Gulf Seafood: Public Safety vs Economics

(Article first published as Gulf Seafood: Public Safety vs Economics on Technorati.)

Since the Gulf Oil Spill on April 20, the federal government has reopened most of the fishing waters that were closed. It believes that the seafood from this region is safe from oil or the dispersants that were used as part of the cleanup efforts. But a panel of subject matter experts argues that the government overlooked other harmful elements that it should have analyzed.

According to Margaret A. Hamburg, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, “There is no question Gulf seafood coming to market is safe from oil or dispersant residue.” But those on the other side of the argument say the government’s testing has not been rigorous enough to protect public health. They say they have performed independent tests measuring for other elements from the oil that have potential health risks and are routinely finding hydrocarbons associated with liver damage.

It is no secret that local fishermen wanted to get back to working the Gulf waters as quickly as possible. The oil spill has been devastating to the local economy. At this point, the federal government seems to be standing by its findings regarding the safety of seafood from the affected areas of the Gulf spill. At issue here is that concerns for the public’s health not take a back seat to economic interests.

The need to find the right balance between public safety and economic concerns plays itself out in a number of areas in our life.  Sometimes, for instance, when I am aboard an aircraft, the thing squeaks and shakes so badly and makes so many strange noises, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps the aircraft is being kept in service beyond the time it should in an attempt to reduce operating costs and, hence, increase profits.  I am certain that monetary concerns preempt public safety at times, especially when budget constraints require businesses to try and accomplish more with less.

Meanwhile, the federal government this month sued BP and several other companies involved in the Gulf oil spill for untold economic and environmental damage. This lawsuit is separate from a Justice Department criminal probe that has not brought forth any charges as yet.

God's Secret Place

God is not a respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of our relationship with Him. By that I mean the degree of fellowship we enjoy with Him is greatly influenced by our relationship with Him. Those who are passionate toward God tend to experience intimate fellowship with Him, while those who place little value on their relationship with God do not know fellowship with God on the same level. The Bible talks about the person “that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High” (Psalm 91:1, KJV). This is a special place where all Christians should want to live, as we shall see.

There are several places in the Bible that give us clues as to the significance of God’s secret place. First of all, as to whom He reveals His secret place, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him” (Psalm 25:14). Just as we do not share our secrets with everybody, so it is that not everyone inhabits the secret place of the most High. It is reserved for those who fear Him. This fear denotes our having a deep reverence for God.

Secondly, the Bible says, regarding those who trust God, “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Psalm 31:20, NIV). The message here is that God’s secret place is not some physical place; rather, it is a special place in the presence of God where those who trust and fear Him live and are divinely protected from all sources of harm and danger! In fact, Psalm 91, from which the first quote was taken, speaks in its entirety about God’s divine protection.

According to this psalm, trouble can be all around us, and still not come near our home. How can God make such a bold promise? Because He is God. To me, this promise is so important these days. Trouble is everywhere. It just seems to dominate the news on the local and national level. We can’t hide from trouble. No matter how safe we try to be, danger can find us. But when we are in the secret place of the most High, God gives His angels charge to keep us in all of our ways (Psalm 91:11)!

I just wonder how many times I have looked death in the face and didn’t even know it. How many battles has God fought for me that I was not aware of? The good news is that as long as we walk in the fear of the Lord, we are living in the secret place of the most High, and He will continue to protect us. That’s why we need not be troubled by the news of all the senseless murders in our country and the other forms of danger about us.

This does not mean we should place ourselves in harm’s way. We should do the things we can to keep ourselves safe. This also does not mean that our police force and those who give their lives to keep us safe are unnecessary. I thank God for their work. But what I am saying to you is that these provisions for our safety are not enough. Our ultimate trust for daily protection must be in God. Let us pray accordingly every day, and walk in confidence knowing that God has our back.

What's that in My Drinking Water?

(Article first published as What's that in My Drinking Water? on Technorati.)

Consumption of drinking water is not an option for us but a must. That’s because our body is mostly water, and it needs an ample amount of it to function properly. But how safe is the water we drink? Just last week, an environmental advocacy group reported that it has found a cancer-causing chemical, hexavalent chromium, in tap water in 31 U. S. cities. The sources of the chemical were not identified in the study.

Hexavalent chromium is not some new chemical that we have just learned about. Rather, currently, the Environmental Protection Agency does not have a legal limit for the chemical, and does not require water utilities to test for it. That raises an important question in my mind. What else is there in our drinking water that’s bad for us that we don’t know about simply because our municipalities do not test for it? Failure to test for other bad guys that live in our drinking water, allowing them to slip under the radar, does not make them any less harmful.

Concerns about the contaminants in our tap water gave rise to the bottled water industry. The thinking was that bottled water was much healthier for us. So much so that we are willing to pay a dollar or more for sixteen ounces of bottled water instead of drinking tap water for pennies a day. And so health enthusiasts can be seen walking around the park or working out at the local fitness center with their bottled water as part of their fitness routine.

The truth is, we often don’t know what’s in bottled water either. A two year study by the Environmental Working Group found that in some cases bottled water is no less polluted than tap water is. Tests on 10 brands of bottled water detected 38 chemicals. The sources of the contaminants were not identified.

The results of this recent study highlight some concerns about the state of our drinking water. Perhaps stricter regulations will ensue. That certainly won’t happen tomorrow. Again, hexavalent chromium is nothing new; it just wasn’t deemed necessary to be tested. The bottom line is that you and I must become our greatest advocate for getting the best drinking water that we can.

For Christmas, Christ May Not be the Main Focus

(Article first published as For Christmas, Christ May Not be the Main Focus on Technorati.)

Christmas, perhaps the favorite holiday in America, is a time when Christians and others commemorate the birth of Christ the Savior into the world.  But nowadays Christ may not be the main focus of Christmas in America.  According to a January 2009 survey released by the Barna Group, Christianity is no longer the default faith in America. Rather, half of all adults contend that Christianity is just one of many options to choose from, according to the report.

According to the study, by a three to one margin, adults say they are more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept them from a particular church.  This trend suggests that a growing number of religious adults in America do not embrace Jesus Christ as the Savior. This in turn means that the birth of Christ is not their main focus for Christmas.

Moreover, retail sales during the Christmas shopping season are critical to the success of many retailers.  Twenty-percent of their annual sales come from Christmas shopping. Even though we regard the Friday after Thanksgiving as the start of the shopping season, it is not unusual to see the campaign for Christmas shopping starting as early as October. Given the high unemployment rate in our country and the sluggish economy, getting shoppers into the stores early and getting them to spend more is a main focus of retailers during Christmastime.

For faithful followers who believe in the birth of Christ as the Savior, it is His miraculous birth that remains the main occasion for Christmas. But a growing number of adults believe otherwise, and for many struggling businesses, a successful Christmas shopping season is the main focus.

Reflecting on That First Christmas

Christmas Day means different things to different people. For Christians in America and many others, the 25th day of December is the day we have set aside to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. But what was it like during that first Christmas? Of course, we were not there, and we can only imagine how it was, but our doing so helps us to capture the spirit of Christmas. In the Bible, God has given us several accounts of that first Christmas.

Consider the climate that must have existed prior to Christ’s birth. For approximately 400 years, there is no record in the Bible of the prophets having received a word from God. We can estimate this duration of silence based on the time between the events in the book of Malachi in the Old Testament and those in the book of Matthew in the New Testament. During this period, the people read the Old Testament manuscripts, which were filled with prophecies about this Messiah who was to come, but the dialogue between God and men had ceased. “Were the recorded Messianic prophecies true, or is it that they were not to be taken literally?” Some of the Jews must have asked themselves that question.

Prior to Christ’s birth, the religious leaders in the Jewish community were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. During Jesus’ day, He referred to them as hypocrites (Matthew 23:23). They were quick to judge others, and to throw the book at them, but oftentimes, these religious leaders knew what the Scriptures said but  not what they meant. In effect, before Christ’s birth, the blind were leading the blind.

Also, prior to Christ’s birth, there were a few people who knew the Messiah would soon be born. For instance, the Bible speaks of a man by the name of Simeon, a just and devout man. He was waiting for the coming of this Messiah that the Old Testament spoke of. “And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). And so the tempo was building toward that day in which God manifested in the flesh would be born, live on earth for 30 years or more, and change the course of humanity for an eternity.

And then—finally—it happened. Christ the Savior was born! Imagine it. When the word was spread throughout the Jewish community that the Savior had been born, it must have resurrected all of the hope residing in the multitude of Messianic promises that were recorded in the Scriptures. This is what characterized the spirit of that first Christmas. May that same spirit rule in the hearts of the faithful followers of Christ this Christmas.

The Tax Cut Deal and Our Personal Finances

(Article first published as The Tax Cut Deal and Our Personal Finances on Technorati.)

Suppose you and I managed our personal finances the way Washington handles the nation's finances. President Obama recently signed the much debated tax bill into law. The Democrats and Republicans are in bed together on this one. Republicans get the tax cut extension they wanted, at least for the next two years. President Obama gets the unemployment benefits extension he wanted, a payroll tax cut, and some tax credits.

The total package has the effect of adding an estimated 858 billion dollars to the already staggering national debt over the next ten years. This deal is being touted as a means to stimulate our economy. I get that but, hello, at a price tag of 858 billion dollars. We certainly could not handle our personal finances like that. If we were in dire financial straits, wisdom would dictate that we make some very painful adjustments. That's because we understand that there is a limit to how much we can or should continue to borrow money aimed at solving our debt problem. Sooner rather than later, our congressional bodies must realize this as well.

Of course, there is one big difference between us and our leaders in Washington. When it comes to our personal finances, we have to pay for the decisions we make, however costly. But Congress and the President don't have to personally pay the bill for their economic policies; rather, they simply pass those costs to you and me. People always tend to be slacker with the money of others than they are with their own.

That the existing tax cuts would have expired the end of this year was a big deal. A large tax increase on taxpayers would not be welcome during this sluggish economy. On the other hand, the tax cut deal that has passed, given our staggering debt to date and void of strategies to address the spending side of the equation, should not have been welcome either, but to Washington it was. The lesson we learn from our personal finances is that the longer one fails to address his mounting debt problem, the more serious it becomes, and the less options he will have in the future.

The Future of Bishop Eddie Long

(Article first published as The Future of Bishop Eddie Long on Technorati.)

Ever since news broke last September of sexual allegations against prominent Georgia pastor, Bishop Eddie Long, his followers and others have been waiting to learn the truth. But that they may never know.  According to recently released court documents, Pastor Long has agreed to mediation.

At this point, the only thing known for sure is that four young men who were members of the church have accused Bishop Long of using his position as their spiritual leader to coerce them into having sex with him. Assuming mediation succeeds, and we never learn anything more than what we now know, the question is, what will Bishop Long do the day after mediation?

In recently released court documents, he admits to having taken young men on trips and occasionally sharing a room with them, but denies the sexual allegations. If mediation is successful and the truth of the matter is kept silent, perhaps Pastor Long will resume taking trips with other young men in his church in the name of mentoring troubled youths, so as to portray a sense of normalcy. But that would be very unwise. As a spiritual leader, and that of a mega church, it is imperative that he abstain from the very appearance of improprieties. Also, the cloud of the current allegations will place him under much scrutiny. Moreover, to subject himself to such exposure in the future is to expose the church to potentially damaging liabilities. If this is Bishop Long’s plans for his future, perhaps other church leaders need to stand up and be counted.

Getting Ready for Christmas

As I write this post, it’s nearly three weeks before Christmas day. For some strange reason, I thought about the days when I was a church pastor, and we went into the neighborhoods, knocking on doors to share the good news of the gospel. Of course, the good news was and is that Christ the Savior has come, and men can be saved from their sin and have eternal life.

We went into the neighborhoods spreading this message once a month. December used to be among the most challenging months for us. That’s because lots of the people were busily “getting ready for Christmas.” I use that phrase because that’s what a number of the people who answered their door gave as the reason that they did not have time to talk to us. Also, we encountered a much higher than normal amount of homes with no one at home. I am certain that some of them were at the malls and shopping centers shopping and getting ready for Christmas.

Um, let me think about this. Is Christmas not the day we commemorate the birth of Christ the Savior? And isn’t it true that God “gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”? (John 3:16). Well, it was this exact message we had come into the neighborhoods to share, and since it was during the Yuletide season we were doing this, you would think that people would be even more willing to talk about Christ, but in reality they were not because they were too busy getting ready for Christmas.

Christmas is a time of the year that we traditionally do things to fix up our home, shop until we are exhausted, and plan special gatherings. I am not against any of these things. But what do any of them have to do with the real meaning of Christmas? Accordingly, we must be careful to keep these activities in proper perspective. Sometimes, Christians get so caught up in these nonessential activities that they are too physically worn out to really enjoy and savor the real meaning of Christmas.

The irony of it all is that some people who come to that special Christmas service at church are so tired from having overwhelmed themselves with preparations for the holiday that they don’t have the energy to worship the Lord with any enthusiasm. Or they are so preoccupied with thinking about the things they have yet to do before the big day that their mind is on several things such that God is getting only their divided attention. Moreover, some of them overspend at the mall—getting ready for Christmas—such that they have very little money to bring to the house of God.

So, how are you preparing for Christmas? Are you preoccupied with the cares of this world? Are you exercising poor financial stewardship, spending money that the Lord has not blessed you with? Rather, let us make Christ the center of our Christmas, since without Him Christmas would not be. Let us slow down the pace, and worship our Savior the more. Let us read the accounts of His miraculous birth in the Scriptures and recapture the very spirit of Christmas. Let us increase thanksgiving to our God for loving us so much that He gave His only begotten so that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. And let us share the Savior with the lost. Let me know your thoughts.