“It is of great importance to set a resolution, not to be shaken, never to tell an untruth. There is no vice so mean, so pitiful, so contemptible; and he who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and a third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world’s believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good disposition.” —Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, 1785

Easter has come and gone, but the season continues for forty days until the Ascension on which day Jesus, having completed his mission on earth, which was to suffer and die for the sins of all mankind, Resurrected back to life on the third day, and then returned to the Father in Heaven where all hope to blissfully reside on the last day.

The Eucharistic Prayer summarizes the gift of the Risen Jesus: “By dying He destroyed death; by rising He restored our life.” Easter is about the gift of life on earth and eternal life with the Risen Lord in Heaven. It is always about life.

Monday was the day a wonderful brother-in-law was buried but there was no sadness, no weeping, no gnashing of teeth, only joy and celebration of the life of Alfred (Red) Nerino who finally escaped pain to take his place with his Lord God that he had been preparing for. Families and friends saluted and clapped as TAPS were played for a veteran, and only good and happy times were recalled.

Luncheon followed at the Peanut Bar in Reading, Pennsylvania, where celebration of the life of Red continued. He was “Dzedo,” Slovak for grandfather, to his children, grandchildren, friends, and all who knew him personally.

Funeral festivities continued as there were only happy joyful faces that knew the truth of death after a good, constructive, loving, giving life, memories accompanied by recollection of happy memories of a good man, father, grandfather, Dzedo, and friend, who insisted there be no eulogy but the word of God and promise of Everlasting Life. If  Red had any pride at all, it was in family and his standing as “Dzedo” which he considered to be  his proudest and crowning achievement.

Dzedo wanted no mention of his brilliant journalism career that culminated with his serving as editor of daily newspapers, The Reading Eagle and Reading Times. Pride was not a vice of Dzedo. Red believed there were more important things in life than attainment of position. Young, adolescents, teenagers, brave adults, along with uninhibited grandmothers joined at the piano thumping by self-taught grandchild who happily and enthusiastically banged the keys to lead happy song and dance that sent tears of joy from eyes of nostalgic old-timers. Only that the rest could be so fortunate.

Red could be gruff in his questions and comebacks, and on one significant incident involving a writer, Red was asked to review a trilogy novel before completion of the final chapters. Red, seeing that the writer had painted himself into a corner, countered, “But how are you going to end this?” Suddenly inspired, the end was written and to this day stands as the only possible way the dilemma could be resolved thanks to Red who knew what to say, when to say it, and how to say it.

Red was honest to a fault in his reporting and editor duties, as on one occasion, Red, true to his principles, declined the request of a relative to intercede with another news department to squelch the cause of death, explaining that it was public information, and as such, he could not choose to request omission of the cause of death.

In another incident, Red was questioned by upper management as to why he did not send reporters to a protest by four sign-carrying activists at a local post office. Red replied that this same management team denied him the right to send reporters to cover a large group of Conservative objectors to a Liberal social cause.

Red was honest to a fault, an object lesson for the current occupant of the White House who never found truthful words that he felt compelled to distort into lies and untruths so obvious that those lying words could come only from the mouth of Satan or his minions. Would that more editors, reporters, media, talking heads, and politcos follow examples of Red, who despite his protestations, is a legend in his own time and all time. Thanks for the memories Red, as all who knew you wish for your cup overflowing with eternal joy and never-ending happiness, that you while here with us, spread to all in your purview.

President Barack Obama has reverently honored Muslim holydays as is his right, but then to define himself as a Christian and declaring that all religions honor the same God, is a blatant bald-faced lie. Hard evidence shows that the god Allah was a pagan deity, the Moon-god married to the sun goddess and the stars were his daughters. “Allah” is purely an Arabic term used exclusively in reference to an Arabic deity. Exploration of that issue would take volumes, but suffice it to say that Allah is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. More detailed information is available at http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/moongod.htm.

That being said, Obama denigrated Easter by praising Muslims in his “Easter Message.” Obama said this time of year is a good time to remember the “common thread of humanity that connects us all – not just Christians and Jews, but Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs – is our shared commitment to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” Here is what the Koran has to say about loving your neighbor.

Qur'an (5:51) – “O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.”

Muslims believe in loving their neighbors, as long as the neighbors are Muslims, but on the other hand, Sunni Muslims do not love Shiite Muslims and vice versa, but between those antagonists in the 57 nation Muslim World, is laid to rest the fiction that Islam is the friend of America and wishes it well (DONE).

Obama delivered a non-Christian “Christian” message for Easter, and as too often, when the self-designated Christian anointed one speaks, it is akin to the Indian Cowboy movie axiom, “White Man speak with forked tongue” – common to serpents and typified by Satan, father of lies.

Intentional omission of truth constitutes a lie, every bit as much as telling an absolute lie, spin, twist the truth, or telling half-truths, are the modus operandi of Satan. From above, maybe Dzedo Red can somehow show Obama and all of us, truth and real love as he has dispensed tin his lifetime to all who knew him or had contact with him. Prime examples of the success of Dzedo Red are the young people and their friends in his life who are a pride and joy in themselves, an encouraging sign for the future.