The recent political primary contests in South Carolina and the caucuses in Nevada have shown some interesting results: This is not a good year to be an establishment politician, at least on the national stage. Who would have thought, months ago, that Hillary Clinton would just eek out a small victory in Nevada? Who would have even thought it possible last June that Donald Trump would not only win both the Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina primary, but do so in an almost overwhelming fashion? From exit polls both in South Carolina and Nevada voters have expressed an anger over politics as usual. Super Tuesday is next week - those results could really tell the story of who the candidates for President will be. As Ohio Governor John Kasich said after the New Hampshire primary, "Put on your seat belt, this is going to be a ride!"
I read a couple of articles this week that, once again, brought to the forefront the insanity of the world in which we are living. And one of the articles involved Chick-fil-A. It was written by Todd Starnes and can be found at: www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/02/23/chick-fil-flap-rocks-another-american-university. "The war on poultry rages on yet another public university campus - this time at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The hullabaloo started last January when students were asked to select a new dining option for the student union. Their choices included Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, IHOP, A&W and Sbarro. The youngsters chose Chick-fil-A - in a landslide. ... However, it turns out majority does not rule at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. A vocal minority pitched a fit and demanded that Chick-fil-A be banished from campus. Among those opposed to the chicken restaurant were members of the university's Queer Straight Alliance (QSA). 'We only hope to create dialogue on the importance of being aware of issues facing diverse and minority students,' QSA president Tiff Weekley told the Kearney Hub. 'Though majority voices are most often heard, it is important to listen to what issues are facing all students and to start conversations around those.' All the anti-chicken contingent needed for their nefarious plan to succeed was a yellow-bellied student government. And they got what they were looking for. 'We decided, after much consideration, to poll students again,' student body president Evan Calhoun wrote on his Facebook page. Calhoun went on to explain why Chick-fil-A would not be included in their new poll. 'When we learned more about Chick-fil-A and its corporate values and discriminatory policies, and after hearing these concerns raised by a section of our student body, we concluded that these corporate values are not aligned with our values as a student body, and it is not in the best interests of our UNK community to pursue Chick-fil-A right now,' he wrote. Calhoun did not provide any evidence that Chick-fil-A has ever discriminated against anyone - especially the LGBT community. But these days - facts don't seem to matter."
Starnes continues, "Meanwhile, all those kids who wanted to eat more chicken are fighting made, the website Campus Reform reported. Pro-poultry student Aaron Ohri fired off a letter calling the student government's decision a 'complete and total slap in the face to many of us on this campus who believe that Chick-fil-A is not wrong in what they believe. I understand that a Christian lifestyle in this day and society is completely 'disrespectful' but please do not ever again send me an email speaking for the 'whole student body' when you do not have a clue what most of us actually think,' he wrote in a letter to the university."
After reading this, is it any wonder that many in America's electorate - on both sides of the aisle - are angry at what is happening in America today?
Let me share another article with you. You can find this one at: www.inforwars.com/black-lives-matter-accuses-public-library-of-white-supremacy. "The Nashville chapter of Black Lives Matter accused a public library of 'white supremacy' after librarians refused to host a meeting which banned whites from attending. BLM Nashville attempted to set up a meeting at the North Branch Library in North Nashville, but after group organizer Joshua Crutchfield said 'only black people as well as non-black people of color are allowed to attend,' the library told BLM to find a new location. 'All meetings at our facilities must be open to the general public and news media,' library spokesperson Emily Waltenbaugh said. 'We're a library. We're taxpayer funded. We have to be open to anyone anytime.' In response, BLM Nashville announced a change of venue with the following sign stating 'due to white supremacy in our local government, this week's BLM General Body Meeting location has changed."
The article concluded with some remarks that appeared on the BLM Nashville's Facebook page. "'Am I the only black person here that finds this appalling?' Eugene J. asked. 'Not all whites are your enemies, and not all blacks are your friends.' Another gentleman, Greg Z, pointed out the irony of BLM Nashville: 'BLM Nashville, you are the only ones fueling the flames of hate; everyone is just simply pointing out that you cannot just make up your own rules. Especially with public places that the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 covers...it still comes down that in a taxpayer-owned building you cannot discriminate who can and cannot attend a discussion.'"
Okay, so much for the insanity of our world. Let me share with you a little lighter note. This past Sunday I preached from those first verses in Ecclesiastes 12 where Solomon paints a picture of old age. He certainly brought some laughter in his descriptions. Well, I shared an article that I had clipped from a newspaper many years ago. It was an Ann Landers column. I was asked if it would include it this week. And I do so with joy.
"Dear Ann: I live in Riverside, CA, and newspapers are my hobby. I ran across something in the Yucaipa, CA News Mirror that tickled my funny bone. It doesn't say who the author is, but that person is certainly tuned in to what life is like when you get to be 65. I hope you will share this little essay with your readers. - Ann's Fan.
"Ann says: Thanks for sending on that funny, funny piece. I hope my readers enjoy it as much as I did. The 40-and-under crowd can skip it. They won't get it for at least another 20 years.
"I have noticed: Everything is farther away than it used to be. It is even twice as far to the corner and they have added a hill. I have given up running for the bus; it leaves earlier than it used to. It seems to me they are making the stairs steeper than in the old days, and have you noticed the smaller print they use in the newspapers? There is no sense in asking anyone to read aloud anymore, as everybody speaks in such low voice I can hardly hear them. The material in dresses is so skimpy now, especially around the hips and waist, that it is almost impossible to reach one's shoelaces; and the sizes don't run the way they used to. The 12s and 14s are so much smaller. Even people are changing. They are so much younger than they used to be when I was their age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran into an old classmate the other day; she has aged so much she didn't recognize me. I go to thinking about the poor dear while I was combing my hair this morning and in so doing I glanced at my own reflection. Really now, they don't even make good mirrors as they used to."
What a great philosophy in the midst of a world of increasing insanity!
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