We Each Carry Two Buckets

I've always told couples that marriages work better when people come together with their happiness bucket already full and eager to share their joy supply with each other. Too often people enter a relationship with empty buckets, expecting the other to provide an endless supply of whatever they need.

Metaphorically speaking, each of us carries two buckets, one a gratitude pail and the other our garbage pail.

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The gratitude bucket is one we need to keep filled to overflowing with abundant and amazing grace, representing all of the unearned benefits that make us truly rich. It represents the part of our life where we find our yoke easy and our burden light, and from which we have a surplus of God-given, grace-based assets to share.

In our garbage bucket we carry our grievances, griefs, grudges and losses. These are not inconsequential, and are not to be ignored, but we want to carry them only as long as necessary to deposit them to a safe place for closure and healing. Garbage is viewed as something that needs to be taken out regularly for composting, while we practice the hygiene of regularly keeping its container as clean and flushed out as possible.

Of course, when it comes to our relationships, we support each other in dealing with our distresses as well as blessing each other with our abundance.

I recently ran across a letter a father wrote to his 13-year-old daughter when she was dealing with a crushing disappointment. He wrote, "...when momentary unhappiness befalls us, we pause only long enough to tidy up our hearts, and then we continue on wiser and better equipped for the much rougher road ahead."

She kept that note in her wallet for the rest of her life.

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"This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God."

II Corinthians 9:10 (the Message)

A Letter To The Editor That Didn't Get Printed

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Since the Daily News-Record chose not to publish the following letter submitted by members of the local Interfaith Association, I am posting it here. I share it with the simple concern that every effort be made to treat our Muslim neighbors and other minority groups with fairness and respect.

I will be glad to publish any official responses the DNR or the HPD may wish to make.

Dear Editor, DNR:

RE: “Police Probe City Robbery” 9/28/15

A number of us in local faith communities are concerned about the inaccurate reporting in this front page story, in that it implies that a Muslim committed crimes of which in fact he was neither suspected nor charged.

The Harrisonburg Police Department press release does not name Mr. Ezzulddin Mohammed. But if the paper goes to the trouble to find and publish the name of this 18-year-old, why not dig deeper into the story?  The HPD press release simply says that “One adult and one juvenile” were taken into custody and that “On scene investigation led to charges of malicious wounding and robbery.”

To make matters worse, the paper ran the story without checking the actual charges, which are a matter of public record. Mr. Mohammed was not charged with robbery. What happened to reporting a story with enough nuance to indicate that the charges are allegations rather than facts?

Members of the Interfaith Association are concerned that this inaccurate reporting will recklessly inflame anti Muslim sentiments against one of our religious minorities.

Daniel D. Robayo, President
Abbas Rawoot, Vice-President
Ramona Sanders, Secretary
Rev. Jennifer Davis Sensenig

Interfaith Association of Harrisonburg-Rockingham

No Defense For Insane Defense Spending

In a world of more and more war-ravished refugees, how can we defend this?

"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."

- Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)

According to an AP article in our local paper, Congress is about to do everything possible to override the president's recent veto of a $612 billion defense policy bill.

Unfortunately, Obama wasn't so much against the outrageous amount of tax dollars involved in this bill, but vetoed it largely because it includes measures to reduce domestic spending for peaceful purposes, limits the president's ability to move detainees from Guantanamo, and prevents military base closures and the cutting of funds for equipment even the Pentagon admits it doesn't need.

Ironically, this fervor for increased government spending on a death-dealing military-industrial complex comes from a Congress that professes to be against big government and out of control spending. It is constantly expressing the fear that expenditures for things like food stamps, which immediately adds to the economy, will bankrupt the country and cause the national debt to skyrocket.

Meanwhile, the US is funding an air war in the Middle East which alone is costing us some $10 million daily. Yet the more havoc and death we inflict in the region the more new recruits are joining ISIS to destroy us, armed with hand held weapons and traveling in pickups.

Any such terrorizing bomb attacks in lands half a world away is not defense. Instead it is creating hordes of ever more determined enemies every day.

May God save and defend us. Certainly our multibillion military budgets will not.

Local Candidates' Responses To Some Criminal Justice Questions

How can we improve our criminal justice system?

“Love compels us to respectfully and humbly show all high officials what the Word of God commands them... to punish the transgressors and protect the good; to judge rightly between a man and his fellows; to do justice to the widows and orphans and to the poor, to rule cities and countries justly by a good policy and administration... to the benefit of the common people.”

- Menno Simons

I submitted the following questions to our three local candidates running for state offices in early September:

1. Do you support a more active oversight role by the local Community Criminal Justice Board as recommended by the Moseley Architect's Community Corrections Plan in its December, 2014 report? 

2. Are you in favor of the CCJB carefully considering the recommendations made for reducing incarceration that are in the above Community Corrections Plan as adopted by City Council, the Board of Supervisors and the CCJB in December, 2014?

3. Do you support ongoing funding for re-entry and rehabilitation programs like the Harrisonburg Diversion Center, and Gemeinschaft Home (Rockingham County)?

4. Do you support automatic bail bond for offenders who are gainfully employed (and/or a full time student) except in extreme cases of their being an immediate threat to community safety?

5. Would you support legislation banning the use of the restraint chair and the isolated padded cell for mentally ill and suicidally depressed inmates in our jails?

6. Do you support recent proposals to restore voting rights to rehabilitated offenders?

7. Do you support greater utilization of Virginia’s Geriatric Parole Statute (Code § 53.1-40.01) as a way of reducing the growing cost of health care for aging inmates who no longer pose any danger to society?

8. Do you favor reinstating some form of parole in Virginia and offering reduced time for inmates who utilize every opportunity to rehabilitate themselves in prison and prepare for effective reentry?

Here are their responses, in the order received:

April Moore, 26th District Senate candidate

Ms. Moore responded right away but asked for time to prepare a position statement, which she later provided, as follows:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IS ESSENTIAL

by April Moore

Much has been written about American Exceptionalism---beginning with the Founding Fathers’ belief that our new nation would serve as a “Shining City on the Hill” for other peoples to admire and emulate.  There are many ways in which we have, indeed, been a role model for the world.  Sadly, there is an area where we should offer a positive example, but, instead, we are “exceptional” in a way we should not want to be----our criminal justice system. 

The United States imprisons a larger percentage of our population than any country in the world. While we have only 4.4% of the world’s population, we incarcerate nearly 25% of all the world’s prisoners. “Mass incarceration on a scale almost unexampled in human history is a fundamental fact of our country today.”  (Adam Gopnik). 

Everywhere along the path from arrest to imprisonment to release, we have broken our promise as a just and equitable society with disastrous consequences for the lives of millions of people. 

          We have promised that all people will be treated equally, but racial and economic discrimination in our criminal justice system is well documented.

          We have promised a “jury of our peers,” however, very few of those arrested ever see a jury, especially if they have no money.

         We have promised a lawyer for everyone charged with a crime.  Those with little or no money are promised a public defender. But these attorneys are often inexperienced and overworked.  They frequently do not see the defendant prior to appearing in court and even less often have time to do the research the case requires or even give serious thought to the charges being filed against their client.
         Confident in our promise, we believe that only guilty and violent people are behind bars.  According to the Justice Policy Institute, of those in jail, 62% are there awaiting resolution of charges against them and most would be released if they could afford bail.  Half of all people in state prisons are there for nonviolent offenses and 20% for drug offenses.
        Regarding those in prison, there is no way of knowing how many are actually innocent of the crimes for which they are charged.  This is true because our notorious plea bargaining system typically coerces the accused into pleading guilty to whatever crime the prosecuting attorney and public defender decide is appropriate.   In federal courts, as high as 97% of cases are resolved through plea bargaining. The judge typically does little more than rubber stamp the agreement.

        We have promised that, while in prison, everyone will be treated humanely.  However, conditions in our prisons, particularly the frequent and long-term use of solitary confinement, have been labeled by Human Rights Watch as constituting a violation of human rights.

        As a just society, we have promised that, after release from prison, ex-offenders are free to become productive members of society.  After release from prison, however, many factors, including employment obstacles, debt incurred while in prison with unpaid child support, and driver’s license prohibitions contribute to a recidivism rate of nearly 70%.  

A strong movement has begun nationwide, and here in District 26, to begin the essential work of criminal justice reform---to keep our promises.

Legislators can play an important role in supporting this movement statewide.  If I am elected State Senator, I will establish an advisory committee to work with me in crafting legislation that will support the critical criminal justice reform work that has begun here in District 26 and encourage a similar statewide effort.  In particular, I will work with local and state groups in addressing the need to reinstate parole as an important opportunity for those in prison to gain early release for good behavior, reduce the costs of their continued incarceration and make a positive contribution to society. 

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Delegate Wilt responded as follows: 

Thank you for your interest in my positions on issues related to the criminal justice system and incarceration.

As I have indicated to other groups that have solicited my positions on various subjects via surveys and questionnaires, I generally reserve final judgement on specific legislative proposals until I have a chance to review the actual language of a bill.

Many of the questions you pose are not black and white issues with only two definitive options, but rather could have various policy outcomes, some of which I may or may not support depending on the specific content of a bill. For example, on the question concerning the need to ban the use of the padded cell or restraining chair for mentally ill and suicidal depressed inmates, I'm not sure if I would be comfortable "banning" their use, but I would certainly be willing to consider proposals that make an effort to limit their use.

I believe there are some policy areas that the General Assembly can and will review this upcoming session to improve our criminal justice system while still protecting the public and the rights of victims of crime. I look forward to considering these issues.

As always, I welcome continued dialogue and learning more about these matters.

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Mark Obenshain, 26th District State Senate incumbant

Mr. Obenshain did not respond to my questions or to a follow-up email.

Sweet Jesus

Christ Carrying The Cross - El Grecho 1580

He grows sweeter and sweeter as the days go by;
Oh what love between my Lord and I
I keep falling in love with him,
Over and over and over again.

- Pete Sanchez

An article by Kevin Emmert in the June, 2015, Christianity Today, "Jesus Has Always Been Our Boyfriend", notes that often the lyrics in modern worship songs (such as the above) are "more romantic than reverent--as if Jesus were a significant other, not the God of the universe."

Citing Lester Ruth, research professor of Christian worship at Duke Divinity School, Emmert notes that many US evangelical hymns from as early as the 18th century have similar themes. In other words, their focus is less on reverence for the supreme God of love and justice as revealed in Jesus Christ and more on the warm feelings associated with an intimate friendship with him. When Jesus is portrayed as being about meeting our every emotional need, what is frequently lacking in newer hymns is Christ's call to take up his cross and follow him in ways that are life-transforming and world-changing.

The much loved "I Come To The Garden Alone" is an example that comes to mind, composed in 1913 by C. Austin Miles:

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me,
Within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

Having said that, I want to be charitable about any use of "hymns or spiritual songs" that offer inspiration or comfort, and to be able to live with plenty of poetic license when it comes to how others experience and express their personal faith.

For example, when I checked on the origin of a loved hymn from my childhood, "Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus," I learned that Louisa Stead had written the lyrics in 1882 in her grief following the death of her young husband. He had just lost his life in a tragic attempt to save a drowning boy at a picnic on Long Island Sound.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

You have to appreciate any song associated with a story like that, while at the same time recognizing that most of us need more hymns that "afflict the comfortable" and not just those that "comfort the afflicted".

Today's DNR Article On Mark Earley's Visit (posted with the kind permission of the DNR)

Former AG Regrets Past

Republican Earley Says ‘Tough On Crime’ Failed

October 21, 2015

By NOLAN STOUT

Former Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley gives a talk Tuesday in the Martin Chapel at Eastern Mennonite Seminary regarding incarceration rates. (Photos by Daniel Lin / DN-R)

Earley said he regrets some of the criminal justice decisions he made during his time as a state senator and attorney general.

HARRISONBURG — Mark Earley regrets some of his criminal justice decisions from his time as a state senator and attorney general of Virginia.

“I feel like I’m spending the second half of my life making up for the first half,” Earley told more than 120 people gathered Tuesday at Eastern Mennonite Seminary for a presentation on mass incarceration.

Earley, a Republican, was in the state Senate from 1988 to 1997, served as attorney general from 1998 to 2001 and is now co-chairman of Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s Commission on Parole Review.

He is also is a member of Right on Crime, a national conservative organization dedicated to criminal justice reform. The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University invited Earley to speak.

Incarceration rates became a contentious issue last year as Harrisonburg and Rockingham County officials sought ways to alleviate overcrowding at the Rockingham County Jail.

City Council and the Board of Supervisors decided to buy into the Middle River Regional Jail Authority in a deal that took effect in July.

Opponents of the deal said the city and county should invest in treatment for nonviolent offenders and other reforms, not buy more jail space. Earley said measures should be taken to reduce incarceration rates.

He said he is in favor of reinstating parole in Virginia, eliminating mandatory minimums sentences, keeping inmates close to their families so they have a support system and allowing community-based groups to help inmates to re-enter society.

“The paradigm of most prisons does nothing to help people come back to society,” Earley said. “It almost sets you up to fail.”

He also said criminalizing drug addiction is not helping anyone, and the state needs to invest in helping addicts instead of imprisoning them.

Earley also said judges should be required to visit a prison once a year to “see where they are sending people.”

As attorney general and a state senator, Earley supported many “tough on crime” measures — such as eliminating parole in 1995, and lowering the age juveniles can be tried as adults from 16 to 14 in 1994 — that contributed to increased incarceration rates in Virginia.

“We were scarily successful at putting a lot of people in jail,” Earley said.

According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics study, in 2013, Virginia incarcerated 36,982 people in prison as opposed to 24,822 in 1994, a 49 percent increase. According to the National Institute of Corrections, Virginia’s prison population per 100,000 people was 446 in 2013, or 13 percent higher than the national average, despite the commonwealth’s relatively low crime rate.

As a state senator and later as attorney general, Earley said he didn’t think much about prisoners. That changed when he started visiting prisons to help inmates re-enter society.

“I viewed prisoners as something other,” Earley said. “When I went into prisons, I saw them as human beings.”

The public discussion after Earley’s presentation mentioned the “abuse and lose” rule that he advocated for.

The law, instituted in 2001, revoked driver’s licenses of people who abused drugs even if their conviction had nothing to do with driving.

“The thought was …  we’ll send a message,” Earley said. “Guess what? People who use drugs don’t function well on getting messages.”

Contact Nolan Stout at 574-6278 or nstout@dnronline.com

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The following community groups supported/endorsed this event:

Center for Justice and Peacebuilding
Harrisonburg/Rockingham/Page Reentry Council
Harrisonburg/Rockingham Building Better Community Working Group 
The Fairfield Center
Harrisonburg/Rockingham Interfaith Association
Community Mennonite Church
The Mahatma Ghandi Center for Global Nonviolence
The Harriet Tubman Center
JMU Department of Justice Studies
Gemeinschaft Home
Virginia Organizing
Martin Luther King_Jr._Way Coalition
Harrisonburg Democratic Committee
NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center
Northeast Neighborhood Association
Immanuel Mennonite ChurchOn The Road Collaborative
Harrisonburg Police Department
Harrisonburg City School Board
Valley Family Forum

Harrisonburg NAACP

Our Community Place
Harrisonburg Mennonite Church

Harrisonburg Fellowship of Reconciliation

Community Mennonite Church
Staunton Institute For Reform and Solutions

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How An Introverted Old Order Inventor Achieved Fame And Made A Fortune

My brother-in-law Allan Shirk just published a book about Ed Nolt, a modest Old Order Mennonite who perfected the self-tying baler that made the New Holland Machine Company famous. This efficient machine was very much a part of my farm experience growing up in Augusta County.

Here's a part of a column about Nolt by Jack Brubaker of the Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal:

"An Old Order Mennonite from Farmersville, Ed Nolt (1910-1992) was a poor student who hated farming. Instead, he enjoyed tinkering with machinery on his father’s farm. Using trial-and-error “blacksmith engineering,” Nolt created the first really useful straw and hay baler in the late 1930s.

"He did it while working alone, and later with Art Young at Kinzers, and then with the men who revived the New Holland Machine Co. in 1940.

"Nolt took out more than 50 patents and became a wealthy man. He established the CRELS Foundation to distribute his fortune to needy organizations. Last year, CRELS gave away nearly $1 million."