Obama, Ebola, and Jesus

In the spirit of being “Fair and Balanced,” I feel compelled to write this.
We all know the entry of Ebola into this country is completely President Obama's fault. Every United States citizen who is old enough to wave a flag, pull back the hammer of a revolver, or cross their heart and hope to die knows this simple truth. The blame rests at his feet and his feet alone.

You simply don't love America if you don't know whose fault this is. My god.
Hell, Ebola needs to go somewhere towards the top of the President's long list of abstract impeachable offenses. Waaaaaaay up there, I think.
But, I do not need to state the obvious.

I wish to address “The Ebola Issue” from a more tactful (?less tactful?) angle...a theological one.
(...and the cyber- huffs begin...)

I propose a question:
What would Jesus have Americans do for the people of Africa?
Stated differently, how would He want you or this country to behave?

While Jesus may not have been a political figure, He was a person who cared deeply about the masses. He cared about their spiritual and physical well-being. So, look at what is going on in the context of His teachings.
One of the ideas floating around right now, is banning all flights in and out of Africa (or the “infected” areas). Is that something He would approve of?

There are healthy people wanting to get out. This is a natural, human, response to being surrounded by danger. If a building is on fire, you find a fire exit. If a damn has broken, you run. The same is going on in Africa. People want to escape. Would Jesus agree with chaining the fire exits shut?

If you were in the same situation as many of those people, you would be desperately trying to flee. Make no mistake about it...citizens of Western Africa are in peril. Depending on where a person lives, it is possible someone on every corner actually has Ebola. There, it's an actual plague, not a headline orgy like it is here. Thousands and thousands of people are dying. Some towns and villages are decimated.
So, should those men, women...and children...be stranded there? Is that what Jesus, your “Personal Savior” would have you do? Say you were able to sit down with the Lord of Hosts and King of Kings and have a conversation on the topic of “Stranded Adults and Children in Africa.” What would His opinion on the subject be?
“Screw 'em!!!” -Jesus of Nazareth (You know, somehow that doesn't seem like something He'd say.)
Do you honestly think He would want you to turn your back, on not just the sick, but the healthy too?
I remember someone saying, “Let the little children come to me...” (Hmmm....Who was that?) Did this person only mean certain kids?
When Jesus made His famous Sermon on the Mount, He listed a cadre of blessings. What Beatitude would a flight ban fall under? “Blessed are the terrified, for a plague shall thin the population. Blessed are the trapped, for I will not listen to their cries.” (I guess, the translators missed those few lines when putting the Bible together.)
Does turning our back on Africa fall under, “Do unto others...?” I sure as hell hope not.
The flight ban philosophy many want to adopt seems very akin to what happened after the sinking of the Titanic. As swimmers pleaded for help and reached to the nearest life raft, they were beaten down by oars and knocked back into the icy water. I bet Jesus agreed with their actions too.
Well, what about other parts of the Bible? What do they say?
Maybe Galatians speaks to this. Is my New Testament missing the sections where it says, “Put on the Quarantine Suit of God?” Does that come right after the newly the discovered Book of Darwin where “Self Preservation” is introduced into the Holy Scriptures?
I suppose, I'm just confused on when to use the words of Jesus and when not to. I thought Christians followed His teachings in every single aspect of their lives and wanted their leaders to as well. This is a “Christian Nation,” right? Don't they want the country to espouse core Christian values because they show them so well at home?
Something in me is beginning to think the “Christian Collation” or “Christian Right” tends to be nothing more than a group of individuals who cherry picks the teachings of Jesus at times of convenience and then casts those same words to the back of the bookshelf when trouble arises. It's almost like they wrap themselves in piety for personal gain. How troubling.

I'm happy they have secured eternal lodging in a city with streets lined in gold and simply ecstatic about knowing I'm going to Hell. However...what about Earth? How will they answer for their quivering faith and selective acceptance of obvious doctrines if they are correct about the after-life?

I don't agree with all of Jesus' teachings. Some I find rather questionable and others immoral. But on this...I do believe the man would be right.  

My Burning Bush

A tree.

Of all things, that's what has pressed upon me the “need” to write.

It sits directly across the street from where I live and resides a few feet back from a used and beaten sidewalk. Behind and around it is a large cluster of other trees staggered down a steep hill of black dirt. The foliage becomes so thick and interwoven, a person might think they were in a forest not a subdivision. There is even a small stream gurgling over rocks, which homes the squabbling raccoons  I hear screeching to each other at night.

But resting on the very top edge of this condensed wilderness, one tree has caught my eye.
If it does the same as last year (and I hope it does), a few weeks from now, something rather odd will happen. The leaves on it will start changing colors. While this might seem normal and part of an annual process...only half of the leaves change at a time. It is as though this tree was not one, but two. Right down the middle, the southern side acknowledges and accepts the coming of Fall while the northern half clings to Summer a little longer. This process continues through all seasons. It will lose leaves one half before the other, but will also bud the same way. Even to the top, steeple-like branch, one side fades first.
This tree amazes me.
It also breaks my heart...and I am still trying to completely figure out why.
I think some of it has to do with the idea, that I am the only person on Earth who is paying attention to it. I am probably the only who has ever noticed this. No...I am sure of it. This tree, while near other trees, is a lonely thing and some event caused it to be different. Was it a lightning strike that came just a little too close? Did it catch some illness as a sapling? Is something wrong with its roots? Is this simply a genetic variation the tree can't help? Are there insects eating away at it from the inside and no one can tell?

When it looks to the Sun, what does it feel?
I empathize with this tree. Why? Because for most of any season, it looks rather mundane, typical. People do not stop and take notice. They do not wonder why or care about this thing which is so common in the world. It's a tree. They simply pass on. The story of this tree, its life and trials, are of no concern.

...Just keep walking...
Even the birds, who use this tree for nesting, will never know vital details about its life. I will never know. Its story has long been lost.

Such a simple thing...the life of a tree.
I am so glad I moved to this place, if for no other reason, than because of this tree. I have taken pictures of its cycling through the seasons. It is an incredible spectacle.

One day, I will move from here. It might be ten years from now. It may be sooner. Whenever it is...this Tree, I will remember it the rest of my life.