Young adults don’t know that they’re going to die.  I mean, in theory, of course they do, but when you’re 19 or 23, it just doesn’t seem possible that you could become seriously ill or incapacitated.  That’s what happens to old people.  Except when it happens to you.

Another thing about young adults.  They like to live in cities, and they start out with low-paying jobs.  They can’t afford health insurance.  And after they get out of college, their parents usually can’t continue carrying their adult children on the parents’ policy.  So what do they do?  They try to “be careful.”  They stretch their medication out, instead of getting more.  Sometimes they even set their own broken bones.  (NY Times, 2/18) 

And other times they have emergencies, real emergencies.  Accidents, or life-threatening illnesses.  They may end up like Alanna Boyd, 28, who was treated for diverticulitis in Beth Israel Medical Center in New York–she was in the hospital for 40 hours and was billed $17, 398–including $13 for the use of a television.  Said Ms. Boyd, “I could have gone to a major university for a year.  Instead, I went to the the hospital for two days.”

Or the situation could be much worse, like that of the young adult son of friends of mine.  This young man had a suspicious growth that he should have had checked out–but he postponed going to a doctor for six months, because he had applied for health insurance and didn’t want to be found with a “pre-existing condition.”  It turns out that he has a melanoma, a form of cancer that is readily curable if treated in the early stages–but deadly if it is left to spread its seeds throughout the body.  This boy is going to die–he is now in palliative care, because nothing more can be done.

Our young adults are the largest group of medically uninsured.  The latest available figures show 13.2 million of them, or 29 percent, as of 2007.  Who are they?  They are our children, that’s who they are.  They want to be on their own, but they haven’t figured out how to do that in this failing economy.  They are trying hard, most of them, and living lightly–but most of the jobs that are available to them do not include health insurance, and private insurance is way too expensive.  So they hope for the best.  Some of them make it through to maturity all right . . . and some of them don’t.

Two dozen states now allow parents to claim young adults as dependents for insurance purposes up to age 29.  I believe all states should follow suit.  Medical care is not a privilege–it should be an absolute right for everyone, in a wealthy society such as ours.  But if we’re going to begin somewhere with universal health care in this country, let it be with our children.  These young people are still growing into adulthood.  It is shameful that we grown-ups are letting them go without the protection that they need. 

That’s what grown-ups do, in a civilized country.  They care for their young.   

Apparently the Catholic hierarchy–Pope Benedict, in particular–is bringing back indulgences (NY Times 2/10).  This is big news, because they have been out of favor since the Mother Church was selling them to some profit back in the 16th century, setting off the wrath of reformer Martin Luther and fostering the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

Just what are indulgences, anyway?  The name gives us some hint.  It works this way: Catholics can commit sins, go to confession, but still have to do time in that unpleasant in-between-place, Purgatory, which is sort of a way-station to heaven, after you’ve paid your dues with enough suffering for said sins.  To avoid this stop, you can say certain prayers, make certain devotions, or go on certain pilgrimages–such will keep you safe until you commit another sin, which is almost certain to happen, knowing ourselves as we do. You can also reduce purgatorial time for dead people–but as one baffled Catholic complained, “What does it mean to get time off in Purgatory?  What is five years in terms of eternity?”  Good point.

Why are indulgences coming back into favor now?  Well, sin is out of favor these days.  People just “make mistakes.”  Or have “dysfunctional families.”  If only every child were given milk and cookies at bedtime, there would be no such thing as evil, many secularists believe.  Instead of going to a priest, we go to a psychiatrist–or if money is short in the current economic downturn, we check out a self-help book from the library.  Without sin, of course, there can be no repentence.  (And no real need for confession or indulgences, of course.)

I see the point.  I’m for sin, myself–that is, I believe we all commit them.  And repentence is a good thing.  But personal sins, which seem to be the focus of confession and indulgences, pale in the face of systemic sins, like war, hunger, and the lack of health care (for starters).  Just think about the systemic sins of the bankers and investment firms!  How many prayers or piltrimages would it take to wipe out these sins?  It boggles the mind.  Of course, the Church allows “charitable contributions” to count toward indulgences as well (presumably, to the Church, among other worthy organizations), so perhaps some of the TARP money could go for that.

According to the article in the Times, Portland, Oregon, is one of the locations where the Church has enthusiastically offered indulgences this year.  For those looking for an alternative, I would like to counter with the Universalist view of “universal salvation,” in which we posit a God who is too good to send anyone to a burning lake of fire for eternity–or even for a few thousand years to Purgatory.  We believe that hell is what we make for ourselves right here on this earth, when we separate ourselves from God and from one another. 

Like the Catholics, we also take contributions.  But we don’t guarantee heaven.  Our God doesn’t do deals.  Sorry. 

My blog this morning will feature a guest columnist, the Rev. Emily R. Braut, a prison chaplain, who sent

It has been disturbing to many of us who have supported Sam Adams that he lied to the public about his sexual relationship with Beau Breedlove.  During the mayoral campaign, Sam was accused by a rival candidate of having sex with a minor, and fearful that the public would not believe him (Sam) if he explained that Breedlove was of age, he lied.  In fact, Sam claimed to be only a mentor and feigned indignance that people might think that he, a gay man, might not be trusted in a mentoring relationship with a handsome young man.  He created a public relations campaign to discredit his detractors, and as part of that effort, coached Breedlove to lie effectively, as well.  Moreover, Sam may have hired an unqualified individual, a former reporter, as part of his staff, in order to stop her investigation of his relationship with Breedlove. 

Many citizens have called for Sam to step down, saying that he has lost the public trust.  Others have urged him to stay on as our Mayor, saying that he has done nothing illegal, and though his deceit was reprehensible, he has learned his lesson and that he has the skills and commitment to serve the city well. This is a complex issue, with no clear-cut answers.  I have tried to sort out my thinking on the situation, and want to share those thoughts with you. 

My God is a God of love and mercy, rather than a God of judgment and condemnation.  Therefore, I believe that if Sam truly understands the import of what he has done and repents of his behavior, then he should stay in office.  If he is opportunistic and devious, thinking of his own career and well-being, then he should by all means resign.  Only Sam knows what is in Sam’s heart, and I would urge him to consider what is there.  Those of us in the Judeo-Christian tradition might be reminded of King David, who sent Bathsheba’s husband into the front lines of battle, that he might be killed, so David could have his wife.  We might remember Paul, who was a fierce prosecutor of Christians before his conversion on the road to Damascus.

We might ask ourselves: who among us has not done something absolutely stupid, because we were sexually attracted to another, or “in love”?  We might ask ourselves if we have ever lied to avoid getting in trouble.  “Yes, but Adams is a public servant!” we say.  And public servants are also human beings.  We often forget that.  And we often forget the immense pressures that leaders are under, and the isolation they feel.  Does this excuse bad behavior?  No, but it helps to explain it.

Another dimension of Sam’s offense is the abuse of power.  The two men were not equals, and Sam needed to recognize that his age and position made Breedlove vulnerable.  Fortunately, by his own testimony, Breedlove seems to not have been harmed by the relationship.  But Sam must recognize that with the power of office comes the responsbility to use that power to serve and protect–otherwise, other abuses of power will come into play. 

Incidentally, the question of whether or not Breedlove was 18 when he and Sam had sex is a legal question, but not a moral question, to me.  Was it two weeks after his 18th birthday, or two weeks before?  The moral question is whether or not any liason, at any age, has integrity.  When I was growing up in the ’50′s in rural Louisiana, people often married young.  I remember that my brother’s best friend was a young farmer who married at the age of 15 to a beautiful young woman of fourteen.  They had four beautiful daughters and a good, sound marriage.  Age and sexual propriety changes with time and with various cultures.  It is arbitrary.  (And yes, one should respect the laws of the land.)

Another consideration is whether or not it makes a difference that Sam Adams is gay.  Are we more forgiving of Bill Clinton, because after all “men will be men”?  In recent days we have brought into office a President who seems to have great integrity–and we breathe a sigh of relief.  We don’t want to see any more sexual scandals in high places.  But it is interesting that during the past few days, dotted frequently with memories of other heroes, when JFK was mentioned or when MLK, Jr., was mentioned, no one seems to remember their well-documented extra-marital sexual liasons, again an abuse of power.  And indeed, I’m happy not to go there, either.  But we cannot have it both ways–condemning people we don’t like (Larry Craig), while passing on people we admire (Clinton).

So again, I say, what kind of man are you, Sam Adams?  Do you know what you have done?  Have you truly repented?  Are you willing to go forward in good faith, and serve the public with honesty and integrity, understanding that it’s not about you?  If so, I say, “Don’t resign.  We all make mistakes.  We can change.  I believe that you have much to offer our city, and I hope you have the character and will to offer it.”

I just watched the Inuguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States.  One of the memorable phrases that he used in his address was recognizing “the triumph of hope over fear” at this time in our nation’s history.

I feel that I just woke up from a bad dream, after the past eight years of Republican rule.  During that time everything that I hold dear about my country has been violated by the Bush administration: torture, in violation of the Geneva convention; pre-emptive war, in violation of international law; inept and wasteful handling of that war, once started; ignoring of the protections of habeas corpus; spying on American citizens; refusing to recognize scientific knowledge in making policy; allowing the short-term gains of the few to endanger the life of the planet; power and position given to those whose main virtue was their support of the President; deregulation, leading to shameful economic inequity and finally the breakdown of the economic system.  I could go on, but let’s stop there.

Now in office is a man who embodies change.  The underprivileged son of a black man and a white woman, he is young, highly intelligent, compassionate, and a man of great integrity.  In his very person, he says YES to this nation, YES WE CAN.  Yes to all of us, not just some of us.  And in a time when so many of us have been beaten down by seeing our ideals dashed to the ground, we can once again choose hope over fear.  No wonder my tears were flowing so freely as I watched the Inauguration on television this morning.  It was a great letting go, and a great coming forth.