_awakening

Seriously?

Apparently Glen Beck is now urging people to leave their churches if their leaders begin to speak about social justice. [Seriously, I'm not making this up.] To make matters... 'er... worse, he notes that the term "social justice" is really just a code word for Communism and Nazism.

You can read more about this here and here.

Honestly, I find this kind of heartbreaking. The scriptures are filled with references to what could be deemed as "social justice" - both the Hebrew Bible, as well as the New Testament. The message of the gospel is something that changes society, bringing about justice and hope. It is about bringing heaven here, and praying, "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." To devoid the gospel of it's social justice component is to cheapen the gospel itself, reducing it to a personalized message of self-help.

My hope is that someone would help Beck nuance his thoughts and rhetoric a bit, as he seems to be quickly becoming the Pat Robertson of political punditry.

[HT: Zach]

Financial Advice from CNBC.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Case in point:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

[HT: Zach]

44.

You can read the speech in it's entirety here.

Possibilities.

As I spent the morning watching the Inauguration, I kept coming back to the image of Obama's hand on the Lincoln Bible. The only other time this Bible has been used was for Lincoln's Inauguration as President of the United States. I wonder what Lincoln would have thought about this moment. The image captures so much about this moment. Change. Possibilities. A faith in something better, something higher. A vision for America and for the people of this nation - to journey together toward something brighter...

[Timothy Clary/AFP/Getty Images]

Obama's Letter to His Daughters.

Thanks to Scot McKnight for pointing out this letter from our President-Elect to his two daughters. Better days are ahead.

Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

Love, Dad

Anglican Bishops Speak Out.

My good friend Tom Wright is in the news today, along with other Anglican bishops speaking out on the issue of the poor and the struggling in Britain:

Bishops attack 'immoral' Labour
[BBC News]

Five leading Anglican bishops have attacked the government, calling into question the morality of Labour policy.

Bishops of Durham, Winchester, Hulme, Manchester and Carlisle made the comments to the Sunday Telegraph.

They warned the country was suffering from family breakdown, an unhealthy reliance on debt and a growing gap between rich and poor.

The government defended its record of helping people out of poverty, saying fairness was at the core of its agenda.

Meanwhile, in his New Year message next week,Gordon Brown is expected to say the recession will be a test of Britain's character.

'Inevitable come-uppance'

The Rt Rev Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, told the Sunday Telegraph ministers had not done enough to help the poor.

"Labour made a lot of promises, but a lot of them have vanished into thin air," he said.

"We have not seen a raising of aspirations in the last 13 years, but instead there is a sense of hopelessness. While the rich have got richer, the poor have got poorer.

"When a big bank or car company goes bankrupt, it gets bailed out, but no one seems to be bailing out the ordinary people who are losing their jobs and seeing their savings diminished."

To read the rest, go here.

Ironic.

This from the Denver Post...

Focus on the Family announced Monday that it will cut 202 staff positions at its Colorado Springs headquarters, beginning at month's end. Of these jobs, 149 are filled and 53 positions are vacant, officials said. About 20 percent of the positions are in management. Most of the jobs end Nov. 28; however, some will be phased out December through February. These losses and 46 layoffs announced by the ministry in October will bring its staff size to about 950, down from about 1,200 last year, said Focus chief operating officer Glenn Williams.

... comes on the heels of a report from The Colorado Independent:

In all, Focus pumped $539,000 in cash and another $83,000 worth of non-monetary support into the measure to overturn a California Supreme Court ruling that allowed gays and lesbians to marry in that state. The group was the seventh-largest donor to the effort in the country. The cash contributions are equal to the salaries of 19 Coloradans earning the 2008 per capita income of $29,133.

While making a direct connection might be dubious, the irony still remains. Spending over a half a million dollars to support Prop 8 while hurtling toward an internal financial crisis is quite ironic. If you want to protect marriage and the family, perhaps avoiding lay-offs during a holiday season should be considered more important.

Sadly, some things just don't surprise me anymore.

Is this what happens when our focus is taken off the life of the kingdom and placed upon political power? My hope is that somehow those looking on and wondering what being a follower of Jesus is all about would see past the rhetoric and actions of the "religious right."

History.

Regardless of how one voted, if we truly step back and observe what happened yesterday, we cannot help but say that something historic, something profound took place. I sat wide-eyed with Josh and Megan, watching Obama's acceptance speech. It was a moment I will never forget.

Today.

[HT: Andrew Sullivan]

Yes or No.

This from a student rally on Prop 8 outside Capo Valley High School in Mission Viejo last week:

[photo by Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register]