Could Someone Just Answer a Question?

There has been much made of the latest health insurance reform package, both pro and con. One of the biggest arguments against the package is that we need to keep government out of health care. I know that the reform package is related to health insurance, and it’s not quite the same as health care. I also know that there won’t be a nickel’s worth of difference between the two when it comes to government having its finger in health care/insurance.
The fact is that government is already pervasive in health care/insurance. But don’t take my word for it. Tom Scully, CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that administers the Medicare program) Administrator in the Bush era from 2001 to 2003, said in a news clip regarding the role of CMS in health care/insurance, “You (CMS) get into every little nook and cranny of every part of the health care field.” This is from a man who was there well before any reform was passed by this congress.
Think about that amazing statement. “Every nook and cranny of every part” of the health care field (which includes health insurance, by the way). The government, friend, is already there and has been there for decades. Both parties are responsible. Neither will own up to it.
Let me tell you a true story. I know of a nursing home that had an annual fire inspection not long ago. It used to be that, since the State of Kansas was conducting the inspection, state regulations were used as the standard. Not so now. The inspector was working for the State of Kansas (Fire Marshal’s office), but was conducting an inspection according to CMS standards. CMS contracts with state agencies to conduct these kinds of inspections at facilities that participate in Medicare or Medicaid.
The inspector cited a deficiency in a linen storage closet, saying that fire sprinklers needed to be installed in the closet. This closet was built into the wall and was about three feet wide and sixteen inches deep. It had doors on the front and shelves in the closet to hold linens.
The building is relatively new (two years old). It has passed multiple fire inspections on both the local (Wichita Fire Department) and State (Fire Marshal) levels. The architect (well-versed in regulations of this kind) didn’t spec sprinklers in the closet when he drew the plans. The sprinkler sub-contractor, who is also well-versed in sprinkler regulations, didn’t see the need for sprinklers in the closet. An independent fire safety engineer reviewed the area and said in a formal opinion that the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Code, the gold standard for fire safety, specifically stated that sprinklers were not necessary.
CMS, however, wouldn’t budge. Regardless of the opinions of multiple professionals, and the explicit statement of the gold standard of fire safety, it threatened to withhold all payments to the facility until the problem was corrected. The State of Kansas threatened to not issue a license to operate the facility. The facility was faced with the real possibility (these guys don’t fool around with you) of having to transfer over 60 residents to other facilities and close its doors if it didn’t comply.
The facility reached an agreement with CMS that was satisfactory to CMS by cutting a 4 inch by 12 inch opening at the top of each of the closet doors. Think about that for a minute, then mumble under your breath in hapless wonder.
Let’s see. CMS is already into health care so deeply that it can mandate that a facility cut a 4 inch by 12 inch hole in a closet door, under penalty of non-payment of about $20,000 a day due from Medicare for treatment of Medicare residents. And you have the nerve to tell me that government is not into health care, and that the new reform package will ruin all of that and put government into the equation?
Oh, you say that government may be into health care, but the new package will make things worse. How can it be any worse than the federal government using the power of the State of Kansas (to withhold a license to operate a facility) and the power of the federal purse to mandate a hole in a closet door that doesn't, by all professional accounts, have to be there?
Would someone honestly answer that question for me without partisanship, without stump speech phrases, and without rancor?

It's Past Time

I don’t know where I read this story, nor do I recall the story word for word. I do, however, believe it to be pertinent today even more so than thirty five years ago when it first appeared.
In mid 1974, a man was showing a friend around his home. They viewed several rooms together, then went to an area where there were several pictures hanging on the wall. The centerpiece of this area was a very large photo of Richard Nixon, the President of the United States. The time was shortly before Mr. Nixon would resign his office due to the Watergate scandal. The picture was framed in a very nice frame and lit with a light over the photo.
The friend asked the man how he could honor such a man as Richard Nixon like this, since Nixon had lied about his involvement in Watergate, then tried to cover it up. Impeachment was a distinct possibility.
The man replied that he wasn’t honoring Mr. Nixon; rather he was giving honor to the President of the United States. The man further explained that regardless of party affiliation, he had hung a photo of the current President in this spot for many years in a desire to honor the office and the one holding that office.
The man explained that as long as Mr. Nixon was the President, he deserved the honor of being placed in such a position in his home. When another President was selected, regardless of party affiliation, and whether by election or by succession, his (or her) photo would be hung in that place.
There’s a lesson here for all of us. Regardless of our party affiliation; regardless of our passion for certain issues; regardless of who occupies the office of President (or Vice President, or Senator, or Mayor, or Governor), they deserve the respect and deference of the office they hold. We may disagree, and do so vigorously, with their ideology. But we do so with respect for the office and for the rule of law that placed them there.
In recent years we have lost that sense of respect. We have lost the civility. We have lost the ability to disagree, yet remain on civil terms. I long for the days of Bob Dole and Everett Dirkson. I am saddened by the crudeness, the hostility, and the outright ill will that accompanies our disagreement with someone else.
Such behavior is juvenile, ignorant, and crude. And it certainly has no place in the life of a professing Christian. Peter says to “fear God and honor the King.” At that time, the “King” was the Caesar of Rome, from whence came all manner of persecution of Christians and from whence eventually came Peter’s own death. Can you imagine Peter (or Paul) telling crude jokes about the Caesar, or wishing his death or injury? Neither can I.
Paul says that we are to “imitate me (Paul) as I (Paul) imitate Christ” (I Cor. 11:1) How can we possibly say we’re even trying to do that when our minds are filled with vitriol and even hatred for those with which we disagree politically?
The Christian community has a lot of repenting to do and a lot of changing of attitude and action. It’s past time to get started with that.

No Judgment From Me

I was watching a little of the History Channel tonight. The program was one about military snipers. In particular, the part of the program I saw was about Charles Benjamin "Chuck" Mawhinney, a Marine Corps sniper in Vietnam in the late 1960’s. He has the most confirmed kills of any Marine Corps sniper, 103, and 216 probable kills. Wiki says that this man was born about the same time I was and would be about my age.
When he got out of active duty, he came back home, started a family, and worked for the Forest Service until he retired a few years ago. He lived in obscurity until about 1990, when word of his achievement was published in a book. He now attends sniper conventions (I didn’t know there were such things) and gives speeches.
I don’t know about you, but this man was in a different universe when he was an active Marine. He talks of the kills as if it was a natural thing to do and says he has no nightmares, etc. regarding his job in the Marines. His rationale for doing what he did was good, and I can understand the necessity of it. That doesn’t change, however, the fact that war is not at all like the movies; not at all the glorious and grand thing it’s often portrayed to be.
War is ugly. War is brutal. And war is savage. The normal civilian population has no comprehension what some of our men and women have endured or the lives they have lived in Europe, Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, and other places and times when we fought and died.
Mr. Mawhinney said in the interview that if he and his partner would have likely been captured, they would have not allowed themselves to be taken alive because of what the enemy would do to a sniper from the other side. He recounts one incident in Vietnam where he took sixteen shots and had sixteen kills…all head shots from 50 yards at night with a monsoon closing in.
Some men (and women) willingly do things that aren’t even on my radar screen, and do it as a matter of course in order to survive. And they voluntarily place themselves in those positions because they volunteer to serve our country in one of the military branches of service.
Once a Marine…always a Marine. Even though I have the greatest value for human life and know full well both the spiritual and moral implications of taking a life, I dare not sit in judgment of this man or of anyone who serves. And even though I haven’t the faintest comprehension of the full import of what I saw on that program, and probably never will, I thank Mr. Mawhinney and others who willingly do those things that allow me to live my life in relative peace and safety.

You Breathe In and Out...

I was visiting with one of our residents early this morning (well, early for me…about 8am) as he was sitting at the breakfast table. He took off his glasses, blew on them, and put them back on. Now, I’ve done that more than once, and I’ll wager that you have too, just to get the big chunks off of them. The fine cleaning would come later. I mentioned to him that I did that sometimes as well, and he said to me, “You gotta breathe in and out; you might as well do something productive with it.”
This man has mild dementia and cannot live on his own. However, what he said was well worth it and was right on. Of course, he was talking about blowing on his glasses. I immediately thought of some other things.
You might as well do something productive. Why do we waste our time and energy on things that don’t matter?
You might as well do something productive. Why do we do or say things that we know are harmful to ourselves or others?
You might as well do something productive. Why do we complain about things that we can’t change?
You might as well do something productive. Is there any way we can leave our corner of the world better for our having been here?
You might as well do something productive. How can we serve those we know have need?
You might as well do something productive. Can you be an example of honesty, integrity, and truthfulness rather than selfishness, greed, and vice?
You might as well do something productive. What would it take for us to mentor a child, volunteer at the school, or be a special friend to a neighbor?
If you’re reading this, you’re breathing in and out. What have you done with those breaths that has been productive today?

Pickups and Carloads

Yesterday, I helped my niece move from her rented apartment to a home that she and her fiancé had bought just the day before. She will be living there and preparing the house to be a home until later this spring when they will be married. (How refreshing to see them living together AFTER they are married instead of before.) She has quite a task ahead of her, even though the house is fairly new and won’t need much painting, fixing, etc.
There are drapes to hang, a yard to work, furniture to buy (and move), things to hang on the wall, and the usual assortment of little “fixes” that are inevitable when someone moves into a new home. She and her fiancé will be busy these next few months.
It took three pickups and a couple of carloads to move everything she had out of the apartment and to the house, which is just a couple of blocks up the street in the same addition where we are living. Obviously, they will accumulate more “stuff” as time goes by, but I’m hopeful they will be mindful of a couple of things; where their stuff ultimately comes from, and just how much of it they are accumulating through the years.
Life does not consist of our possessions, says the Good Book. There’s a lot more to this than who has the most toys when he dies. After all, if that’s it, what’s the use?
We have a lot to learn about possessions and things. All too often, we define and identify ourselves by our possessions. Surely, there is much more to a living, breathing human being than what car he drives or what brand jeans she wears.
These kids have, if all is normal, a long life ahead of them. There will be plenty of time for possessions. Far more important will be the fostering and flowering of the relationship and the development of a solid foundation for a committed life together as husband and wife.
Godspeed.

Responsibility

I was laying awake last night at about 4am (I don’t know the exact time…I didn’t want to know), and was thinking about the word “responsibility”. Don’t ask me why, I just was. In any event, I was thinking about that word, along with what it means, and what kinds of responsibilities I had in various aspects of my life.
I can easily understand why some people get so upset about the responsibilities of life that they become virtually paralyzed and cannot function in ordinary situations such as work, home life, and living. It can be a daunting thing to think of all of those people and situations who are dependent in some way or another on someone to do a job or carry out a task.
In the light of day as we go about our daily tasks, the burden seems somehow lessened. We manage to do at least most of what we are responsible for doing, and what doesn’t ge done waits until another day or really didn’t need to be done at all. But at times when it is quiet and we are alone with our thoughts, they can quickly loom ever larger until they just seem to overwhelm the senses.
I am reminded of Paul’s statement that he had learned the secret of contentment. Whatever the situation he found himself in, he said, he learned to be content with it. I would imagine that if anyone had responsibilities that seemed to overwhelm, it may have been him. Carried into situations not of his making and which altered his plans for the future in big ways, Paul learned to rely on a Higher Power and be content with wherever he found himself.
I know that I need to emulate Paul and others that have managed to find the secret of contentment and peace, even in the midst of chaos and disorder. I have a difficult time with that, and know that I would have a much easier time of life in general if I wasn’t so worried about getting this done or fulfilling that responsibility in a timely manner. Yes, we as Christians are to be diligent to live our lives “as unto the Lord” and so we must do the best we can. But to worry excessively about something or to allow external forces to take away our happiness, contentment, and peace is not appropriate and has no place in the life of the Christian.
I also know that for some people, the problem of excessive worry goes beyond what can reasonably be accommodated, and professional help may be needed. If so, there should be no stigma attached to that need; rather, we support and encourage our fellow Christian as best we know how and “bear one-another’s burden.”
Most of us don’t have the worry of where we will get our next meal, or where we will stay the night. Instead, our worries are more along the lines of paying bills, keeping promises, and attending to looming future events. We have moved away from worry about survival to worry about things not as important. The fallout of that worry, however, does not change. We can still be paralyzed by excessive worry, and that worry can rob us of the peace and contentment promised by our God.
There are no easy fixes. There is nothing I know of that will change this in five minutes or less. I know it is a learning process. And I know that true peace and contentment are gifts and blessings from God. I know that it involves one giving up the right to control one’s destiny and allowing God to take charge. I know that it is a daily decision that becomes a daily way of life.
And that, my friend, is not easy.

Preparation and Prayer

I’m teaching an adult class this quarter (beginning tomorrow) on Exodus. When I was asked to teach it, I thought to myself, “That’s 40 chapters in 12 weeks in an Old Testament book that many people see as rather dry history.” Accepting the challenge after a day or two of thought, I now face the challenge of making this class something like our education minister had in mind for it.
Of course, we will need to do kind of an overview thing this quarter. There’s no way we can discuss each verse, or even each event, story, or section of the book. I’ll have to find the highlights, and for that I’ll need some kind of guidance to land on those places that I think will make the most relevant sense for us today.
In thinking about that, I was taken back to many years ago when I did a series of sermons on Joshua. I took much of my information from a book written by Dale Ralph Davis called “No Falling Words”. In the book, he zeroes in on God’s promises and how those promises were kept. Joshua, in his farewell address to the people in chapter 23 said that “Not one word of all the good words of Jehovah have fallen to the ground.” Of course, he meant that God has kept each and every promise that he gave to the nation of Israel.
Although the first promise to Israel was given to Abraham in Genesis 12, the fulfillment of that promise, and many others, in many ways begins as Exodus opens with the story of the calling of Moses and Aaron. I think it will be quite good to prepare the upcoming lessons based on the idea of “No Falling Words” and what that means for God’s people today.
I have all 12 lessons (we won’t meet for class Easter Sunday) outlined, and the introduction to the first lesson done. I’ll prepare the rest of tomorrow’s lesson later on today. We’ll look at the first three chapters of the book.
I enjoy teaching, as it gives me fresh eyes to look at something I perhaps have looked at many times before. I don’t pretend that I will cause any earth shattering changes in the lives of my students, but I do encourage them to think for themselves, to examine what they’ve always thought about God and their relationship with Him, and to go from class a little more refreshed than when they came into class. I am also acutely aware that as a teacher, I will be held to a greater account (according to James in 3:1).
Tomorrow should be interesting just in seeing who will be coming to this class. I doubt that I will have a house full, but hope that there will be enough that we can have good discussions. I would ask you to wish me luck, but suspect that preparation and prayer have much more to do with it than luck. So as I prepare and pray, if you’ll pray with me, perhaps the favor of the Lord will shine.

Enjoy the Spring

The last couple of days have been, weather-wise, just wonderful. Compared to the weeks and weeks that preceded, these days are a gift to be savored. It’s a little early to say that winter is over, but it is March after all, and things are warming up.
A couple of days ago, the neighbor kids were out on the driveway shooting baskets…in bare feet. Deer have come back to the park out back of our house, and we’re beginning to see a few more varieties of birds. The tulips are peeking through, and people are beginning to stir around, get things cleaned up, and prepare for the summer ahead.
I like all four seasons, but I think spring is my favorite. It’s a time for renewal and growth; of promise and expectation. The sometimes stifling heat of summer seems to suck some of that promise and expectation out of my system at times, but that’s to be expected in this part of the world.
It’s been a rather cold and dreary winter, this one has. All winters seem that way at times, but this one seems to have hung on longer than in recent past years. When the gray, foggy days just go on and on, people begin to get a little nervous. Folks have shorter tempers, and it just seems that it will never end. But it does, of course.
I hope you’re looking forward to spring as well. It’s a great time of the year. Stop and take the time to enjoy it.