Jefferson's Tears, Christianbook Interview

Interview about my writing of Jefferson’s Tears as per Christianbook website:

https://www.christianbook.com/jeffersons-tears-neil-mckinlay/9781946497345/pd/497345?fbclid=IwAR1fFMfMj-RTYGqr4qxUzfV5DOnsv1NwvghRyusFZwA2kDS7jtcqbHOiAbU

Author: Neil McKinlay
Located in: Brisbane, Australia
Submitted: December 25, 2018

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a Christian, married with three daughters, four grandchildren a West Highland Terrier. I love reading, writing and playing soccer.

What was your motivation behind this project?

Jefferson's Tears was a story that had to be told. I met and interviewed Jefferson only to discover that he was named after Thomas Jefferson. Thus I began to research the story of Liberia and, like Jefferson's name, its multiple connections with America, its founding and founders. Liberia (ie, the Land of the Free) is essentially a black version of USA. Like the US, after its founding Liberia descended into civil war. Jefferson was born into this and miraculously survived its terrors. God is given the glory for safely guiding Jefferson through this and subsequently delivering him. Both my and Jefferson's motivation behind this project is the glory of God.

What do you hope folks will gain from this project?

I hope folks will gain a deeper appreciation of the God-given freedoms we in the West enjoy and seek to retain them. The USA is the great Christian experiment on the North American continent. Liberia, based on the American one, is the great Christian experiment on the African continent. Both hit roadblocks, civil war, relating to race. This issue will never be fully be resolved unless and until we get back to the Declaration of Independence generally, and particularly those words of Thomas Jefferson, “All men are created equal”. Whether white or black, Americo-Liberian or white resident of Liberia etc. the full ramifications of those Biblically endorsed words need to be studied and fully understood. It is the very essence of human freedom on earth. folks will gain a deeper insight and hopefully a deeper appreciation of The Declaration, Constitution and Bill of Rights of these two related countries.

How were you personally impacted by working on this project?

Jefferson's resilient character and nature impacted me. How can someone who has gone through what he has gone through still have it all together? How does he manage to keep it together? He loves his job in the Australian Army. He smiles and sings as he does his work. But what about all your painful baggage Jefferson? The Lord is his Shepherd. As we read your harrowing story may it help encourage us to trust in the Lord daily too! Jefferson's childlike faith impacted me as worked on this project. It still does.

Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?

Though not necessarily my favourite authors, both the styles of writing of Bill O'Reilly and Dan Brown influenced me in the writing of Jefferson's Tears. O'Reilly for his time and date at the head of each chapter in his “The Killing of...” series, and Brown for his cliffhanger appraoch at the end of each of his chapters. The "time and date" at the beginning of each chapter serves to get and hold the reader in the “present tense” of the action, also it supplies the reader with the important historical context. The cliffhanger at the end of each urges the reader to want to return to that part of the story while reading new action and information. I like the poetic prose of Scottish writer James Barke, but I tried to keep Jefferson's Tears cinematic rather than verbose.

TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME

TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME

The phrase Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), sums up precisely and concisely my personal observations of those who view President Donald Trump through hate coloured glasses. What’s the colour of hate you ask? Well, it’s seeing red at every mention of Trump’s name.

What would cause such a negative response in one human being toward a fellow human being? I mean, what’s wrong with plain old fashioned simply disliking a president and or his or her policies? Why all the visible vitriol and spewed out hatred that’s being verbalised by some actors, musicians, politicians, newscasters as well as news commentators, not to mention the fired up social media keyboard warriors? One of the tactics used in times of war is to demonise your enemy. That way it’s easier to get your soldiers to pull the trigger on their weapons and fire at other human beings. Ogre-ise your opposition. The Left has demonised The Donald from day one, thereby triggering their base. Thus Trump Derangement Syndrome.

The Left sees red whenever a fellow human being wears a red MAGA cap. Why? Well, viewed through hate coloured glasses a red baseball cap triggers your hatred which usually manifests itself in verbalised rage sometimes followed by physical violence towards the object of your hate, i.e., a fellow human being. In this case a fellow human being who represents the man you hate with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.

As I try to understand why some on the Left are clearly blinded by hatred, I am reminded of that verse of Scripture that, in another context, speaks of God sending a strong or powerful delusion, “For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12. Trump Derangement Syndrome proves to me the correctness of Cornelius Van Til’s Presuppositional Apologetics. For example, if I were to presuppose that Trump is evil incarnate, then it necessarily would follow that everything I thought about him would be influenced by my original presupposition. With my prior bias I would tend to believe what others tell me about him, especially when they put him down, and I wouldn’t believe a word Trump said. Thus, my presuppositions would blind me to actual truth. I would be blind and deaf to it. I would share in the collective hate for this fellow human being.  

The late Charles Krauthammer was a witty political commentator who also happened to be a psychiatrist. Back in the day when the Left was relentlessly attacking President George W Bush, Krauthammer came up with the phrase Bush Derangement Syndrome. Trump Derangement Syndrome is Bush Derangement Syndrome on the proverbial steroids and opiods as per the present epidemic! Actually, the derangement syndrome is plain and simple sin, with sin being the want of any conformity to, or transgression of, the Law of God (see e.g., Westminster Shorter Catechism 14).

Western democracy, particularly of the constitutional republic type as per USA, has checks and balances built in to its system of government precisely because of sin. Every single human being is corruptible. Indeed, the Bible, upon which Western democracy is primarily built, clearly teaches that every single human being is corrupted already simply by being a member of the human race of which Adam is the federal head.

Jesus called the devil, i.e., Satan, the father of lies, and those who opposed Him (i.e., Jesus) and the things He was saying as being just like their father. Therefore, to knowingly involve yourself in lies, even lies about a president you didn’t vote for and currently dislike, is to expose yourself as a member of the Serpent’s brood, unless of course you’ve simply been deluded by the waves of fake news that currently wash over the world from the media which soaks into our social media. It’s better to be killed for truth than to live for a lie. Just ask Jesus. 

In order to keep it honest, the checks and balances for government are the three equal branches of the judicial, the legislative, and the executive. Donald Trump is part of the executive branch. You can’t have one branch of government trying to saw off one of the other branches as we see happening with the “impeach Trump” movement that has been going on since he began running for the presidency! What happens when one of the other branches tells lies about you, such as Trump is an illegitimate president, and that he colluded with the Russians to win the election, and that he bribed the Ukrainians so that he could get the dirt on the Biden’s dealings with Ukraine? They would try to convince you that Trump is a liar, a grifter, an Islamaphobe, Misogynist, Racist, and all the rest of the slanderous name calling of the Left. All of this has been propagated by Democrat candidates for president, and also Congressman Senator Adam the boy who cried wolf Schiff who claimed to have irrefutable evidence of these and other such like impeachable things. However, you would only believe Schiff if you had your hate goggles on.

If you want to go ahead anyway and remove Trump from office at any cost and regardless of the truth, then please remember what you are dealing in and who you are dealing with. Trump Derangement Syndrome comes with a cost. Be careful.  “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, but lose his soul” Mark 8:36.

SECOND IMPRESSIONS

Second Impressions

It has been said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Surely we would be more relaxed meeting new people if we realised that, like us, they are trying to create a good first impression! Can a bad first impression be changed into a good second impression? In my line of work I have met people who claim to have had a bad first impression of one or more of the following: Church, Christianity, and Christ. Let’s begin with Church. Boring! Sheep! Money-grabbing! Mind-controlling! Hypocritical! And a whole lot worse! Let’s consider each of these in turn.

No doubt Church is boring to those who are not interested. I feel the same way about cricket! However, my interest in cricket is sometimes piqued a little when someone take the time to explain to me what the game is all about. But Church, boring? ‘But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them’ 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.

Sheep? ‘We are His people and the sheep of His pasture’ Psalm 100:3b. And, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” John 10:27. Church-goers are sheep! Fair enough, but those who say this are as likely to claim that they are followers of Charles Darwin or his contemporary spokesman, Richard Dawkins! Hypocritical? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Money-grabbing? “And [Abraham] gave [Melchizedek] a tithe of all” Genesis 14:20b. And, ‘On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper’ 1 Corinthians 16:2a. And who can forget the story of the widow’s two mites? So, is the Church only after your money? Not if you’re not willing to part with any of it! Can we say this about our government? Which would you prefer, a visit from a church elder or the taxman?

Mind-controlling? We’ve already noted that it is the minds of the non-Christians ‘the god of this age has blinded’! For Christians? ‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…’ Romans 12:2a. Enough said!

Hypocritical? Jesus had a lot to say about religious hypocrites in His ‘judge not, that you be not judged’ passage. Some people are able to see a speck in the eye of another even with a plank in their own eye! ‘Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye’ Matthew 7:5. As Jesus said to those who wanted Him to join them in stoning the woman caught in adultery, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first’ John 8:7b. What is that saying about people who live in glass houses?

And what about Christianity? Is it a force for good or for evil? The rediscovery of the Gospel at the time of the Reformation brought with it freedom from tyrannical rulers, which in turn brought us Western democracy, scientific discovery, medical science, hospitals, city sanitation, profitable business, commerce etc. In other words the straitjacket of the Dark Ages was torn off by the liberating Word of God. How is it then that the first impression of Christianity for some is that of captivity? Have another look!

Christ? Isn’t it obvious that everyone’s first impression of Church, Christianity, and Christ is wrong? How so? Well, Jesus says, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’ John 3:3. If none of us can see the kingdom of God until the Spirit of Christ reveals it to us, then all of us have the wrong first impression! Therefore, it’s a good second impression we need! Before I was converted I thought Church was boring, that Christianity was for losers, and that Christ was, well, I was never sure about Christ. Now? I now have a great second impression!

Christ is a king, He is the King, the King of kings! He is the King of the Kingdom we are unable to see before the Spirit gives us new birth. His Kingdom is not of this world. That’s how come we have a bad first impression of Church, Christianity, and Christ. We are of this world and the god of this world keeps us in darkness. However, the good news is that Christ rescues His people and translates them into His Kingdom of Light. As the Psalmist says, “In Your light we see light” Psalm 36:9b.

Of course all of this is so much mumbo-jumbo to those who are still stuck with a bad first impression! Therefore Church, Christianity, and Christ is all about second impressions because we cannot understand these things until and unless we are born of the Spirit, ie, born from above, or born again.

Since second impressions are more thought through than first impressions, it is my prayer that you, dear reader, have a good second impression of Christ.

THE SHEPHERD PSALM

The Shepherd Psalm

While driving to church one Sunday morning I was listening to a sermon on the radio about Psalm 23, “The Shepherd’s Psalm.” Let me post the beautiful, poetic and majestic King James’ Version of that Psalm:

1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

As I listened to the sermon on this text my mind wandered back to November 2005 when I had flown back to Scotland from Tasmania to be beside my dad who was on his deathbed at age 83. He had his eyes closed but he seemed to be listening intently to me as I told him how much I loved him and how much I appreciated how good a dad he had been to me as I was growing up. 

I mentioned to him some of my happy memories, such as him taking us swimming at Dumbarton’s Brock Baths in winter, Craig’s Pool at Glen Fruin, as well as Loch Lomond at Balloch countless times in summer. I held his hand in mine as I spoke softly to him, knowing that these were his very last days on earth. At that moment he was the centre of my universe as I concentrated hard on finding the right words, though the words just seemed to bubble up from somewhere deep within and overflowed like the clear waters of Pappert Well. 

Dad had been a committed Communist. (I had asked him point blank one time many years before if he was a Communist and was shocked when he had answered unequivocally in the affirmative!) To me Communism and Atheism were synonymous terms! He had worked in the Glasgow shipyards on the “Red Clydeside” and had mingled with those who wanted the workers of the world to unite! Anyway, I couldn’t understand how he had been happy to attend church on Sunday and even wax eloquent about doing the “reading” in church and telling us that the King James’ Version of the Bible was the most beautiful, noble and poetic of all the versions of the Bible. He was as happy pulling the rope that rang the bell to beckon Sunday-worshippers to Jamestown Parish Church, part of the Church of Scotland.

“Dad, you know Psalm 23? The Lord is my Shepherd? Are you able to say those words – ‘the Lord is MY Shepherd’? Is He YOUR Shepherd? Is Jesus your SHEPHERD? He says He’s the Good Shepherd? Are you trusting in Him even now? ‘Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale, yet will I fear none ill, for Thou art with me; and Thy rod and staff me comfort still.’[1] Dad, trust Him. Trust Him even now dad. He’ll look after you even now as you go through that dark valley.”

I prayed with my dad, I prayed for him, asking that my God, our God would look after him. Did my dad actually hear me say all of this? I believe so. But more importantly, God heard! I look forward to seeing my dad (and my mum) in glory...

Thank You Lord that I was able to be with my dad just before he died.

Does it matter whether we believe that Jesus is the Son of God or not? Well, it does when you’re on your deathbed. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Dying therefore is God giving you the wages for your sin. Death came to the human race through Adam. “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”[2] So, to receive wages is to receive what you have earned, but the Good News is that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Son of God is God’s gift to us. For in Him alone is the gift of salvation. No belief in the Son of God means no life, no everlasting life. It means only death and judgment. “Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:10-13.

God’s gift of everlasting life is free. We don’t have to work for it, or even try to work for it. It is a gift. Gifts, as you know, are free. God’s gift of eternal life is free because it has been paid for already. If it has been paid for already it means that we cannot do anything to earn it. We can add nothing to Christ’s cross (except our applause)! Will you applaud the Son of God by believing in Him?

Purchase a paperback copy of Jesus For the Layman at Neetah Books:
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The Book Depository:
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Wordery:
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[1] Revised Church Hymnal, Psalm 23.

[2] Romans 5:12, The New Living Translation.

FAREWELL SPEECH

Farewell Speech

Got farewelled at a dinner. I’m retiring. The following is the general gist of what I said or ought to or ought not to have said in my wee speech:

Introduction

I’d like to cover the following three points. Don’t panic! I will be brief. However, the three points are to help you keep me on track. I have the tendency to go off on tangents. Therefore, if you think I’ve wandered away too far, you can yell out the point so that I can come back to it. The three points are Rope, Resuscitation, and Retirement.

Rope

Before I start talking about rope, actually it’s string I want to talk about, but string doesn’t start with the letter “R”, so rope will have to do. Anyway, before we go there, let me soften you up with a wee song, or a bit of a wee song, just to see how you are as a crowd. (Starts singing):

And now, the end is near, (the crowd join in)

And so I face, the final curtain.

My friends… (back to talking):

A wee peice of string was thirsty and wanted to go into a pub for a drink. However, there was a sign at the entranceway to this pub which said: “Pieces of string will not be served on these premisis”. But this was a smart wee piece of string. Brainy! He tied a knot around his neck and did his best Laurel and Hardie and tousled up his hair. He swaggered up to the bar and said, “Barman. Gie’s a pint o lager. Tennent’s lager.” This was a Glasgow pub. So, the barman eyes the wee piece of string up and down and says to him, “Are you no a wee piece of string?” The piece of string stands up tall, he had his kilt on, he was tartan piece of string, and says, “No. I’m a frayed knot.” (Crowd laughs)

How long is a piece of string? Or as we say in the army, how long’s a hoochie cord? We know all about hoochie cords, don’t we? I remember the good old days when we used to go on field exercises with all sorts of fancy swags. There we were at Shoal Water Bay with blue swags, green swags, pink swags, swanky swags at swanky swag hotel! Now it’s all hoochies. Tie your hoochie cord to this gum tree, tie another end to this branch over here and crawl under your hoochie and into your sleeping bag. It’s all great until it rains through the night. Then you’re out there in the pitch blackness trying to put your hoochie on an angle so that you won’t get wet.

In the army we’re supposed to be rough and tough. I’m reminded of the toilet paper (Izal) we used to have in the toilets when I was at primary school. We called it John Wayne toilet paper, rough, tough and took no… aye well, enough of the toilet humour.

How long’s a piece of string? Where does it begin? and where does it end? How long is an army career?

Resuscitation

I retired last year. I did! I did all the SHE stuff. The Separation Health Examination. I went to the doctor, you know, he hits you on the knee with a hammer and you retaliate by kicking him on the shins. I did all that. I even went to the dentist. “Padre” he says, “Do you know that you only have six teeth left in your mouth that have not had any work done on them?” I replied. “Well, don’t stand around. Go to it. There’s still time to get something done to them!” Anyway, I had done Transition Seminars and all the rest of it. I was just about out the door when I was resuscitated. Or as we chaplains would say, resurrected. You know the bit when they put the paddles on people, the defibrillator, and they say, “Clear!” Bang. Well they, as it were, did a few of these on me, “Clear?” bang! “Clear?” bang. Anyhoo, they gave me another year in the full time army.

I started this year (2019) like something out of The Walking Dead, (raspy gurgling sound, dragging dead leg). I was like a zombie. Then I crashed! And they sent me to see the psych.

I asked the psych after about the third session, “What are you treating me for?” “Burnout’, came the reply. I had the double whammy of burnout and compassion fatigue. I Googled burnout. I had all the classic symptoms. Watch out for burnout.

See all you sergeants? You think other sergeants are your mates. Well, they’re not. Like you, they’re competing for the Warrant Officer job. See you Captains? You don’t have mates who are other Captains. They are in competition with you for the Lieutenant’s job, correction, the Major’s job. We can burnout due to competition. Look after yourselves. I didn’t. I thought I was, but I wasn’t.

Retirement

The good news is that I’ve come good. I can now retire from the army all sorted. I write books. Lots of them! I read books. Lots of them. So, don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I have grandchildren to enjoy. I’ll be doing stuff when I retire.

Oh, I feel a song coming on:

… The record shows, I took the blows,

And did it (crowd joins in and starts to sing “my…”, but I butt in and shut them down, pointing to heaven while singing): God’s way.

Thank you.