Crosswinds Foundation

Okay, I admit it – I got sucked into Lost. A couple of years ago I watched a few episodes from the first season and got hooked. I went out and bought all the seasons on DVD and immersed myself in the storyline preparing for the new season that year. It didn’t matter that it didn’t make sense. It was terrific storytelling and we were told the writers had it all mapped out. In fact, it was so well mapped out, we were led to believe, that the season of the writer’s strike, they were upset that some of the plot development from that season would not get in, or would be rushed. This gave me comfort. So, I could live with my confusion. After all, I knew one day it would all fall into place – the writers had it all plotted out. One day all would be revealed and I would be able to say, “So, that’s why the polar bear was there; that’s where the smoke monster came from.” So, here I sit after the series finale – my hopes dashed. It turns out it was all a sham. There are no real answers; in fact, ...

It is not unusual for someone to ask me what I think are the biggest or most important shifts in faith-beliefs that have occurred in recent years. Answering this question usually leads to an interesting discussion about where we are as a society as regards religious, or “spiritual”, issues. Following is my “Top Ten” list for your consideration and discussion. 1. God doesn’t exist/isn’t real/is dead. 2. There are many gods, or perhaps one God who expresses himself, or itself in many different forms. 3. Many/all religions lead to eternal life, or to the same God – they just have different understandings of who, or what, God is. 4. All religions, basically, teach the same truths, perhaps, with a little variation. 5. The Bible is not God’s word but just another book. 6. Jesus was a great teacher or prophet, but he was not God in the flesh. 7. The universe and man came about through evolution. 8. When a person dies they come back again as another person, or thing, through reincarnation. 9. ...

Thursday May 6 marks one of the most controversial days in the history of our country. Doubtful our founding fathers would believe a National Day of Prayer could cause such division among us. Our first President George Washington pleaded with the colonists to pray for Congress as they established our Constitution. At that writing, Thomas Jefferson was instrumental yet some would say he actually began the argument by writing to a group of Baptists agreeing with them that a separation of civil government from concerns of religious doctrine and practice were important. Jefferson writes: "...I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State." And the battle has raged ever since 1802. No one who reads the Federalist Papers, our Constitution, and ot...

As I grow older, I find myself sounding more and more like my parents and those of their generation. I catch myself saying things like, “When I was growing up…”, or “I remember when…”, or “It didn’t use to be this way, why in the old days…” So, having admitted this, let me say, I can remember when you would go to the store during Christmas and, after finishing your shopping, the store clerk would wish you a Merry Christmas; which you joyfully returned. But, it wasn’t just in stores, practically everyone wished one another a Merry Christmas. Not today, however. Today I am bombarded with, “Happy Holidays”. And whereas Christmas cards used to proclaim boldly, “Merry Christmas”, now they simply wish the recipient a “Happy Holiday”, or “Seasons Greetings”. Such a generic proclamation could refer to any holiday, or any season. On this point, Christmas Eve 2002, the New York Times ran an article that included the following observation about this “holiday” season: “Heaven forbid that ...

The other morning I drove past an art gallery a block from my office and saw a huge black sign draped in front of the building proclaiming: “Even in Hell there is compassion.” What!! I thought as I did a double-take. Who would proclaim such a message; and, right here in the heart of the Bible-Belt, no less? Surely, this must be some kind of prank. But, of course it isn’t. The sign was placed there to promote a new exhibit by the Compassion Project. It is the work of two artists who have placed this same message on billboards in several other Southern cities. Even for those who are not particularly religious this is probably a message that seems quite odd, initially. After all, whether you believe in it or not, everyone knows that hell is a place of pain and suffering. So, on what do these artists base such a positive spin on hell? The teachings of Buddhism; Surprise! The art exhibitor says they are sponsoring the work in order to promote understanding of a more e...

Almost as soon as the tragic news broke of the events at Fort Hood last week the clamor began that it was an act of Islamic terrorism. Shortly after the killing spree, Muslims reported that some of their Mosques had received threatening telephone calls. Apparently, there was no time to take a wait-and-see approach – to get the facts – folks were already making up their minds on this one Now the facts have come out and the killer was, in fact, Muslim and from the information being released, was acting based on his connection to a radical Islamic cleric. So, all those who first claimed it was an act of Islamic terrorism, can say a hearty, “I told you so.” However, does that justify some of the hostile reactions directed toward some of the Muslim people in our nation? Without question, there have been tremendous atrocities carried out in the name of Islam; but do those who perpetrate such actions truly represent the Muslim religion? While the terrorist would say yes, most Muslims in the W...

Recently, as I sat in Church waiting for the service to start, I noticed a man seated a few rows ahead of me and to my right. He had left empty the two seats beside him and next to the aisle. As the service started these two seats remained unoccupied and I noticed that periodically he would look at them with consternation. As you can tell, I was rather curious about all this and paying more attention – possibly too much – to what was going on to my right than what was occurring on the stage. About ten minutes into the service a couple came down the aisle and stopped at the two empty seats and the man welcomed them to sit down. Accompanying them was a child who appeared to be about seven years-old. However, there was not a vacant seat for him. Then it suddenly all became clear. As the man who had saved the seats pulled the child to him and the young boy climbed up on his lap it was obvious that this was the boy’s grandfather. Considering there was no shortage of seats in the Church, it ...