Circle of Protection

I really do not know that much about politics so I am basing my remarks off of the Circle of Protection website and the two videos. To me, it seemed like Obama expressed more opinions about how he felt upset to see a father not getting a paycheck or a mother struggling to put food on the table. He seems like he wants to help the poor directly. Romney mentioned that he wanted to provide jobs for those without jobs since there are so many people who need a place to work. Both Obama’s and Romney’s ideas seem like they would work since they addressed important issues and show justice and charity. I don’t know if they are just saying that so people will vote for them or they will actually follow through with their ideas. Both of them believe that what they say and do is right, but since I don’t know enough abut each of them, I cannot make an opinion. I think it is really hard for politics and religion to mix because everyone has their own opinions, which may or may not be the same as political leaders. 

Charity and Justice

Thousands of people in Philadelphia are homeless. Whether they could no longer pay for rent or they were forced to move out for personal reasons, there are many homeless people that need help. Project HOME is one place that truly helps homeless people through charity and justice. The mission of Project HOME is, “to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society.” Project HOME works for justice for the homeless because they try to educate the whole city of Philadelphia about how to end homelessness. They try to offer opportunities to the homeless. Project HOME also works for charity for the homeless because volunteers give much more than their help and time, they give their energy and heart. They want the homeless people to become truly get better and become great workers.

I think project HOME is different than other traditional homeless shelters because the people who work at Project HOME don’t only care about the homeless people finding homes and getting off the streets, they care about their education, health,and  job opportunities, in addition to finding a new apartment or home. I think the most important part of the program is the fact that, “Project H.O.M.E. recognizes that education and employment are critical tools to help all people-young and old-improve the quality of their lives.” Education and employment are both so important in our world today and without either, it is so hard to make a living. Members of Project HOME encourage and try to find opportunities for homeless people to get educated and try to get a job.

It's about...forgiveness?

September 11th, 2001, is a day that will never be forgotten. Thinking about the horrible day brings so many emotions to me. I did not know anyone who died that day, but I cannot even imagine how people felt who lost loved ones. I remember being so upset. I do not think I fully understood what had happened, but when I saw everyone else crying, I was just thinking that what ever had happened was terrible.  I never really thought about whether or not we should forgive Osama Bin Laden. What he did was terrible, tearing apart families and destroying communities. Eleven years later, Americans are still coming together to mourn the losses of everyone who died.

As I gave the question of whether or not to forgive Bin Laden more thought and after reading Mike Hayes’ article, I do think that as a Christian, it is my job to forgive Osama. As horrible as the event was, and as Mike says, “Irreparable damage may indeed have been done,” Americans learned from 9/11. We learned to come together and support each other. We will never forget but we are now trying to move on.

One of Jesus' many messages is to forgive everyone, even your enemies. As hard as it may be to forgive Bin Laden, I do. Jesus was beaten, abused, and humiliated before he died on the cross. Did he get mad and try to seek revenge? No, He forgave them. As He was dying on the cross, Jesus forgave the people who were trying to kill him. His message was to forgive others, even if they were torturing you. Bin Laden took the lives of so many on September 11th 2001, but as a Christian, I forgive him because that is what Jesus taught me. I will definitely never forget, but I will forgive and move on.