Reminiscences of my life in a diverse but similar America

2/3/12 Updated

I find it amazing that as we age, we tend to recall earlier experiences of youth. I find that in my research and writing and media observations, I compare and contrast some of what I read with my early life. For example, I now live in the South but most of my life has been spent in the West. I grew up in the mid-West. Despite the fact that some (perhaps many) people assume that most of America thinks and acts as they do because of the region of the country they live in, I find that most people are pretty much alike.

I hear a lot about country living in the South, yet I grew up in the country, away from any large or even medium-sized city, and am "more country" than those who think they are "country." My parents had cows, hogs, chickens, gardens, and a field to plough, sow, and harvest. When we moved to a nearby small town (and I mean small; both city limit signs were nailed to the same post), many of the inhabitants worked farms and fields, and in the oil field. So did I. We were country, period.

I knew that when I graduated form high school, I had to move away. There was no future for me there, though there were futures for those who felt this was their lot in life and they appeared to love it.

We had some lean years but dad and mom always kept the home together and made the best of what we had. I look back on those times and marvel that they never made it appear that we had very little, compared to those who had more.

In grade school, I wore jeans or overalls that were patched on the knees. Mom did a good job patching my overalls; she made them match, almost perfectly. Sure only one knee was out but she kept my overalls symmetrical by cutting and sewing patches exactly alike on both knees. Today she would be in style, maybe even start a new style. Then I was a little embarrassed. Today, people wear torn clothes proudly and it's a mark of esteem to do so. I marvel at that outlook (and wonder what's happened to us).

Mom strictly taught us kids right from wrong and it helped me tremendously when I left home. To this day, I notice how much her teachings are still with me, directing me through this life. This takes nothing away from God and Christ; they are now by teachers and you can get no better.

These are a few reminiscences of my early life which I find curious as I move about this great country, which God has given to us. Americans are indeed diverse in culture to some degree but very similar in most things in life. I take note of that; it helps me to identify with others and connect with them in fundamental ways. Sometimes I find that my upbringing in the country is strangely close to how Southerners see themselves (the older generation especially).

Once in a while an older person will remark that "You aren't from the South, are you?" I often remark, "No I'm not, but I got here as quick as I could." They smile or laugh and we've connected.

Have a great Sabbath and may all the passing moments of your life be happy ones.~jwa

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It's the economy, silly, which should really be blamed on human nature

1/20/12 Updated

"It's the economy, stupid" was a phrase in American politics widely used during Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign against George H. W. Bush. For a time, Bush was considered unbeatable because of foreign policy developments such as the end of the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War. The phrase, a slight variation on a phrase created by Bill Clinton's campaign strategist James Carville, refers to the notion that Clinton was a better choice because Bush had not adequately addressed the economy, which had recently undergone a recession (Wikipedia).

The economy is a great albatross hanging around the neck of the present administration. An albatross is an encumbrance that hinders progress. When you get down to it, politics and greed have been the horns of a dilemma for all administrations and that's a matter of human nature.

If you've read any of my personal(s) in the past, you'll remember that I get on the subject of human nature every now and again. Why do I do that? I get down on human nature because it is at the core of all of our problems from time immemorial. Still human nature never gets its day in court because we all have it and...it's illegitimate, based on God's truth and holiness.

Young Jeremiah (the prophet of God) wrote that the heart (seat of emotions that can and often does include warped and/or corrupted logic) is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it (Jer. 17:9)? The words "desperately wicked" have a nuance of meaning that is commensurate with "incurable." Frankly, of itself, human nature is incurable...it cannot be cured. Since humans don't know this, we tend to give human nature the benefit of the doubt and say that human beings have good hearts. Jesus said that his disciples were evil but knew how to give good gifts to their children. So human nature is a mixture of good and bad. Who can know the heart if it's so deceitful? God can.

God can know it (the human heart...v. 10). For He (God) tries the reins of human thinking and action. He allows external circumstances fire our character; sometimes we contribute to those external circumstances.

So where is the economy headed, if at all? Few know that much of what will take place economically depends on what's happening in Europe. If you want to see how we'll fare this year and next, then read up on the debt problems in the EU. Greece, Italy, Spain, and others are struggling with getting their financial house in order. Germany is getting tired of bailing them all out. What are we back to? Human nature, and on a grand scale.

But the big secret that few know or if they do, don't want to talk about it (too theological:), is the god of this world, Satan the devil. Satan has subtly contrived a philosophical/religious approach to cover his tracks, to appear as another Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 11:4; read it slowly and think about it), to appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and to counterfeit every truth about Jesus Christ. He has drawn extremely subtle parallels between the way he thinks and the way Jesus Christ is and really was. And he has succeeded, for now.

Satan is the one that has corrupted human beings and contributed to the bifurcated admixture of evil and good in human nature. He is ultimately responsible and God, through Christ, will deal with him at Christ's return (Rev. 20:1-3 for the 1,000-year period and permanently after that time, Rev. 20:10; Jude 6, 13).

So any problems that we have are of a spiritual nature and can be blamed on human nature and ultimately, on the god of this world. God allows this for the time but He will step in down the line and stop it dead in its tracks, and give this world unprecedented peace and unparalleled prosperity (read Isa. 11 and Ezek. 36).

Have a great Sabbath and weekend.~jwa