If only one simple thing was needed to fix what ails our society and profession, it would be a far easier challenge to convey. But as former President Barack H. Obama once said, people are complex. Even some problematic people can do good things. Whatever one’s politics, that is a demonstrably true statement. Thus, the reality is that there are a mix of scenarios and factors that impact our industry, nation, and world – some arguably more than others. Economic conditions, regulations, political, social, health, capital, spiritual, and cultural issues all blend together to yield what the Rev. Emmanuel Akalue said earlier today are “the lessons of history.” Those “lessons” include all of those factors just mentioned – which he advised be learned and avoided, so that we are not “condemned to repeat” the often-tragic outcomes of history. Scripture scholar Akalue’s insights will be pondered further below.
There are those that claim that the social unrest fostered by billionaires, big corporate, big media, big tech, and their nonprofit, academic, and other allies is inspired in part by Frances Fox Piven and Richard A. Cloward.
“JSTOR is part of… not-for-profit organization helping the academic community,” says their website. JSTOR said, “Frances Fox Piven and Richard A. Cloward…have argued that mass insurgency in the United States, occurring especially between 1964 and 1969, produced a series of responses by government, one of the most significant being massive expansion of welfare rolls.” The duo were advocating for a specific type of revolutionary fostering behavior.
Others say that Saul Alinsky, his “Rules for Radicals,” and his community organizing methods are being deployed.
MHProNews has previously explored how Chairman Warren Buffett and his self-proclaimed “partner in crime” at Berkshire Hathaway, Vice Chairman Munger, literally established their own “church” that they used to promote abortions before it was “legalized” by judicial fiat. It is worth noting how Buffett and Munger made comments like calling themselves “revolutionaries.” It bears mention that Buffett is an avid reader who enjoys the study of history and its lessons. But how he uses those lessons would doubtlessly stand at variance from what Rev Akalue talk today stressed further below.
These various issues are not an either or propositions. There can be a range of methods deployed to upend social, economic, and political norms in a manner the bigger businesses can better navigate than smaller ones are able to do.
Put differently, unrest in business, popular cultural, spiritual circles, economic, and political life are all a part of human existence. Sometimes people try to separate those into compartments or boxes.
But life is holistic. Our personal life impacts work and the vice-versa is true too. It does not take much thought for either employees or managers to realize how personal, political, economic, spiritual, cultural, health, or public safety issues blend together and impact each other.
The headlines for the week on MHProNews found further below deal with topics that shed light on several of these issues.
These topics – when properly understood – span the left-right political divide. Keep in mind that the Rev. Donald Tye Jr told MHProNews that the methods being deployed in America was about “divide and rule.”
Note to first time or new readers: over the years, MHProNews has featured the thoughts of people from a range of religious backgrounds. That is not to say that all faith traditions are the same. They are not. But it is to make the point that thoughtful presentations from a range of spiritual as well as secular sources have been presented. We have noted the quote by Andrew Breitbart that “culture is upstream from politics,” but it is also a two way street.
The video below is a clip from the classic hit movie, Fiddler on the Roof.
This is an example of culture, faith, historic fiction, and humor blending together.
The so-called three great world religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam are called “monotheistic” religions that have a common tie with Abraham, among other historic figures. But eastern or other religious thoughts and their celebrations have been presented over the years here too.
It is axiomatic that on this side of eternity there will never be complete harmony or unity. But that is not to say that sufficient historic examples exist to inspire a reasonable degree of mutual respect while advocating for the rule of law in a just society.
With those predicates, here is an emailed sermon from Scripture scholar Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akalue, from which part of that headline is drawn.
On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, traditionally called Laetare Sunday, Rejoice Sunday, we share this message: “The importance of JOYFULLY yielding to God’s love through our Lenten Repentance.” Beloved, Laetare Sunday is about lessening the degree of penance typical of the Lenten Season because we are joyful our redemption or victory is at hand. The Hour when Christ accomplished our redemption and salvation through His Passion and Cross is at hand. A similar joy is expressed on the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when we rejoice and temporarily “tone down” our Advent preparations because the arrival of the Redeemer is at hand. Beloved, what is the value of our self-denial through fasting, abstinence and almsgiving? Why not simply enjoy the best of the pleasures of life? Why try to control our appetites and cravings?
The First Reading (2Chr 36:14-16, 19-23) underlines the importance of our Lenten discipline of repentance and response to God: “In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations [cf. Lev 18:1-6, 20-24] and polluting the LORD’s temple….” They rejected the theocratic vison of their society (cf. Exod 19:5-6) and preferred a secular outlook: to be like “pagan nations”: Egyptians, Canaanites, Babylonians, or worse still, like Sodom and Gomorrah (cf. 1Sam 8:4-5). Oh-oh! Yet, our God of love did not punish them swiftly; again and again, He sent them His messengers. “But they… despised his warnings and scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed that there was no remedy.” They paid a severe price: Jerusalem was besieged and conquered by the Babylonians: they “burnt the house of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, set all its palaces afire… destroyed all its precious objects…. [and] carried [many Israelites] captive to Babylon… [for] seventy years.” Wow! (cf. Jer 5:19).
These events demand we must learn the spiritual lessons of history and yield to God’s grace for our salvation. (cf. 1John 2:24) In what ways are we, today, acting like the Israel of old in rejecting our splendid faith orientation and Christ’s centered values and preferring to remake the Church or our life in the pattern of the secular society, desecrating God’s house, dismissing divine revelation, and adopting a secularist vision to faith, life and everything? Wow! Let us remember, God condemned Israel for such imprudence and disobedience. Let us remember, Jesus was infuriated at the sacrileges and secularizations in the temple and cleansed the temple (cf. Matt 11:15-17). How then do we expect Him to say we are ok? Beloved, “Those who do not learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat it!”
Some Christians shy away from the truth and say, “Stop spreading the fear of judgement; keep it positive; don’t be negative!” Please, let us never denigrate the Word of God as negative; the Word of God is truth and life (cf. John 6:63). Remember, the people of Israel had rebuffed Jeremiah’s message as spreading fear and had preferred those who told them what they liked to hear (cf. Jer 14:14; 2Tim 4:3-4). And while in disobedience, disregarding God’s law and polluting God’s Temple, they tried to maintain “positive” confidence in God’s protection and His “unconditional” promise to David (cf. Ps 89:3-4, 20-37; 132:11). What Was The Eventual Outcome? They suffered the Conquest of their land, the Deportation, and Exile to Babylon. Accordingly, we must not take God’s love and mercy for granted (cf. Luke 19:41-44; 2Pet 3:15). So, Lent is about true repentance, true change of heart; not false optimism in the face of unrestrained infidelities (cf. Rom 6:23).
Finally, in our Gospel passage, (John 3:14-21), Jesus tells us there is NO BLANKET SALVATION: “And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.” If we make Jesus less relevant knowingly and deliberately during our lifetime, how can we expect eternal blessings? (cf. Mark 8:38). Let us therefore take our Lenten observance seriously because in due season we shall reap a harvest of eternal life (cf. Luke 6:46-49; 15:8-14). Let us rejoice in cooperating with God’s laws as proclaimed by the Church, not following our personal opinions, the media, cultural or political or ideological confusions and misrepresentations. Therefore, assisted by God’s grace in Christ Jesus (cf. John 15:5), let us strive to fulfill the good deeds required of us through our Lenten discipline: prayer, fasting/abstinence and almsgiving (cf. Matt 7:24, 26; 25:34-45) and win God’s favor, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Note: citing this homily is not to be construed as a mutual endorsement.
As with all quotes of whatever length, they reflect the thinking of the person who expressed them.
In this case, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akalue is a Scripture scholar and a student of history.
Do not miss today’s postscript.
With no further adieu, let’s pivot to the headlines to the reports for the week that was 3.7 to 3.14.2021.
What is New from Washington, D.C. from MHARR
What is New from MHLivingNews
What is New on the Masthead
What is New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 3.13.2021
Friday 3.12.2021
Thursday 3.11.2021
Wednesday 3.10.2021
Tuesday 3.9.2021
Monday 3.8.2021
Sunday 3.7.2021
As our report last Sunday on Revolution Precrafted Properties reflected, a once globally hailed factory-home builder – Robbie Antonio – has rapidly fallen from his once lofty perch of positive media. There are numbers who are now accusing that firm and its leaders of various kinds of illegal and unethical behaviors. ICYMI, see that report linked above to learn more. It is a reminder that razzle dazzle is not always what it seems to be. The day may yet come when Warren Buffett-led Berkshire, Kevin Clayton led Clayton Homes might find themselves in a different dilemma, but similar in the sense that arguably illegal and immoral behavior was occurring. Who says? See the report linked below.
Postscript
It is a given that none of those reading these words – nor the writer of these words – are perfect people. In recent weeks and months we have showcased reports by attorney, author, and advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. There have been thoughtful news-analysis reports by Glen Greenwald. Others that span the left-right divide have been shared over the years. But not one of those individuals could seriously claim to be perfect. In traditional Christian theology, there are only two perfect people – and they both lived some 2000 years ago.
The point? If someone is scratching for something to find fault with, some weakness or flaw is always there to be found. With that in mind, without ignoring the weakness of this or that person, it is prudent to look at what their best has been too. Weaknesses and strengths alike can inspire others to be their best. These are pragmatic reasons why we have long advocated for applying the ancient principle of sifting the wheat from the chaff.
The notion of divine salvation is based upon the belief that humanity is tempted by the demonic and commits these or those sins. Those sins are described in Scripture. Woman or man can wish those teachings away. They can make a vain attempt to create their own brand of faith. But it is not going to be a mere mortal who decides our eternal destiny.
There has too long been a vain attempt to have a secular society bereft of spiritual influences. George Washington was arguably correct. Without those moral moorings of society the mere declaration of ‘a law’ has never proven able to keep law breakers from doing what they wish.
Censorship, cancel culture, the removal online, or banning of books or ideas that some find disagreeable has never entirely worked in prior historic attempts.
The Roman Republic collapsed under the weight of foreign border crosses, invaders, social or spiritual unrest, and an unsustainable ‘bread and circuses’ mentality. Having reduced illegal border crossings from Mexico, the 45th President Donald J. Trump’s administration also cut illegal drugs flowing from across that border too. The case can be made that deliberate decisions by the new regime in Washington are meant to destabilize society. As has been noted by MHProNews previously, is not only a case that some see a crisis as an opportunity to create change. Some create a crisis and then use that artificially made crisis to upend an area or society in ways that the powerful can also benefit from.
The history of the U.S. needs to be revised in this sense. As MHProNews has stated for years, there has long been a struggle for the wealthy to seize control of all the levers of power in the U.S. There has been an ebb and flow of times when antitrust laws – for example – were deployed to limit or break up the financial and economic power of certain elites. That in turn limited their political power too.
That struggle in America between “the elites,” “the Establishment,” the “Robber Barons” of the past, or the monopolistic minded billionaires of the present, has never entirely worked in either direction. Those tides rise, fall, and rise again.
This time might be different. The concentration of wealth, media, tech, the so-called ‘deep state’ and their intelligence and policing powers is unprecedent in American history to this point in time. This time our nation very much falls into category of the warning from President Abraham Lincoln.
It is up to those of us willing to look reality in the eye and who are willing to light the candles that we can against the rising tide of darkness. Cowering before evil or making deals with evil has never worked before. To borrow and modify the phrase, the road to hell is literally paved by the intentions of those to ‘go along to get along’ when the demonic and their human counterparts have no intentions of accepting anything less than their total victory.
In our Saturday Daily Business News report linked above, we made it plain that President Trump – who had numerous successes – nevertheless was in the words of his late friend and supporter Rush Limbaugh “rolled.” That is not to diminish any if his accomplishments. Whatever is, is.
The deep state and crony capitalist corruption in America is far worse than most imagined. That statement likely includes President Trump before his 4 years in the White House.
The best of the Trump efforts as well as others who care about the outcome for Americans in general, purified by Godly principles that results in thoughtful action, those are the best path ahead.
It is going to be a battle. The battle will be economic, legal, political, social, spiritual, educational, informational, and cultural. Darkness and light have always battled since the days of Eden. To ignore that is to ignore much of the lessons of human history.
One of many possible takeaways would be this. The spiritual life matters. It matters in business as well as in society. It is thus prudent to be aware of these factors. To look at not just one ‘bucket’ of life and try to judge things through one narrow lens.
America has never been perfect. But to borrow the saying of former President Bill Clinton, whatever is wrong in America can be fixed by whatever is right in America. And America was and is supposed to be one nation under God. A place established on the ideal of liberty and justice for all.
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By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
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