#1949 Enough is Enough

#1949

Enough is Enough

"Fast food is popular because it's convenient, it's cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu".  Eric Schlosser

Modern living is built around the concept of convenience. It is convenient to wear clothing which requires little effort, such as the tying of shoe strings...much easier to slip on loafers. For you fathers out there, I still remember the day my own father taught me to tie the shoe strings on my shoes. Now, every time I wear a pair of athletic shoes with shoestrings, I think of my long dead father. I also remember one of my two younger brothers asking me to show him how to tie the strings on his shoes. He was eighteen years younger than me, I was already in college. I said, "Let daddy show you," I wanted him to have the same memories. 

In our lives seeking the easy way out, the fast way of doing everything (fast-foods-fast-carwash-drive-in-bank), we don't take the time to consider how much interaction we are missing with our fellow men. Some of our greatest memories, helping someone when it is so simple. This totally blind, one hundred percent disabled, medical officer, veteran so appreciates hearing someone jump up from the table and opening a door when my driver is helping me out of the restaurant to my car. We all have internal blisters- stains- warts- from bad experiences. We all carry around baggage from bad experiences...always with fellow human beings. Most of our problems result from other people. It is so  convenient to just push by- say something hateful rather than just realizing that everyone has a "bad hair day." Even Christians don't always show Christianity (Christ-like). Recently, this old man embarrassed himself in front of his employees, I was anxious to get out of the door with my friend who was taking me to lunch, but one of these unsolicited telemarketing calls came in (I get more than my share) and I said to the caller, "why in the hell are you calling me?" Then I said to one of my employees and friend, my lawyer, "now was that not someway for a Christian to act, someone who knows better, someone who was taught better, someone from whom God requires better." After all, the person on the phone, in the boiler room making calls, like most of us, just making a living...following a procedure...doing what they have been told what to do.

Most of us are very reluctant, very cowardly to even talk with people we know well about matters with which we should all be concerned: the future of our nation: preparing for old age: the way our relatives train their children. Christians believe that unless anyone, father, mother, sister, brother, neighbor, anyone, who does not believe in Jesus Christ is headed for eternity in hell. We are reluctant to speak to the ones we love about our horrendous future.

One man in England told me, when I was talking to him about my Christian beliefs, "If I believe what you believe knowing that my family would go to hell because they do not believe, I would cross England crawling on my hands and knees begging them to make a change in their life. 

AT my own fathers large packed church funeral, as the oldest, I lead the family into the church. One of the funeral directors came over and handed me an envelope which I put in my pocket. I had no idea what was involved and could not see anything of course going on. Later, I asked my driver to read me what was in the envelope. Obviously, just before the service I understand a large memorial wreath had been brought in with the note attached. On the note was written these words, "In memory of the only man who ever thought enough of me to ask me about the condition of my soul". It was signed by the local state senator, only my father would have asked him such a question when he cut his hair (my father was a dirt farmer, large farm, but barbered on the weekends at a local barber shop in a small town). Very few people, even those of us who should be concerned of others, are brave enough- concerned enough, saved enough to be alert enough to seek the eternal security-safety of our loved ones, let alone people we hardly know. Ninety percent of all missionaries in the world originate from America...going to the far corners of the world.  Can we even imagine the courage it takes to do this BUT ninety percent of all Christianity is just raw courage. My only son, Dr. John Morris, and his wife, were long time missionaries to Korea. They live here teaching in a seminary now. Their words, " America needs missionaries more than Korea", Africa now sends missionaries to America. This writer is convinced that most pulpiteers (preachers in the pulpit) are more concerned with their pastoral package then the people in the pews.  But, I don't know I hope that I am wrong BUT, "judgment must begin at the house of God". Enough is enough, there was a book written called "Games People Play" it is time for Churches to stop playing games with God.  Enough is enough, it is time for Americans to stop playing games with the government. Every time I think of my hardworking tax-paying, God fearing ancestors...that they just wanted the opportunity to work and succeed...that they did not want a handout form anyone including the government, that they just wanted to live responsible lives, when I think of their sweat and then the fact that most of today's young people are just mourning and preparing for entitlements, I get patriotically nauseated.  As Margaret Thatcher said, "Socialism is good until those who do not work spend all the money of those who do". In the world of the talking box (television-computer) the world of the la-z-boy chair, the world of convenience everything, it is long past time for young people to realize that God chose us for a reason.

It is easy to see the cuts and bruises of people on the exterior. Most pathology- diseases come from the interior. It is much more convenient to eat junk than real God given food( but salty potato chips taste so good). Real God given- inspired real food gives you the nutrition you  need for health( it is so much fun to watch movies and such on the tube). You went to school for  many years to learn how to read, there is nothing more rewarding than the reading of a book. Get the feel, the feel of turning pages, the image-inspiration of mental pictures from paper...not electronic optics.  Enough is enough.  Life is as real now as it was when the Dead Sea scrolls were written: when my ancestors with a few tools that they brought over from England on a very small ship (S.S. Kent) grew their vegetables around the trunks of trees because this was the place that good soil was located.  It has taken a long time to grow the American spirit; it is past time for America to learn its value.