The extraordinary influence he had on so many during his earthly sojourn was evident from the floods of spontaneous tributes that keep pouring in since the news of his home-going broke out.  Some spoke with delight of the sharpness of his intellect, his quick wit, and consummate articulation. Others highlighted the humility with which he handled this great gift from God. They testified to his keen awareness of the scriptural caution that knowledge can puff up, but love builds (1 Corin.8:2); hence his concern to use his giftedness with great care. He was careful for instance not to use his brilliance at the expense of others; nor did he allow it to keep him from rubbing shoulders with those who were not so endowed.

Vividly present in the minds of others was Dr.Grounds’ compassionate spirit and deep concern for the welfare of others, be they students, fellow colleagues, distant acquaintances, and even critics. For others, it was his magnanimity and self effacing attitude that emerged to the surface. Despite his impressive achievements, incredible giftedness, and high profile as a leader of national and international stature, Vernon never basked in his self importance. Rather than focusing on himself, his tendency was to turn the spotlight on whoever his partner in conversation happened to be. In keeping with the Pauline admonition, he sought to exhibit Christ-like humility by endeavoring to “consider others better than [himself]” (Phil. 2:4).

Yet for others, it was Vernon’s winsomeness that came to the surface. By temperament, he was irenic and non confrontational, even when holding firm convictions. This saying may be a cliché, but it characterizes well Vernon’s posture: to disagree without being disagreeable. For him, holding firm to one’s convictions needn’t result in the alienation of the opponent, let alone his or her demonization. He understood that the circle of divine love was wide enough to accommodate all contenders. And when conducted in the agapeic sphere and with the agapeic spirit, no dialogue, however passionate and animated, need degenerate into an adversarial duel. One of Dr Grounds’ long time colleagues comments that for him “the only thing that counte[d] was faith expressing itself through love” (Gal. 5:6).

I am relatively new to the Denver Seminary community where Dr. Grounds spent the lion’s share of his life faithfully serving Christ and His church in a variety of ways. However, during my three year acquaintance with him, I have experienced most of the things to which my more fortunate colleagues and others who knew him for a longer time have testified. I have enriched by his wisdom, inspired by his incredible acumen, challenged by his godliness and deep spirituality, energized by his encouragement, moved by his kindness, and chastised by his winsomeness. But if I were pressed to highlight one thing among his numerous qualities and virtues, it would have to be Vernon’s courageous prophetic stance. Early in his career he understood that the gospel was good news for more than just the spiritual domain, or the solitary individual. He was convinced that the good news of God’s matchless love in Christ had salutary implications for all the areas of life. Hence his insistence, by words and deeds ,that those who have tasted that love and have been  transformed by it, engage the public domain with all its ills, woes, and  challenges,  with a view to making a difference in it for good. But he was clear that to be authentically evangelical such engagement must wed a biblically faithful orthodoxy and a robust and full orbed orthopraxis.  What I wrote as a postlude to Dr Grounds’ Monograph on Evangelicalism and Social Responsibility may be worth repeating here:

“In every age, God raises persons who not only have a keener sense of his ideals for life in community than their contemporaries, but who also have  the courage and foresight to pursue these ideals for themselves and the ability to lead others to do the same. For more than a generation, Vernon Grounds has played such a prophetic and catalytic role in the arena of social ethics within the evangelical community. In doing so, he has established a legacy of Christian witness in the social domain that has been hailed by many as epoch making and pace setting.”

At the Grounds Institute of Public Ethics, we feel humbled, privileged, and honored to perpetuate Vernon’s legacy of vigorous Christian engagement in the market place for the sake of God’s name and the promotion of the common good. 

Dieumeme Noelliste,
Director Grounds Institute of Public Ethics
Denver Seminary

What seems to have slipped away from our collective consciousness is the other big disaster which occurred during the first month of this year. I am referring to the Haitian earthquake which caused the decimation of Port-au-Prince and several surrounding cities and the loss of some 250,000 human lives. The event was the talk of the town for the first two months that followed its occurrence. But when the BP blow-up set the Gulf on fire and began sullying the ocean waters with the underground black substance, that event of apocalyptic proportion captured our imagination, and understandably, the Haitian tragedy receded from the spotlight.

While attention is focused on the gulf, however, the human tragedy continues unabated in the Caribbean sea. Exactly a month ago, today, I went on my second trip to Haiti since the January 12 earthquake. I was there to take part in the launch of the “Project for the Mobilization of the Haitian Church for a Prophetic Witness.” This effort aims to stir the church to play a more active role in all aspects of the country’s life, not simply its “spiritual” life. The objective set for the project received the enthusiastic approval of all the nearly 100 participants who came for the launching ceremony. 

What was surprising and disturbing however, is that very little has changed since my first visit of two months earlier. The rubble was still in the streets. The dangerously fractured buildings were still not demolished. The country was still in a relief mode, and this has begun the seriously affect what little economic life remained in the aftermath of the quake. The tent cities were still in place, except this time, with the arrival of the rainy season, they were sites of human misery, consisting in the main of raised sheets and mud. In Port-au-Prince, in particular, uncertainty and hopelessness seem to be the prevailing mood.

As I spoke with common people in the street as well as persons in various leadership positions, the main reason for the feeling of hopeless is the virtual absence of a sense of direction. People are baffled that five months after a disaster of this magnitude, no plan for the future has been presented to the nation. The Bible says that without vision the people perish (Prov. 29:18).

The point of this blog post is this: as we focus attention on the gulf, let’s not forget Haiti. And as we remember Haiti, let us pray for the emergence of a leadership that will be used of God to provide an uplifting vision for the future of this erstwhile Caribbean paradise.

First I want to thank all of you who supported me, my family (while they stayed home) and our team on this trip to Haiti. Our trip went very well. I hope that you had the opportunity to read the daily updates while we were in country.

(Kam reminded me that I didn't get out an update about the Sunday service I preached at. It went well, and I pray that the message was well received. The church met in the street in front of their church building. They hung tarps up to shelter us from the sun. There were about 200 people in attendance. They met in the street because the people are still afraid to be inside the church building. There was no damage to the building, just the emotional trauma from the earthquake that kept them outside.)

We arrived back in Florida on Monday and were in Colorado on Tuesday. The most difficult part of the trip was getting through the airport in Haiti. We spent three hours waiting in lines and showing passports. If you think DIA is a problem, then don't go to Haiti!

The mission of the team was to provide counseling and teach counseling techniques to both the seminary faculty and the staff of Compassion International. That part of the mission went very well. We taught and ministered to about 20 staff and faculty of STEP seminary and with over 1100 individuals at Compassion. That will have an impact all over the country, as well as Port-Au-Prince. We couldn't have imagined such a mission when we went.

We used the funds that givers provided to take 7 tents, food, clothing and other supplies with us. These were given to the president of STEP to be used for his staff as needed. They were all very grateful for the gifts! The medical supplies we took were given to the doctor who hosted us. She oversees the medical needs of a tent camp of 6,000 people. I know that these supplies will get put to very good use.

People have asked for my impressions of the state of the country. While things look bleak, there is a bright ray of hope shining in Haiti. The top Christian leaders in the country met while we were there. They are drafting plans for the church to be involved in transforming Haiti. The leadership of the country lacks Christian values and this group seeks to have a voice in how things are run and how people are treated. This has the potential to truly change Haiti.

The biggest thing that I saw was a country of beautiful people. They are very resilient, strong and proud. Even though Haiti lacks the resources to care for the people, to clean up the debris or to rebuild, there is hope that the international community can pull the resources together to rebuild this country. I am confident that with some resources and good Christian leadership this country can accomplish great things.

One other thought: I was ignorant of the history of Haiti before I went on this trip. Dr. Noelliste was passionate about teaching us some of the history of the country and the region. I would encourage you to take the time to look and read the information on Wikipedia on the history of Haiti. It was very interesting.

Lastly, I have included two links to photo albums for the team. Tiffany, one of our counselors, shot and then put together some great photos from our trip. I hope you enjoy seeing some of the sights we saw while in the country. You will see gorgeous landscapes, smiling children, trash, signs of poverty, tent camps, life in the streets along with some of the devastation. Pictures can't capture the sounds, smells, chaos or energy of the country, but it gives you an idea. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162749&id=584526440&l=9bd80b8fda
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162849&id=584526440&l=878a32a03c

I was very blessed to be able to go on this trip and to have friends and family support me in this. The team knew that the prayers of the many sustained and protected while we were there. I can't thank you all enough for that support.

Blessings,
Ken

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162749&id=584526440&l=9bd80b8fda
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162849&id=584526440&l=878a32a03c

- Tiffany

He reports that the team is pretty ok emotionally since most of what they did was “teach” large groups of 600+ coping skills (and that would allow some distance for them emotionally). It was most likely harder on the Noellistes since Haiti is Dieumeme’s “home” country, seminary, family, etc., and it was likely not as easy for him to distance himself as the other team members.

Since this is now spring Break time in Ft Lauderdale—flights out tomorrow are more complicated than expected. Please continue to pray for safety for the team on their way home; for the many lives touched and connected in the name of Christ and for the continued recovery for Haitians and Haiti—this will be a LONG process!

Today has been about venturing around town. We visited Dr. Paultre (our host) at her clinic. She oversees the clinic for a refugee camp of 6000 people. We were able to take a walk around the camp. Believe me when I say that no human should have to live that way. The people are doing their best to provide, but it is overwhelming. Another Doctor working there had come from the village of Dr. Noelliste and had gone to his brother's church. (The school there is sponsored by Compassion, so money well spent by you Americans that sponsor children!). We were able to pray with both of them. Very humbling to see the hearts of these doctors. The destruction can be found throughout the endless miles of the city, as well as the poverty. It is mind boggling how they can ever get out of this hole.

Tonight Dr. Noelliste has a meeting and the rest of the group gets to rest. Good plan since tomorrow he and I will both be preaching.

Please pray for strength for the team that we may finish well. Pray for Tiffany. She was really sick yesterday but is feeling well enough to get out today. The prayers for Haiti could be endless, but what they need is Godly leadership to take over this country.

The children have captured the hearts of the team. Even in the midst of this, they are warm and smiling. In the tent city they wanted to hold our hands and play. They are the future of Haiti, so we need to lift them up in prayer.

Hope all is well back home!

- Ken

Our wonderful host was the first to tell us of this phenomenon. Upon arriving at her house, she sat with us and explained the earthquake from her own perspective. The first comment she made was "I want a smaller house." Though she had no structural damage to her house, she discussed her desire to sell the house and move to something smaller so she would feel safe. In fact, our arrival marked the first week she spent under her roof since the earthquake. She went on to explain that the Haitian people used to have a goal of building large, middle-class homes, but now they desire small, safe houses instead. A concrete ceiling symbolizes the deaths of those who were crushed and the uncertainty of the future. People question if they are safe. One pastor relayed that is biggest fear of going to sleep is wondering if he will wake up. People are changing what they put their faith in. They are searching for God and turning away from material possessions. The churches are filling, but services are being held outside for the comfort and safety of their congregations.

So we want to thank all those who have provided tents and the funds to get them. Right now they are exactly what is needed. They provide shelter and won't bring pain if they collapse. It is a source of comfort, but will only serve as a transition. Tents are spread throughout the dry riverbeds, gulleys, and gutters, and the rainy season begins next month.

Today, March 10, marks two full months since Haiti was hit by the 7.0 violent tremor which shook the core of the Carribean nation of 9 million and has probably changed it forever.

On that anniversary date, a group of us from Denver Seminary arrived on the devastated island nation on a mission of encouragement, comfort, and heaing. Apart from occasional news reports, Haiti has been dropped from the news in the past three weeks. Consequently, we did not know exactly what to expect. Will we see a country that begins to rise from the ashes? Or will we see a country that is still in the grips of the disaster that slapped it on that fateful January 12th?

The moment we landed at the Toussaint Louverture Airport, we could see faint signs of the country bouncing back from its woes. For instance, we stepped off the plane into a jetway; this was a new thing. In the past, we would deplane on the tarmac. And as we entered the building an escalator was waiting to carry us down; that, too, was a surprising change. As we got on the first floor we were greeted by a band of colorful musicians singing "Haiti Cherie" or "Dearest Haiti." Along the way to our place of residence for the week, we saw people repairing their damaged buildings as if to say, "We're here to stay!"

But as I said before, the signs are faint. Very faint. As one goes to the city, one has an overpowering sense that Haiti is a country very much on its knees. The evidence for this can be seen everywhere—piles of rubble on every corner. As we survey the city, it is as though the quake occurred yesterday. Very, very little seems to have been done to clear it from the ravages of the disaster. For a city which was already beset with severe infrastructural problems, the present condition has worsened the situation beyond belief!

Perhaps what is even more disconcerting is the adverse impact that the earthquake has on the psychee of the Haitian people. The quake and its many aftershocks have evoked a feeling of fear and woe that is still raw in the minds of Haitians. This is seen in the fact that two months after the awful event, people still live in tents although their houses may not have been affected by the quake. Throughout the country there is a fear of concrete structures. People who worked for years to build large, middle-class family homes with strong slab roofs are now yearning for small residences with zinc roofs. In their minds, these are considered safer (more on this in our next blog). This is a critically serious issue. If Haiti has any chance of getting back on its feet, its people need to overcome the paralyzing fear that grips them at this time. As you remember Haiti, please make this a matter of prayer.

The team split up yesterday. Carrol and I ministered at STEP [STEP is the evangelical theological seminary in Port-au-Prince] to the faculty. Very humbling for an old firefighter to try to minister to a group of brilliant seminary professors. Our message to them was on self care. I talked about how you need someone to watch over you and help keep you healthy.

The other group ministered to over 600 pastors and staff from Compassion International. Even Wes Stafford was in attendance. They did an amazing job of teaching and ministering to the group.

Dr. Noelliste sprang the news on me last tonight that I would be preaching at one of the largest churches in PAP on Sunday. I can't really grasp it yet. Very humbling! 

Today Carrol and Tiffany will return to STEP and Compassion to continue the ministry. The Noelliste's and myself will go to the country to visit the church that his brother planted several years ago.

The seminary should be proud of Dr. Noelliste and his wife. They have served the people so well. He is a man of great influence, but it is carried with humility.

Tiffany and Carrol are outstanding Christian counselors. Well trained, competent and very compassionate. Denver Seminary has prepared them well for this calling!

We are all doing well although it is a bit overwhelming to see the devastation and to begin to hear the stories. It seems that God strengthens us and gives us the message for the people. We have been well received and cared for.

Pray for our continued safety. Pray for the Christian leadership of Haiti. There is no governmental leadership in this crisis. The Christian leaders see this as a time to step forward and show what godly leadership looks like. This is a huge piece of rebuilding this country!

Continue to pray for the people of Haiti. This crisis is beyond words. There are still 1.2 million people who are homeless. This is not just the poor, but the middle class as well. Living conditions in the refuge camps is not good. Food is still hard to get.

Pray for Dr. Noelliste as he meets with the Christian leaders. These meetings will have long term impacts on Haiti and the living Word as it is preached here.

Pray for Dr. Noelliste and myself as we both prepare to preach this Sunday at two large churches. (Especially me, the old firefighter who God called to ministry!). May the message we give be words from God that the Haitian people are prepared to hear.

Thanks to all who are there that lift up this team in prayer. We feel that daily!

- Ken

I must confess that the vote came as sort of a surprise to me.  For, following the November 3 election at which the ruling Democratic party lost decisively two governorships (despite the efforts of President Obama on behalf of the losing candidates), one sensed that perhaps momentum for the movement of change that the President championed so vehemently during the Presidential campaign, may have suffered a significant setback.  This feeling was further fueled when the Majority Leader of the Senate raised the possibility that the Senate may not be able to vote on a bill until next year.  Frustrated by that prospect, some even called on President Obama to evoke the power given to him in the Constitution and order Congress to work nonstop until it sends a bill to the Oval Office.

Having said that, those who believe in the need and urgency of the reform of our health care system should be heartened by the new development.  Most analysts hailed the vote as the most advanced stride in the seventy-year history of the reform effort.  Some even viewed the House vote as the crossing of the Rubicon.  At this stage, they opined, reform is bound to happen. 

My view is that encouraging and groundbreaking as the vote was, it may be overly optimistic to view it as signaling the inevitability of meaningful and imminent reform.  There are other major hurdles that must be crossed before that moment arrives.  The Senate still has to pass its own version of reform.  And the bills approved by the two chambers must still be reconciled before the President is given something to consider for approval.

Why am I so cautious?  In a previous piece, I argued that competing self-interests represented the greatest challenge that had to be overcome if meaningful reform were to occur.  This seems no longer to be the case.  Though concern for the protection of self-interest is still there, it seems fair to say that much progress has been made on this score.  At the moment it seems clear that if real reform is to take place there must be the requisite political will.  If genuine reform of the system is to happen, our lawmakers need to show the courage to act in a manner that transcends the concern for short-term political gains.  They must display the foresight to bracket political expediency in favor of a wider vision and a higher ideal.

In arguing for the demonstration of such magnanimity, I am not gainsaying the fact that our system of government accords an important place to politically astute maneuverings and clever political calculations.  Checks and balances are at the heart of our political life.  My contention is that there are times when the desire for political success which motivates the employment of such political machinations, should take a back seat in deference to the service of the common good.  I believe that a task so grandiose and far-reaching as health care reform deserves such a treatment.  It is clear to me that a thorough and meaningful overhauling of our health care apparatus falls in the category of those groundbreaking decisions whose significance dwarfs any short-term political advantage.  Indeed, I would contend that one’s contribution to the crossing of these historical landmarks brings a far more glorious and lasting recognition and a far more secure place in history than the winning of another term of office. 

In the Bible, Queen Esther illustrates the kind of statesmanship and uncommon foresight that I’m calling for here.  When she realized that the well-being and the life of her own people was at stake, she not only decided to put her political career on the line, but her very life.  “I’ll go to the king, even if is against a royal decree.  If I die, I die” (Esther 4:15).  May our political leaders also realize this and act accordingly.

The reaction evoked by the debate is telling. For one thing it shows that for Americans, health care is a matter of utmost concern and greatest importance. It is clearly evident that for people on all sides of the argument, the issue is a deeply personal one, touching to  the very core of their being. Further, the response demonstrates that we are dealing with an enormously complex issue which is not likely to be satisfactorily resolved by the adoption of simplistic measures. That’s is why it is, to my mind, wise and prudent that sufficient time and thought be devoted to the crafting of a system that pays careful attention to all the concerns voiced by the citizenry. Something so critical to our collective well-being should not be approached in a lopsided fashion. As difficult as it may be, we must do our best to rise above self interest so the common good may be served. The health care crisis confronts us with the challenge and the opportunity to demonstrate genuine altruism and real concern for community. It provides us an occasion to show that we are our brother’s keeper, and that, as a society, we are capable of practicing collective compassion.

Clearly, the adoption of such a high moral ground demands hard work on various fronts. One does not transcend self interest effortlessly. First, it requires the willingness to engage in a conversation that  places high premium on patient listening, wholesome speech, mutual respect and civil deportment. Because none of us has a monopoly on wisdom, everyone must be given the opportunity to share, without inhibition of any sort, the little bit that we do possess. The task at hand needs this. To deny any voice the right to be heard is to potentially weaken the outcome of the process by depriving it of an important input.

Secondly, the stance being advocated here demands an openness to the truth. Truth is a critical, load-bearing pillar in the construction of any lasting edifice. For the good of the process it should be welcomed and received regardless of its provenance: the left or the right. As tempting as it may be, ideological commitments and short term gains must not be allowed to lead us to falsify facts, misrepresent positions, and invent myths. The stakes are too high, and the implications too far reaching for such a gamble. It matters not how noble the cause and how strongly we adhere to it, defending it through the employment of false means is not an option for any society which strives to be virtuous. In the pursuit of virtue, falseshood must always be persona non grata.

Thirdly (and closely related to the truth question) is the importance  of humility for the success of this enormous undertaking. There is no question that the solution we are seeking must be an American one. At this stage of our development it would be foolish to think that all we have been doing in the area of health care is wrong, and that there is nothing worth preserving. Nor is it possible to suppose that we can design a system that does not take into account the peculiarities of our context and our distinctives as a people. But to acknowledge this is not to say that we should not avail ourselves of helpful features that are part of systems in operation in other latitudes, and which are adoptable to our own.

Through the centuries, people the world over have embraced American contributions to a great variety of fields, and have been blessed by American ingenuity. It will not diminish us one bit if we choose to incorporate into our health care system elements which have worked well elsewhere.

But trumping all that I have stated above is the high value that we as a society purport to place on life. There is hardly a more appropriate domain where the seriousness of this claim can be tested and demonstrated than the area of healthcare. If the reform process is guided by the principle of the absolute value of human life, we will not be satisfied with any system that leaves out any number of persons who are part of our society. It matters not  that number is  in the millions, the thousands or the hundreds.Similarly, if human value is a key compass, the question of affordability will not occupy the prime and determinative place that it seems to be accorded in the present debate. It certainly is a critically important question, and it would be foolhardy not to consider it. But where the value of life is a primary concern, affordability cannot be the first issue that is settled. The first and determinative question is the necessity of the undertaking and the commitment to tacking it. The affordability issue occupies center stage when the timing for the implementation of the prior decision is considered.

On the one hand, determined to avoid the charge of meddling in Iran’s internal affairs and thereby giving a pretext to the regime for further brutal action, the Obama administration has opted for a cautious and measured response to the post election’s developments. In a calm tone, President Obama appealed to the regime to respect the rights of the Iranian people, reminding it that the world is watching.

On the other hand, others downplay the importance of avoiding external interference, arguing that the situation calls for a firmer stance on behalf of the protesters than the posture taken by our President. In their view, in the face of such ruthless repression of peaceful dissent, and in light of the cry of the embattled people to the outside world for help, no response will do but a robust denunciation of the regime and a clear upholding of the people’s cause.

It takes little effort to understand, and indeed identify with, those who are clamoring for a stronger voice in defense of freedom’s cause on the part of a people for whom liberty is a fundamental right and a non-negotiable value. The horrible sight of a young and defenseless woman shot dead in the prime of life for the sole reason of being present at a peaceful demonstration arouses righteous indignation in the breast of decent humans and a longing for judgment toward the perpetrators of such a heinous act. Indeed, in our moral outrage, we wish that we had the power to right such blatant wrong and offensive injustice with a snap of the finger.

Ah, herein lies our challenge. Justified though our sense of outrage may be, we are very limited in what we can do to influence the course of events in that distant land. Given the current state of relations between the United States and the government of Iran, there seems to be little that the U.S. can do unilaterally to steer their conduct in a desirable direction. Our leveraging power does not seem great. Indeed, if we don’t exercise wisdom and prudence in the way we express our feeling of moral revulsion and our sympathy for the protesters, we can contribute to the worsening of their plight and the crushing of any revolutionary seed which may be being sown now.

This being said, my argument is not for silence in the face of atrocities or a deaf ear in the face of a desperate cry for help. My point, rather, is this: in the current conjuncture, the voice of the U.S. alone can accomplish little. Since this is the case, what is needed is the joint voice of freedom loving people the world over to be added to the cry of the freedom seeking people of Iran. And this is my view, is what President Obama is to facilitate. In the present circumstances, his leadership role should not consist primarily in making solitary pronouncements—cautious or tough. Rather, it lies, first and foremost, in enlisting others to add their voice to ours so that together the world may send as collective and loud a message to Iran as possible.

Such a message would be a message of support and solidarity to those who are being oppressed, and a challenge to the oppressive regime to abide by the ideals of justice and human dignity which the faith it vouchsafes upholds.

President Obama did well to remind Tehran that the world is watching. But, it doesn’t suffice for the world to adopt just a passive stance. Watching alone has little chance of strengthening the hands of the oppressed, or discouraging giving the harmful deeds of the oppressor. The Jewish Holocaust and the Rwandan massacre are sobering and vivid reminders of how ineffective a passive posture can be. Having watched and seen the world must at least speak in unison and where possible, act.

Keenly aware of the gravity of the situation, governments in various parts of the globe, bureaucrats, and experts in the fields of economics and finances have scrambled to find a way to plug the gaping hole. Public pronouncements by political figures, massive bailout packages, impressive photo ops, and cuts in interest rate have all been enlisted in the fight against the profuse bleeding. But judging by the erratic behavior of stock markets the world over, prevailing conditions seems resistant to all quick fix remedies and instant solutions. They are bent on running their courses.

This bleak situation however in no way means that doomsday has come or that there is no way up from the bottom of the deep hole. I am sure that a ladder will be found for the upward movement. But the climb may be steep, slow and dizzying. But because the recovery is likely to occur at such as slow pace, it can hardly be expected to be painless and casualty free. There are those who simply do not have the strength, endurance and fitness required to complete the uphill climb. They are the vulnerable among us. They will fall back to the bottom after climbing the first rungs of the ladder unless they are held by the stronger among us.

We need to be cognizant of this, because in uncertain and difficult days it is very easy for us to be so concerned about our own survival that we become oblivious to the suffering being endured by our fellow travelers. The inspiring biblical story that features Boaz, Ruth and Naomi provides an apt illustration of the kind of magnanimous spirit that can make a difference in these hard times. In moments like these the Boaz's among us need to be particularly mindful of the Ruth's and Naomi's that inhabit our world to ensure that they have a chance to complete the difficult journey with us.

This article concerns the last mentioned avenue of ethical discourse--blogging. Its point however is not the enunciation of an ethical viewpoint. Not this time. Rather, its purpose is to extend a warm invitation to those who have an interest in a conversation on ethical matters to join in.

Here are some indicators to keep in mind as you consider joining the discussion. First, our interest is broad. Hence, we welcome reflection on any issue of any ethical sort that has a bearing on our common life. Second, in keeping with our assumption and indeed, conviction, that Christian faith, when rightly understood and applied is an asset to the enhancement of life--both personal and corporate-- we are particularly interested in view points that are informed by Scriptural teaching and principles. Third, it goes without saying, that all views expressed on the VGI blog are those of their authors, not necessarily of the Institute's.

If you are interested in submitting an entry to the "Thoughts on the Common Good" blog, please send your entry or any inquiries to freida.craig@denverseminary.edu.

Dieumeme Noelliste, Ph.D.
Director of the Vernon Grounds Institute for Public Ethics