There’s nothing that makes a father prouder than a son (or daughter) who lives up to more than expectations. I speak of the man who lived up to the many expectations the Old Testament had of the Messiah, including a terrible death (see Isaiah’s “servant” passages). Yes, that Son lived up to more than that; God saw fit to raise him from such a death in justice.

I, too, have a son who not only lived up to more than his ambitions. He saw how his father scrimped on his teacher’s salary and decided to become a banker. As Willie Sutton (the bank robber) said, “That’s where the money is.” But that was not enough for him. He booked a trip to Thailand, where an expatriate held a conference, and learned the art of internet marketing. He’s more than independent now; we’re looking for a place to name Von Burg Plaza.

One day last year at this time, the Red Oak (the mature leaves are similar, but I had mistaken it for a Black Oak) astounded me. All its splendor of reddish immature leaves burst forth on the same day, leaving it in the glory of the noon day sun. It was like a second coming.

Despite this year’s pandemic, I am looking for that again. True, the pandemic doesn’t leave much to be anticipated — there are some people who are starving — but maybe it’ll bring out the best in other people, like a splendor of reddish leaves, and the starving will be fed. I have done what I could at the risk of being called spendthrift by one dear to me, whose care is in my hands, and I don’t want that moniker.

We live in Western Civilization, and the going has always been easier in our Judeo-Christian culture. Let’s hope we come through again.

The Canadian writer, William Gairdner, hinted in his Epoch Times article that the two kinds of socialism, national socialism (fascism), and international socialism (communism) both require a dictatorship to keep them going. Bernie Sanders visited Canada, and was impressed by their socialized medicine. But you pay for socialism — either you or your children are saddled with taxes and more taxes. Look at what happened to the Soviet Union. China, in the meantime, has converted to capitalism and runs a capitalistic socialized dictatorship, so far. And no social dictatorship tolerates a free, formative religion like Christianity.

Of course we came close to a Canadian form of medicine (Obamacare). In a recent year, 60,000 Canadians left the country to seek medical care in other countries. Unless you are a Canadian worker whose job is vital for running the country, you may have to wait a year for your medical treatment. Is that the kind of medical care you want in the world’s most scientifically advanced nation? The much touted European socialists are being replaced, at last report.

We are in pandemic times, and there’s nothing more important than a good deed. I found myself in Elmont today, and as eighty-six year old men do, I needed a bathroom. Restaurants are only open for take-out, and Loretta answered my request by driving up to one called Lilo’s Pizzeria and Restaurant. There was a man standing by the front door when I tried to enter, and he pointed to a sign that said, “Entry only for customers.” I looked at him in desperation. “But where will I go to the bathroom?” I asked.

He was over fifty. He knew what I was talking about, so he entered before me and spoke to the manager. Done. I was shown the restroom and was happy as a lark. It was a kind deed that is usually not mentioned, but it was still a bond created between two otherwise disinterested human beings.

I am not that well acquainted with Roman literature written in BC, but I’d venture to say that good deed literature did not encourage people before the New Testament, written about 75 AD. For some reason, that marks a change.

History is full of strange coincidences that have benefitted humankind.  The coronavirus might be one.  We’ll see.  But I’m going to mention two visible to me.

The first is the appearance of George Washington in the apparently doomed American Colonies’ bid for freedom.  He took a ragtag army to victory against far superior and experienced forces.

The second, knowing how slowly civilizations change, was the appearance of what we self-agrandizingly call a more humane civilization about 1500 years to the day before the discovery of its greatest manifestation, America.  This Christian, or if you will, Judeo-Christian civilization, changed the globe forever, from the brutal and still primitive Roman civilization to what we call Western Civilization today.

Sure, you’ll admit it’s more humane, but did you know that means less beastly?