Today's news might reasonably be pre-empted by the story of the Baltimore Ravens kicker who knocked an NFL record 66-yard field goal off the crossbar in Detroit to win the game, crushing Lions fans' hopes for the 3,751st time.
But we do have other news to talk about. This is a big week ahead, with Congress facing three giant fiscal hurdles: 1. A budget to fund the federal government and avert a shutdown; 2. A bill to raise the debt limit and avoid default; 3. A bill on "infrastructure" that will a) cost up to $3.5 trillion and fund Socialism, and/or b) cost $1.2 trillion, mostly not funding real infrastructure.
We also have news on the pandemic: it's here to stay. We live in its world, rather than the other way around. At least that's what the drug companies say.
And the border is still a disaster. When DHS Secretary Mayorkas tells White House reporters that the Haitian migrants are all facing removal proceedings, they all nod sagely and marvel at the wonderful job Biden's doing. For people who live in the real world: "proceedings" mean the same thing as "release."
Our guests today:
- Dr. Kelli Ward, AZ GOP chair -- on the Arizona audit of the 2000 vote
- Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN) -- on the fight to fund Israel's Iron Dome
- Rep. Chip Troy (R-TX) -- on the ongoing border crisis
SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Our number: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion launches the great story of Abraham, who is told to leave everything of his life behind — except his immediate family — and to leave for “the Land that I shall show you.”
There’s something interesting in the fact that Abraham is told to leave his father’s house, as if breaking away from his father’s life — but his father, in fact, began the journey, moving from Ur to Haran (in last week’s portion). His father set a positive example — why should Abraham leave him?
Some obvious answers suggest themselves — adulthood, needing to make one’s own choices, his father not going far enough, etc.
But I think there is another answer. Abraham (known for the moment as Abram) needs to establish his own household. This is not just about making one’s own choice, but really about choosing one’s own starting point. It’s starting over.
Sometimes we start over in fundamental ways even if much that surrounds us remains the same. Sometimes the journey we have to ...
The story of Noah is familiar; the details, less so.
Noah is often seen as an ambivalent figure. He was righteous -- but only for his generation. What was his deficiency?
One answer suggests itself: knowing that the world was about to be flooded, he built an Ark for the animals and for his own family -- but did not try to save anyone else or to convince them to repent and change their ways (the prophet Jonah, later, would share that reluctance).
Abraham, later, would set himself apart by arguing with God -- with the Lord Himself! -- against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they should be saved if there were enough righteous people to be found (there were not).
Still, Noah was good enough -- and sometimes, that really is sufficient to save the world. We don't need heroes every time -- just ordinary decency.
Hi all -- as I noted last month, I'm going to be closing down my Locals page, at least for tips and subscriptions -- I may keep the page up and the posts as well, but I'm no longer going to be accepting any kind of payment.
Look for cancelation in the very near future. Thank you for your support!
