A Christlike political choice

Posted by Dan Bruce on May 05, 2012
Current Events, Daily Journal, Opinion / 2 Comments

Someone asked me how I could call myself a Democrat and a Christian at the same time. It’s a good question, and, believe it or not, I have given it a great deal of thought.

For me it comes down to this. Membership in neither political party totally satisfies the requirements of living as a Christian. Both parties have platforms that contradict my understanding of what it means to be a Christian in one way or another. So, if I am to participate in our American system as a citizen, which I believe is allowed biblically, then I have to choose the lesser of two evils as far as my political affiliation is concerned.

For me, I had to ask myself which of the two main political parties, in its words and deeds, more closely match the words and deeds of Jesus as recorded in the Scriptures. I looked at the main issues outlined in the platforms of the two parties, and I observed the words and deeds of the respective party leaders, and I came to the conclusion that the direction in which the Democratic Party is moving more closely matches the things Jesus talked about.

I consider the Democratic Party to be more oriented toward helping the poor and powerless, which was a major theme of Jesus during his ministry, something he repeatedly spoke about to his disciples as he taught them how to carry forth the faith while he was away. I also find that the social welfare programs supported by Democrats seem to be more closely aligned to achieving the type of society practiced by the first-century church, a way of operating as a society (as described in Acts 4:32-37) which I assume the disciples based on the teachings of Jesus they had heard firsthand.

As for the “family values” platform on which Republicans have built their party, specifically the two “Christian” wedge issues of abortion and homosexuality (complementing their “un-Christian” embrace of racism as a wedge issue), I recall that Jesus did not base his ministry on opposing either abortion or homosexuality, but on loving and serving one another. In fact, Jesus did not mention either topic during his ministry, never once, instead preferring to focus the efforts of his followers on helping the “widows and orphans” and others who had earthly needs.

That lack of emphasis on sexual and reproductive issues by Jesus gave me the answer I needed about the kind of civil society I hope to bring about by my choice of political party. That’s why I, as a voter operating as a citizen in a civil society and expecting to achieve only secular goals through political participation (spiritual goals cannot be achieved through a political process, the proof being that Jesus never once tried to do so), I choose to affiliate with the Democratic Party, and I will vote to re-elect President Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

A special day for me

Posted by Dan Bruce on April 23, 2012
Daily Journal / No Comments

Today is an important anniversary for me, one that marks a milestone in my life. Twenty-seven years ago, on April 23, 1985, I began the first of my multiple thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. That year, I hiked a total of 2,145.2 miles from Springer Mountain in northern Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in north-central Maine. My journey carried me over dozens of mile-high mountains, through hundreds of uncounted and often unnamed gaps and valleys, and across famous and familiar rivers whose names dot the pages of early American history, the Nolichucky, the James, the Potomac, the Delaware, the Hudson, the Connecticut, and the Kennebec.

In a sense, my first thru- hike in 1985 was the beginning of a new life for me. It renewed my spirit at a time when it needed renewing. It renewed my appreciation for the beauty and complexity of creation in all its forms, and it brought me closer to God. I remember early in my hike standing on an overlook and feeling so very small, insignificant in the scheme of things, and yet, at the same time, being made aware that all of the vast wonders spread out before me, at least at that moment, were there just for my eyes, and that made me feel a hundred feet tall at the same time.

As destiny would have it, I would go on from that first thru-hike to hike the entire Appalachian Trail six more times, and in 1990 I began writing the guidebook that would be used by thousands of subsequent thru-hikers on their own quest for adventure and meaning in life. I did not realize it at the time, but it was the experience of writing that first guidebook, The Thru-hiker’s Handbook released in 1991, and the expertise gained in later self-publishing it year after year, that prepared me for doing what I am doing today.

Five years ago, after successfully writing and publishing eighteen editions of my popular hiking guide, I said goodbye to the Appalachian Trail community and followed my new mission in life, which centered on writing an exposition of the Book of Daniel, a challenge that even pre-dated my calling to explore and write about woods and a calling that had lain dormant all those years while my spirit was being prepared for the challenge. I published the first edition of that work under the title Daniel Unsealed in 2008 and 2010, and a few weeks ago released a revised edition under the title Lifting the Veil on the Book of Daniel. At the same time, a second Bible commentary by me was released, titled Sacred History of the Hebrew Kings, and two more Bible commentaries are underway (if you are curious about my books, see http://www.prophecysociety.org/publications.html).

So, here I am today, far further along the path of life than I ever dreamed when I started my first hike so many years ago. The Bible tells us that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 CEB), and I have certainly seen that come true in my life, especially during the past twenty-seven years since I left the workaday world behind and headed into the unknown on the Appalachian Trail with nothing more than a map, a tent, a sleeping bag, a small bag of food, and a generous helping of faith that profound days lay ahead.

The Lord does truly works in mysterious ways, and He is always faithful to reward those who seek Him. I can testify to that!

Two new books back from printer

Posted by Dan Bruce on April 17, 2012
Books, Daily Journal, Work / No Comments

My latest books are now back from the printer and available for distribution. You can check out my current titles and plans for future titles at: http://www.prophecysociety.org/publications.html

Welcome to my blog!

Posted by Dan Bruce on March 17, 2012
Daily Journal, Family / No Comments

Hello. I’m the Dan Bruce who was born and raised in Atlanta, and who now lives in the metropolitan Atlanta area. I introduce myself that way because there seem to be quite a few other Dan Bruces on the Internet. By doing a Google search, I discovered that there is at least one other Dan Bruce from Atlanta on the Internet besides me! By profession, I’m a writer of non-fiction Christian books and occasionally magazine articles. I’m not sure what the other Dan Bruce from Atlanta does for a living, or the ones not from Atlanta, although there is at least one other writer, a Dan Bruce in Europe somewhere who writes erotic fiction, something I found out by doing that Google search on my name. That Dan Bruce is not me, though. The main feature of this website is my blog. As a writer, most of what I do goes on inside my head, so a blog is a natural outlet for me. It will allow me to share my better thoughts, at least that’s the theory. You may agree or disagree with the result, and that’s okay. That’s what this blog is for. When I’m not writing, I take care of my parents, who live with me. My mom is 96 years old, and she is still able to get around rather well considering her age. My step-father had a stroke ten years ago and is partially paralyzed on his left side, so he uses a Hoveround mobility chair to get around. Both have their mental faculties, which means that I am able to fully enjoy our remaining time together. In the days to come, I hope to share some of my life with you on a somewhat regular basis. I don’t promise that what I share will be profound, or even entertaining, but it will be honest. From time to time, I hope that you will find something of interest here.