Friday, Lafayette, Indiana

It seems that finally, the era of the nut job pastors is coming to an end. The righteous repudiation of “Reverend’s” Wright, Hagee and Rod Parsley by the candidates is long overdue. These entertainers, getting their ego’s stroked as celebrities in their churches have hidden behind their robes and…especially scandalous…behind the cross, the Christian symbol of humility, in order to attack, judge and instigate hate among the hungry seekers in the pews.

Years ago the Christian Coalition was launched and their intentions sounded noble. As one of their leaders suggested, they were not looking to dominate politics, they just “wanted a place at the table.” And that is more than fine; it is as it should be. The voice of moral authority is essential for a nation’s leadership. However, over the past two decades the role that religion has often played is so out of balance, dominated by the most legalistic and inflexible voices, that it has become a scourge. Not only are non believers swayed, they are repelled by the self righteous anger of, especially Christian clergy.

When did it settle in that evangelical theology became synonymous with Republican ideology? Who made the decision that mainline protestant churches were aligned with the liberal ideology of the Democratic party? It’s all nonsense, and destructive at that. It bears little resemblance to the message of faith, hope and love that is the centerpiece of the preaching of Jesus.

The church in the public square might simply be embarrassing if it wasn’t turning so many seeking souls away from the joy and comfort that is actually offered in the real lives of ordinary believers across all the denominations each sabbath. The distance between what actually goes on in most churches - caring, service and love - is a chasm away from how the Church is heard in the media in public.

- Your pastor wears a large diamond pinky ring

- His children are instructed to address him as “the Reverend Doctor Father”

- Your pastor has written 10 books (although none have been published)

- When reading a transcript of sermons you realize that the most common phrase is “the Lord told me…”

- Their front tooth is embossed with a ruby

- When you spot your pastor at the grocery store they are wearing an embroidered robe

- Your pastor drives a Bentley with a clergy license plate

- When preaching they arrange one piercing light shine down from above illuminating their face

- When attending church conferences out of town your pastor insists on flying on a private jet

Friday, Lafayette, Indiana

It seems that finally, the the era of the nut job pastors might be coming to an end. Since the news has been covering the reprehensible statements of so many high profile ministers, the public has developed an appropriate gag reflex for the hypocrisy and rancor of these hate mongers in robes. The righteous repudiation of “Reverend’s” Wright, Hagee and Rod Parsley by the candidates is long overdue.

From my point of view, these entertainers are masquerading as “pastors,” getting their ego’s stroked as celebrities in their churches. Some have hidden behind their clergy robes and…what is especially scandalous…behind the cross, the Christian symbol of humility, in order to attack, judge and instigate hate among the hungry seekers in the pews. They whip up the fervor and passions of the frustrated, powerless people in the pews by using emotional manipulation and provocative speech. They get carried away and before long there is a record of their hate speech that, even if taken out of context, is shameful.

Years ago the Christian Coalition was launched and their intentions sounded noble. As one of their leaders suggested, they were not looking to dominate politics, they just “wanted a place at the table.” And that is more than fine, it is as it should be. The voice of moral authority is essential for a nation’s leadership. However, over the past two decades the role that religion has often played is so out of balance, dominated by the most legalistic and inflexible voices, that it has become a scourge. Not only are non believers swayed, they are repelled by the self righteous anger of, especially Christian clergy.

Well, you got the picture.

When did it settle in that evangelical theology became synonymous with Republican ideology? Who made the decision that mainline protestant churches were aligned with the liberal ideology of the Democratic party? It’s all nonsense, and destructive at that. It bears little resemblance to the message of faith, hope and love that is the centerpiece of the preaching of Jesus.

The church in the public square might simply be embarrassing if it wasn’t turning so many seeking souls away from the joy and comfort that is actually offered in the real lives of ordinary believers across all the denominations each sabbath. The distance between what actually goes on in most churches - caring, service and love - is a chasm away from how the Church is heard in the media in public.

I just wish some of these “Pastors” would sit down and shut their big yappers!

- The chair in his office sits 2 feet higher than the visitors chair

- Your pastor wears a large diamond pinky ring

- His children are instructed to address him as “the Reverend Doctor Father”

- Your pastor has written 10 books of theology (although none have been published)

- When reading a transcript of sermons the most common phrase is “the Lord told me…”

- The pastor’s front tooth is embossed with a ruby

- You spot your pastor at the grocery store & he’s wearing a papal hat & embroidered robe

- Your pastor drives a Bentley with a clergy license plate

- When preaching the pastor arranges a piercing light to shine down illuminating their face

- When attending church conferences out of town the pastor insists on flying on a private jet

Thursday, Lafayette, Indiana

When people feel helpless they can become desperate; and desperate people become dangerous.  As the economy continues to convulse and with gas prices at four dollars a gallon, millions of working class people are clearly feeling desperate. This situation means that we need to be on the alert for more frequent acts of public anger. It is a challenge for all of us to work hard to keep our cool in spite of provocations to lose our patience. Certainly this is a challenge for me, because patients is not one of my gifts.

It has been my experience, however, that when a provocation is so extremely excessive that it actually tends to overwhelm me and shutdown my reaction. As we are does it sounds, paying three dollars a gallon for gas irritated me no end; but four dollars a gallon is so extreme that I just shake my head in resignation. I do find it a strange phenomenon that small in your occasions tend to set me off more than extreme provocations. However, whether minor or major I have very little patience when I feel that people are being taken advantage of, that my anger is righteous. Then my impatience becomes biblical.

Biblical anger is usually described using the term wrath. Wrath is more than simply losing your temper. It is a deeply held anger that can become an emotional wild fire. It is strongly associated with divine anger - the wrath of God, for instance. It intimates retribution - anger in response to a wrong. It has the feel of being rightful rage. And while this is valid for God, there is a danger when people rise to the level of indignant wrath. By assuming a position of certainty and entitlement about your anger you commit a sin of wrath. At its root, it is connected to pride - I have a right to be angry. I am in the right and know that my anger is justified. This is always a dicey assumption for human beings to hold.

At a time in our country when so many of us are feeling the frustrations about financial pressures on top of the worries about the security of our jobs and uncertainties about how we are behaving around the world, it is natural to succumb to the emotions of frustration and anger. But for most of us, who are without power to change the larger situation, this anger, even righteous wrath is essentially a futility. All we can do is participate when we can (through our vote, for instance) and let the rest of it go. I am focusing on my work and my opportunities for service as I await for things to get better. It’s the only way I know to maintain a sense of peace in the midst of the anxious uncertainties. Where are you on the wrath scale?

1. You seethe for months at the local supermarket manager after he fails to resupply the seedless grapes in a timely fashion

2. You feel snubbed at least twice every day

3. You have perfected the facial expression of glaring

4. When irked your voice involuntarily lowers two full octaves

5. You have made so many complaint reports to the police that they immediately recognize your voice

6. When speaking at the local Toastmasters meeting you choose to berate the audience for perceived offenses

7. Within a few minutes of observing their behavior you regularly conclude that an individual is going to hell

8. After an anger episode you need to change your sweat-drenched clothing

9. When cut off on the road you chose to follow the offender rather than meet your scheduled appointment

10. You often have dreams where God is telling you about the sinfulness of people you know

Tuesday, Denver, Colorado

Of all the planets in our solar system, Mars has been the most fertile for imaging life elsewhere. Suspecting life on the moon was discounted long ago, but the idea of making contact with "Martians" has held sway. Science fiction writing and video have depicted creatures from the Red Planet that have alternately warmed and frightened us. Well, soon we will know the real story as NASA, those bubble headed geniuses who, despite some tragic setbacks, have mastered modern space travel, have put a machine on the ground in Mars!

The Phoenix Mars Lander settled into the Martian soil after a trip of 422 million miles! Who can even get their brain around that number? Look, maybe you take this for granted, but I am agog at this breathtaking achievement. I wouldn’t know where to begin even figuring out how far away Mars was from my house, let alone calculating the trip with exact precision. And this is just what they did - make a rocket and machine that could travel that stunning distance in space and then execute a soft landing on the surface. Huh!?

And of course to top it off, Phoenix began sending back full colored pictures of the planet after touching down. Who are these people? How did they go from the same math and science curriculum I had in high school and, within a dozen or more years figure out how to go to Mars with a camera and a radio?

The distance between these people and many of the knuckleheads who sat around them in school and even college is an ocean. While we worry about the growing economic gap between the rich and the poor, there is a another gap that is perhaps wider still: the gulf between the brilliant achievers and the boneheads, between the physicists and the pinheads.

It’s head spinning to think about it.

And of course it begs a question. How come we haven’t figured out how to recruit some of these mind boggling minds to the cause of keeping peace and harmony in the world? How about taking a mission into the brains of terrorists, murders and other antisocial thugs to figure out what’s gone haywire? What about an endeavor into the uncharted minds of psychos with power who believe that annihilating others who don’t believe like they do is the right course of action?

Can’t NASA spare a few of their geniuses for these causes?

Monday, Denver, Colorado

Four of my nephews, Danny, Michael, Marwan and David have been serving in uniform this year, and three are scheduled to go to war in the coming year. My late father and several uncles served in World War II and in Korea. My brother-in-law Matt served in Vietnam. I have a brother-in-law Ren who was an Army Ranger and I can’t count the extended family that has served and defended the United States. I am proud of my family’s devotion to the country.

Among us we have strongly divided opinions about the current war and how it is being waged. Nonetheless everyone of us is in awe of our kids who have stepped up and into the cause. For those of us older who watch and pray, it is pride mixed with terror for their safety. And I know that you feel this as well for your family, neighbors, students and friend who have sons and daughters facing live fire thousands of miles away. The losses are heartbreaking, so often leaving young spouses and little children bereft.

The picture of this flag was taken on September 14, 2001 at the Ridgewood, New Jersey train station, a town that lost many citizens in the terrorist attack. This is a Memorial Day that is being deeply felt around the country. And what can we do today?

What can we can do is pray…and pray with greater fervent longing than ever. Human life is fragile under the best of circumstances. It is simply tragic that we make it worse by our passions, hubris and stupidity.

PSALM 23
A psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Friday, Lafayette, Indiana

It took me a while to get hooked on American Idol. Although several years I tuned in to the news stories about particular personalities on the show, and of course was aware of the winner and the close runners-up. This year, however, I have enjoyed the show from beginning to end. And in my opinion, last night’s finale was one of the most enjoyable two hours of television I have experienced in a long time. It was, quite simply, a delightful variety show. The producers strung together a delightful mix that featured the two finalists, David Archuleta and David Cook with a collection of music stars from the past and the present.

The weeks leading up to the show involved a typical soap opera of personalities. In the end, and for the first time the winner was a performer with a rock ‘n roll soul. Archuleta, despite his incredible voice, often look like a deer in the headlights when being interviewed. The fact that the story leaked that his father was an intrusive pain in the neck, surely hurt him with older voters. And David Cook was a consistently delightful and humble young man who never lost his sense of awe that he was a bartender a few short months ago. Inspired by his brother, tragically suffering with brain cancer, the winner was easy to celebrate.

And kudos to the producers who brought out a curious collection of stars, including Donna Summer of all people (remember her?) and, of all bands, ZZ Top! Mike Myers was his usual inventive self, coming onstage to promote his up coming movie where he plays an Indian guru. The only low points for me were the appearance of George Michael, which seemed like a pitiful mercy booking, and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose “routine” was lame and forced. But almost every other minute of the show was surprising and entertaining. In the end it seemed like a pretty effective commercial to bring live audiences out for the grand tour of the American Idol concert series launching this summer.

All in all it was a delightful distraction at a time when most of us could use a good distraction

Thursday, Indianapolis, Indiana

Since he is such a famous person and political icon, the news that Senator Edward Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor has predictably dominated the media for the past two days. It must be a painful irony for those other patients around the country who got the same grim news from their physicians but without a cable news announcement and sympathy from the world.

But when a celebrity encounters the cold reality of human frailty there is a reminder that, as the Bible says, “God sends the rain on the just and the unjust.” Living between the consciousness of our vulnerability on this finite journey and the determination to make the hours, days and years count is the essential balance for living a blessed life.

Whatever life has dished out to you - blessings or suffering - making meaning of it is especially difficult when we look around and observe others who are having a life of excessive bounty and gaudy prosperity. One of my professors in Seminary, Dr. Phyllis Trible wrote a book whose title captures the challenge: “God’s Fierce Whimsy!”

Amen!

Everything I have read testifies to the integrity of Senator Kennedy as a legislator. Even if you were passionately opposed to his point of view, Kennedy is respected by his political and ideological opponents as willing to work in bipartisan cooperation to enact legislation. Today’s reaction to the bad news by his Republican colleagues was as heartfelt as that of his supporters. Prayers for Ted Kennedy and everyone he represents today who also received terrifying news about their health and well being.

Wednesday, Atlanta, Georgia

Yesterday I confessed that for many years I have been an anxious flyer. This in spite of the fact that dialogue nearly 150,000 miles a year in the air. Most flights on pretty calm. But my anxiety becomes heightened anytime I experience a particularly turbulent or otherwise scary flight. And of course, there was that story I related about the disgruntled 19-year-old flight attendant who actually set fire to his plane while it was still IN FLIGHT in order to force its landing! But you kidding me!? As far as I’m concerned, this bonehead should be forced to take his next flight while strapped to the wing of a plane. Let’s see how he likes that route!

In any event, after being involved in any harrowing, traumatic experience that causes you to fear for your life, it is not uncommon to experience what therapists diagnose as an “adjustment disorder.” Adjustment disorders are probably the most common diagnosis… although in fact it is frequently not formally diagnosed at all because most people don’t seek treatment when they are suffering. But the term describes the condition very accurately.

When something happens to you that derails your normal routine, it is not uncommon to have a reaction that only further disorients you. In such cases you have what is known as a “maladaptive response” to whatever it is that has happened to you. When a therapist assigns this diagnosis, it indicates that although your response to the stressful event is “maladaptive” it does not mean that you are suffering from any other mental illness. In addition, the diagnosis is not usually given in the aftermath of a loss that causes grief.

Adjustment disorders don’t usually last very long, but they can be very uncomfortable. As far as what causes a person to have an adjustment disorder, naturally it varies depending on the meaning of the event to the individual. As a result the diagnosis is essentially a subjective judgment by a therapist that your reaction to an event is outside the bounds of what would be considered a normal reaction. Obviously the more the therapist knows about you and your temperament, the better judgment I can make about what would constitute an extreme reaction, a reaction that is abnormal for you in particular.

The reason adjustment disorders are so common, is because the root cause is usually the struggle to adjust to a major change. And in modern life, disruptive change has become the norm. There are very few people who are not coping with a life characterized by significant change, sometimes very turbulent change. This can involve alterations in relationships, the status of your company or your job in particular, a change in behavior of your child or the status of your health. You can even come about in the aftermath of what was considered to be a positive change. For instance a relocation that you’re excited about initially in turn out to be an adjustment that is more profound than you were ready to negotiate. The same could be said about a desired job promotion, where the edit responsibilities become difficult to manage.

The treatment for an adjustment disorder is openly communicating about the stressful event in the struggle you’re having adapting to it. And while it is certainly helpful to have this ongoing conversation with the professional therapist, a lot of the same results can be experienced with a strong social support system, family and friends who are available and caring and ready to listen and offer encouragement.
In the DSM-IV six recognized types of adjustment disorders are recognized, and each has unique features.

There are Adjustment Disorders with:

1. Depressed mood can include tearfulness and feelings of hopelessness
2. Anxiety can includes excessive worry and nervous jitters
3. Anxiety & depressed mood (a combination of the above two).
4. Disturbance of conduct (reckless behavior, fighting, property destruction.
5. Mixed disturbance of emotions & conduct (depression, anxiety & conduct).
6. Unspecified in which the reaction to stressful events does not fit any of the other subtypes.

In addition to the above 6 descriptions consider some additional types of adjustment disorders:

Adjustment Disorder…

- with incessant marathon running causing a precipitous loss of body mass

- with projectile vomiting which erupts without warning at dinner parties

- with inappropriate nail clipping resulting in very tiny finger and toe nails

- with verbal outbursts where fits of foul language are shouted in public

- with binge eating to a point where body mass is doubled within three months

- with the Heebee Jeebees featuring inappropriate jumping in place

- with formal dress where daily attire always includes a tuxedo

- with nudity combining refusal to dress with an insistence on travel

- with chain saw fetish characterized by indiscriminate cutting down of neighborhood trees

- with reckless gunplay featuring flagrant waving of a pistol at slight provocation

Tuesday, Atlanta, Georgia

I am really willing to confess that I have always been a nervous flyer. Although I rack up well over 100,000 miles a year I have never gotten comfortable flying. Whenever he give his speech it always includes a comedy routine that describes my fear. And that fear is fairly primitive… it’s the fear of crashing! The anxiety I feel with turbulence and unfamiliar noises is squarely rooted in my anticipation that we are falling out of the sky!

I make no bones about the fact that I often opt to drive to a presentation, even long distances, rather than fly. No, I’m not completely nuts. I wouldn’t drive to Los Angeles or Seattle. But if the drive is less than seven or eight hours, I’m behind the wheel. This week, for instance, I opted to drive to Atlanta, Georgia, a drive of about 8 hours, rather than enduring the discomforts of a flight from, through and into thunderstorms. I just don’t trust the judgment of the pilots, who, although extremely well trained and competent, might perhaps be willing to take risks with my life that I’m not willing to take on my own.

And then, of course, every once in a while a story hits the news that brings me no comfort. This week was a beaut! A maladjusted young flight attendant purposely set a fire in his plane’s bathroom while it was in the air! This idiot, frustrated that he was assigned to a certain route, decided to take matters into his own hands and forced the plane to land prematurely. Say what!?

Eder Rojas, who by the way, according to the news report is 19 years old, risked the lives of over 75 people because he was ticked off. First of all, how does someone get to be a working flight attendant at 19 years old? I mean, I know the airlines are screwed up these days, but are they that desperate? Rojas, who faces 20 years in prison, snuck a cigarette lighter on board and ignited the paper towels in the bathroom. Of course the alarm went off indicating a fire in the rear of the plane and the pilot made an emergency landing. I must say that if I was on that plane, and found out that the flight attendant had lit a fire in the air, I’m pretty confident I could havd organized an impromptu mob and beaten him to death with peanut bags.

So in the age of uncertainty, (and of course I know the airline safety record is nothing short of spectacular) I now must add the task of scrutinizing the emotional stability of the entire crew when I step on to my next flight. That’s just great!

When, for the love of all that is holy, will this country put together a decent railroad system? Yeah, I know they can tip over, but I’d rather take my chances rolling over on the ground then screaming head first into the ground on a plane with an irritated flight attendant.

As a practicing shrink, you’d think I’d be more well-adjusted about this matter. Well… I’m not!

Monday, Atlanta, Georgia

Is it my imagination? It seems that it has been ages since there have been “must see” movies. I watch the Academy Awards every year, and I try and see the films that have received attention and are up for best picture. Usually we expect that the summer will be filled with entertaining blockbusters. But, as most observers know, an increasing number of celebrated films are small independent productions, with great writing and strong ensemble casts. But it seems that the past few years there have been very few big production, celebrated films.

This summer moviegoers are eager for the next installment of Indiana Jones. Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. has already established itself as a great entertaining extravaganza. Iron Man continues a rich tradition of bringing famous cartoon superheroes to the big screen. The premise of the film is curious partially because the idea of science creating a superhuman individual is less far-fetched than it was when the cartoon character originally debuted. In fact, a story in CNN depicts a robotics company in Colorado that is close to perfecting something like an iron man suit. Under contract for the US military, the development allows someone to slip on some metal junk to actually create a person capable of strength 20 times that of a normal individual.

This is a very intriguing notion. It means that while the early applications are for military purposes to create a combat “Iron Man” soldier capable of superhuman feats, consumer applications cannot be far behind. And what a head spinning notion this is. I think about the millions of people who struggle with physical disabilities, whether born physically challenged or injured in war or accident. The idea that each and every one of us can use the breathtaking achievements of engineering science to do things that eliminate common human limitations is pretty exciting.

As amazing as the past two decades have been with scientific advancement, it seems like we ain’t seen nothing yet. It will be fun to see what’s coming next. Provided, that is, we don’t annihilate ourselves first.

Among the fans of cartoon superheroes and how they are depicted on screen, there is always an enjoyable debate about what constitutes an actual superhero. For instance, there is an obvious distinction between two iconic heroes, Superman and Batman. The Man of Steel is a virtually invulnerable organism. In contrast, Batman is a remarkable individual who is able to do superhuman things because of technology and gadgetry. Spiderman, as a result of a freak encounter with a spider bite, has also become super human in and of himself. In contrast Iron Man is a normal human being who uses the tools of science and technology to overcome his limitations.

Whether you’re a fan of a true superhero, or an adapted superhero, all of these characters represent our deep fantasies about overcoming that which limits us. Becoming powerful, indestructible and invulnerable is a deep psychological yearning for every creature. And of course it is no accident that depictions of those who have become invulnerable always focus on what we would like to see ourselves doing: working for truth and justice, protecting the innocent and annihilating evil.