Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Random Thoughts On The Schiavo News This Morning
Thought One
I am grateful to hear from Hugh Hewitt -- A lawyer -- that this ruling is an abomination.
Thought Two
If it ever comes up in your conversations, deny the ABC poll that says the nation is not behind the federal action. See the questionnaire here. This is what is called a 'push poll,' that is to say a poll in which the questions are designed to illicit the answers the pollster wants. This is an old trick of politicians to make a campaign seem like it has more momentum than it actually does. Denounce it soundly in this case. Via Hugh, Captain Ed agrees.
Thought Three
Mark Daniels has some interesting middle of the road thoughts on the situation. I am not sure I agree with his political analysis, but it is a good read.
Thought Four
Brendan Miniter has a nice OpinionJournal piece laying out what is going on on a deeper political level, placing Terri's case on a bigger scale.
Thought Five
I do not think Terri is in a "Persistent Vegetative State," she certainly is not a state that I thought that name represented. But if she is, then as a nation we sure do have to stop letting people in such a state die.
Thought Six
Australian blog Scotwise has some generally encouraging thoughts -- not about Terri -- but about putting our hope in God. I need such reminding today. This leads me to some final personal thoughts:
Final Thought
I am struck this morning that we find ourselves in the same place Israel did when Jesus came. The Law had come to eclipse God. Let me explain that a little bit.
It is impossible to codify, that is to make law, rules for every situation, simply because it is impossible to anticipate every situation. This is why we must have judgment and judges. When a new situation arises, we must figure out how to behave, that is judgment in a nutshell.
When Jesus came, the Law had become so important and so convoluted that it could produce results contrary to the will of the Lawgiver, that is to say God. If you want to take God out of it you could simply say that the law had grown to the point that it's underlying morality had been lost.
We have become so confused in this nation, that kids in this nation find it preferable to shoot their friends and themselves than try to make life work. Something is very wrong.
Jesus came into a situation like this in order to restore the underpinnings of that law -- as He said, "not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it."
We have Jesus and we can let Him use us to fulfill the law again. The question is - how? We must struggle for Terri's life, for the sake of our own souls, if not for hers.
But we have to do more. We have to reinsert Jesus into our society. We have to grasp again His essential ministry to fulfill the law. This will not be accomplished by forming Political Action Committees, making political donations, impeaching judges, or standing vigils. No, we can only fulfill the law when hearts in the nation are filled with the Holy Spirit, and this can only happen when they come to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Please, don't rely on your church to do this. Don't just invite someone to Easter services this week. Embrace this ministry -- tell someone you know about Jesus today.
I am grateful to hear from Hugh Hewitt -- A lawyer -- that this ruling is an abomination.
Thought Two
If it ever comes up in your conversations, deny the ABC poll that says the nation is not behind the federal action. See the questionnaire here. This is what is called a 'push poll,' that is to say a poll in which the questions are designed to illicit the answers the pollster wants. This is an old trick of politicians to make a campaign seem like it has more momentum than it actually does. Denounce it soundly in this case. Via Hugh, Captain Ed agrees.
Thought Three
Mark Daniels has some interesting middle of the road thoughts on the situation. I am not sure I agree with his political analysis, but it is a good read.
Thought Four
Brendan Miniter has a nice OpinionJournal piece laying out what is going on on a deeper political level, placing Terri's case on a bigger scale.
Thought Five
I do not think Terri is in a "Persistent Vegetative State," she certainly is not a state that I thought that name represented. But if she is, then as a nation we sure do have to stop letting people in such a state die.
Thought Six
Australian blog Scotwise has some generally encouraging thoughts -- not about Terri -- but about putting our hope in God. I need such reminding today. This leads me to some final personal thoughts:
Final Thought
I am struck this morning that we find ourselves in the same place Israel did when Jesus came. The Law had come to eclipse God. Let me explain that a little bit.
It is impossible to codify, that is to make law, rules for every situation, simply because it is impossible to anticipate every situation. This is why we must have judgment and judges. When a new situation arises, we must figure out how to behave, that is judgment in a nutshell.
When Jesus came, the Law had become so important and so convoluted that it could produce results contrary to the will of the Lawgiver, that is to say God. If you want to take God out of it you could simply say that the law had grown to the point that it's underlying morality had been lost.
We have become so confused in this nation, that kids in this nation find it preferable to shoot their friends and themselves than try to make life work. Something is very wrong.
Jesus came into a situation like this in order to restore the underpinnings of that law -- as He said, "not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it."
We have Jesus and we can let Him use us to fulfill the law again. The question is - how? We must struggle for Terri's life, for the sake of our own souls, if not for hers.
But we have to do more. We have to reinsert Jesus into our society. We have to grasp again His essential ministry to fulfill the law. This will not be accomplished by forming Political Action Committees, making political donations, impeaching judges, or standing vigils. No, we can only fulfill the law when hearts in the nation are filled with the Holy Spirit, and this can only happen when they come to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Please, don't rely on your church to do this. Don't just invite someone to Easter services this week. Embrace this ministry -- tell someone you know about Jesus today.
