Category Archives: Politics

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A Modern-Day Joseph…RIP Nelson Mandela…

Hello World,

Every once in a while, the words of the Bible become three-dimensional, playing out right in front of you. Since Nelson Mandela’s death was announced last Thursday, I have been thinking about his contributions to humanity. Not only was he a world-class freedom fighter that will remembered among the greatest of men in history, his life was also a testament to God’s word. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Genesis 50:20….

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many peoples hould be kept alive, as they are today.”

These are the words of Joseph to his brothers after they discover that he is no longer in prison where he had been for years, in part, due to their actions…Instead of being a prisoner, he was now a leader in the Egyptian government able to help his brothers and his family during a time of famine…I was listening to a radio broadcast in which Nelson Mandela’s biographer was interviewed. He said how Mandela’s imprisonment of 27 years, refined him as a human being…I wonder had Mandela never been imprisoned, would he have been able to unite his country after he was released and become South Africa’s first black president…Something to ponder when evil is allowed in our lives…

Thank you Mandela for the example of your incredible life…

If you are in Atlanta and want to pay tribute to Mandela, the World Affairs Council of Atlanta and Morehouse College will be holding a memorial service for Mandela on Wednesday, Dec. 11  7-9 p.m. The memorial service will be held at Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College which is located at 830 Westview Dr SW 30314.

Any thoughts?

P.S. Will you be seeing the movie “Mandela?” I will…

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Deliver Us From Hypocrisy: Senate Chaplain’s Barry Black’s Scathing Prayers in the government shutdown…

Hello World,

Like many Americans, I imagine, I am thoroughly disheartened that the people we elected cannot seem to work together to govern our country…I am reminded of when I first began as a reporter and covered school board meetings…I was shocked at how childish and petty the school board members acted. I felt like many of them either forgot or never learned the basics of good manners and appropriate behavior and instead chose to further their self interests instead of doing what was best for the children…I am not privy to all of what has transpired in the House and Senate but from my view, they are conducting themselves like children who want their way no matter what…

But thankfully, there is a voice of reason that has the unique ability to tell these so-called leaders about themselves…I learned about Senate Chaplain Barry Black from MNSBC’s Rachel Maddow…Prior to the government shutting down and throughout the government shutdown, Senate Chaplain Barry Black, who opens the meeting of the Senate each day with prayer, has used his prayers to admonish them and their shameless petulance…

  • On the Friday before the shutdown, Black said, “Keep us from shackling ourselves with the chains of dysfunction. Lord, deliver us from governing by crisis.”
  • On last Monday, Black said, “Lord, lead them away from the unfortunate dialectic of us versus them as they strive to unite for the common good of this land we love.”
  • On last Tuesday, Black prayed for “replacing cynicism with faith and cowardice with courage.”
  • And on last Wednesday, Black said, “Save us from the madness. Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable.”

He said that, didn’t he?! Go head Senate Chaplain Black! Reminds me of the scathing prayers of the Old Testament prophets! Although Senate Chaplain Black is praying for our leaders, he shouldn’t be the only one…We are commanded to pray for our leaders 1 Timothy 2:1-2…

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Check out Senate Chaplain Barry Black’s prayers in the video below…His voice is so rich, deep and authoritative…Almost like James Earl Jones…Hopefully, his prayers combined with our prayers will be answered…

Any thoughts?

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Did You Know That Former President Jimmy Carter’s Wife is a Baptist Deacon?


Hello World,

From Paula Deen to Rachel Jeantel to two landmark decisions in the Supreme Court , last week has been an overwhelming week to say the least…And because those four stories are dominating the news, I decided to focus on something else today…

Former President Jimmy Carter is one of my favorite former presidents as I admire his faith, politics and independent thinking. On June 27-29, Carter in conjunction with the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights hosted religious leaders and human rights activists from all over the world for “Mobilizing Faith for Women: Engaging the Power of Religion and Belief to Advance Human Rights and Dignity” at The Carter Center. During the conference, Carter admonished religious leaders for marginalizing women. Below is an excerpt of an article from The Huffington Post in which Carter describes how his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, came to be a deacon in their Baptist church…

ATLANTA — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter says religious leaders, including those in Christianity and Islam, share the blame for mistreatment of women across the world.

The human rights activist said Friday religious authorities perpetuate misguided doctrines of male superiority, from the Catholic Church forbidding women from becoming priests to some African cultures mutilating the genitals of young girls.

Carter said the doctrines, which he described as theologically indefensible, contribute to a political, social and economic structure where political leaders passively accept violence against women, a worldwide sex slave trade and inequality in the workplace and classroom.

“There is a great aversion among men leaders and some women leaders to admit that this is something that exists, that it’s serious and that it’s it troubling and should be addressed courageously,” Carter said at an international conference on women and religion.

The 39th president is hosting representatives from 15 countries at The Carter Center, the human rights organization he launched in 1982 after leaving the White House.

To read the entire article, go to “Jimmy Carter: Women’s Plight Perpetuated by World Religions.”

Any thoughts?