2026

I heard the carols again, and wondered

Another Advent and Christmas. Another season of carols and promises, of declarations and pronouncements, of anticipation of the coming of an era of peace and justice. And another internal debate about how this transformation is intended to occur, what agency will bring it to pass.

Having the lesson in the life of the prophet from Nazareth, is this enough for us who believe and follow to initiate the beginning of an end to oppression and deception and aggression and manipulation and cruelty and abuse and greed and domination and hunger and isolation and suffering? Is the lesson itself enough to inspire reconciliation and peaceful coexistence? Or do we need another agent, a divine cosmic intervention to make this change in the deficiency of human nature?

Before at some times in these seasons that have come and gone for me over the past 80 years I have felt that the lesson was sufficient, that if we prevailed and persisted and acknowledged our weaknesses yet continued in faith that this was the answer to the difficulties that disrupt relationship across the earth; that if we maintained the attitude displayed in the life of Jesus it would bring about the profound change—evil would be overcome by good, persons would be persuaded to follow the truth of what is right and good that resides in the wisdom of the human conscience, and appealing to some higher intervention was an equivocation of our responsibility, a failure to embrace our calling to live out with courage the message of Jesus.

Now after what I have seen and where I have been I am persuaded that being human is not enough, that embodying the example of Jesus is not in itself sufficient to prompt the good that resides in everyone and to prevent the evil that human nature is capable of enacting. I have seen persons with passion live out the selfless pursuit of justice, to courageously call out abuse and offense against others, to witness for those oppressed and assaulted by persons with power who accomplish objectives that serve only a select group of people. I have been where individuals suffer because of the selfish use of resources that isolates those less positioned, where persons at the boundary of survival are denied even the most basic provisions for themselves and their families. And no amount of mercy and respect and compassion and companioning by those seeking to nurture and care for them has been able to stop this cruel agenda. The fortunes of persons with power who promote these sectarian objectives and the misery that this self-serving industry produces for masses of people seem only to increase.

No, we cannot do it ourselves alone. We cannot bring justice to those abused by powerful systems. We cannot end the suffering of those denied resources they need to survive. We cannot release those captive to oppressive domination. We cannot heal those with broken hearts and shattered lives. We need another presence, a presence unlike us. We need a presence not limited by human nature. We need an eternal manifestation who has the capacity to renew the human heart, to recreate in the human being a spirit of goodness and a zeal for promoting what is right in relationship and attitude.

When I hear in the carols the promise for one who is coming to establish a kingdom of justice and righteousness I say, “Yes, there is one following me who will make it happen. I will live in anticipation of it and as much as within me I will embody the pattern of living that I expect to be the normal then.”

We cannot make it right, …but we can make it better.

The Republican Degeneration Odyssey

The republican political party in the United States has shown itself to be a destructive, dangerous, divergent, decisive, disgusting disaster for the American experiment. The persons who participate in this outrageous ideology share a common distinction—they all are essentially juvenile characters, a self-indulgent, self-serving, self-obsessive group who think only of their personal welfare and see others as competitors not worthy to share life and resources in the earth.

Motivated by the fear that one day they may be the minority who will receive the same treatment they themselves have dished out to other minorities in the past—groupings of persons of color, of different cultures, of different expressions, of different orientations, of different religious persuasions. Because of their internal fantasy that they are more important than the others, those claiming republican identity have demanded preference, privilege, entitlement not extended to others outside their group. And their appeals to religious rituals and worship observances are utterly blasphemy because these persons can easily be judged by the evil behaviors they employ.

The American enterprise intended to display and celebrate the equity in human embodiment. The American enterprise intended to promote community—the concept that everyone who is alive in the earth has a right to share in its provisions not only because of their presence but also because of their individual capacity to contribute to the common good. The American enterprise promoted trust and sharing and established laws that would protect those vulnerable because of differences in physical statute and economic positioning and power differentials—whether they be from education, innate abilities, or distinguished capabilities.

The republican political party has attacked every one of these elements intended to describe the nature of the United States of America. The republican political party has undermined the historical efforts to develop an inclusive respectful community of persons who practice relationship built on compassion and tolerance. And those they have stationed to determine the pursuit of national and international interests have effectively reflected their own callous and prideful spirit.

Yet now the republican political party composes a minority of persons living in the United States. The republican political party can be discarded and replaced by a democratic government of the people, by the people, for the people, just as the Constitution declares. It is not too late to rescue the country from this degenerate party intent on destroying the American experiment.

Never give up; never concede; never be silent; …always vote.

What would you make of it?

I imagined waking to see this headline in newspapers across the country: TRUMP SUFFERS MASSIVE STROKE.

The articles explain that the resulting condition is not life-threatening however it has left Trump paralyzed on the entire right side of his body. He cannot walk. He cannot write. He cannot speak with clarity so that he can be understood. He is unable to care for himself and must rely upon the help of others to fulfill his every need. His only means of communication is to nod his head to indicate whether he agrees or disagrees with a proposal offered to him. Yet he seems to understand and comprehend all that is going on around him. And this limited physical state initially appears to be a permanent predicament he must learn to manage.

I wondered as I reflected on this report, “How many people in the world would see this as a nightmare; …and how many would see it as a dream?”

One way to try to be human

He grew up taken care of yet he had no nurturing and companionship. He was given all that he needed to be warm and filled yet he had no friendship and affirmation. He learned early on to use his own craftiness to get what wanted because no one bothered to ask him what he wanted. He proceeded to manipulate and to steal and to deceive and to lie and to cheat. Along with economic and social advantages he realized these behaviors could provide for him the opportunities and provisions that would satisfy the enrichment he craved.

Because he manipulated others he knew others could manipulate him. Because he stole from others he knew others could steal from him. Because he deceived others he knew others could deceive him. Because he lied to others he knew others could lie to him. Because he cheated others he knew others could cheat him.

And so he lived out his days being suspicious, maintaining the advantage, careful not to give others an opportunity to trick him. He accumulated items he could use to defend himself from anticipated aggression. He positioned himself to be separate and to feel safe. He insulated himself from the possibility of appearing to be weak and vulnerable. He suspected that others were out to get him so he guarded himself from any situation that would give another the opportunity to hurt him. He erected signs to celebrate himself and pursued titles to prove he was important.

He died afraid and alone, without scares or memories of loving and having been loved, believing he was successful.

Why don’t we grow up to be peaceful?

I am more than 80 years old, having been born toward the end of the second great war. The population of the earth is estimated to be more than 8.3 billion persons. …I’m wondering how many people have lived and died since I was born?

Scientists estimate that the human body regenerates itself every seven years—the make-up of the body becomes new every seven years. I imagine that more than 8 billion individuals have lived and died since I was born in 1945. So, why has not the relational dynamic between persons in the earth improved over this time?

Anyone alive can see and feel the distress that persists between persons, communities, nations—distress generated by the way fear and uncertainty and mortality are managed; the initial tendency to view another as an enemy, as one to compete with, as one to guard against. I remember reading of the observation made by James Baldwin, “Incontestably, alas, most people are not, in action, worth very much; and yet, every human being is an unprecedented miracle. One tries to treat them as the miracles they are, while trying to protect oneself against the disasters they’ve become.”

Everyone born into the world comes into an environment characterized by this observation. This dominant orientation conditions persons to be suspicious of another who lives beyond their immediate situation—those unknown and unfamiliar to them. Yet the more innocent among us—those young and impressionable—they will eventually recognize the destructive nature of this pretext. And here at this intersection they will make a choice: Will they continue living under this distressing pattern or will they begin to search for another “civil-ized” way to coexist with others living in the earth with them?

We cannot know with certainty if there is a reason for human life in the earth. We cannot know why we are born into this world at the time and place we arrive. Yet one thing is certain: we must relate to others who are here with us.

Any rational person would believe that with the acquisition of a knowledge of history and human capacity there would be a gradual move away from destructive patterns of relationship toward a more respectful, compassionate, communal way of living together. With the acquisition of a knowledge of history and human capacity communities would develop that could reach across boundaries that have before separated and divided humans and learn to tolerate, even to embrace those who express themselves in different ways. There would be a unifying sense created by a mutual appreciation for ambitions and needs common to human presence in the earth. And the reason for distress would disappear.

And yet with a knowledge of history and human capacity we all know that this transition has not happened since the beginning of recorded human history. There are records of persons and communities who have tried to make this improvement in relationship yet the majority of persons have chosen to continue to elect to allow fear and uncertainty and mortality to create suspicion which results in division and distress. The world appears to be more distressed now than ever before, maybe because we can know more about conditions across the earth than ever before. Yet the trajectory will inevitably lead humankind to annihilation. The result will be that the earth will perish.

So live now, making choices that seem compatible with the knowledge of wisdom within your conscience. In the end you will be content even as the things that you value are slipping away from you. You can choose respect, compassion, mercy, and you will experience a life for which time is not a measure.