Responding to alleviate suffering poverty, disease, homelessness, natural disasters, and the demeaning of the human condition by internal or external forces is a requirement that is directed to the broad Christian Community through the core teachings of Jesus.

Jesus was acutely aware that the poor would always be with us but that did not mean that we should not engage in the hard work of ending poverty.

Churches by themselves or broad Christian denominations globally cannot end such conditions that demean, demoralize and destroy the creatures of God....but we can be the "weavers" that bring faith-based organizations, non-profits, the corporate sector and government agencies worldwide together to address, relieve and possibly alleviate such conditions.

Dangers inherent in such efforts however are that large, unaffiliated churches and even huge traditional denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Communion would see such aid, support and relief as a way of gaining converts in exchange for services rendered.

What ever happened to Christmas? I mean once Halloween is over it seems as if every merchant, every shopping mall, every airport concourse is decorated with the politically correct “Happy Holidays” message.

And what’s with the demise of Christmas Trees? Now they’re called Holiday Trees. My brother lives in a small Massachusetts town where public Commons go way back to the time of the British Occupation of Boston and its suburbs. Last year he phoned me, ready to gas up a chain saw and march down to the Common to defoliate what, for the first time in the history of that town was called the town’s “holiday tree.” I pursued him to write a letter to the editor in the local paper instead and save his chain saw for something less physically taxing. It worked! The letter provoked a cry from the old timers in town who said: “Enough of this foolishness.” We’ll have a Christmas tree, and a Menorah on the Common and that’s that.” No doubt someone will sue the town if not this year then next about the use of public property for religious purposes, but “come on now, get a life.”

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