Thoughts on Syria, foreign policy, and the use of force.

Some have suggested that our options on Syria are nothing, limited missile strikes, or all out war, and that none of these options are good, viable, or principled.  In contrast, I believe there is a fourth option that is both viable and principled: an extended air operation. The President could take a similar approach to the one taken in Libya and Kosovo, based on humanitarian principles. Rather than a limited missile strike, he could use an extended air operation, in conjunction with select rebels and special forces to have a more significant impact. I don't know that this is currently politically viable, but I do think it is what we should have done some time ago. I also appreciate that there are no guarantees on what would follow, so I don’t want to suggest that this would be a surefire effort, except in one respect. I believe it would almost certainly limit civilian deaths, even if additional people died via the bombing. In the long run, less people will die if the violence is ended through military action.

On the correlation between justice and the gospel

I was once asked if a concern for social justice is a distraction from the Gospel.  Far from being a distraction, justice, both in my personal interactions, and in the community (i.e. social justice) is a part of the good news or gospel of the coming reign of Christ.  And like the Kingdom of God, justice is for both the now and the future.

The gospel or good news of Christ is that the Kingdom of God has come.  We are each individually and collectively invited to participate in and submit to the reign of Christ.  We do this by confessing our sins, both those of an individual nature, and those that we participate in collectively.  We must also invite Christ to have the preeminence in our lives.  We ask him to enable us to live according to his values. In turn Christ's values demand that we order our lives and our communities in ways that are just.

(For more on the definition of justice see Tim Keller's article What is Biblical Justice, or this good conversation starter on justice from a friend working to stop sex trafficking.)

While my own identity is a moving target, I grew up as an evangelical, and continue to own many aspects of that identity in the broad sense of the word as defined here.  For evangelicals, there are three key principles that help support the connections between justice, the Kingdom of God, and the Gospel.

Do not live like there is no tomorrow, live for tomorrow.

"Live like there is no tomorrow."  Or, "Live like you are dying" - They are popular adages, quoted in movies and popular music, but there can be a problem with these notions if they are not done wisely.  If we live like there is no tomorrow, it can free us to do some great things... or some really dumb things.

In contrast, people who live like they want to see 100, or at least a vigorous 85, (at which age they sill plan to be enjoying life to the full), they plan ahead. They eat well, they save their money, and they don't streak for the hell of it.

You always hear the stories about people who took great risk and reaped great rewards, but people rarely write books about taking great risks, losing everything, and not being free to do anything, because they are in debt up to their eye balls, smashed up their body in an accident, caught a disease, or have lost a relationship that will never recover. Can God heal some of these things? Yes. Does he always? No. 

It's cool to say "I have no regrets." But lets be honest, most of us have regrets. Some consequences are long lasting.

In other words, there is a difference between wisely risking everything, and foolishly risking everything. So don't live like there is no tomorrow, live FOR tomorrow, by making wise, sometimes boring, choices today. THEN, if a level of counter-intuitive wisdom (maybe the Holy Spirit) says give it all up for a very good reason, then ok, go for it. But we should not simply live carefree for the hell of it.  Take responsibility for your future.  Make life happen, don't let life happen.

On Independence Day

June 7, '76
in Independence Hall.
Richard Henry Lee

made the audacious
call: "Resolved, [we] ought to be,
free and independent States.”

“It is rebellion”
The King of England said
“Take all the ships.”

Ties were severed
one by one, as war began
to brew. Common Sense

is what they called, the
fall from grace, of George and his
belligerent states.

But politics takes
time, and some had thoughts of peace.
Recess Congress called.

While five began to write.
Adams, Sherman, Franklin,
Livingston, each played

a role, but Thomas
dipped the quill, and it is this
that he began to write:

“When in the course of
human events, it becomes
necessary...”

to break the bonds that tie.

Then that immortal
line, “All men are created  equal.”
With Rights, and  Life and Liberty

And the pursuit of happiness.

Hot Dog Haiku

Hot dog on grill.
Sizzle and pop. We know what
they made of. Who cares.

Not gourmet, not
organic. Not hip like your
delicatessens.

Who cares!

Heat from above,
heat from the grill.
Throw on a dog. Who cares!

Beer.

A Blue Collar Kid

The last few months I have really enjoyed learning to write poetry, haikus specifically, so here's to that.  It was my proff, Mark Osler that introduced them to me and many others on his blog, Osler's Razor, so thank you Mark!

A blue collar kid
with a spotty education.
Whats a haiku?

And whats a haiku
to do with a prof like this?
O’ That does make sense.

(He had us looking up artwork for our first day of Crim Law)

Had to google it
the first time, still do to spell.
First attempts? So so.

Repeat and try again.
Read, listen hard, catch on to
what is really said.

Rhyme and punctuate. (as you see fit)
Close the law books and enjoy,
a brief reprieve, joy.

Thank you, all of you,
for giving me, something new.
Appreciation.

By the Side of the Sea

by the side of the
sea she stood, broken, leafless,
surviving what had come.

while to her left lay
what was left, the house failed to
survive--junk--garbage.

her trunk, her arm, both
pointed to the north not a
leaf or branch in sight.

she alone had stood
katrina's awesome might
mississippi shore.