Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

In America, Thanksgiving has become the relative starting point for the Christmas season.

Christmas is when many Americans celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, in whose name much of the religion in the United States is carried out.

Much time and energy has been spent by religious so-called conservatives on subjects like opposing gay marriage, and teaching "intelligent design" - the latest buzzword for creationism in schools - all purportedly under the banner of Christianity.

But are some of our political and religious leaders emphasizing things that Jesus Christ didn't? And giving short shrift to those he considered high priority?
In the book of Matthew in the Bible's New Testament, Jesus Christ tells his flock that some of them will "inherit the kingdom." They are the ones who fed him when he was hungry, gave him drink when he was thirsty, welcomed him though he was a stranger, gave him clothes when he was naked, took care of him when he was sick, visited him in prison.

Puzzled, they asked when they had encountered Jesus in those situations of hunger, sickness, nakedness, and ministered to him.

"And the king will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'"

And then Jesus turns to those who did not minister to those in need.

"`Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Pretty strong stuff.

To live a life Christ would have applauded, we need to take care of the least of those in our society - the poor, the downtrodden, the underprivileged, the blind, the marginalized, old folks - and most of all, the children just getting started in life.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, we responded collectively fairly well as a society - though not at least initially as a federal government. When Rita followed soon after into Texas, our religious and governmental institutions did good jobs in meeting the crisis, and taking care of those in need.

But what about the rest of the time, when hurricanes aren't coming ashore?
What about the day-in and day-out problems that some of our people face? How responsive are we to those in a way that Jesus would have approved?

Think about the recent proposed budget cuts in Washington for services designed to help people at the bottom of the income scale. Meanwhile, think of all the tax cuts designed primarily to benefit not the needy, but the wealthy. Think about the habit in Texas to approve ever more regressive taxes - like a higher and broader sales tax, and gambling -- that shift the tax load those who can least afford it.

Think of balancing a budget shortfall in Texas by cutting programs aimed at those who need our help most. Whether we realize it or not, how well we provide education and health care for the least among us is vital not just to their future, but to our own as a state and nation. They are our future.

Several years ago, some people wore bracelets with the initials "WWJD," for "What Would Jesus Do?"
Using the hindsight of the 2,000 years since Jesus lived, perhaps the new bracelet should read, "WWJRD." That stands for "What Would Jesus Really Do?"

When you evaluate your leaders, you might think about it.