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Romney, when did $360,000 become "not very much"

In last night's debate Mitt Romney stated, “my income comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past rather than ordinary income or rather than earned annual income. I got a little bit of income from my book, but I gave that all away. And then I get speaker’s fees from time to time, but not very much.”

What interests me is his statement on the speaker's fees he receives. If I was to ask you how much "not very much" would equate to what number would you come up with? Well according to Mitt Romney's disclosures "not very much" is $360,000. 

Depending on the source of information the average salary in the US appears to be somewhere between $40,000 and $48,000. I wonder what planet Romney is living on if he really thinks $360,000 is "not very much"!

Perhaps we should ask what planet Romney is planning to be the god of. But that's a theological discussion on the differences between Mormons and Christians so we'll save that one for another day.

Why I Run

 

 

Just a man longing for summer

I just completed my final run of 2011, an easy 10 mile loop from my home around Bald Eagle Lake. It is one of my favorite runs and today was made even more delightful by the 40 degree temps we are enjoying.

It was a nice way to close out the years running, a year in which I raced 3 half-marathons, 2 marathons and 2 ultras. The half-marathons proved my strongest event as I set 2 PRs over that distance, not bad considering one of those races was in sub-zero weather and I only got out of my car a minute beofre the start and ran straight through the finish line and back to my car!

Of course the highlight of my running year was Comrades, indeed everything else was secondary to this great event. It really is the greatest footrace on the planet. 56 miles with thousands of new friends and countless spectators spurring you out of Durban towards Pietermaritzburg. There is no feeling like entering the cricket stadium for the final 400 meters as the crowds cheer you in. Hopefully I'll get back in 2012 to run it in the other direction, "down."

As I tuck my running journal into my drawer, it claims its spot on top of my others, another year completed, a new one about to begin.

Born a King

Some time after the birth of Jesus the Magi came looking for the one who was born, “King of the Jews.” They follow the sign in the heavens and naturally assume the king would be born in the palace at Jerusalem.But no child has been born in the royal palace, and even if one had he would not be king, for Herod was very much the King of the Jews any child being born in his palace would be a prince and not a king.

We dare not miss the significance in Matthew’s stating that the child, Jesus, has been born King of the Jews. From the moment of his birth Jesus has usurped the political power of Herod. A rival kingdom has been established.

Throughout the centuries many earthly powers have tried to destroy this kingdom of God. Herod tried to have Jesus killed, he said death squads into Bethlehem to neutralize this threat. Herod seemed to know he was dealing with something big. The Romans and the Jewish leaders eventually succeeded in having Jesus killed, of course he didn't stay in the grave. At his trial Jesus stated that he represented another kingdom admitting this freely to Pontius Pilate when he states that his kingdom is not of this world. Another kingdom, a threat to Roman sovereignty, was something that could not be tolerated.

Throughout history those who have struggled to represent the kingdom of God and proclaim the rule of Christ have been persecuted by the kingdoms of this world.Those kingdoms that didn’t go for out and out persecution have often tried to force a subtle compromise on people, with slogans like “for God and country.” Asking for, even demanding, a divided allegiance. Time and again in history supposedly Christian people have gone to war against one another becuase their allegiance to country topped allegiance the Christ's kingdom. Think of the European wars of the Middle Ages, or the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Spanish American Wars, Boer Wars in South Africa, or WWI. All wars in which troops on both sides claimed to be Christian and had chaplains with them.

In Jesus a new king has been born. There is nothing sentimental about the threat Jesus poses to every king, queen, dictator, or democratically elected government.

Matthew’s gospel begins with the Royal lineage of Jesus and the declaration of the Royal birth. It ends with the Great Commission, stating that, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

The birth of Jesus upsets the political apple-cart.

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

Bruce Cockburn - Cry of a Tiny Babe

With three days to go to Christmas does your celebration look more like a royal celebration in the palace of Herod or is it a simple celebration around the child laying in the manger? 

If you have the resources to read this then please take a moment and redistribute some of your wealth to help those who are hurting this Christmas.

 

The Second Greatest Christmas Story

It's become a tradition for me to post this story some time in the advent season, it's one of my favorite stories that happened 97 years ago. 

Next to the original it may be the greatest Christmas story. The story of the Christmas truce of 1914. No one is quite sure which side started it, but it began with the singing of Christmas carols as men on both sides of the trenches recognized the melodies and began singing in their own language.

Along the front lines of battle soldiers then came out of their trenches and walked into "no man's land" to shake hands with the "enemy," bury their dead, exchange gifts and, in a couple of instances played a game of soccer.

It was a time when the men on the front lines became human again and recognized the humanity in each other.

Stanley Weintraub has written a masterful book, "Silent Night" in which he recounts the story of Christmas 1914. It is a moving story of humanity caught in the worst imaginable situation. You can buy the book here.

Every advent I also watch the award winning movie, Joyeux Noel, which so beautifully captures this wonderful story of recovering our humanity in the midst of the horrors of war.

John McCutcheon wrote a song about it.

Spending, Giving, Charity, Justice, Calling

So Black Friday and the holiday weekend was a great success for US Retailers grossing around $52.4 billion. That's a lot of money spent in the USA on retail over the last few days.

Apparently we have plenty of disposable income.

Did you know that it is estimated that, at the high end, it would cost about $30 billion to make sure everyone on the planet had access to clean water? That means that in the US we spent some $22 billion more in the last few days than it would take to solve one of the worlds biggest poverty issues. 

Yes, I realise that it's not just that simple, there are all sorts of political and other issues at work here too. But here's a couple of thoughts from CS Lewis to challenge those of us who claim to be Christians to think hard about how we use our resources...

"I do no believe on can settle how much we ought to give.  I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do no pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them."

Douglas Gresham, Lewis's stepson, recalls a story where Jack and a friend were walking to a meeting one day when they were approached by a beggar. The beggar asked them for some spare change whereupon Jack gave him everything he had. Once the beggar had gone, his friend said, "You shouldn't have given that man all that money Jack, he'll only spend it on drink." Jack's reply - "Well, if I'd kept it, I would have only spent it on drink."

Matching Gifts For Christmas

Here's a thought, let's match what we spend on Christmas gifts with a donation to a relief organization that works with the poor of the world.

Black Friday has come and gone. Today is known as Small Business Saturday and Monday is Cyber Monday. No sooner have we given thanks (that was Thursday lest anyone forgot) than we are out pepper spraying people to get and X-Box, people are being trampled in stampedes at stores, a grandfather is arrested because he tucked a video game into his waistband so he could lift his grandson to safety from the trampling mobs!

How quickly our time of thanksgiving has been replaced by greed. With the instant clamor to add to our material possessions it makes you wonder if people's prayer on Thursday wasn't, "Lord thanks for all I've got now help me get some more!"  

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent, a time of preparation for the celebration of the incarnation. Jesus, the Christ,  was born into poverty so let's not be so self-centered that we forget others. 

It appears that most Americans will spend around $650 on gifts this season. If we agreed to match that with giving to relief organizations we could make a huge difference in the lives of others. Instead of an X-Box or a new sweater they may get the chance to live!

I'm in, are you?

  

A thought from F. Scott Fitzgerald

Certainly we become more ingrained in our ways of thinking and behaving as we get older. This thought from F. Scott Fitzgerald just doesn't sit well with my activist tendencies yet it seems to bear itself out in the lifecycle of most mainline churches which have buried themselves from the changing cultural environment around them.

"People over forty can seldom be permanently convinced of anything. At eighteen our convictions are hills from which we look; at forty-five they are caves in which we hide." 
From Bernice Bobs Her Hair