago:
  - the unwillingness of our leaders to work together for the common good,
  - the cynical and relentless assault on truth,
  - the undermining of the balance of powers in our federal system,
  - the unabated blitzkrieg of trumped-up accusations designed to chip away at the Fourth Estate,
  - the misuse of office to tip the scales of justice by attacking the integrity of potential opponents,
  - tapping into veins of ignorance and fear for political gain,
  - the encouraging of xenophobia, bigotry, prejudice, and mistrust rather than pointing to truth and facilitating reconciliation,
  - numerous other violations of trust…
  In my 33 years as a citizen I have voted for Republicans, I have voted for Democrats, and I have voted for Independents. And I will again in the future – all three. My concerns are not politically motivated but come instead from a place of commitment to decency, integrity, accountability, justice, love, light, liberty, goodness, and the freedom to speak.
  
  We must not allow ourselves to be manipulated for anyone’s political agenda or grab for power. This applies to both Republicans and Democrats, as well as the growing multitude of Americans who are disillusioned by party politics yet uncertain of how to proceed.
  
  Think. For. Yourselves. Research all sides of a narrative. Don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Understand that the vast majority of journalists respect and uphold the ideals of their profession.
  
  Then, following the words of Paul in Philippians 4, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
  
  Words to live by… to vote by… to hold others to account by – DEREK
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  Posted in commentary, Current News, leadership, media, meme, politics, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged 9-11, civility and respect, featured, integrity and goodness, Philippians 4, think on these things, twin towers, worthy of praise
- Should we all just get off the Internet… or help clean the place up?
  
  Posted at 2:22 pm by derekmaul, on August 29, 2018
  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:8
  
  Yesterday I was out shopping with my mother but we couldn’t find the widget she was trying to track down.
  
  “Let’s find someone who can help,” she said, heading to the next aisle to ask.
  
  “Don’t worry about it,” I said, looking up from my phone as she turned back to see if I was following, “I just now bought it on Amazon.” The widget arrived this morning right after breakfast.
  
  Of course in the middle of thinking about this our old (very old) flatscreen died so we replaced it with a “smart” television and now my Amazon Prime account is available in 43-inch, 1080, High Definition. My printer automatically connects Hewlett Packard when I’m low on ink so they can send me refills just in time. I read the newspaper every morning on my iPad (which also knows where my phone is even when I don’t) and I’m pretty sure my Google account has been talking to my FaceBook app behind my back.
  
  I asked our new friend Alexa what I should do about it all but it turns out she was no help at all. To be honest, I find that comforting.
  
  I really am in a little bit of a quandary here (quandary, if you were wondering, means “a state of perplexity or uncertainty”) when I think about the wide panoply of electronic and media connected devices I am surrounded with.
  
  My issue is that I am in the business of sharing light, inspiration, encouragement, hope, koinonia, and meaning – yet the media I engage to get my message out is more commonly used to spread darkness, division, discouragement, disillusion, hate, and confusion.
  
  I am in the business of sharing light, inspiration, encouragement, hope, koinonia, and meaning – yet the media I engage to get my message out is more commonly used to spread darkness, division, discouragement, disillusion, hate, and confusion.
  
  And, to make matters worse, everyday people like so many of my online contacts not only read but then share the negative stuff (at the same time as they complain about the Internet while completely ignoring articles like this one)!
  
  I am Honestly Worried
  
  Like many people, I am worried that America is becoming more and more fragmented and dangerously polarized. All these communication devices may have originally been imagined as fine ways to bring us together but the effect is quite the opposite. So here’s my question: do I redouble my efforts to add light and meaning – or is this mode of communication doomed as a lost cause?
  
  I think what concerns me the most is how readily this technology is used to divide and how easily people allow themselves to be manipulated by what they are exposed to.
  
  Truth?
  
  So I asked Alexa about truth, and this time the answer was useful: Truth – Alexa said – is, “Fact that has been verified; or, Conformity to reality or actuality.”
  
  I believe the best starting place for us – if we want to move closer together as a people – would be to be more interested in truth than in being right, and then equally interested in verifying before we pass something on as reliable. I am beyond tired of witnessing otherwise intelligent people swallow flat-out fabrications whole and without checking – simply because the lies support conclusions/prejudices/views they already hold.
  
  So encourage me, friends, by honing your skills when it comes to reliability. And encourage one another with a little more accountability now and then. I absolutely believe this country is worth it.
  
  whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace WILL be with you. – Philippians 4:8-9
  
  – DEREK
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  Posted in commentary, culture, Current News, politics | 3 Comments | Tagged Amazon Alexa, communication, featured, Internet, Philippians 4, Social media
- Real Men reject the false narrative that knows little of humility and kindness…
  
  Posted at 4:35 pm by derekmaul, on August 28, 2018
  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23
  
  As a writer I’m involved in a lot of different projects, many of which run simultaneously. Today, for example, I’m going in three separate directions. First, I need to track down a couple more sources for an article I’m writing about some Methodist preachers in Florida. At the same time I have a proposal due this afternoon with editors at AllProDad (a men’s resource website I write for). Then, and for the first time in three months, I just pulled up the file for the new novel I’m supposed to have ready by Christmas.
  
  I guess blogging makes four, but this is really more of a writing “warm-up” exercise than an assignment.
  
  Reaching tens of thousands of men:
  
  I’m going try to make this post count by thinking out loud around the proposal I have to turn in later today.
  
  My editors at AllProDad are big on metrics, so they pay attention if any new article garners anywhere near ten thousand views the first week it runs. My most recent column – 5 Signals Dads Should Stop Sending to Their Children about Marriage – did that and more, pulling in 22,437 readers in seven days.
  
  In addition to feeling good about the exposure, the result reminded me that America’s dads are in constant need of strong, positive messages to counter the torrent of poor examples and flat out bad advice that likely floods their consciousness twenty-four seven.
  
  With that in mind it’s not difficult to come up with a couple of new proposals.
  
  FIRST IDEA:
  
  How about this for a proposed article?
  
  Nine “Manly” qualities your son won’t learn playing video games or following the news:
  
  The latest data suggest that teenage boys are spending more time than ever before immersed in video games. A corollary truth is that every hour spent on-line gaming is one less hour engaged in relationship building with real people in real time.
  
  Dads may not be able to follow their kids to school every day or turn into an avatar to stalk them online. But we can be more intentional when it comes to investing the time we do have to teach what it really means to be “manly” and to counter the destructive messages perpetuated on screen and in the incessant news cycle.
  
  Dads may not be able to follow their kids to school every day or turn into an avatar to stalk them online. But we can be more intentional when it comes to investing the time we do have…
  
  At AllProDad we feel called to serve everyone of every background, reaching men from all faiths and all religions, including those who claim no faith at all. But at the same time, everything we write is generated from principles rooted in the Bible. So if this article idea is accepted then I will follow the introduction with nine bullet-points lifted directly from Galatians 5.
  
  I plan to offer alternative values to the false narrative subscribed to by so much of 21st Century American culture: Contrary to what we see splashed all over the media, REAL MEN SAY “NO!” to violence, posturing, misogyny, bullying, hate, aggression, domination, and lust for power and control – as modeled in politics, gaming, and many social media platforms.
  
  Instead, how about teaching our sons, “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?” (Galatians 5:22-23). How about a manliness that is more like Jesus?
  
  The other idea is probably worth a post of its own. And so – if nothing else comes up – I will share it tomorrow.
  
  Peace and love – DEREK
  
  Real men say “no” to violence, posturing, misogyny, bullying, hate, aggression, domination, and lust for power and control – as modeled in politics, gaming, and many social media platforms.
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  Posted in culture, Current News, message, politics | 0 Comments | Tagged allprodad, featured, fruit of the Spirit, kindness and humility, Tony Dungy
- “Je dénonce!” Not so fast – Jesus recommends another way
  
  Posted at 1:25 pm by derekmaul, on August 9, 2018
  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven…” – Jesus, Matthew 5:43-45
  
  This is going to be a difficult post to articulate. I think I know what I want to say but I’m not sure quite how to. Regardless, there is a good chance I’ll upset some of my more politically progressive friends. Not to worry, though, this won’t give the conservatives much to cheer about either.
  
  Besides, if I’m pointing any fingers here I have to start with myself.
  
  The bottom line is going to be this: Let’s all back off some from the pile-on feeding-frenzy of unrestrained attack when one more politician (or A-list entertainer… or athlete… or televangelist… or some other celebrity) falls afoul of the latest sin-du-jour.
  
  Not just piling on, but the practice of what I’ll call “indecent glee”. So many of us don’t even pretend to stifle our delight at seeing another human being’s life fall apart. Well, so long as they belong to a group or a party we love to hate.
  
  Then, like the mob at a lynching, we stand around the prone figure and take turns kicking with our pointy-toed shoes, mercilessly, crying for blood.
  
  like the mob at a lynching, we stand around the prone figure and take turns kicking with our pointy-toed shoes, mercilessly, crying for blood.
  
  But it’s not only the famous we turn on with such vitriol, it’s anyone who raises our ire. I have read accounts of ordinary people eviscerated for poor judgment or a momentary lapse. The result is often public humiliation, shaming, death threats, and even being driven from the community – when mild outrage and a few raised eyebrows should have done the job.
  
  Fanning the flames:
  
  I have always been a strong and vocal defender of the news media, but too many outlets are more concerned with ratings than the responsibility to be “The Fourth Estate.” How much mileage can we get from one sad event? The answer is “Endless, especially when we keep running our favorite clip to the extent that ‘reporting’ becomes indistinguishable from shouting ‘FIRE!’ in a crowded theater.”
  
  Here’s an idea. Report the news then move on. Let the police, the district attorneys, and the courts do their jobs. When public opinion becomes judge and jury we are no longer a republic of free people but a mob.
  
  Forgiveness:
  
  All this comes out of a conversation at my men’s Bible-study group Wednesday evening, around the topic of forgiveness.
  
  Forgiveness does not mean letting criminals off the hook, or approving of people who commit crimes and hurt those around them. But forgiveness does mean believing in healing, and working toward reconciliation, and wanting the best possible good – even for those who need to be sanctioned.
  
  So you don’t like the latest Hollywood mogul accused of sexual harassment? That’s fine, and kudos to the “Me-too” movement for exposing the filthy underbelly of power in the entertainment industry; but please don’t forget about due process, and justice, and the fact that this is a human being who needs redemption as well as accountability, and peace at the same time as punishment.
  
  Okay, I understand that it is critically important that we both identify and root out corruption and the abuse of power – especially in government. But if we allow ourselves to wallow in hate and vindictiveness, and if we fall into the easy trap of making this quest any kind of a vehicle for partisan hypocrisy, then we will be making the same mistake that took the French Revolution from liberation to another form of the abuse of power it intended to unseat.
  
  “Je dénonce!”
  
  So, while we root for justice, and stand against racism, and resist chauvinism, and work for equality, and watchdog our government lest power becomes reserved for one branch alone – we had best likewise take care that we do not emulate the excesses of change-agents like Robespierre in France, who encouraged denouncement at every turn, placing the terror of “Je dénonce” into the hands of the mob, the social media of its day.
  
  Jesus launched the most dramatic campaign against sin and the abuse of power in the history of humankind. And he did it while both loving his enemies and requiring his followers to do the same.
  
  Peace, and more peace – DEREK
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  Posted in commentary, culture, Current News, media, politics | 1 Comment | Tagged accountability, featured, Fourth Estate, French Revolution, Je dénonce, Matthew 5, me too, yell fire!
- The Weight of Freedom #July4th
  
  Posted at 11:59 am by derekmaul, on July 2, 2018
  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:36-40
  
  I’m not sure exactly why, but this year the weight of freedom – in terms of responsibility and gravitas – is very much on my mind. I am more conscious now than ever before of the price paid for what we enjoy today here in the United States and also of freedom’s fragility.
  
  I understand, of course, that we need – always – to be vigilant. Over the past 242 years we have expanded our understanding of Constitutional liberties to include people who had been routinely excluded. We have amended the Constitution in response to changes in the way we live and what we are learning. We constantly struggle to find the right balance between positive progress and honoring what is foundational to who we are.
  
  A lot like our faith:
  
  Our freedoms, as my wife Rebekah pointed out so eloquently in her message July 1, are rooted in a foundation that is rock-solid and still both fluid and alive.
  
  The freedom we have in Christ is not freedom from having to follow rules and regulations (law) but freedom from the sin that makes the law necessary. Likewise, our freedom as citizens of the United States is not license so much as responsibility.
  
  Jesus said that if we love God with all our heart and our soul and our mind and our strength and also love our neighbor in a similar fashion, then legalism becomes unnecessary. “Everything written in the scriptures needs to be poured through the filter of this Great Commandment,” Jesus said.
  
  As Americans we are free from tyranny, but it is not the freedom to do anything we wish, to exercise our dominance, to assert our exceptionalism, or to cash in on our greatness… no, we are free from tyranny so that we may serve and encourage and offer refuge and – gladly – bear witness to the light.
  
  Communion:
  
  I believe it’s a lot like the way we see the Lord’s Table (communion) at our church. “Come to the table. You are welcome here. This is not a Presbyterian table but the table of Jesus. Jesus is God’s invitation. None of us qualify, all are welcome.”
  
  “That Jesus!” Rebekah said, “he is always challenging our assumptions and making us look at everything differently…”
  
  (All photos from July 1, 2018)
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  Posted in commentary, culture, Current News, faith, message, opinion, politics, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged featured, freedom and liberty, July 4th, Rebekah Maul, weight of freedom, WFPC
- the day we launched a community conversation around gun violence
  
  Posted at 5:05 pm by derekmaul, on May 16, 2018
  Floyd McKissick answers a question
  
  So don’t throw away your confidence—it brings a great reward. You need to endure so that you can receive the promises after you do God’s will… But we aren’t the sort of people who timidly draw back and end up being destroyed. We’re the sort of people who have faith so that our whole beings are preserved. – Hebrews 10:35-39
  - (Note: this is why posting three times a week just wasn’t working for me! There’s just so much that is thought-provoking and important to talk about!)
  Tuesday evening our church (along with local Methodists, Episcopalians, and “Moms Demand Action NC”) hosted an event designed to launch an ongoing conversation around community safety, the connection between the ready availability of weaponry and deadly violence, and how we can work together to both respect 2nd Amendment rights and protect our children, going forward.
  
  Summary:
  
  The format was a panel discussion – guided by a respected moderate voice. We heard three stories/testimonies from individuals with relevant life experiences, and there was a continuous flow of written questions gathered from the floor.
  
  Over 160 pre-registered, and somewhere between 175 and 200 from the community showed up, representing a strong balance of views. The event lasted from 6:30 through almost 9:00, and there was a lot of constructive dialogue (facilitated by coffee and snacks) between people in the audience.
  
  I will identify the principal participants (some in the photo gallery), and I’ll share my response under, “Does anyone ever change their mind?”
  - Moderator Rick Glazier (Executive Director, NC Justice Center) was thoughtful, well-informed and extremely positive; but he could have done a better job of keeping the conversation moving (90-120 seconds max per panelist per response would have been more effective).
  - Panelists Rep. Darren Jackson (NC General Assembly), and Jennifer Copeland (Exec. Director NC Council of Churches), were attentive, informative, knowledgeable, and gracious listeners. Both demonstrated that – with the right leadership – common ground is certainly possible.
  - Panelist Senator Floyd McKissick (NC General Assembly) however, arrived almost an hour late and was obviously not prepared. He rambled, strayed off topic, and appeared more interested in his own story than the stories of the presenters.
  The evening was absolutely a success. Other than a mildly petulant group who showed up with the sole purpose of calling out “No compromise” whenever possible, the atmosphere and the good conversation went a long way toward achieving the advertised “First Steps.”
  
  Does Anyone Ever Change Their Mind?
  
  You already know my M.O.. I described it in yesterday’s post as, “open spirit, observer, listener, student, and journalist. There to learn, to gain fresh perspective, to ask questions, and to have my eyes opened.”
  
  I have to tell you that listening did cause a shift in my thinking during the evening. I listened hard and I will continue to as the conversation continues.
  - I heard the testimony of a teacher and a high school student, both wondering when an event like Parkland will happen in North Carolina.
  - I heard stories about the difference between a farm kid leaving his or her hunting rifle in the pickup truck and a city kid stuffing a handgun in his/her backpack.
  - I heard about homes where gun-safety is second nature.
  - I heard about rights compromised by irresponsibility.
  - I heard about school safety legislation that’s afraid to even mention the word “gun”.
  - I heard about kids who take their parents’ guns without permission and then horse around with their friends.
  Alicia Campbell recently lost her son
  
  And, heartbreakingly, I heard an anguished plea for action from a mother who recently lost her teenaged son to just one bullet, a shot not even close to being intended for him, because someone was playing fast and loose with something too many of us are unwilling to recognize as a very real threat to all our children.
  
  I heard enough discrepancies and differences to lead me to conclude that while I believe federal and state governments must take decisive action, the ultimate answer resides in better parenting, better conversations, a deeper sense of community, and more shared responsibility.
  
  the ultimate answer resides in better parenting, better conversations, a deeper sense of community, and more shared responsibility.
  
  We cannot legislate morality and we cannot pass a bill that stops irresponsibility. But we can work together to be more of a connected, concerned, supportive, accountable, mutually encouraging community.
  
  Conclusion:
  
  attentive listeners
  
  We absolutely must continue this conversation. We must understand that none of us have the right answers all of the time. We must remember that nothing in government or in community ever happens outside of compromise. We must practice more humility.
  
  Above all, we must listen, and it is imperative that we love one another with more direct, merciful, generous, encouraging, mutually submissive love.
  
  You know, the Jesus kind.
  
  You see, “We aren’t the sort of people who timidly draw back and end up being destroyed. We’re the sort of people who have faith so that our whole beings are preserved” (Hebrews 10:39).
  
  The following photos capture the spirit of the event. You will meet the storytellers, and I believe you will enjoy taking a look at the beginnings of something constructive and good.
  
  Peace, and I mean that in so many ways – DEREK
  
  gathering
  
  Rick Glazier, Executive Director, NC Justice Center
  
  attentive listeners
  
  Rachel Prather and Laraib Awan (teacher and student)
  
  respectful and attentive crowd
  
  panelists (left to right) Rep. Darren Jackson, NC General Assembly; Jennifer Copeland, Exec. Director NC Council of Churches; Senator Floyd McKissick, NC General Assembly
  
  panelists Jackson, Copeland, and McKissick
  
  Floyd McKissick answers a question
  
  Moms Demand Action gathering written questions
  
  Eric Hoth (on responsible gun ownership)
  
  Wake Forest Presbyterian Christian Life Center
  
  Alicia Campbell (on her experience with gun violence)
  
  Alicia Campbell lost her son (on her experience with gun violence)
  
  Amber Johnson speaks about Moms Demand Action
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  Posted in commentary, culture, Current News, leadership, life, opinion, photography, politics, The Church, Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged community meeting, featured, Grass Roots, gun control, gun violence, North Carolina, Parkland Florida, school shooting, Wake Forest
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Category: politics

Posted at 9:58 am by derekmaul, on November 12, 2018

Remembrance Day:

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Posted at 8:22 am by derekmaul, on November 6, 2018

Today’s Elections:

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Redemption Songs:

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Post-Nine/Eleven World:

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Posted at 4:35 pm by derekmaul, on August 28, 2018

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Posted at 1:25 pm by derekmaul, on August 9, 2018

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“Je dénonce!”

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Posted at 11:59 am by derekmaul, on July 2, 2018

A lot like our faith:

Communion:

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Posted at 5:05 pm by derekmaul, on May 16, 2018

Summary:

Does Anyone Ever Change Their Mind?

Conclusion:

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