That’s Not Fair: The Eloquent Peasant And Our Present Hypocrisy

September 21, 2020 By Christy Thomas

Even the smallest of children echo the longings of our eloquent peasant and seek justice and truth. They know when something is unfair, when someone gets a larger portion than deserve, when the Golden Rule has been violated, when hypocrisy reigns. I realize that most of us are not exactly into reading translations from hieroglyphic writings of ancient Egyptian morality tales, but I did do exactly that, spending several hours reading Loren R. Fisher’s translation of The Eloquent Peasant, an... Read more

Nero Fiddled, Trump Tweeted; Death And Destruction Follow Both

September 9, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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We could have, and should have, slowed the murderous progression of this virus from the very beginning, but we watched as Trump tweeted and the world burned. It’s all ver the news on this day, Sept 9, 2020. Snippets of a book written by investigator Bob Woodward, taken from taped interviews that President Trump granted him in 2020, have leaked everywhere. The big one: Mr. Trump knew from the very beginning how very, very dangerous the virus that causes Covid-19... Read more

Let Your Yes Be Yes: The Damage of Church Lies

September 8, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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Jesus said, “let your yes be yes, and your no be no.” Following through on promises counts–don’t make them if you can’t keep them. Truth frees; lies enslave. Late in 2019, I entered the joy of multiple experiences with troubling customer service. We were finishing up a long, wonderful cruise (with superb customer service!) when it all began with some overly exuberant gift shopping for our large combined family. We faced a significant packing dilemma–as in, “Ain’t no way to... Read more

Will The Church Survive The Covid-19 Damage? No, But This Is The Time For Rebirth

September 4, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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Will the church survive the Covid-19 damage? Probably not. But the massive uncertainties that just about the entire world now faces also call for massive infusions of creativity, hope, service, and rebirth. I continue to ponder the long-term aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health, and even survival, of churches. Will it survive the Covid-19 damage? As an avid reader of business news, I am aware that, while some businesses are thriving because of the crisis, myriads of others... Read more

Essential Workers: The Lowest Paid And Lowest Status Among Us

September 1, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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Am just wondering: do you see the same pattern I see as I consider our essential workers? Effectively, they are the lowest paid and lowest status people around. Most have little job security; many are poorly treated by their far-better-paid bosses. I am not essential to the well-being of the world. That’s been my fascinating insight from the last few months of Covid-life. Who is essential? Let’s start with sanitation crews. Who is essential? Well, very possibly the most critical... Read more

QAnon and Gullible Christians: The Devil Made Me Do It

August 27, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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The “Devil made me do it” becomes the theological basis for conspiracy theories. They are immensely comforting, thus the power of QAnon. I’ve managed to ignore this whole QAnon conspiracy stuff, staying safely cocooned in my protected world of minimal TV news, selected world-class newspaper reading, and a lack of interest in knowing more. But, a Religion News Service article caught my eye–with its suggestion that QAnon theories were making their way into the Evangelical wing of Christianity. Here’s just... Read more

We Are All Going To Die: COVID-19 And The Imprisonment Of The Elderly

August 25, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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First, we are all going to die. Second, most of us will not die the way we would like to. Third, by denying touch, we condemn our elderly to the worst of all deaths. We may as well put them behind barbed wire and acknowledge that we have imprisoned them. I’ve read one too many news reports now about the lockdowns of nursing homes, and their insistence that those vulnerable elderly no longer receive visits from family members other than... Read more

Dear COVID Diary: It Has Been 132 Long Days; Fear Hangs In The Air

July 21, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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Yes, Dear COVID Diary, it has been 132 long days. And I expect little change for the next 132 days. Fear hangs in the air, occasionally relieved by puffs of hope of effective vaccines on the horizon. And I pray, morning, night, and in-between. I pray my way across the world, across our nation, across my friends and family. I read history and remember that bad things have always been a part of the human condition, and this is just... Read more

Why It Is So Difficult To Dismantle Racism: It’s Built Into Human Nature

June 15, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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We have no magic wand that says, “OK, we’re just going to dismantle racism and be done with it.” We need consistent, systemic change that affects both all levels of society and the most profound parts of our souls. Here’s a universal life maxim: the dominants of any society always set the rules. True from the schoolroom to the boardroom, from the church council to the war room, from the prison cell to the palace. The person/group with the most... Read more

Resistance Is Futile: You Will Be Infected; Perhaps We Need Chocolate

May 22, 2020 By Christy Thomas

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In other words, with all due respect to the Star Trek enemy collective named The Borg, “Resistance is futile; You will be infected.” Although most will be fine, we are going to lose beloved loved ones, both the elderly and our friends and relatives who are immunocompromised. We are going to see devastation among the lowest economic rungs of our society, and especially among the minority populations. We need a theology to deal with this. Perhaps a piece of chocolate... Read more