A Second Opinion On The Second Amendment

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security
 of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear
arms shall not be infringed."
(Facebook photo, Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie)

I'm not a constitutional scholar, but as a pastor, counselor, grandparent and concerned citizen, I am praying we can all work together to curb gun violence.

I'm sure the founding fathers never imagined the Second Amendment would be used as a justification for the proliferation of gun sales to the extent that the US now has many more guns than it has children. Nor did they envision our being traumatized by far more gun deaths per capita than any comparable nation on earth, with a total of over 270 mass shootings in 2022 alone. We have nearly four times the number of gun deaths (homicides, suicides and accidental) per capita than in nearby Canada, which has stricter gun laws and only around 12 firearms per 100 inhabitants compared to our over 120 per 100 people. 

Yet our two countries have similar rates of mental illnesses, are exposed to the same kinds of rap music, violent video games and other forms of entertainment, and experience similar kinds of family dysfunctions. And we have an even higher percentage of people professing to be pro-life Christians, which should make us less violent, not more so. 

Of course guns do not cause killing, but they do enable killers to be much more efficient in the number of horrific deaths and unimaginable injuries they can inflict in a short period of time. And while the framers would agree that if someone harms another with a lethal weapon, it is the person and not the object that bears the blame, I believe they would still choose to limit access to weapons repeatedly used to cause massive harm.

Besides any assumed need of guns for hunting purposes or for self defense (reasons not explicitly stated in the Constitution) the second amendment does clearly provide for "well regulated militia" organized by the states but under the ultimate authority of the president. Article I, Section 8, states one of the duties of Congress as "To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress..." Article II, Section 2, further states:  "The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States..." 

“Militia” almost certainly means organized groups operating under clearly defined authority, not vigilantes organized and armed for the purpose of overthrowing their government. That's why the founders provided for elections, to bring about orderly changes in national policies and politicians as spelled out in the Constitution. Article 1, section 8 makes it clear that one of the duties of the Congress is"To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions..."  In other words, insurrections are to be suppressed by authorized militia, not initiated by them.

Finally, we have no way of knowing whether the framers of the Constitution would have written the Second Amendment differently had they known the kinds of unimaginably deadly weapons that are freely available today, even to those deemed too young to buy their own beer. As intelligent people concerned for the general welfare of the people, they would surely have engaged in the same kinds of serious gun debates we have today, resulting in our currently having laws that limit the right of civilians to bear arms like grenades, cannons, weaponized drones, Javelins or fully automatic military style weapons. 

Of course no one knows where the founding fathers would have drawn the line, but they clearly intended to create a framework in which differences of opinions and policies could be worked out in a peaceful way. Since the carnage caused by today's unbelievably high powered and rapid firing weapons is so much greater than the musket loaders used in their day, they would surely have encouraged our giving serious attention to what should or should not be permitted.

I'm sure we can all agree that children should never have to fear being massacred at school or, as survivors, have to carry scars of physical and emotional trauma for the rest of their lives. May God help us end the all too familiar kinds of domestic terrorism that are causing irreparable harm to our children and to all of us.

Please Bring Jesus Back To Mary's Arms

Putting the finishing touches on a mural of the Virgin in Kiev

A meme that has gone viral in Ukraine and elsewhere is that of the Virgin Mary cradling a Javelin anti-tank weapon in her arms, a deadly US weapon used to slaughter Russian forces. Mary wears a dark green robe, the color of a military uniform, and her halo reflects the green and yellow of the Ukrainian flag.

This image is now appearing everywhere on social media, on countless t-shirts and other apparel and is now prominently portrayed as a mural on a Kiev apartment building (above).

Is this a serious form of blasphemy or what? How can we justify replacing images of the Blessed Mother embracing her beloved child with one in which she is caressing a deadly killing machine? How can we ever claim to belong to a worldwide peace and pro-life movement while supporting the killing and maiming of our fellow human beings--even if they are our enemies?

Here are just a few of Jesus's own words against resisting evil with evil means:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ...

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:38-39, 43-44).

If we want to know what Jesus meant by those words, we have only to look at how he put them in practice in his own life, and how his early followers understood and practiced them (Matthew 10:23; 26:51-53; Luke 4:28-30; John 8:49; 10:39).

Kyrie Eleison. Lord, have mercy.

New Parole Chair Meets With Buckingham Men

The Honorable Chadwick S. Dotson has been  appointed as
chair of the new Virginia Parole Board (TimesNews photo)

The new Virginia Parole Board Chair Chadwick S. Dotson is to be commended for taking the time to meet face to face recently with two groups of parole eligible men at the Buckingham Correctional Center and to respond to their questions and concerns. It remains to be seen whether the chairman's promising words will translate into more actual releases for those deserving of a second chance, given the fact that the newly appointed board (yet to be officially approved) released no one in March and only two individuals in April.

Charles Zellers, Sr., incarcerated for over 29 years and currently serving time at BKCC sent me a summary of the notes he took at this unprecedented meeting, as follows:

Notes from 11:30 am Friday, May 13, 2022 with Chadwick S. Dotson, Parole Chair, who described his mission as follows:

> Parole eligible inmates are not just a number but human beings.

> Governor Youngkin believes in second chances deeply. He told Chadwick Dotson to be serious about second chances.

> Chadwick Dotson wants to improve outcomes for parole eligible inmates and their family.

> Chadwick Dotson meets with board members once a week face to face or virtually over a computer screen.

> Chadwick Dotson will encourage other board members to listen to all who speak on behalf of parole eligible inmates.

> Chadwick Dotson knows that the crime will never change and he is working on a solution to provide parole eligible inmates more feedback on reasons for denial of parole (other than the seriousness of their crime.

> Chadwick Dotson wants parole eligible inmates to have face to face examinations with board members

> Chadwick Dotson wants to hear that inmates are remorseful and understands how my choice affected my family and the victim's family. He is more concerned on who we are today. Wants to know if he and his board members can take a chance with releasing people like me.

> Chadwick Dotson said if you committed my crime before age 25, let him know because studies have shown the brain is not fully developed until age 25.

> Chadwick Dotson said he came to Buckingham today so that he could look us in our eyes and tell us personally that he believes in parole and that he voted for parole.

> Chadwick Dotson has to convince other board members and society that inmates deserve second chances.

> Chadwick Dotson said that he has never been a politician. Parole eligible inmates are the biggest stakeholders. The parole process needs to be fair and transparent.

> Chadwick Dotson said he will be working every day to improve outcomes in the parole decisions.

Chadwick Dotson ended his speaking at 11:42 AM.

Then the following questions were taken:

1). Q. How will you prove to us that you believe in parole?

A. By the way the board will conduct business in the future.

2). Q. At what point will the board no longer allow the victim input to be the deciding factor for release? Some will never forgive.

A. Victim input is only one part of the parole process. He is working on some things he didn't wish to comment on today.

3). Q. What if a parole eligible inmate claims his innocence?

A. On day one he told the parole board investigators that if someone claims they are innocent they are to get to the bottom of it immediately.

4). Parole board members need more face time with other board members.

5). Appeal process - The Parole Board needs to provide better feedback to parole eligible inmates.

6). Chadwick Dotson, said that the Parole Board is not serving us parole eligible inmates well. He said that he did learn that today from us.

7). Chadwick Dotson is working on a structured decision-making process.

8). Chadwick Dotson said Virginia's parole system is currently not a fair system and he plans to fix it.

9). Chadwick Dotson said that not having a Home Plan is not a good reason to deny someone parole.

10). Chadwick Dotson said that it didn't matter to him what a person's crime was but he said he can't speak for the other members. Each parole eligible inmate should be judged individually.

Zellers' comments: Over all, I think that the new Chairman, if he was being truthful, will be the person to get us out and the parole system in Virginia fixed where it is fair for all.

I am launching H.O.P.E. IN VIRGINIA ("Helping Offenders who are Parole Eligible") and appreciate any help and support for the parole release of deserving individuals. In my case, my elderly ailing mother Judy Zellers needs me home to care for her and her affairs. 

Please contact the Virginia Parole Board at 6900 Atmore Drive, Richmond, VA 23225 (804-674-3081) and let them know your concerns, or send an email https://vpb.virginia.gov/contact/.

Respectfully requested, Charles E. Zellers, Sr. 

Thank you for your time, efforts and concerns.

Should Jesus's Inaugural Address Be Our Torah?

Why is no one advocating having Jesus's words from
a mountain placed in our schools and court houses?

What if we Christians were to consider the Sermon on the Mount the defining document of our faith and our equivalent of the Jewish Torah? Christians in the first century apparently did, as they included summaries of Jesus's first discourse in their Didache, a catechism for new believers.

Ask any Jewish believers what their defining scriptures are and they will surely cite the Septuagint, the Five Books of Moses, as the foundational statement of their faith. They revere the entire Hebrew Bible, of course, but see their sacred Writings and the books of their Prophets as inspired  commentary on the faith, whereas the Torah, the Law, is regarded as its very core.

Jesus, as a devoted Jew, makes it clear in this inaugural address that he did not come to negate God's Law but to "fulfill" it. In other words, Jesus came to further reveal God's original purpose for giving this life-giving Torah. 

Jesus begins this discourse with a series of blessings experienced by those steeped in God's will and God's ways. His eight introductory sayings begin with a description of how blessed those are who recognize their utter poverty and dependence on God and end with how thoroughly blessed those are when they are hated and maligned for being faithful subjects and citizens living under God's reign. 

Jesus then expands on the revolutionary characteristics of those who become emissaries of God's love and living demonstrations of God's laws. Each of his amendments to the Law ("You have heard it said, but I say say to you...") take us deeper into God's intent. For example, Jesus states that God wants us not only to avoid committing murder, but to refuse to harbor the anger and hatred that lead to it. Also, that we not only avoid adultery, but that we avoid entertaining even fantasies of being promiscuous or unfaithful. 

In summary, Jesus envisions a worldwide community of believers in which there is unwavering fidelity rather than any form of sexual exploitation or abuse, where there is unconditional love for neighbor and stranger alike rather acts of violence against others, even enemies, where there is radical honesty and transparency instead of words being suspect unless spoken under oath, and where generous sharing replaces any hoarding of possessions out of anxiety about our financial security or our personal worth. In this way his sayings represent a consummation or 'fulfillment' of God's Torah, all signs of what it means to be citizens of a universal reign of heaven on earth.

At the conclusion of his address Jesus states, "Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them" will be as those who build on a solid rock foundation, one the apostle Paul later says "no other can lay." Then at the end of Matthew's gospel (and from what was likely the same mount, known as the Mount of the Beatitudes), Jesus commissions his followers to go everywhere making disciples and "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you," and gives his disciples the same "authority" with which he pronounced and practiced his original words.

What a difference it would have made if all professing Christians, now supposedly 2.4 billion of the 7.8 billion of the earth's inhabitants, had consistently taught and practiced sharing instead of hoarding, doing good for enemies instead of exacting revenge, living lives of sexual faithfulness instead of infidelity and promiscuity, and practicing consistent truth telling instead of defending and promoting falsehoods. Think of the kind of peaceful, safe and just world that would have created. And think of the difference it would have made in our environment if all so-called Christians would have followed the example of the one they laud as Lord. Our families and communities could--and should--have become demonstrations of what heaven on earth is intended to look like, a community of shalom where there is "not a needy person among them." 

So rather than our seeing Jesus's teachings as impractical and impossible, as far too many Christians do, we should see them as the heaven-sent version of Torah the whole world needs to live by if it is to survive and thrive.

A Community Raises Some $$$$ For A New Van

Saturday morning guests enjoyed some of Harrisonburg's finest coffee, donuts and other pastries at Gemeinschaft's 'Dollars for Donuts' fundraiser (photos by Greg Versen, a Gemeinschaft supporter and a member of the planning group).

Everyone was impressed by the original songs composed and performed by Gemeinschaft residents--with the help of Rebecca Kenega (on the right) of Amplify Music and some great JMU student volunteers. The German word Gemeinschaft means community.

 

John Butler, Resident Life Coordinator at the Gemeinschaft Men's House (and a graduate of the program) was one of the planners of the event and inspired the group with a brief presentation. He graduates with honors from Mary Baldwin University this Sunday.

Rebecca Kenega of Amplify Music, also a part of the planning group, really helped make this event possible. 

Gemeinschaft owes special thanks to Community Mennonite Church for making their space available, and to local businesses for donating coffee, donuts and other pastries, along with a host of donor appreciation door prizes. Generous community support made it possible for every dollar of the over $4000 raised through Saturday's event to go toward the purchase a much needed van to replace Gemeinschaft's aging and ailing vehicle. 

You can still make your contribution at 

https://www.gemeinschafthome.org/donate.html!

After Creating An Earth, God Planted A Garden--And Assigned Us To Cultivate And Care For It

After having become overgrown with wire grass from
years of neglect, my hope is to restore this plot behind
our  unit in VMRC's Park Village to full productivity.

After the grand "hymn of creation" in the first chapter of the Bible, we are told that God planted a special garden for humans to till and care for. Thus humanity's first God-given responsibility was to be good gardeners and careful caretakers of God's creation.

In spite of growing up learning the carpenter trade, Jesus makes multiple references to plants and trees, to tares and soils and seeds, and describes himself as the true vine and his Father as a gardener. One of Jesus’s favorite places to pray was in a garden called Gethsemane; he was buried in a garden near where he was crucified; he was even mistaken for a gardener by Mary 

Magdalene after his resurrection. 

Here we are two months later, already blessed with  some
beans and tomatoes. Check here for another update later.

In the Revelation we are told that in the new heaven and the new earth there will life giving trees bearing abundant fruit every month of every season, and on each side of the water of life flowing in a fully restored and forever Eden, rather than in a gold-paved metropolis.

Gardening is in our divine DNA, and we are never closer to our creator than when we are tilling the soil, planting seeds, irrigating and caring for earth's life-giving vegetation, and harvesting and enjoying its abundance. 

The soil in which growth occurs is made up of dead and decaying vegetation and other kinds of former life, but is also teeming with microorganisms, worms and tiny insects that are continuously at work tilling and fertilizing the earth and drawing on its resources. 

When we plant seeds in this mixture of death and life a kind of resurrection miracle occurs. Seeds themselves experience a form of dying and new birth, sending down roots for nourishment and emerging as life-giving wonders that are then prepared to die--to give up their life--so that we and other creatures may live.

In similar ways, loving and caring for each other and for the earth is our first and most urgent responsibility. 

Here are stanzas 1 and 4 of hymn #788 in Voices Together, the words of Mary Louise Bringle:

The garden needs our tending now--

the water, soil and air.

The very rocks and stones cry out 

for stewardship and care.

Creation groans, awaiting still 

the consummation of God's will.

While people die in poverty, 

some lives are thick with waste.

The prophets warn us, "Simplify!" 

Their challenge must be faced.

Creation groans, awaiting still 

a church responsive to God's will.

Refrain: Earth shall be green and new, 

Eden restored, Terra viridissima. * 

* Latin for greenest earth, inspired by a phrase from Hildegard of Bingen's Viridissima Virga

Here's an updated photo showing what the good Lord and a great growing season can do on a plot of ground that had become overgrown with wire grass and which was suffering from years of neglect (7/29/22 photo):

Abundant green beans and tomatoes to enjoy--and share with some of our VMRC neighbors. We also had lots of sweet corn we grew in a neighbor's unused plot and were able to relish and share. Delicious!

  

Guest Post: A Turf Lawn Or Biodiversity?

Photo of Sallie and Russ in their biodiverse front yard 

This great op ed piece by my friend Russ Leinbach appeared in today's Daily News-Record, which I share with his permission:

Americans love their lawns. Having a well-kept lawn has become almost synonymous with being a “good citizen!” But a “perfect lawn” of just grass is a sterile wasteland for insects and birds.

“We have to move beyond lawns,” says Douglas Tallamy, a native plant advocate and professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware. He is quoted in an article in the Washington Post Magazine of April 10, 2022, titled, “Sowing Change.” It's a story of one couple's fight with their homeowners association to allow them to plant a bio-diverse garden in part of their lawn.

Many folks are realizing that insects and birds need more biodiversity than turf grass. They are replacing parts of their lawns with gardens of native plants, friendly to pollinators.

Plants and animals evolved over millions of years to survive in cooperation with one another. Replacing a turf grass lawn with a bio-diverse lawn, or a garden, can help bring nature back into more of an ecological balance. Insects are important pollinators for our food supply, as well as being an important food for birds. And both bird and insect populations are in sharp decline. A lot of the decline has to do with loss of biodiversity. Just in the last 10 years or so we ourselves have noticed a big decline in the number of lightning bugs and butterflies. Chemicals sprayed on lawns kill the larvae of a variety of insects.

My wife and I planted the bank in front of our house with native plants and flowers. We love seeing the variety of pollinators hovering around the plants; bees, butterflies, humming birds and wasps. The lavender plants have bees hovering around them for weeks. One plant, shale barren buckwheat, flowers in the fall and attracts small wasps. Really cool! We view this as enjoyable and healthy, not frightening. Our neighbors and people walking by also often comment on how enjoyable it is to see the variety of flowers, birds plants and pollinators.

Grass, while pleasing to the eye, and inviting for a picnic or a ballgame, gives a misleading picture. Lawns do not support biodiversity. Turf lawns require a lot of maintenance; mowing, watering, fertilizing and applying chemicals. Lawns are voracious drinkers. People don't realize that their acres of lawn wreak havoc with the watershed, kill pollinators, do not sequester enough carbon and are destroying the food web. And the constant recurring mowing contributes to air pollution.

Tallamy, in the article quoted above, says that replacing lawns with native plants “is the low hanging fruit because it's the easiest to fix.” At a time of anxiety over the effects of climate change and the mass extinction of wildlife, ecologists say that planting native plants provides an opportunity to make a difference

As cultural awareness of the benefits of native plants grows, government initiatives have followed. Pennsylvania is reimbursing residents for the cost of converting turf to native plants. In drought-plagued California there are Cash for Grass programs that reimburse families for replacing turf with drought resistant landscaping. These bio-diverse areas provide benefits to caterpillars and spiders, salamanders, hummingbirds and other pollinators. The key is to choose plants that are indigenous.

Another way to make your lawn more bio-diverse, if you aren't stuck on a perfect lawn, is to stop applying fertilizer and weed killer and allow clover, dandelions and other “weeds” (wildflowers) to grow. Or, you can even sow clover and wildflowers into your grass lawn. And if you stop mowing part of your lawn for a month, or a season, you quickly create a busy wildlife habitat. Or replace your turf lawn for a wildflower lawn. Just, let it grow. Don't mow! Beautiful.

Crocuses grow well in lawns and around trees and their flowers are an import source of nectar in spring. Some wildflower seed mixes grow well under shade of trees, those labeled as “woodland” or “hedge-grow” mixes. You can search for websites about “creating biodiversity in your lawn,” or “how to turn your yard into an ecological oasis.”

Tallamy has launched an effort to encourage homeowners to turn turf into wildlife habitat by planting native plants. Based on the model of our National Park System, he translated that into what individuals can do, and he calls it “Homegrown National Park.” His website says, “We can do this! One person at a time. Regenerate Biodiversity.” He says, “In the past, we asked one thing of our gardens. To be pretty. Now we ask them to support life, sequester carbon, feed pollinators and manage water.” Wow! Quite a job list for a garden!

And if you really want to support wildlife, put up a bat house. Or a bee house. Yes. They do exist. Pretty neat, too!