JESUS lived in a time when many people were suffering. They were suffering because most of the people were poor and hungry. In Jesus' time more than half of all children died by age 5, often from hunger and diseases. Parents had no medicines for their children. There were people in power: the Roman rulers, the Jewish leaders who lived in Jerusalem. Both of these groups cared little for the needs of most people. When Jesus started to become popular, the rules/leaders wanted Jesus to join THEM. However, Jesus saw the suffering of everyday, ordinary people and said, "no, these are my people. These are GOD'S PEOPLE. God wants them to be fed, clothed, housed, cared for, visited, and loved (Matthew 25: 31-46)." The rulers did not want to hear this and certainly did not want the great numbers of poor people to know this. So, they killed Jesus. That was theirr choice. Jesus chose to be with the poor and suffering of our world. The people in power chose their money and comfort.

Right now, there are all sorts of talks happening in Washington, DC about "the debt ceiling", "budget agreements", "programs being cut". What I see and hear are the people in power talking without ANY real understanding and concern for senior citizens, children with disabilities, working families. The talk in DC is about "power", not "the poor". Few, if any, of those in Washington have EVER missed a meal, worn "hand-me-downs", had to "go without". These are people who have drivers who take them where they want to go(and we pay for their car and gas); they NEVER ride public transportation. They eat in the best restaurants and often never see a bill. They fly to fancy vacations, but call it "government business". These are people who are making choices that will touch everyone of us. They do not care about those it will hurt, but only care about what will hurt their chances to be re-elected. One choice they refuse to make is about war. The reason is that the people in Congress and the people in the White House do NOT have family members fighting away from home.

Presently, we have more than 150,000 American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are at least another 150,000 government and non-government people that we, American taxpayers, pay to work in these countries. If we bring these troops home NOW, not in 2012, 2013, 2014, NOW, we will:

a) start saving lots of tax money; we can start paying the bills for our people here without cutting programs;

b) stop seeing our young people killed, maimed, permanently disabled;

c) reunite our families, soldiers and their children and spouses.

  As followers of Jesus Christ,we are to choose peace, not war; feeding the hungry, not closing food programs; caring for the sick and suffering, not cutting their health benefits! In these days, please contact the White House, your U.S. Senators and Representatives. tell them, "bring our young men and women in the military home, NOW!"