Golden Escalator

In 1865, my great grandfather, Rev. P.T. Lucas was 10 years old. According to established records, he came from one of the earliest colonial families, his family owned the northern part of one county (Wilson county). He was an outstanding farmer and a minister of the Gospel, until he died in 1912, one of the most exciting times in American History: first telephone, first electric lights, first motor vehicles, first indoor plumbing, first paved roads, proliferation of education opportunities. From the time of my father's birth, 1908, until his death in 1985, some of the great advances in history, technology such as the discovery of DNA, nano-exploits, medical procedures, even men traveling to the moon.

In all these advances, human nature has changed very little. One of my very good friends, an army medical officer, psychiatrist, practiced in an army hospital, his wife, also a psychiatrist, practiced in a nearby town. As he was assigned from army hospital to army hospital, she could always start a practice anywhere, so great is the need for psychiatrists. Like most psychologists and psychiatrists I have known, they were in much worse condition than the patients they were trying to treat.

She was extremely overweight, a total slob, he was the most unkempt military officer I have ever known, just did not care, but as you will find with every individual who practices in these fields, whether you hear on them radio, television or elsewhere, one phrase always dominates, “and that is alright too.” No matter what a person says, or does, it is alright. So, any patient or client, leaves their presence feeling that whatever word or action is acceptable. Most of these people, doctor or patient, honestly feel there is no accountability or responsibility in this world, and they certainly do not believe in the world to come.

As the army psychiatrist told me, “I was born, I get as much enjoyment out of living as possible, this is all there is to it, then I die and I become fertilizer. Some people may have great needs for thoughts of an afterlife, since they have made such a miserable mess of the one in reality, perception is not reality and I have no perception of a heaven or hell.”

I find that people in general, sitting on church pews or not, do not believe in hell, Jesus talked more about hell than heaven. There is more scripture concerning hell than heaven. But I have found in my long life, regardless of what Christians or others may tell you, what they pray or sing about, most, in reality, do not believe in hell. Simple matter, if they did, knowing that God will not allow any sin into His heaven, their lives would be lived differently. I have not met very many people who did not think that they would eventually wind-up in heaven. People do what they do because they believe what they believe. Our entire lives turn on an axis of wanting to believe the best, even though we know about corruption in government, increasing crime, man's expedited downfall, we want to believe that everything is going well...that nothing is really as bad as we know it is, that corruption in government is not as bad as we think, that our education system is not as bad as we are told. We want to think we can eat or drink anything and have it not affect our bodies.

Remember, your doctor is just a highly-paid, well-educated repairman. 300,000 Americans die each year from obesity-related deaths. In a country that throws away 28% of its food...in a world where many would be glad to live from your trash can. Where $6 billion was spent in 1996 on women having their nails done, $50 billion spent each year in America on weight-loss programs. $870 million spent last year just in building new McDonald's arches (golden arches).

From 1799 to 1892, even the Supreme Court declared America a Christian nation. Last year, 2009, $6 billion was spent in America, on video games (I have been around the world 8 times, traveled every continent, 157 of the world's countries, I know what I am talking about), while a large part of the world's population was hungry, 11 weeks after the floods, millions in Pakistan are still underwater. Can one even imagine that today we are bombing mothers and children whose homes are still underwater? And, as just discovered, would a Christian nation send scientists to Guatemala, infect people with a deadly disease, not even treat 341 of the 400 infected? 71 of the 400 infected died.

For many years, from the platform and in print, I have said, “the most important endeavor of a human mind is to learn to read.” I never cease to be amazed that young people, after years in school, cannot read. There are two basic reasons for learning to read: Firstly, you learn to read in order to read the Bible, God's Word, this gives you the lighted path toward eternal life. Secondly, you learn to read in order to take care of your physical body, your physical life. I am convinced, and no one has proven me wrong yet, that a person who can read can learn to care for his body. You know more about your body than anyone else, when a doctor looks at you, or even examines you, he is running through a maze of expecteds, tinged with indifference. If you have any intelligence at all, you know that the doctor's office is interested in just one thing: getting paid. Most of his staff, just keeping a job, it is simply a matter of routines, just going through the motions.

There is enough literature available, when you can read, so that you can educate yourself about healthcare. There is no reason why anyone should be sick, if you educate yourself about what you put in your mouth, if you learn to care for your body, such as stretching your muscles, rest, proper elimination (elimination is as important as addition). It costs to eat healthy, the metabolism of your body, the most phenomenal, magnificent creation of the Creator, depends on nutrition just as much as your automobile depends on gasoline. Food sources have been completely depleted of the soil minerals and other nutrition essentials necessary for health, but there are supplements, herbs, reliably made vitamins, to assist in your health essentials.

Get away from that slop and trash on that useless idol, your television set. If you do not know how to read, there are illiteracy groups which will teach you how to read. In the 21st century, one of the shames of this nation, and particularly the state of North Carolina, the illiteracy rate is as high now as it was 100 years ago. I cannot conceive of professional educators, school board members, passing onto the streets, young people who cannot read or write. When you can read, you can learn how to care for your own body, and the health of your family, everything else is just periphery.

The main reason you must learn to read is the welfare of your eternal life and the welfare of your physical life. This is the golden escalator moving into effective, rewarding living, an abundant life.