Mom said, "Life's Not Fair"

When I was a kid, I remember telling my Mom, "That's not fair."

She replied, "Life's not fair."

Throughout my life, fairness has always been an issue for me.  But my mom's statement still holds true - there are often things that happen that don't seem fair to me, and I just have to roll with it.  I was messaging with a friend about how some people are blessed while others are suffering (for instance, most Americans are blessed when compared to residents of third world countries); and I realize that it doesn't appear fair.  I didn't do anything to deserve my blessings, just as innocent starving children didn't do anything to deserve their situation.  And yet sometimes those who are suffering have more faith than those who have blessings.  This is another situation I don't understand - but perhaps that faith IS their blessing.  Faith isn't something money can buy.

My devotion today was on Envy, and it said, "Envy happens when someone else has something good, and you either desire to have it, desire them to lose it, or constantly compare your life to theirs.  Envy is one of the most corrosive attitudes you can allow into your heart.  Envy grows when you are blind to the good things God has given you, or when you are ungrateful for them, and instead focus on what everyone else seems to have.  It robs you of peace and causes stress."

All this thinking about fairness and envy brings the Israeli/Arab issue to my mind. When initially reading about Abraham's sons Ishmael and Isaac, I can't help but think that it probably didn't seem fair to Ishmael that he had to be sent away when he was actually the first-born son of Abraham.  Same thing with Esau, who was stripped of his rights as first-born (first by trading away that right because he was hungry, and then by his brother Jacob who fooled their father into thinking he was Esau).  Both Ishmael and Esau have descendants that make up the Arab world.  But God did give Ishmael land and a "great nation" when he was sent away from Abraham (Genesis 21).

I don't have the wisdom to know how this Israeli/Palestinian conflict should be resolved.  All I know is that I believe in a Christian God who all knees will one day bow to.  Neither Jews nor Muslims recognize Christ as the Messiah right now, but I believe one day all will bow to the one true God.  Until then, there will be conflict and war...  and I will always side on what I think is the best path to peace, justice and "fairness."  While Mom said "Life's not fair," I now believe that while life doesn't SEEM fair, God will one day reveal His truths to us and I need to have faith til then.

In short, while I know Americans usually side with the Israelis, I agree with John Kerry in that we should strive for peace... and a two-state agreement seems like the best way to attain that (even though that may never happen).  In my post from a couple days ago, I also noted that just because Israelites were "God's chosen people," they don't always do what's right.  God has acknowledged this and punished them also throughout the Bible.  Just because we are their friends doesn't mean we always agree.  And friends will tell friends when they think they are on the wrong path.

I love the Pope, and I'm Not Even Catholic...

Can't believe I'm dusting off this blog, but I feel like Facebook should be for "fun" stuff... not necessarily for all the heavy thoughts I have.  So I'll be writing my deeper thoughts here and linking to my FB for those who wanna know my heavier thoughts (all others can just ignore).

With the incoming President, I've definitely been having heavier thoughts of late.  And I have to admit, I lost a lot of faith in some of my fellow Christians... especially the ones who insist that Trump is a true Christian and claim that Trump won because God is on his side (really, Franklin Graham)?  Do they also believe Obama won because God was on his side?  My heart's not so heavy because Trump won, but because Christians hold Trump up as "their guy" and I cannot stomach it.

This opinion piece in the Washington Post is a few days old, but I really like it:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/12/24/pope-francis-is-waging-a-war-on-christmas-christians-should-join-him/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-posteverything%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.13d325de3fbc#comments

"Why would the pope wage war on Christmas? “The world continues to go to war. The world has not chosen a peaceful path. There are wars today everywhere, and hate,” Francis said. “We should ask for the grace to weep for this world, which does not recognize the path to peace. To weep for those who live for war and have the cynicism to deny it. God weeps; Jesus weeps.”"

There's also now an article about how Obama should have been more aggressive to prevent the Syrian crisis.  While I (and Obama himself) regret that more wasn't done for these people, Americans are put in between a rock and a hard place.  Putin and Russia were helping Assad and his regime.  The USA was on the side of the rebels.  So now it makes me anxious to know that Russia/Putin wanted Trump to win the election.  (To be clear, I believe that Trump won because he reached out to the Rust Belt when Clinton did not... but I still don't like Russia trying to intervene in our election.). Will we now be on the side of Russia and Assad now that Trump is the President Elect?  He's put people on his cabinet that have business ties to Russia (he does as well), in addition to people who are known White Nationalists.  Is this what American Christianity is coming to (in the eyes of non-Americans and non-Christians)?  My atheist friend said he believes religion starts too many wars (Crusades, Israeli/Palestinian, etc) and he has a point.

There are other questions still going on in my mind too about the Israeli settlement issue.  Do Americans think that Israel is always right, no matter what?  I don't.  Having a United Nations means that we work with other world leaders to make decisions.  And if the majority of the UN voted to drive for a two-state peace, why is that bad?  Just because Israel doesn't like it?  As a Bible reader, I do know that the Israelites were God's chosen people; but that doesn't mean they're always right.  There are several points in time where they had bad leaders, made bad decisions and were punished by God.  Anyway, I obviously don't have answers to all these questions... but it makes me really question our country's role in all of it.  For some reason, American Christians think the United States is the super power to police the world.  But what happens when we can't even properly police ourselves?  If nothing else, current events has shown me that racism is still very much alive here.  And what happens when we are providing support to the Evil One's side?

I believe our new President Elect believes he knows everything and is not at all humble.  This is exactly the type of person I don't want as a world leader; and certainly not as an example of Christianity.  Thankfully the Pope is a better example of both a world leader and Christian.