Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ Who is My Neighbor

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things we do to limit our responsibility is to try to quantify the word “Neighbor” to those people we wish to love.  My neighbors then become those I wish them to be.  There is a problem with this.  We are also required to love our enemies.

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?”

It is noteworthy that the same word for love is used here that is used when we are told to love our neighbors.  We are required to treat our enemies with the same kind of love that we treat our neighbors.  There is no room for equivocation or mincing words.

Again, we need to remember that all the laws of God rest on this principle and that of loving God.  Nothing becomes complicated when we realize that.  Our situational arguments have nowhere to stand.  Our what if questions do not matter.  Love your neighbor, your enemy, and everyone in between.

If we think about what that looks like it can be very beautiful.  All the social ills over which we stress fade from view.  Every social problem we face can be dealt with if we choose that we are going to treat everyone with love. 

I realize that this sounds too simplistic.  Arguments about what others will do spring to mind.  We worry about reciprocation and the compliance of others.  We are not told to do unto others as they might do.  We are told to do unto them as we would have done to us. 

If I let that play in my head for a bit, I know how I wish to be treated.  I know how I wish to feel.  It is in doing this that I also find how much I need to meter what I say and do.  Every moment must be one of thinking about how to love God and my neighbor, enemy, cashier, waitress.  When I focus on this I find little time for things outside of it and that is a good thing.

It’s A Beautiful Day in This Neighborhood – Fred Rogers

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,

A beautiful day for a neighbor,

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

It's a neighborly day in this beauty-wood,

A neighborly day for a beauty,

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you,

I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

So let's make the most of this beautiful day,

Since we're together, we might as well say,

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

Won't you be my neighbor?

Won't you please,

Won't you please,

Please won't you be my neighbor

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ What is Love???

Greetings Dear Reader,

I once had someone dear to me tell me that she did not have to love everyone.  She insisted that respecting others was enough.  She felt that saying that you love others is too high a demand.

If I am going to insist that I must love my neighbor then I must be clear in what I mean by that.  I first turn to what Jesus actually said about it.  He was asked what the greatest commandment was.  His reply was two parted.  First it was to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  He then says that the second is harmonious with it.  That is that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

The word here for love is “agapao”.  It is a form of the word for unconditional love.  It is the same word Jesus uses to tell us to love our enemies.  We will talk more about enemies tomorrow.  For now, however, we need a clear understanding of what it means to unconditionally love a neighbor.    

When Paul is explaining to the Corinthians how they should treat each other he explains what love does.  It is clear that love cannot be seen without action.  Here is what Paul writes.  Even if you do not share my faith it is good to read this.  It will remind you how those who do follow Christ should be acting. 

“I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don't have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal.

I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don't have love, I am nothing.

I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned. But if I don't have love, none of these things will help me.

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn't jealous. It doesn't sing its own praises. It isn't arrogant.  It isn't rude. It doesn't think about itself. It isn't irritable. It doesn't keep track of wrongs. It isn't happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth.

Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.  Love never comes to an end...”

If you think you love other people and you are not comparing your life to this you may wish to do so.  I hear very little love in the cries for social justice.  I hear anger, arrogance, rudeness, and see a lack of kindness, patience, and love.  This does not mean that the cry for justice is wrong.  It does mean that we need to cry for it in the proper spirit with the proper attitude.

So, if we are going to love our neighbors we must do so in patience, kindness, humility, and truth.  We must not give space to pride, envy, rudeness, irritability (even before my coffee), or jealousy.  There is no room for debate about this if I claim to follow Christ.  I can imagine the impact in a world where we all did our best to practice this. 

It is not easy and I am not there.  I try to be this way always.  I fail and fall and fear.  I give in to my own thinking instead of standing firm in my desire to love others always.  The purpose is this:  If I am attending to loving others with all that I am, then I will not have time or place to be the wretched things I can be as a human.

A dear friend whom I love and respect is demanding laws to prevent certain actions in our society.  When I expressed that legislating it would not work she insisted that it would.  When I suggested that we have a law to love everyone on the BOOK already, she responded that it is not working so we need to try something else. 

We do not truly grasp the power of love.  My eldest Son once called it “barrier crushing”.  That resonates in me always.  No matter what I do, if it is without love it is useless.  Inversely, if I strive to do all that I do with love then it becomes unstoppable.  I think we have forgotten that there is never a time to stop loving and moving out of love.  “It’s the love y’all y’all.”

Love – Petra

Love is patient, love is kind

No eyes of envy, true love is blind

Love is humble, it knows no pride

No selfish motive hidden inside

Love is gentle, makes no demands

Despite all wrong, true love still stands

Love is holy, love is pure

It lasts forever, it will endure

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

Love is loyal, believes the best

It loves the truth, love stands the test

Love is God sent in his Son

Love forgives all we have done

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

In this world where hatred seems to grow

True love goes against the flow

And becomes so hard to show

In this world where push turns to shove

We have strength to rise above

Through the power of His love

Lord, we need to know the power of Your love

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

After writing last week about guns I am emotionally quite tired.  I am going to focus for a few days on practical aspects of something good just to bolster my own spirits.  This is one of those things that is essential to being able to claim with any integrity that I follow Christ.

As I move through a genuine crisis in my personal life it is vital that I am sure that I am focused on what I am commanded to be.  There are two commandments under which all other law resides.  Jesus made this quite clear and yet we make them complex to avoid obeying their simplicity. 

The first is to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind.  I cannot, as a flawed human achieve this.  I can, however, attempt every moment to be better at it.  I can do what it takes to walk through life seeking Christ in every moment.  When I fail I must quickly address the failure, seek forgiveness, and keep following.

The second command is to love my neighbor as I love my self.  I cannot hope to do this without doing the first one.  I cannot for a moment believe I am doing the first one if I do not do this one.  They are intertwined and inseparable. 

In light of this I need to spend some time examining the particulars of it as I see it greatly lacking in the world.  I hope to keep this lighthearted

 and kind but when we talk about genuine, barrier crushing love, we will encounter darkness.  I will attempt to shine the light on this darkness lightly. 

Please, Dear Reader, walk with me a bit whilst we examine how we can better love each other.  It could actually be quite enjoyable.  As always, I value your part in the conversation. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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On Guns and Their Control ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Reading, writing, and listening to your thoughts on this has taught me a great deal Dear Reader.   Remember that I am not a violent person.  Still I am also aware that we live in a violent world.  I have dear friends along the entire spectrum of this discussion.  I love and respect them all.

I think the deepest lesson I have learned is that we are all far too afraid.  We fear what might happen so we do things.  We fear shootings so we want to limit guns.  We fear loss of freedom so we wish to be armed.  We have become a society driven by what we fear.

I wrote quite a few years ago about how I think that all wrong that we do is attached to our fear in some way.  We are afraid so we do things that are wrong to shield ourselves from what we fear.  We let fear guide and control us. 

So how can I be a person that does not live in fear?  First, I need to understand what destroys or removes fear.  There is an answer for this.  “Perfect love casts out fear.”  Since I am required to love everyone, if I am perfecting that love then my fear will be cast out by it.  I realize that this sounds puerile and simple.  That does not make it untrue. 

I know that a thousand situational arguments leap to mind of what might happen.  I am required to live beyond those thoughts.  We all are.  We cannot find peace and build a better tomorrow if our reactions are based on what we fear.  We cannot build a healthy world based on fear, lacking love. 

I am not allowed to harm anyone.  I am also not allowed to tell others how to live.  I can live out an example.  I can show you love and kindness when we are together no matter how I think or feel.  I cannot stop someone intent on evil.  I cannot control anything no matter how much I believe I can.  I can follow Christ with all my heart and work toward justice and peace for others.  I can do whatever it takes to show love for others.

This has been hard for me.  I hate it when any human is harmed by another.  There is so much discord and hatred in the world.  As I move on to other things the conclusion for me is the same.  No laws or freedoms will solve the problems we have until we admit that we are the problem.  We need a daily overhaul of our thinking.  Thank you for your company and spirited debate Dear Reader.  As always it is precious to me and teaches me much.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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On Guns and Their Control ~ Which Way Are You Going???

Greetings Dear Reader,

My writing yesterday triggered an energetic discussion for a friend of mine (pun intended).  Some of his dear friends asked many questions about the question at hand.  I cannot long labor on this topic as it pains me to do so.  Still my friend deserves and honest and humble response. 

These are the same gun

The question surrounding this one gun, the AR-15 was a simple one.  Walk me through the steps that would be taken were the gun banned today.  How would we guarantee that this action would prevent an individual from staging another school shooting with one?  The answer is it will not.  Here are just a few reasons why:

• Of the guns sold in the last two years 1 in 5 is an AR-15 style gun.
• There are numerous ways to acquire the parts and build your own.
• With over 400 MILLION guns in the hands of citizens we have no way of knowing how many are AR-15’s and who has them (even if we got all the registered ones).
• You can buy a kit to 3D print your own AR-15.
• You can still buy the Ruger Mini 14 which is the same gun just not scary looking (thank you Kevin).
• A ban will not do anything to stop someone who is intent on using one to kill people.
• Just the threat of a ban has spiked sales over the last two years and driven many sales underground. 

This, however, is not the point.  The point is that no matter what we limit in terms of availability, it will not change the hearts and minds of humans.  My friend Anne said very clearly that she is for regulation and nothing will change her mind.  That is her choice and she has a constitutional right to that opinion.  When has regulation ever prevented someone from breaking the law?

No matter which side of this discussion you land on, the problem is our failure to love each other.  We cannot salve our own conscience by simply banning this one gun.  We would be lying to ourselves.  A band-aid will not stop the hemorrhage of hate that flows through our culture.  Here are some practical things that can be done to lessen the violence.  Prepare to have your toes trampled a bit.

• Conservatives need to take responsibility that the other side is right that we do not do enough to care for each other’s needs.  They foster hatred by not treating EVERYONE with love and compassion.
• Liberals need to accept that their tolerance does not extend to those who disagree with them on their hot issues.  They need to accept that they foster hatred by treating those who disagree with them as “a basket of deplorables.”
• Everyone needs to take a step back a realize that if it does not lead to kindness and compassion for others it is likely not a good idea. 
• Eventually every great society weakens and falls to an enemy.  We all need to accept that if the enemy is at the gates we will be glad for the ones who are armed and prepared to defend us.
• Every culture that turns on itself decays and dies.  Until we remember to be united as a nation and work our issues out civilly we will continue to die on the vine.

The truth for me is that I hate every form of taking a human life; full stop.  The reality is that we do it every day and only scream about it when we do not like the method or the type of victim.  As I have thought through this all week the answer keeps coming up the same.  Every one of us needs to realize that we can all do better at the “love thy neighbor” stuff.  Until we get serious about that no amount of rhetoric about guns is going to reach those who fear what will happen if they give up their guns.  Until we get serious about it no amount of talk about civil liberties will calm those who see gun owners as self-centered and selfish; only caring about their needs. 

We all stand around guilty of the same hypocrisy.  We are all saying, “Let him live in freedom, if he lives like me.”  That is not love or kindness.  That is vanity, pride, and arrogance.  No side of the argument is innocent of this.  I can do better at it.  I hope this makes my position clearer, Dear Reader.  If I stepped on your toes I apologize and am willing to wash your feet.

Which Way are You Goin’ – Jim Croce

Which way are you going, which side will you be on

Will you stand and watch while, all the seeds of hate are sown

Will you stand with those who say, let his will be done

One hand on the bible

One hand on the gun

One hand on the bible

One hand on the gun

Which way are you looking, is it hard to see

Do you say what’s wrong for him, is not wrong for me

You walk the streets, righteousness but you refuse to understand

You say you love the baby

Then you crucify the man

You say you love the baby

Then you crucify the man

Every day, things are changing,

Words once honored turned to lies

People wondering, can you blame them

It’s too far to run, and too late to hide

Now you turn your back on, all the things that you used to preach

Now its let him live in freedom, if he lives like me

Well you light has changed, confusion rains, what have you become

All your olive branches turned to spears

When your flowers turned to guns

Your olive branches turned to spears

When your flowers turned to guns

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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On Guns and Their Control ~ Data and Feelings

Greetings Dear Reader,

Frist let me express a feeling.  I feel that anyone who blames victims who are innocently killed needs to spend a great deal of time with a therapist.  I promise that my heart is broken over the loss of life in any shooting.  It is always wrong. 

Now a little bit of data.  I keep getting this idea that some in our society think that gun violence is somehow a predominant cause of unnecessary death in our culture.  Although I think that shootings must be stopped I do not think that taking away guns is the answer.  The logic of prohibition does not work and we do not apply it equally.

Here is some data with the source links for us to consider:

Car Related Deaths Per Year:  1,300,000

Abortion Deaths Per Year:  600,000

Cigarette Smoking Deaths Per Year:  480,000

Alcohol Related Deaths Per Year: 88,000

Drug Related Deaths Per Year: 64,000

Gun Homicides Per Year:  14,000

If we replaced any of the data in the rhetoric for outlawing guns with the “object” of the causes for other deaths, it would not be logical or we would object.  Let us begin with drugs.  We have outlawed the dangerous ones everywhere.  There are still 64,000 drug deaths per year.  We tried outlawing alcohol and it resulted in more crime and violence. 

We know that cigarettes kill people but they are still legal.  We have cities where there are laws that tax soda but you can still smoke cigarettes. You can get a product that kills 34 times more people a year than guns at any servo in the country. 

Then there is the data that seems completely insane to me.  46 x more abortions of innocent children are committed each year than gun homicides total.  They are both wrong but so is our perspective.  You would deny someone the right to own a gun because of what MIGHT happen.  You demand murder of the unborn on demand when death always occurs.  It troubles ne greatly that people will demand the right to murder the innocent while wishing to limit the rights of others to own an object.  Something is very wrong with this thinking. 

Do not think for a moment that I excuse or consider gun violence against humans acceptable.  I would posit that in a culture where we have devalued the life of the most innocent in our world we should not be surprised when madmen kill children.  The hypocrisy seems obvious to me.

If we follow the logic of denying someone something because of what he or she might do with it we are in trouble.  Does any of this sound reasonable:  People who consume alcohol to excess might drive drunk so we should not allow them cars even before their first DUI.  People who smoke cigarettes are going to become a burden on the medical communities so we should deny them healthcare.  People who speed might cause a life ending accident so we should deny them cars. 

We have a problem much deeper than who can and cannot own a gun.  We value what we want over life.  We demand our “rights” over the love and compassion we owe each other.  It is wrong to deny someone something because of what someone else did.  It is also wrong to have double standards on who can and cannot kill others at will.  We all need to realize that the problem is us.  It keeps coming down to that Dear Reader.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Second Thoughts ~ End IT Now!!!!!!!!!

Greetings Dear Reader,

Today is the day the I try to call attention to the End It Movement.  The desire is to shine a light on slavery and human trafficking.  For those of you who do not realize it, this happens every day in every large city in America and many other leading nations. 

We are talking millions of humans trapped in financial, cultural, or sexual slavery.  Fifty-five percent are women and young girls.  It is worse that the horrors you just imagined.  It is.  I will not tax you further for time.  Click on the End Link above and learn what you can do.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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On Guns and Their Control ~ The Nature of Humans

Greetings Dear Reader,

In the opening scene of Star Trek Five: The Final Frontier (arguably the worst of the Star Trek movies), we find ourselves witnessing events on Nimbus III, The Planet of Galactic Peace.  On a planet devoted to peace guns are not allowed. 

This has not prevented the locals from designing and building weapons.  They have compressed air rifles that shoot stones.  The Federation ambassador on the planet states, “Our new age died a quick death. The settlers we conned into coming here were the dregs of society.  They soon began fighting amongst themselves.  When we forbade them weapons they soon began to fashion their own.”

In the popular game, Skyrim war is called the “Season Unending”.  We have been killing each other for all of recorded history.  The progression of our ability to do this is perhaps one of the most significant and tragic demonstrations of our creativity.  We become continuously better at creating ways to destroy each other.  Our entertainment is filled with violence.  We make sport of killing in virtual worlds.  We are surprised, however, when real people pick up real guns and attack the innocent. 

In the same Star Trek movie Dr. McCoy states that “Human life is far too precious to risk on crazy stunts” when Kirk almost kills himself trying to free ascend El Capitan.  I submit that we have lost the understanding of just how precious every life is.  I will not delve into this too deeply but it is necessary for us to regain the value of life before we will stop taking it from others. 

Currently we ignore killing on a mass scale when it is far enough away.  We tolerate injustice in other countries to save on petrol and obtain cheap consumer products.  We value life until it truly inconveniences us to do so.  Yet, we say it is too much when it is a man with a gun in a school.  I submit that it is too much when it is a child in the womb, a homeless veteran sleeping in the cold, or refugee in another country where we barter aid for power. 

Until we face that our disregard for life is a significant part of our poorer selves, taking away the guns will not stop the deaths.  I am not in favor of weapons designed to kill humans at any level.  It is not what we are designed to be doing.  We have, however, built violence toward each other into our nature.  We fail to love each other as we are supposed to love.

I used to be a very violent and angry person.  It is only through faith and following Christ that I have found that I no longer need these things.  I still struggle with the angry selfish part of my nature.  I suppose I will all my life.  I cannot commit violence and claim to love others.  It seems once again Dear Reader that we are what needs to change.  We are what needs to be different. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Second Thoughts ~ A Loss Extraordinary

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you, Dear Reader.

William Franklin Graham Jr. KBE (Knight Commander of the British Empire), known as Billy Graham, passed away today.  In my fifty plus years of knowing who Billy Graham is I have only heart two people say anything bad about this man.  Both of them had trouble with anyone who loves Jesus. 

I am impressed with his attitudes about civil rights.  In the fifties he was already forbidding segregation at his rallies, installing African American ministers as leaders on his council, and advising the SCLC.  He had a very close friendship with Dr. King and did much to speak against segregation in support of the Civil Rights Movement.  In the 1960’s he and Dr. King held many joint campaigns.

He advised presidents and in 1983 was awarded the American Medal of Freedom.  He even held many conversations with Queen Elizabeth II.  The later resulted in his knighthood in 2001 for his contributions to the world. 

The loss for me is this:  There are so very few men who have a high-profile ministry who do not succumb to power, greed, or their own desires.   Here, however, is a man who never met privately with any woman other than his spouse.  He did not dwell on money.  He did not seek power.  The loss is a voice of reasonable faith in the midst of a sea of controversy and excesses.

I cannot fill this gap.  I cannot compensate for this loss.  Someone can.  It will take what Billy Graham exemplified.  It will take humility and faith untouched by human weakness.  He would be the first to say that he is not better than any of us.  He would give all the credit to Jesus. 

I do my bit to try and represent Jesus through my life and my writing.  I do not have what it takes to command the world stage as Billy Graham did.  Someone does  Perhaps the best way to honor him would be to live our faith consistently in the corner of the world we do have.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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On Guns and Their Control ~ Thoughts and Prayers

Greetings Dear Reader,

My Sons and I used to regularly play paintball in a private wood.  We would spend an afternoon hunting each other and then cool off in the land owner’s pool.  One particular day my eldest Son would often be about to shoot me and I would somehow still get the upper hand.  I had always made it a practice to remind my children that I loved them whenever I would win at a game.  After shooting my Son for the fifth time in one day I called out, “Hey Son…”

He responded with a very frustrated, “I know dad, you love me.”

One of the things that saddens me is when things that I take seriously are mocked by those who do not understand or do not agree.  I do not mock anyone who believes differently than I believe.  It is not only unkind but it is wrong. 

I noticed that in social media there is mockery of the expression of thoughts and prayers.  The gist of the meme is that our thoughts and prayers are useless.  I will never agree that praying for others when they are in crisis is useless.  I will agree that if someone is in crisis and I only express that I am praying or worse “thinking about them” it can be insulting. 

It is like walking by a homeless person in winter and wishing them to be warm and well fed.  Jesus’ brother James points out that doing this is useless: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

It is wrong to simply tell others that you wish them well and do nothing.  I am not sure what should be done but until we find a way to stop the violence we need to shut up with our epithets.  I do not mean that we should not pray.  I mean that we should not talk about it publicly. 

Jesus makes it clear that prayer should be private: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  

If we really want to make a difference we need to put action with our prayer.  If you follow Christ then you know you are required to love your enemies.  How is killing anyone showing love?  I am not saying there is no need or use for a gun.  I am saying that guns designed for hunting humans violate the premise of loving our enemy. 

The alignment of the two issues, our lack of love for our enemies and expressing our “thoughts and prayers” without doing things that make a difference have caused mockery of the genuine expression of our faith.  There will always be those who mock God and us for believing.  We cannot change this. 

What I can do is assure that any expression of my faith is accompanied by action.  I must pray privately for those in need and in pain.  I must also work for new ways to show love to everyone including those who hate me.  If I fail to put action with my faith it will be useless and I will deserve the mockery.  Once again, Dear Reader, it seems that the problem is not the gun.  It is us.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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On Guns and Their Control ~ A Gun Tale

Greetings Dear Reader,

If you read my writings regularly you know that I grew up in Georgia.  I am proud of most of my southern heritage.  We are not the ignorant sloths that we are sometimes depicted as.  It is also true that stereotypes spring from something.

When I was a boy my Grandfather, a retired police officer, taught me to shoot.  He taught me how to respect and handle guns.  I had to learn to clean and store them before I ever learned to load and shoot.  There were rules and I knew to obey them.  I practiced for hours shooting clothes pins from a wire with my BB gun.  I graduated to a .22 when I could hit 22 clothes pins from twenty yards away without breaking any of them.  The trick was to hit them at the bottom so that they would spin around the wire. 

After a summer of practice and hard work I was taken hunting.  I used a .410/.22 Savage.  Later in the fall I graduated to a bolt action .410 with a five-round capacity and a .22 semi-automatic which held ten 22-long rounds.  After the day’s hunting, if I had obeyed all of the gun rules I was allowed to fire my Grandfather’s 30/30 Winchester and his 20-gauge shotgun at the targets behind the farm house.

I was seven years old.  That same year I took shooting classes in my elementary school.  I also learned to shoot a bow and how to hunt with one.  There really were gun racks in pickup trucks and people did hunt before and after school.  My story of learning and shooting is not an uncommon one. 

There were not school shootings.  We were somehow different.  I am not saying that there is not a problem to be addressed.  I will not, however, blame the presence of guns.  It does not scan.  We can rant and rave all we want about the presence of guns being the problem but the truth is that this is not the problem. 

If we do not deal with the truth then nothing will get solved.  We need to remember how to teach discipline and respect to our children.  We must embrace the idea the we have changed as a society in some ways that are not good.

I must deal in truth not conjecture.  The truth is that we have lost a level of respect for each other, for authority, and for life.  I am not sure what the answer is but removing the medium of our expression of our own failings is never the problem.  Prohibition does not stop a thing from existing.  It does drive that thing into the shadows where it becomes aligned with other problems. 

Until we realize that the problem of violence is in us we will not change.  Until we embrace that we do not treat each other the way we should things will only get worse.  I long for the day when no one causes harm to another human.  That is the problem that exists daily whether there are guns present or not.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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On Guns and Their Control ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

I hesitate to write about this.  It is, however, a social issue that requires my evaluation.  I must know what I think and be prepared to express that thought with conviction, love, and kindness.  I do not at the moment know if this will be a single post or a series of musings.

I do know that guns have been an issue in my life since I was a small boy.  This perhaps requires a tale or two and, therefore, it may be that I need to spend some time on this set of thoughts and questions.

When it came up with the Crema Counsel this past week I could tell that there are very strong feelings in the hearts and minds of my friends who sit on said counsel.  I thought to stay away from the issue.  I cannot do this and remain honest in my search for ways to be more faithful in my following.

I suppose I will ask you to venture with me Dear Reader as I attempt to navigate reasonably that which both sides of the discussion refuse to consider with good reason.   I will not entertain emotional, pejorative, or situational thoughts.  These are neither productive or conducive. 

I will not attack anyone nor will I reject anyone just because they disagree with me.  I will address what I think is true whether I like it or not.  If I tread on your toes, I apologize in advance.  Please walk with me so that I have someone to show me what I miss.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Café Comments ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Gone are the days of the market and small village shops.  We still have diners, taverns, and coffee shops.  In these places we find our common custom houses.  In these we find the regular attenders, well known servers, and random acquaintances. 

It is here as well that we can find good people who will share with us good conversation.  We can easily find common ground or verbal fencing if needed.  The ills of the world can be codified and sorted over a cappuccino and a scone. 

For me, however, the value is in knowing and understanding the people. It is in seeing that there is no one in the place who does not have some unique feature that enriches the world.  I constantly learn from each person I observe.

At times I am even given opportunity to be kind to others.  I am allowed to cross that barrier from the unknown to the known; from stranger to at least acquaintance and sometimes even friend.

In a world where our electronics and lives tend to isolate us from each other this is an oasis.  There is opportunity to live my faith by being observant and available.  There is the chance to be there for others and show them that I care.

It also serves to keep me from getting too far inside my own head.  I must always be aware of the world outside of the many dramas that dance through my writer’s mind.  Focusing on real people in a real place with real needs does this.  We must move on to other matters Dear Reader.  Thank you for sharing my table for this one.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Café Comments ~ Pointed Pondering

Greetings Dear Reader,

Yesterday at the café one of the Crema Council was anxious to ask me some questions.  The first topic of the morning was gun control in light of the recent shootings.  I will not weigh in on that here.  I do think that violence against anyone is not justified.  I do not believe that the problem is limited to guns.  We have much deeper worries to address.

His second question to me was concerning the purpose of the Ten Commandments and whether I thought they were what was the premier instruction from God.  I wrote briefly about this in 2012.  His question, however, allowed a different approach.  As a teacher I immediately answered his question with a question.

What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments and the Law?  I am not sure what your answer is Dear Reader, but I know what mine is.  It is the same answer that Paul gives in his letter to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:19-25: Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.  A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.  Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.  But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.  Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.  So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.  Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

The purpose of the Ten Commandments is so that we realize that we all do things that are wrong.  I do not need to go further than the first two commandments to understand this clearly.  My friend on the Crema Council had yet another agenda.  His hope, in jest, was to see if he could “raise my hackles.”   He was having fun but I was reminded of something very valuable.

I was reminded that if my faith is real then I do not need to be agitated about questions that seem difficult or invasive.  I have worked hard to be hard to offend.  I have put forth a standard that those who see my faith as something to question present an opportunity for me to live it.  Even in the current tensions in my life the mantra must be, “If my faith does not work now then it was never worth it.”

To be clear the Crema Council is never unkind or abrasive.  The young man in question likes to ask difficult questions. That is what friends do for each other.  Iron sharpens iron.  I was presented with a beautiful opportunity to articulate what I believe and why.  Thank you, sir, for good questions and for listening to my answer.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Café Comments ~ Single Serving Friendships

Greetings Dear Reader,

One encounters “strangers” every day at the café.   People come for breakfast or they are in and out to get their morning coffee on the way to whatever is next.  This allows one great opportunity for single serving friendships.

I will encounter people that I may never encounter again.  It is my one opportunity to inject kindness into that life.  It is my chance to show love and respect to a human that may or may not need it in that moment.  I do not think anyone complains when you are kind to them in the moment.

The idea is that in this space our paths are going to collide.  We are going to reach for the cream at the same time.  We are going to be in each other’s way when refilling coffee.  I must be the one who backs away politely.  I must be the one who gives a genuine smile and allows the other to meet their need of the moment. 

It fills my heart with joy to see someone else smile just because you did this.  It reminds me that my agenda or purpose of the moment can almost always take a back seat to the opportunity to be a friend in that instant.  This fosters the peaceful spirit of this particular café. 

After months of this behaviour many of those single serving friendships have gotten refills.  People who do not know my name wave at me when they rush in for their coffee.  They smile and there is another moment of positive human connection in the world.

Everything about following Christ is based on showing love to others.  If I want to evidence this in my life then I must focus on those moments that are insignificant to me but may make a difference in the lives of others.  Further I must extend that to moments where I put aside my convenience for the good of someone I do not know just so that I can show them love and kindness.  If I choose this, I will never run out of refills for those single serving friendships.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Café Comments ~ Snapshots

Greetings Dear Reader,

Back in the time of the dinosaur people collected their pictures in books called photo-albums.  People would share their wedding, honeymoon, or vacation photos by handing you the book.  This was always difficult for me.  If I was not at the event I had problems finding context that worked in my understanding of their adventure.

Snapshots tell us very little about the actual story.  They may tell us much but that does not mean we get the entire significance of the moment.  The same is true for the tiny bits of the life I witness at the café.  I have very little context even with those I encounter weekly. 

This means that I hear only a bit of what is real for people when they interact.  Only some of the things I overhear or witness can be understood with my frame of reference.   I only get a glimpse of personality and character. 

We can infer from language, conversation topics, and food preferences.  By way of example I offer the following:  A lovely young mum comes in with her high school age son.  They eat a healthy breakfast and review his school work.  She is kind, friendly, and outgoing.  He is quiet and studious.  The things that I infer a very good.  She invests her time and attention to her son.  She works with him toward success.  The body language between them is positive. 

After all that observation I do not really know anything about them.  I do not know what their real lives are like or what struggles they face.  I do not understand their prevalent life needs.  My impression of them is good but that does not mean that I know them.

This teaches me why it is so vital not to judge others.  It is a continuing lesson on how little we know of each other.  For good or ill these snapshots do not give me enough information to judge anyone.  They do not put me in any position to approve or condemn.  My only available honorable option is to be kind and show love.

In the snapshots at the café I must always look for the good.  I must be good to others no matter my opinion of their lives.  Most important, I must always filter my opinions, thoughts, and responses through the love that Christ has for each and every soul in the place.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Second Thoughts ~ Single Awareness Day

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you, Dear Reader.

I have commented before on what a broken heart I have.  It seems that Single Awareness Day (Valentine’s Day) is harder to endure every year.  I just cannot find I toehold out of the place I am in.  I do not with to in any way detract from the joy of those who have found love.  I wish great blessings upon them.

I do, however, wish to come along side those for whom this is a difficult day and let you know that you are not alone.  We are alone together.  I realize that does not cure our ills but I hope that it gives you a little peace.

My heart is weary and worn.  It struggles with even the idea of trying to love someone romantically again.  Unfortunately, I am a romantic.  I will never give up on the idea or ideal of love.  Rather, I will use the shards of my heart to let love flow to others in ways that show them their worth and value. 

It is not the lack of physical love that is the challenge.  It is the absence of a fellow traveler.  It is the many hours alone where there was once a companion.  I will accept this state as I do with all things I cannot control.  I will walk on in faith.  I will, however, be honest about the pain. 

Operator (That’s Not the Way it Feels) – Jim Croce

Operator, well could you help me place this call?

See, the number on the matchbook is old and faded

She's living in L.A. with my best old ex-friend Ray

A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated

Isn't that the way they say it goes? Well, let's forget all that

And give me the number if you can find it

So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine and to show

I've overcome the blow, I've learned to take it well

I only wish my words could just convince myself

That it just wasn't real, but that's not the way it feels

Operator, well could you help me place this call?

Well, I can't read the number that you just gave me

There's something in my eyes, you know it happens every time

I think about a love that I thought would save me

Isn't that the way they say it goes? Well, let's forget all that

And give me the number if you can find it

So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine and to show

I've overcome the blow, I've learned to take it well

I only wish my words could just convince myself

That it just wasn't real, but that's not the way it feels

No, no, no, no - that's not the way it feels

Operator, well let's forget about this call

There's no one there I really wanted to talk to

Thank you for your time, ah, you've been so much more than kind

And you can keep the dime

Isn't that the way they say it goes? Well, let's forget all that

And give me the number if you can find it

So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine and to show

I've overcome the blow, I've learned to take it well

I only wish my words could just convince myself

That it just wasn't real, but that's not the way it feels

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Café Comments ~ Thelma and Louise

Greetings Dear Reader,

When one owns a small business, one depends heavily on the face of that business.  At the café the management is a duo the Crema Council refers to as Thelma and Louise.  If you do not get the reference you may wish to watch the movie of the same title.   To my knowledge neither of these excellent women is guilty of any crimes.  The reference, however, is fitting.

I always sit where I can watch these two interact with the customers and staff.  They are funny, intelligent, and creative.  They treat everyone at the counter with kindness and respect.  They nurture their staff as if they were younger siblings (at least one of them is).  They are both teachable and daily hone their craft.

Each of them is so much more than what they do.  Each of them has the potential for greatness yet they also give their very best to this coffee harbor whilst waiting to set sail on some greater venture.  Whether it is the Brotherhood of Baleful Brewers of the Bitter Black Bean or the Crema Council the regular groups are greeted with great cheer.  Strangers are politely assisted to navigate the menu.  Everyone is given a fair shot at being decent and kind.

I have also watched them both handle rude patrons with grace and patience.  They do not let anything escalate.  Instead, they use gentleness to cool the situation and infuse some goodness into the impatient customer.  I suspect that no matter what the person orders they get decaf.  

Thelma and Louise are the engine that makes the place run well.  It is not just their skill at managing the café.  It is their spirit; their heart.  It is the bond they share as friends.  I knew them both before our encounters here.  One I knew well.  The other in a single encounter.  Both earned my love and respect long before I ever entered the café. 

I must remember that managing the chaos is mostly attitude.  How I set my sails will determine my direction.  Their example gives me great hope.  Their work works to encourage me to be a better man. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Café Comments ~ The Crema Council

Greetings Dear Reader,

There is a covey of very friendly folks at the café who sit together and chat over breakfast.  For the first few weeks I frequented this café I was glad to listen and enjoy their interactions.  They broke the ice by mentioning my “Feel Free to Share My Table” sign as a nice gesture.  When they discovered that I knew one of the managers I was an instant friend to them.  As I have come to know them better I refer to them as the Crema Council. 

They ruminate over current affairs, the weather, grandchildren, and much more.  They always have a kind word and are personable with anyone they encounter.   It is always a good thing to hear them weigh in on world events and the current state of the café.  One of their great skills is to discuss without arguing. 

In my time at the café I have been privilege to the wisdom they share with others.  I have learned more patience and balance in my thinking.  I have grown to understand that there are those with whom I disagree on important issues who can listen to and respect my position. 

They are also a constant source of encouragement to those around them.  There are also those moments when a toddler they know enters the café and they melt into adoring grandparent mode.  In that moment I see the deep love they have for life and its new ventures. 

If I hope to age well I must learn from their example.   In not too many more trips around the sun I will be them.  I hope I carry their kindness and grace into those years and can further their hope and love for others.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Café Comments ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Most of us have a favorite diner or café that we enjoy.  I am blessed to have a favorite in both categories and some good alternates when I just need a change.  I go to the café that is my favorite twice a week.  On Wednesdays I go there to write and people watch.  On Fridays I go after breakfast at my favorite diner to work at marketing and to people watch some more.

When I people watch it is for many purposes.  It feeds my curiosity and gives me much writing fodder.  It also reminds me to see the needs and lives of others from a position of kindness and compassion.  It gives me the opportunity to be good to others as well. 

As I have grown to know the staff other observations and opportunities present themselves.  As I often do I am going to extrapolate life lessons from the specific to the general with the café as my backdrop.  This time, however, my intent is to tell a story or two and draw the lessons for my journey from the story.  Join in the Calliandra Shade of my favorite café.  Let me know your thoughts and questions as we observe life.

Calliandra Shade – Ian Anderson

I sit in judgement on the market square

I have my favourite table and I have my chair

Natives are friendly and the sun flies high

All kinds of crazy waiters – they go drifting by

Hours last forever in the Calliandra shade

Conversation going nowhere and yet, everywhere

Kick off those sad shoes and let the bare toes twinkle

Slip off the shoulder strap: loosen the thick black hair

Come, sit with me and take decaf designer coffee

Come, laugh and listen as the ragamuffin children play

Lame dog and a black cat, now, they shuffle in the shadows

You got cappuccino lip on a short skirt day

Electric afternoon and shrill cellphones are mating

Lame dog is dreaming, dreaming of a better life

Where bed is fluffy pillows, table scraps are filet mignon

Flicked indiscreetly by the lazy waiter's knife

Hours last forever in the Calliandra shade

Conversation going nowhere and yet, everywhere

Kick off those sad shoes and let the bare toes twinkle

Slip off the shoulder strap: loosen the thick black hair

Come, sit with me and take decaf designer coffee

Come, laugh and listen as the ragamuffin children play

Lame dog and a black cat, now, they shuffle in the shadows

You got cappuccino lip on a short skirt day

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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