This Generation

I have prayed on these passages and the following has been revealed to me regarding “this generation.”

Matthew 11:16-17

“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates,

‘We piped to you, and you did not dance;

We wailed, and you did not mourn.’

Then Jesus went on to speak about all of the troubles that will be seen on the Earth during the end times and then added;

Luke 21:32

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place.

So, what is to be made about these two passages? Are they related to one another? I say they are. These passages have been debated over and over by many different religious factions. My training with the Jehovah’s Witnesses brought them to my attention as the Jehovah’s Witnesses once upon a time said that “this generation” was that generation who were around in 1914. I say “this generation” has not yet passed.

Is “this generation” a literal generation? A literal familial generation is about 25 years, but a generation is generally thought of as the life of an individual and their contemporaries. However, in this case, Jesus describes the generation not in terms of years, but in terms of who they are. He tells us how to identify a broader generation of mankind!

First, he describes them as children. Children are those who act up and must be taught right from wrong. Children play games. He goes on to describe their games. They pipe and others don’t dance. They wail and others do not mourn. In other words, the games of the present generation have to do with manipulating others with “games” and emotional pressure. Notice that piping and dancing is happy feeling while wailing and mourning are sad. In both cases, the person who is piping and wailing expects a reaction from someone else and is upset because they don’t get a reaction.

Sit and think about this, even in present day. Think about this sort of mentality since the time of Jesus here on Earth. How many arguments are had because we try to convince another person to think our way? Many times this leads to war! These actions are totally opposite of minding one’s own business and the ethos of “Live and let live.” No, I played the flute and you didn’t dance. I wailed and you didn’t cry. There is a built in assumption in this statement that the person feels snubbed and offended. What do humans do when they feel snubbed or offended? You know the answer. They cop an attitude at best, and punish by any means necessary at worst.

Then Jesus goes onto describe the end times and says that “this generation” shall not pass until the end times that he describes takes place. In other words, it’s not going to get better. We will be a generation of people playing the victim. We will be a generation of people trying to manipulate our fellow brothers and sisters. We will be a generation of those who will feel offended, snubbed, and generally, upset and angry because we’re not Gods ourselves!!! Only God has the right to expect people to react in such a manner! This is why it is important to heed’s God’s word and to try to be humble! 

Possible Solution to Gun Violence

I know how to truly curb gun violence in America without infringing upon the second amendment, and do it in a way that hardly anyone could complain about. I hate doing this as I am a gun supporter, but the solution is so obvious that I cannot ignore it.

The answer is to force insurance upon gun owners. If you want to own a gun in America, you must insure it. The insurance companies will do the rest. They will make it financially unsound to own certain weapons unless strict requirements are made.

Are you under 18 and want a high-powered rifle? Your insurance would be very expensive. Do you own a locking gun-cabinet? You get a discount. Have you had weapons stolen before? Higher premiums for you! Have your weapons been used in a murder? Insurance would compensate the victims.

You see, you wouldn’t be curbing anyone’s right to own a firearm. True, it would make it harder for a poor person to own a firearm, but I’m sure the insurance on a regular shotgun would be cheaper than the insurance on a high-powered rifle. Actuarial “scientists” will determine who pays what.

How do you force someone to insure their weapons? Would you need to register them? Good luck with requiring a registration, but all weapons are supposed to have serial numbers. I’ve been told that any weapon with serial numbers ground off are illegal and subject to seizure.

Any weapon in the open or being transported without insurance ought to be subject to seizure. If you want to have a shotgun in your home and don’t want to insure it, that’s fine, but you’re still liable for it should someone steal it and rob a bank. Is it worth losing your home over an uninsured weapon? That will be the reality of those owning firearms if a system is put in place that forces firearms owners to take financial liability for their weapons.

Firearms owners won’t register their weapons with the government, which is a concern with 2^nd amendment proponents. However, they will register their weapons with private insurance companies who will then regulate how firearms are to be stored and the insurance premiums will dictate that firearms owners be responsible or else pay for it.

Requiring financial liability for something in our capitalistic society is not something that is normally frowned upon. It’s in socialist countries where the society bears the brunt of liability. For instance, in socialist countries, if you fall sick, the government pays for you to get better. Risk is spread across the entire population. In America, we have generally shunned the government getting involved and we seem to prefer having people have no health coverage rather than having government take care of the problem. It’s as if it’s okay to have an insurance company dictate our coverage limitations and costs rather than our elected leaders. It doesn’t make much sense to me, but that’s America. Therefore, by asking gun owners to accept liability for their firearms, and to cover them with insurance, who could complain? It won’t be the government knocking on your doors to see your gun safe, it will be your insurance agent.

This is an entirely new way of thinking and would take time to set up the system to regulate firearm insurance, but the insurance companies would have financial incentive to set up an efficient system. In the same manner that insurance companies have crowed about their improvement of automobile safety over the years, they can help improve gun safety. Insurance companies are some of the largest lobbyists in government. They ask lawmakers for laws all the time, especially those that limit their liability. They love lower speed limits and seat belts. This is what insurance companies do and can do to the gun community.

Spring 2018 Update

I haven’t written in awhile. I’ve been fairly ill. I have not had a good winter. I am suffering from (amongst other things) Chronic Heart Failure. I had several episodes over the winter where I needed seen by a doctor. I took one ambulance ride in January and spent four days in the hospital in February.

I’m not fully out of the woods yet, but God-willing, I’m turning the corner. My second-oldest daughter will be graduating high school soon and hopefully heading off to Mt. Mercy for nursing school. KinDee’s second oldest child is now in San Diego at Marine Corps boot camp. KinDee became a grandmother in January. Now it’s April and winter just won’t let go.

I have a lot of garden plants sitting in the house under lights that need to start spending time outdoors. I want to plant another peach tree this year. I’m dreaming of garden produce coming out of the garden and onto my plate and into my pantry. I am dreaming of spending time outdoors. I am looking forward to firing off bottle-rockets with the kids again.

KinDee got her fishing license and Jenna will turn 16 this July and will need one herself. I see the two of them running off to drown a worm on a regular basis. I don’t fish anymore, but if my health were to improve, I would enjoy drowning a worm myself.

On days that are too hot, or stormy, I hope to find the time to sit down, put on some relaxing music, and just type away. I also need to catch up on genealogy work that has been sitting here since 2012. We also have other projects that have been stewing away for years, including making new curtains.

I know I keep saying it, but I’ll try to write more. Think Spring!