The Meaning of Liberty

 July 4, 2026:

For dear brothers and sisters, we have been called into Liberty. But don't use your liberty as an excuse to overindulge your personal greed, for Freedom is more than a privilege. It comes with responsibilities--to care for the greater good of all. Galatians chapter 5 puts it this way:

"For we have been called unto liberty;

only don't use this liberty as an excuse to indulge yourselves, but by love serve one another." 

That's my take on America. Are we in a sunrise or a sunset? Each of us had to decide.

A Country Losing Its Vision

                 

          This photo of Mount Rushmore was taken last week. I think it's symbolic of where our country is.

We're losing sight of the democratic ideals of our founding fathers, just as they are veiled by fog in this photo. We are in danger of losing our freedom of thought and freedom of speech, as we are being increasingly controlled by an oligarchy who claim they're the only ones who are right.

Beware, folks!  Remember Germany in the 1930s...

Excellent Advice from a Reliable Source

 I just finished reading The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis. It's a wonderful work, laced with scripture lessons. One of his key points is that Mercy is greatly missing in our world today. Too many have forgotten how to practice it, or what it even means. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this work:

"The Church lives an authentic life when she professes and proclaims mercy--the most stupendous attribute of the Creator and of the Redeemer..."

"...in a word, wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy."

"The Lord asks us above all not to judge and not to condemn. If anyone wishes to avoid God's judgment, he should not make himself the judge of his brother or sister."

(See how badly too many "Christians" are missing the boat on this!)

"How many are the wounds borne by the flesh of those who have no voice because their cry is muffled and drowned out by the indifference of the rich!"

"Let us open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!"

"Corruption is a sinful hardening of the heart that replaces God with the illusion that money is a form of power. It is a work of darkness, fed by suspicion and intrigue... If it is not combatted openly, sooner or later everyone will become an accomplice to it, and it will end up destroying our very existence." 

This is a voice, we all need to heed, regardless of our church affiliation. It looks like Pope Francis's successor is trying to carry this mission on. I pray for him in this ministry, even though I'm not Roman Catholic. Rather, I belong to the "holy catholic (universal) church, which encompasses all Christians.

It's time the politicians quit telling the Pope not to talk about religious doctrine. How ridiculous!  Someone needs to tell the politicians to stop talking politics, to think about the good of all people, not just themselves and their power.

The Meaning in Creation

 I know it's been a long time. Travel and revising a historical fiction book into two books (shown above and below) have diverted my attention from blogging. Now spring has come at last to northwest Montana. 

As I watch the birds at my feeder, the male finches especially, vying for dominance, I see a creation crying out for its  redemption, as St. Paul described in Romans 8:22--groaning and waiting like a woman in labor. Mother Earth wants to bring forth the New Creation God has promised. But it's still not her due date, I guess.

Yet, at the same time, there is still beauty and intricacy--from the tiniest atomic particles we can't see to the huge expanses of the universe we can't fathom with our finite minds. The creation still reveals the glory of God, His power, might, and knowledge, all beyond our understanding.