The answer might surprise you. Some of you reading this question might immediately think the county must contain depressed urban ghettos, while others may envision impoverished rural areas. Both are wrong answers, at least in part. Actually, the poorest county in America, both according to the 1980 U.S. Census and as of right now, is the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Oglala Lakota Sioux, and the largest and most impoverished reservation in the United States. How can this be when all you can hear on the news these days, is how rich Native Americans are getting by putting Gambling Casinos on the reservations?

Before I answer that question, I want to answer another one. Why am I writing this article on a blog dedicated to the witness of the Gift of God’s Torah and the salvation of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) to all humanity? Also, why am I writing this, not only during the Festival of Shavuot but because of the Festival of Shavuot? What could all these things have in common? Actually, quite a lot.

The Word of God says a great deal about the Will of God towards the impoverished and the duty of God’s people to the hungry and the needy. The Master said these words to us that point straight to the heart:

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me”. Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you”? The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”. -Matthew 25:34-40 (NIV)

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I see comments in the media from time to time stating that Christians oppose certain “human rights” because we want to control people. When Christian groups publicly oppose abortions, Pro-Choice supporters say that Christians want to control women’s reproductive rights. When Christian groups publicly oppose gay marriages (I’m writing this as the California Supreme Court is about to render its decision regarding Proposition 8), gay marriage supporters say that Christians want to deny gay people equal access to marriage. As I read these sorts of stories, I find myself wondering when I became such a control freak. As I exercise my convictions and my free speech rights, is my motivation the desire to control people and groups around me?

I have to admit, when I’m driving to work, I do find myself wishing some of the other drivers on the road with me would be a bit more cautious or avoid following so close behind me. When I’ve got an appointment to meet with someone and they’re late, I find myself wishing people would be more on time. As a human being, I have a tendency to “want it my way”. I suppose that’s the core of “original sin”; the desire to put your wants and desires ahead of all other considerations, including God’s.

I live in a nation and in a society that guarantees life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our rights as individuals have become woven into the fabric of our thoughts, feelings, and lifestyle. A “classic” ad campaign for a fast food restaurant once offered that you can have it “your way”. The rights of the individual are ingrained deeply in American culture and in the psyche of each American. Does that translate into each American wanting to have his or her own way, at the expense of the rights of others?

More to the point, do Christians as a group or organization, want to control the rights of other individuals or other groups and if so, why? I must admit, whenever I’ve gathered together with believers, I don’t recall having discussions that involve plans to control others. If we’re planning to “take over the world”, we’re doing it by trying to be a light to the world; that is, by communicating the will and desires of God and the Messiah Yeshua for all people everywhere. Actually, I think that’s the key.

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I teach my What are the 613 Commandments class differently than my other classes. Most of the time, I have only a few hours per class session and only a particular number of class sessions (on Shabbat, only one) to present the course material, so discussion on the topics at hand must be focused. After all, time is limited. When I undertook the teaching of the 613 commandments class, I realized that it would have to be an open ended study, since it would take literally years to properly review each commandment, one-by-one (in the six months I’ve been teaching the class, we’ve managed to get through 37 commandments, or about 6% of the total material).

If you are very goal oriented, the idea of spending an undetermined number of years covering a large body of knowledge may seem dismaying, but it has a golden advantage attached. Since I don’t have to worry about a strict deadline, I can allow the conversation to roam to topics that we probably wouldn’t touch upon otherwise, including current events, and including subjects that would be too emotionally charged for a more limited environment.

We’ve been studying the laws that relate to “Love and Brotherhood” or what God tells us about how to treat other people and particularly, other members of the redeemed community. This naturally leads into some very interesting conversations about the role of a believing people living in an unbelieving nation (Look around you. If you think America is a “Christian Nation”, you need to remove your blinders). Some of our conversations lead to expressions of frustration and even despair at the state of our country, our culture, and our world. For a group who believes in moral absolutes based on the Bible, watching the evening news can give us the feeling of sliding at breakneck speeds down an icy slope, while headed for a bottomless abyss. When will it all end? Is there any hope?

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Long Live the City of David!

Courtesy of jewlicious.

Bitachon is a Hebrew term referring to trusting God. You may say to yourself that sure, you trust God and let it go at that. After all, if you’re a believer in Yeshua (Jesus), it’s assumed by everyone including you that you trust God with everything. However, does the word “trust” in English encompass the complete meaning of “Bitachon”? Let’s find out.

I became interested in investigating the concept of Bitachon in part, due to my study of Mussar, which included my exploration of Rabbi Ephraim Becker’s blog. You can go to his blog to read his complete description of Bitachon, but I want to use just some of his material to flesh out my illustration of the nature of trust in God as seen from a traditionally Jewish point of view.

Aish.com adds that Bitachon isn’t trusting that God will make our lives completely carefree and without problems or worries. In fact, their web page dedicated to this topic clearly defines what Bitachon isn’t in our lives. Trusting in God doesn’t mean we can walk out into traffic and believe that God will prevent us from being hit by a speeding truck. So then, what does trusting in God encompass?

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Last July, Cyndy Stucker, long time friend and a person I worshipped with for years, died after a lengthy and difficult struggle with cancer. I’ve watched her children grow up. Our congregation meets in a house owned by her husband Dale’s family. We all remain touched by Cyndy’s death, and especially her life.

My words about Cyndy, her husband Dale, and their children aren’t important. Dale’s words are. He’s been invited to speak briefly at this year’s Susan G. Komen Annual Survivor Dinner on Thursday, May 7th. Although his comments are to be extemporaneous, he had originally prepared a document from which to speak. While that content won’t be presented at this Thursday’s dinner, Dale asks that his words be offered to as many people as possible. He has an important message to deliver to everyone…at least everyone who loves.

Hello. My name is Dale Stucker, and I imagine you’re wondering why I’m here. Shortly before my wife Cyndy passed away last year from breast cancer she told me, “Dale, if you can use our story to help others, its OK with me.” I promised her I would.

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