Posts by M Leno

Given the negative tone of the presidential race, it’s tempting just to ignore the whole mess and be thankful that we can keep religion and politics mostly separate. I’d like to suggest, however, that there are some positive things evident in the current political climate that we can notice and learn from. It may take some digging, imagination, and maybe even a little faith. But I suspect that what we look for often determines what we find. Allow me to call our attention to some important but sometimes unnoticed positives.

Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:39

I lost my faith. And I speak, not so much for myself but for those who have truly suffered because of evil people, tragic events, and corrupt institutions. We have been forced to lose faith in the very things that give order and meaning to our lives. Just when we think we have finally found our lives, we realize we have lost them.

Warrior Angel

‘Twas the night before doomsday and all through the land
People just needed someone to lend them a hand.
The pundits all said the other party’s to blame
And church folks said you just have to believe and claim.

Like most of us, I’m still trying to get my mind around the violence perpetrated in the neighboring city of San Bernardino yesterday. The meaning of it all eludes definition. Ironically, it was about the time I was online blogging about violence when a married couple in their 20s shot and killed 14 people and wounded 21 more. The couple died a short time later in a shootout with police. Their bodies were extracted from a bullet ridden SUV not far from the original crime scene. This morning, Kerry Heinrich, Loma Linda University Medical Center CEO, addressed the media to add some perspective related to treating the victims and dealing with a bomb scare.

A Footnote to the Previous Post

The subject of religious violence demands a much more thorough treatment than I can include in one or two posts. So the following notes about my previous blog are basically an acknowledgment that there’s more to the story.

The inclusion of the quote by Richard Marcinko might have seemed strange, given that it was not directly related to religious violence or terrorism. And it even seems to glorify violence.  I’ll admit, I included the quote for its sheer outrageousness.