This morning, President Obama announced that he would be taking executive action in an attempt to curb some of the gun violence that we've been inundated with in the United States for decades - but especially recently. During his speech, the President broke into tears when discussing the loss of life at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 children and 6 adults lost their lives.
We are all children of the same universe, and each of us deserves full access to the life they were given. We are called to ensure that these lives are protected everywhere. One of the most moving parts of the President's speech was actually one in which he quoted Jesus Christ, who in the Gospel of John said "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." The quote was in reference to a discussion of 15-year-old Zaevion Dobson, who threw himself on top of three young women to shield them from gunfire - saving them and losing his life in the process. Obama's point is not that we should all be willing to jump in front of bullets and physically sacrifice our lives to search of progress, but that we had a pressing responsibility to organize and give our time and energy to worthy causes.
As we enter into 2016, we enter a year likely to be full of a number of challenges. With renewed energy and focus, perhaps it's a good time for all of us to examine the world around us, look for the things that concern us, and think about how we can "self-sacrifice" or donate our time/energy to work on correcting these issues. That issue doesn't need to be gun violence, it can be anything that you think needs to be addressed. Many of us are blessed in that we have a whole lot of time, a whole lot of energy, and a whole lot of love to give. Just look around and you'll see a world full of need, so use your voice to speak out on behalf of those who - for whatever reason - are unable to speak out for themselves. We have a responsibility to assist our brothers and sisters who are marginalized or hurting and should be willing to give part of ourselves to do so.
So, in addition to your resolutions about weight loss or yoga or eating less chocolate, you are also encouraged to come up with a larger resolution: how might you do good in your universe this year? You are a powerful, intelligent, and blessed individual - who can you partner up with? How can you use the gifts you've been given to aid those in need?
We're so proud of all of you, and can't wait to see what you accomplish this year. Please let us know what your plans are in the comments below!
24 comments
-
jp
Your statement at best is bad grammar. To ask how to "actualize grammar " simply comes across as theatrics.
-
guidvce4
This potus has proven himself to be a liar over time, again and again. Recall "if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor", and "if you like your health plan....". The list is endless. I can't say whether he has Jesus in his life, for sure, but by his actions, I'd say he leans more towards the beliefs of Mohammed and islam. Think about his refusal to give sanctuary to Christians from the Middle East while offering blanket sanctuary to anyone else. Just sayin' folks need to look at what a person does, not just what he says.
-
Michael K. HILL
Please take you dislike of President Obama elsewhere. This is not the forum for it
-
jp
Correct. Thank you for your commentary. This is a place for it! Leaders answer to the Lord!
-
Candice
You are spot on. Obama has told so many lies, almost never goes to church but will attend muslim call to prayers, he gives muslims carte blanche in this country while belittling Christians as gun toting bible thumpers. He has never shed a tear over all of the Christians being slaughtered ecery day all over the world. everything he does is anti Christian and pro islam. actions speak louder than words.
-
Rev. James D. Kennedy
What's wrong with being a gun-toting Bible thumpers, I don't see how the President could put that in a bad light. That's like pointing out that fact that I am a Black guy in a dress. Unless there is something wrong with with blacks and dresses then why would you stone me to death, you wouldn't, you would through flowers. Unless their is something inherently wrong with guns and bibles, then by all means, tote and thump. I will see you out there. I'll be the black Guy in the dress, just don't mistake me for a Muslim and shoot me while you are thumping me with your Bible.
-
Pastor Scott
What I am about to say, I truly do hope that you do not take this personally. It is not meant that way. I found that your post was a little on the humorous side. However, the President, I feel, has a valid thing here. I was shot back in 1989, by a 15 yr old. Now if he had not had that gun, I would not be against ALL guns at this time. I know it is not the gun that kills, yet it is the person behind the gun. This is the same thing to me. Any person that is capable of breathing is now able to carry a concealed weapon. In that matter, any one is capable of carrying a weapon due to the Bill of Rights. Now lets say for some reason that someone gets mad at you, Reverend Jim, and uses that weapon that he/she has strapped on their side, like they used to do in the old west. Would you still feel that the President was wrong for doing what he is doing? Of course not. You do not know how it feels, I am assuming, how it feels, before, as that bullet is making its way through your body, and then out, or the after effect, or the rest of your life. When I see a gun now, I run and hide. I can not have any guns in the house that I am in or I literally flip out. I am in the assumption that because there is a gun here, I am going to get hit again. This is not a good feeling. I am one that is against the gun laws of carrying, concealed or not, any type of weapon. If God wanted us to kill one another, then He would not have made it against His laws.
-
Candice
Then should we also outlaw vehicles, bats, knives, spoons, pencils, and the thousands of other things people have killed other people with? I dont know your situation but if you had had a gun could you have maybe avoided it? Im fine if people are afraid of guns and dont want them around. but when those people start trying to take away every ones guns, thereby, making everyone else a victim I draw the line. I have guns to protect myself and my family. Im an appraiser and I do a lot of appraising in the hood, in buildings with no electrify and all the windows and doors boarded up. if there were druggies in one of those houses explain how i would be safer without a gun as Im old and female? as far me i think the thing that is most important and NO ONE who wants to take guns away will answer is....How do you intend to take the guns from the criminals? isnt kind of moronic to always be trying take away a law abiding citizens guns while allowing criminals to amass them? of in the case of F&F our president willfully giving guns to criminals to take back to mexico where theose guns were used to murder dozens of innocent children and even one of our own border patrol guard? when a criminal shoots someone people want to take away my guns. why? ive never hurt anyone. shouldt the focus be on the criminals. if one has any common sense then one would understand why most all mass shootins take place in GUN FREE zones.
-
Rex R. Lippold
People are killing each other with a lot more dangerous ways then guns, Drugs, Bullying and causing suicide, starvation, Homelessness etc. A person that is responsible and carries a weapon is not like the old West but could save your life in a dangerous situation, I'm sad to hear you are a victim of being shot, but if that young boy would have been taught the responsibility of a weapon and safety of the gun, it might not have happened, having been given our agency by Heavenly Father without the teachings of our Agency then the Advisary will take over the education class, Love you all.
-
-
Candice
There is absolutely nothing wrong with gun toting bible thumpers in my opinion. It was obama who made the derogatory statement towards Christians in order to make fun of and harass the people he considers beneath him. He intended to fire his base up against these types of people in order to shut them up and he did a good job.
-
-
-
Rev. James D. Kennedy
I haven't studied Mohammed too closely, but I thought he was peers with Jesus and the Buddha, am I Mistaken? Reason I ask is because I am not sure violence in the Middle east makes Islamic religion wrong any more, or less than, sodomy in the Catholic Church or jackasses on social media do Christianity. That would be like me giving up on ULC because of Shallow threads about Obama. Barracks Obama is the most Controversial person their will ever be. He is what you call the Biggest Pimp in the History of Being Black, but he's still a pimp.
-
Candice
Im thinking that any religion that calls for you to murder anyone who does not convert to your religion is wrong.imho
-
-
-
O.R
I agree, just because he quotes A verse(key word A)from the Bible, doesn't make him a Christian. He still has his beliefs in the Islamic view. He may have had a emotional moment in his speech, but who wouldn't when you think of All the small children killed by gun violence on your "watch". Just saying.
-
Rev. James D. Kennedy
This is good stuff. Again correct me if I am mistaken but isn't the only qualification for Christianity an open Proclamation Christ is your Lord? And isn't the president haedof our state, not our church. He's not Jesse Jackson, he is no Minister and it is not his Job at all to be Christian, quite to the contrary, a president should dispense with all religious beliefs save one, drawn from the Teachings of the Dalai Lama, which is to have a good heart, the only true Religion.
Rev. James D. Kennedy ULC
-
-
Gallet Christ Sampu
Brothers and sisters in this case I would like everyone to position that in order to establish mutual respect in relationship, we must find harmony and integrity within. To do this we must work on establishing inner peace and knowing of our true-self. In this way we can express an honesty that others can trust. Inner equilibrium and self-respect draw cooperation and respect in return. Being true to ourselves and knowing the greater goal of mutual respect clarifies our sense of justice and equality. A knowledge of who we are or who you are helps us or you accept differences and not feel threatened by them or a need to accommodate them. Here we or you realize what true justice is and are able to facilitate everyone, including ourselves and yourself, getting what you need or they need.
We have a strong sense of justice and right and wrong but may tend to at first not speak our mind and then react when we realize that our perspective is not shared. There is a need to become aware of what integrity is and learn the difference between trying to be cooperative with and cooperating with what brings a higher level of peace and justice.
This combination demonstrate how to obey the commandment and by doing this we need to love others as we love our selves and we must acknowledge God send Prophets in each nation relatively to their own language but still the same God, the Alpha and Omega Who doesn't have an end and His work never will end. Let the spirit of understanding guide all of us.
No matter what others says, but the words of God never change. So let don't build our house upon a laid land but let us build it upon a rock .
-
Laurie Weaver
ST. Matthew. 7v1 and ch5v16
-
Laurie Weaver
Judge not, that ye be not judged
-
Minister John Deringer
The hipocracy that is called the US Govenment. Separate and concour, that is what is happening every day. Do not trust your government. They do not have everyone's best interests in the things they do. I am not trying to be judgemental, but being outside looking in; this is what I see.
This man obviously has Jesus in his life !
Why? Because he quotes one verse from the Bible makes him a Christian? If that's the case then every un saved soul, Islamic, etc... are Christians too. Right???
Yet on the other hand, why does that condemn the man as well? How do you know that he is not one of Jesus' followers? There are plenty of sinners that proclaim and announce they are followers, yet then they turn and hurt the very children of God. Look at that shooting, or any other shooting in that fact. How can they be so cruel as to hurt another human being.
By Islamic standards, you are an UN saved soul. Which makes you both wrong, but still loved by GodDESS. Christ's Mother is Calling you back to her Womb, from whence all things do issue and do return. The only people who aren't returned are those who hate the Devil. Those are left here with Satan until they learn to Love that which they once despised. No one enters Heaven but that they have first Forgiven Satan, and in that the only true forgiveness is self-forgiveness, you should apologize to yourself for being such an Ass, then forgive yourself in the process. Then you can make the apology worth something by making a heartfelt effort to refrain from exclusionary language in the future when you are talking sh!t out your Butt. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit sounds nicer when you frame it more Positively.
If that is the case, than why does he do half of the bad things that he has done? I am not against him, I voted for him, but that does not take care of the sinful things that he has done.
Rev. Rex; there really is no such thing as controlling the gun situation, the bad guys have them and always will, we need more "responsible " people carrying guns that have been trained in safety, show of force with law enforcement at gatherings, handled in the same way as our president is guarded. Sad by really the only small solution, The advisary is working overtime and so should we, Notice the attacks always take place at a no weapons area, Movie Theaters, Concert venues, School's. Keep the faith, Love Thy Neighbor, and bring back prayer. With the Love of our Heavenly father stay safe.