Today's Gospel finds the Pharisees trying to trick Jesus into making a rebellious statement against the Romans.  They ask Him if it is part of God's Law to give taxes to Caesar (Tiberius, the second emperor of Rome).  Jesus does not answer the question directly, but asks them for a coin (indicating that He didn't carry money Himself) and then asks whose face is on it.  When they reply that it is Caesar's, He tells them to "repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar ..." and then takes it to a higher level by telling them to repay "to God what belongs to God."

Jesus is a master at answering questions with questions of His own.  This is not just true in the Gospels, but in our lives as well.  When we ask God for help or aid, often His response is a question: Is this truly the help that we need?  Will what we have asked for truly be to our benefit?  Are we just looking for our selfish desires?  What effort have we put forth in this endeavor?  Are we deserving of victory?

Jesus leads us to examine our lives, not to give us easy ways out of situations that we have brought upon ourselves.  The Pharisees were able to quickly produce the Roman coin, indicating their own reliance upon it.  They wanted to use the Roman monetary system without any of the responsibilities associated with it, trying to hide behind the Law of God.  This is why Jesus calls them "hypocrites" before responding to their question.

We see this same sort of hypocrisy in our world today.  People demand many things from our government without playing their own part as citizens.  We look out for our own self-interests, and complain when they aren't met, when we aren't following Jesus's primary commandments:  To love God (and thus His creation) with all our minds, all our hearts, and all our souls, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Today's Gospel gives a short, but important, parable.  In it, the father asks his two sons to complete a task.  One says he will, but doesn't even attempt the job.  The other says he won't but then goes and completes the task.  Jesus doesn't just want "yes-men."  Too often people claim they are Christian and then do not emulate Christ (for that matter, I've been guilty of this).  Worse are those who persecute others in the name of Jesus.  Jesus specifically says that the outcasts (prostitutes and tax collectors) are more deserving of salvation than the religious of his time.

How about now?  Too often "Christians" are judging, harassing, and persecuting people they think are not deserving.  "Christian" candidates take away money from the neediest, put the harshest laws on crimes committed by the disadvantaged, and claim a moral superiority on ethical issues without addressing the causes.  Jesus preached to (not at) the underprivileged and the forgotten, the people who most of us would like to forget exist.  He warned us that we can't just "talk the talk."  We must put deeds behind our words.

Our homily today covered a different matter: the persecution of Christians at the hands of ISIS.  While our priest presented atrocities committed, my mind could not handle the level of slaughter that was discussed.  Now, I am a cynic at heart, and I know about the methods of propaganda as well as the misinformation that can come from a war zone.  What I have found is that while the details discussed in the homily might not be true, there is no denying that ISIS (or whatever name it has decided on today) is committing war crimes in Iraq and Syria.

A student of mine once told me that bin Laden was not a Muslim, that he might have claimed to be Muslim, but he was not a true follower as a true follower would not harm innocents.  I do not know how true that statement is, but I can't help but wonder the same about ISIS.  Do they realize that, although they might claim to be Islamic, they actually serve Satan?  Only Satan revels in this kind of bloodshed.

We need to be careful about how we interpret God's plans for us.  God is the ultimate judge.  I worry about those who claim to carry out judgement for Him.

Today's Gospel reading is disruptive to most people's versions of justice.  I suppose that it's one of the reasons why I like it so much.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner who sends his overseers to hire people at several times through the day.  At the end of the day, starting with those who only did a few hours' worth of work, he pays every worker for a full day's wage.  The ones who worked the entire day, having seen the ones who worked for a shorter period of time paid the full day's wage, are angered when they receive the same amount.  The owner asks them why they are upset.  They have received what was promised them.  Why should they be upset that he was generous to others who were not as fortunate to find work at the beginning of the day.

This is what I love about Jesus's style.  He asks us to examine our most basic prejudices, preconceptions, and desires.  We are reminded in today's first reading that our "way are not [God's] ways," that God's thoughts are as high above our thoughts as the heavens are above the Earth.  This isn't bragging; it's a challenge, a lofty standard that we need to stretch out and reach.  In this case he warns us about "fairness."

"I worked longer, so I deserve more" is what the first workers are demanding, but God's justice is greater than that.  What about the unlucky?  What about those who still do the work, but join late due to circumstance?  Doesn't everyone deserve the full day's wage?  

I think of the men who gathered in job markets and street corners during the Great Depression.  All of them needed money for their families.  All of them were willing to take nearly any type of job.  Some would wait around all day with nothing to show for it.  Some would only get a few hours of work and thus a few hours of pay.  Jesus tells us that ALL need to be fed, provided for, and protected.

Of course, this parable is often quoted when talking about our ultimate salvation, but I believe that Jesus is telling us that this relates to our day-to-day lives.  Our economies should be based on this.  Our lives should be lived this way.  We need to rethink our concepts of fairness and justice.  We need to grasp for the ideals that Jesus has set for us.

Union-bashing has become much more rampant in the past few years.  Legislation with innocuous names such as "Right to Work" has been passed to actually undermine the rights of the workers.  Even today, a national holiday that is supposed to show the importance of the working class in America, finds many of the workers its supposed to be celebrating still hard at work with little cause for celebration.

Somehow, corporate politicians have led people to believe that safer working conditions, a living wage, and decent work schedules are un-American.  People have voted away their rights to fair pay, affordable education, and healthcare due to fear-mongering and downright misinformation.  Instead, they keep voting for tax-cuts to corporations and the highest paid citizens, the ability for jobs to be more easily moved overseas, and the legalization of environmentally damaging practices.   Ironically, they do so, usually believing that they are voting in their own best interests, even though the only real benefactors have been the richest 1% (not even 10%) of Americans.

I have stated before that there needs to be a Worker's Bill of Rights.  Without this sort of protection, corporations can buy legislation that tears away the rights of most Americans.  Perhaps this Labor Day, people will remember that simple standards such as the 40 hour work week and breaks in shifts longer than four hours were hard fought rights, but they were not meant to be the end (let alone be whittled away).  Maybe we can even remind those naysayers that America's economy improved under these changes to become the dominant economy in the world.

I have been reading a book on the lives of saints, reflecting on them on the days given to them (usually the day of their deaths).  Yesterday's and today's saints both had quotations that inspired something within me.

When I fed the poor, they called me a saint.  When I asked, "Why are they poor?" they called me a communist.
-Hélder Câmara

This idea sums up most of what I think about politics and economics.  People claim that they want to help the poor, but they do not want to examine the system that causes poverty in the first place.  Politicians often manage to put the blame of poverty on the people who are its greatest victims instead of accusing the true sources of unequal wealth distribution.  People who do point out the true cause are labeled as communist, socialist, or revolutionary.

Do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe so that you may understand.
-Augustine of Hippo

I have seen so many good people get this idea backwards.  They want come kind of unequivocal proof before they are willing to believe in God.  I believe that the proof is in every breath we draw, in every atom that composes every piece of our world.  Because people deny what they see around them, how can any evidence persuade them?

I just finished watching My Fellow Americans, a comedy from 1996 where two ex-Presidents (one Republican, one Democrat) must work together to help uncover a plot to discredit and kill them.   Played by Jack Lemon and James Garner, these two Presidents can't stand one another, but they not only learn how to work together, but they learn something about the people in the country that they were running as well.

I like this movie for its comedy and its entertaining cast, but mostly for the themes that it has.  One of the most important of these that struck me as I watching the movie today is how much more we accomplish when we work together rather than when we work against one another.  

Politics in America was designed to be divided.  The intention of the founders of this nation was to create a system that required debate and discussion before action could be taken.  Too often in America's history has this intentional division been taken too far.  Too often do the politicians on both sides use rhetoric to demolish the other side rather than use action to prove the positives of their own positions.  This is not a new phenomenon, but it is sad nonetheless.  

This is a nation that needs debate in order to make certain that the government is doing what is best for its citizens, but it needs debates that don't completely alienate the various positions.  We need to start listening to one another again and acknowledge the strengths of the various arguments.  The politicians of our nation are not trying to destroy America, and we need to recognize that.  People are not wrong simply because they support a different political party.  Once we clear those unworthy ideas from the American consciousness, we can make our country (and our world) a better place.

You see, you can learn things from watching movies.

I have been extraordinarily pleased with Pope Francis.  He is the down-to-earth yet connected-to-God sort of person whom I believe makes for an excellent religious leader.  He makes a point of not getting caught in the trappings of his position and points out hypocrisy both within the Church and throughout the world without being overly judgmental.  Most importantly, he has done an excellent job in returning Catholicism to its true message of love.

That said, I think many people are misinterpreting some of his deeds and actions.  They are looking for someone to shake up the Church (which he has) in ways that allow them to continue their own immoral practices without guilt (which he hasn't).  While he is redirecting the message of the Church, he is not changing its teachings that have held since at least the Council of Trent in the 16th century (which reaffirmed much older practices and traditions).

Those who expect him to overturn the Church's stance of homosexuality or abortion are going to be sadly disappointed.  However, he has brought a stronger focus on politicians who have claimed Christian values yet have embraced very un-Christian-like practices and policies, especially in regards to the treatment of the poor.  He has warned his fellow Catholics about the trap of voting for a candidate due to a single issue while ignoring the other evils that candidate might support.

Most importantly, he has warned his fellow Christians against being too judgmental, even against those people who espouse beliefs different from the Church's.  He has admitted that people do not have the ultimate power of judgment: that is left to God.  He has also clarified that this does not mean that everything is permitted or that truth is relative.  Rather he has reminded us that the greatest truth comes from the love of God.

I've already seen prejudiced hate-rhetoric spring up about Pope Francis.  Those people could probably learn something about mercy from this extraordinary man.  I, for one, am excited about his papacy.  

We need a federal Bill of Workers' Rights.

While I feel like I have written on this topic before, I couldn't find an entry on it.  Besides, the idea is worth repeating.  There are many rights which all people should have available to them, no matter the job.  Of those, there are a few that are on my mind at the moment.

The right to sick leave.  People with the flu should not be forced to spread the contagion to the general public for fear of being fired.  Those undergoing a catastrophic illness should not also have to worry about losing their job.  I'm not talking about taking off whenever one wants, but at a minimum people should be able to keep their jobs when they are too sick to come in.  In truth, I believe that those missed days, to a reasonable amount, should be paid as well.

The right to paternal leave.  Much like sick days, people should be able to take off days due to difficult pregnancies, the birth of a child, and a period of adjustment to having a new life in their homes without fear of losing their income.  The United States is one of only four countries in the world not not guarantee paid maternity leave.  Even Iran has that law in place.  Many countries have been guaranteeing paid paternity and adoption leave as well.  The U.S. should be leading this ideal, not rejecting it.

The right to a living wage.  This has received a great deal of press as of late.  I do not see the issue.  If the U.S. guarantees a 40-hour work week, then a person working those 40 hours should make more than the poverty level.  Obviously, this should adjust with inflation.  How anyone can agree that a person's most important and irreplaceable resource (time) is worth less than a living wage is beyond my understanding.

The right to a comfortable working environment.  Obviously, there are jobs that are hazardous by their very nature, but every attempt should be made to make any job as safe and comfortable as is reasonable for the situation.  Less comfortable and safe jobs should not only compensate better, but should also automatically provide for the workers and their families should harm befall them.

There are more, but these four should be enough to think on for now.  Were I to run for office, the Workers' Bill of Rights would be a major part of my platform.  This is an area in which government should be involved for the safety, health, and well-being of its citizens.

While I hold many controversial opinions, there is one that I truly believe should be enacted as an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.  It does what I feel the 26th Amendment should have done in the first place, what the 15th and 19th technically include, and what I believe the 14th (section 1) technically covers.  I believe that all citizens of the U.S., no matter their age, should have the right to vote.

Yes, even infants.  Obviously, the legal parent or guardian of the child would have the right to help the child in the voting process until the child is capable of do so without such aid.  Still, many of the decisions that are made today directly affect the future of our children, yet those children have no voice in those decisions.  Because they do not have the ability to vote, politicians largely disregard policies that would directly benefit children, and instead focus on helping those in a significantly aging population.

Who better to vote on issues of school bonds, social security, the environment, foster care systems, the deficit, etc. than those citizens who are either directly impacted or who will have to foot the bill?  Sure, government officials claim to be acting in the best interests of children, but without having to court their votes, all that is given is lip service.

To those who claim that children are not ready for this responsibility, that they will be too easily manipulated by people who do not have their best interests at heart, or that they will simply vote the way they are told by their superiors, I would like to remind you that the same arguments were given when newly freed slaves, and later women, were wanting their voices to be heard.  I will also add that all of those arguments are true for any human being.  I know of many adults who are not informed enough to vote, as well as many adolescents who nearly have the capability to run a country (as many children have done throughout the history of the world).

Every citizen deserves the right to help shape the course of our nation.  This is a democratic republic.  It works best when all of our voices can be heard.

For the past two weeks, the highway near Grass Lake has been under construction.  This, in itself, is not much of a surprise as that section of road has been under some sort of construction for the past several years.  This time, however, the normally four-lane highway has been brought down to two lanes, one lane each way.  As a result, my normal hour-long drive to work (and back home) has been extended by ten to thirty minutes.  The difference in time is not as much due to the amount of traffic, but the courtesy of the drivers on the road.

If all drivers simply merged to the correct lane when they reached the signs that indicated the need to merge, traffic would still slow down, but 20 mph (half the minimum speed limit) would be the absolute slowest we would go.  We would be able to travel faster if there was less than complete congestion on the road.  Instead, I often find myself at a dead stop, often for minutes, and then a slow crawl until I finally get to the single lane, where I finally get to the above mentioned minimum speed or more.

The culprit?  A lack of courtesy and general self-absorption of most drivers.  These are the drivers who wait until the last possible moment to merge with traffic.  Somehow, they believe that I, who have already merged, don’t want to get to my job or loved ones as much as they do.  Instead of all of us getting to our destinations with relatively little hassle, all of us end up at a hostile dead stop.  Because of this stopped traffic, what would have been a minor inconvenience has become several miles of gridlock.

Blessed are the semi-truck drivers who pull into the passing lane and pace the merged line, assuring that the egocentric drivers can’t keep the merged cars stuck in limbo forever.  Without them, I might never get home.  Instead, I can leave a comfortable distance between myself and the car in front of me, knowing that these sheparding semis will keep the people merging in front of me down to only a car or two.

It is the mentality of these passing lane morons that keeps screwing up economies around the world.  In an ideal world, we would all act responsibly and co-exist peacefully in a free market.  Unfortunately, the truth is that the moment there is a mild tightening in the economy (or even disasters, either natural or financial), people try to gun past as many others as they can.  Instead of working together and moving forward until we pass the crisis, we are brought to a full and complete stop, making an already irritating situation downright infuriating.  If it weren’t for government agencies and altruistic companies who can act as those semi-trucks and reign in some of the more aggressive drivers, we would never get anywhere.  Yes, I would be happier if they didn’t have to be there, but I’m glad that someone is able and willing to stand up for principles beyond the get-rich-quick scheme.

I’ve been told that my belief is naively optimistic, that it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and that it is better to take than be taken advantage of.  There might be some truth there.  However, foolish or not, I will continue to merge at the signs and give plenty of space for others to do the same.  Perhaps, if we can spread the word far enough, we will all move forward together.

I am an independent voter.  Neither party really fits me or my beliefs, so my voting usually goes towards creating a government that can "accomplish" as little as possible.  The problem is that, while both parties court the "middle" when campaigning, they tend to vote for the extremes when they are in office.  Rarely do we see news about the triumphs of moderates (not that I always side with moderates either).  Instead, extremism has become, well, extreme.  I fear that I will never find a candidate I can truly support.  

Here is what I would need from a "perfect" candidate:
Supports life (no abortions, no euthanasia, no death penalty).
Supports the disadvantaged (welfare, universal healthcare, universal education).
Supports workers (we wouldn't need unions if our rights were better represented).
Supports our heroes (military, police, fire, rescue, astronauts).
Reduces governmental bureaucracy (less governmental intrusion on businesses and institutions - more incentives for progressive and moral activities).
Reduces government snooping (doesn't censor the Internet, eavesdrop on citizens, or place cameras all over the place--we're doing a good enough job of that ourselves).
Doesn't treat companies and corporations as citizens (especially when they don't act like them).
Supports free trade as long as the rights of workers are met.
Supports governmental transparency (regularly publicizing in easily understood formats).
Supports immigration (and improving the process for people to immigrate).
Works to improve conditions all around the world (realizes that isolationist attitudes lead to civilizations' downfalls and that a consumer-based economy, such as ours, benefits from more customers).

This is just off the top of my head.  I'm certain that there's more.  I don't want much, do I?

As I said, the chances of such a candidate coming along are rather slim.  Despite this, I do, however, vote.  I vote in national, state, county, and township elections.  The closer the politics are to home, the more important it is that my voting "voice" is heard.