Views from Point Breeze

I had all intentions of leaving Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church for good last year.  I love the messages of Reverend Waller.  He is a teacher/preacher of the first magnitude.  His sermons and the inspiration for them are spellbinding.  I just got tired of the message that once your storm is over that you will find milk and honeys at the end.  Many people who are enjoying career and life success can appreciate this message.  It has been a struggle for awhile to get back to where I was when I sat on a podium with Dr. Waller at a MED Week event back in 2008.  I have been attending the Church of the Redeemer recently and have one new member class to complete before I join this branch of Christians. Reverend Waller preached from the Book of Revelations yesterday on the topic of the Church.  In the 2nd Chapter, 18th verse, it states: Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.  By her ...

I was reading in the Philadelphia Inquirer today about the Pope's visit to Uganda.  I wonder what the security precautions were before the Pontiff visited.  In Philadelphia, we had the FBI, CIA, Secret Service agents, Homeland Security and numerous other agencies in addition to our local police force to protect this world leader.  Thankfully, there were no major incidents to mar his visit.  The after effects of the visit are gone.  The murder rate is up over last year and the pilgrims have returned to their points of origin.  I don't know if we (City of Philadelphia) have been paid for the city services expended but we will probably find out after the new Mayor is installed. Uganda is a country of almost 37 million people.  It is a multi-party Democratic Republic whose President is Yoweri Kaguti Museveni.  I remember him for the professed hatred for gays and the passage of virulent anti-gay laws.  Strangely, these laws were supported ...

After being reelected in november, the Councilman for the 2nd District is back at his gracious ways.  He is a true advocate for the Community and he gives back with the best of them.  Malayja and I had a great time at his Summer Festival.  With the onset of November weather, it seems so far ago.  I wish my Granddaughter would have met Silento!!  It was a little rainy that day but it didn't stop the good vibes on Point Breeze Avenue!!  The councilman has sponsored Job Fairs and Domestic Violence Awareness runs.  He is setting an amazing pace. I was fortunate to be able to deliver Thanksgiving baskets to my Mom and to Ms. Shockley yesterday.  These baskets had all of the trimmings to make a meal on Thursday.  I know that the Councilman distributed them to Committee persons.  There were many other families who benefitted from his charity.  Along with State Representative Jordan Harris, I feel that we are represented by two kind and ...

I have been substitute teaching for a few weeks now.  I really miss the opportunity to work with pregnant mothers in New Jersey in an effort to reduce infant mortality.  I have a hearing on my discrimination case coming up and I hope for a positive resolution.  Meanwhile, I am very blessed to have the blood running warm in my veins.  I think about where I could be and I thank the Lord for my blessings. I was thinking about Henry C. Keith recently.  We lost my Father in Law this year and I will miss the gatherings we used to have at his house.  I was asked to give a few remarks at his Funeral service.  I spoke about the dedication that Michael, Mona and Shawn had towards his needs at the end of his long life.  I used to stay with him after Aunt Joann passed.  He loved a McDonald's Sausage and Egg biscuit in the morning.  He also loved when his family gathered in his room at the Palmer House to celebrate his birthday in late Novemb...

The acts of terror in Paris have raised a delicate issue for the plight of the displaced Syrians throughout the world.  They have been chased away by a hard line ideology based on a view of the Quran that is not shared by the majority of Muslims.  This is just an opinion.  I was just listening to a sermon by Reverend Alyn Waller based on the writings of the Apostle Paul.  His interpretation of the Bible reflects his background as the son of a Preacher who grew up in a church family.  He might not have been exposed to the social milieu that has developed the leaders of ISIS.  He preaches from the pulpit of a 15,000 member church.  I cannot imagine one of his members donning a suicide belt to advance the cause of Jesus Christ. The United States is a country of immigrants.  Anyone who has studied American history can recite the story of the Pilgrims who arrived here as a result of religious persecution in Great Britain.  Native Americans live...

Many families are starting life in Paris today minus loved ones who were savagely murdered on Friday night.  Who could have predicted that attending a rock concert featuring an American band would be their last act on this earth.  People were gunned down in restaurants also.  Explosions occurred at a soccer friendly but I don't know if it resulted in any deaths.  The question on many people's minds is why?  It seems like the attackers were linked to ISIS.  How can shooting people with automatic weapons while shouting religious epithets be synonymous? The usual impression that we have of war involves soldiers fighting on a battlefield.  I was fortunate enough not to live through campaigns where cities were bombed.  There is always collateral damage when nations commit to acts of aggression against each other.  In July of 2014 almost 300 people were killed in the skies over the Ukraine when flight MH-17 was hit by a surface to air missile. ...

I was a fan of Empire during the first season.  It was edgy and represented an African American cast to the utmost.  Lucius and Cookie started a record business in their garage and it actually hit the open market this year as a publicly traded company.  Last season ended on a whirlwind of activity.  Lucius was jailed for the murder of his cousin Bunky.  Andre's wife killed their Uncle Vernon and his story line played well into the second season.  The schism between Hakeem and Jamal have grown during the second season and will not end well. Chris Rock made the briefest of cameos this season as a gangster who had been jailed.  While in jail he executed someone who had killed one of his associates in a retribution killing.  He was coming hard after Cookie and tried to get Lucius' blessing to kill her.  Lucius wouldn't do it.  Chris' character, Frank Gathers, was killed forcefully based on Lucius' past acts of goodwill.  On...