Oh look, Chicken Thursday! OK, truth be told, I just realized that Sunday's mailing did not go out so I am reviving it for today!
I've been to my Egyptian doctor (chiropractor) three times this past week to get a wayward rib taken care of. It has made me think of Adam's rib experience which resulted in him being blessed with a wife in order to correct the one thing that was not good in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:18.) But I have already been blessed with a wife, so my side ordeal will not end with such a huge net gain!
Speaking of ordeals, there is something else that has been bothering me this week: this whole deal with seizing the yachts of Russian Oligarchs. Let me first say I unequivocally support the seizing of those (and other) assets to either put pressure on Putin to end the war in Ukraine or to incentivize someone to gift him some poisoned underwear from the same store he got the pair he gave to Alexey Navalny.
I'm also all for selling these vessels and giving the proceeds towards caring for Ukrainians and rebuilding their country. What sticks in my craw is the question, "Who should even own a billion dollar yacht in this world of need anyway?" Instead of putting more money into these decadent ships, I think they should be sunk as artificial reefs and anyone who could have afforded to buy them should give that money (which they obviously have far too much of) to fixing some of the problems facing mankind. We could call it the "Cure for Cancer Reef!"
I do feel somewhat hypocritical suggesting the above because I myself live a comfortable life that could be less comfortable in the service of those who have less than me. Such is also the case with many of you reading this. But what galls me about the whole yacht thing is what galled me weeks ago when I lined up the video for today's video share: the absolute indifference of the mega rich to the realities of the lives of everyday people.
It reminds me of Mr. Potter's chastisement of Harry Baily's helping of the poor in the movie It's a Wonderful Life. Potter, by far the richest man in town, saw charity to others as a way of creating "a discontented, lazy rabble instead of a thrifty working class." But as Bailey pointed out, those same people "do most of the working and paying and living and dying" in the community and was it "too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?"
You will never look at the ultra rich, nor a big city skyline, the same way after watching "How I faked being a billionaire so you could see NYC’s best views."
Here is the rest of today's mailing.
~ Pastor Tim
Remember that this coming weekend is when many of us will change our clocks to Daylight Savings. It's good timing because many of us are wondering what the future holds and now we can find out 60 minutes earlier. [Spoiler alert: God has already won!]
Today's video share is "No Words."
The promises of God are an anchor and source of rest during times like the ones in which we are living.
Today's edition adopts the colours of Ukraine on a Sunday when words have failed me.