The world of violence continues despite the utterances on behalf of peaceful outcomes to our problems at home and abroad. We cannot help ourselves.

War and violence seem to be the simplest way to desired outcomes. Being powerful is the favorite definition of being right. It does not matter that we are in a time of the year that all Christian believers reserve for special sacrifice to achieve atonement for our sinful nature. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is around the corner and the community of faithful must prepare for the symbolic rebirth and renewal offered by his human sacrifice on the cross.

That preparation began on Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026, and will go on until Easter Sunday. It is a period that commemorates the 40 days and 40 nights that Jesus spent in the desert accompanied only by the dark side of humanity that sought to keep him anchored to his earthly origins.

There is a common Christian belief that the trials Jesus suffered in the desert were in some way a replay of Adam’s temptation to eat the fruit of knowledge offered by Eve and the Serpent. Adam succumbed to the temptation and as a result, turned paradise, that was the embodiment of the Garden of Eden, into a wilderness for human toil and suffering.

In a sense, the events in the desert are comparable in that the outcome was also a transformation from one condition to another. Adam and Eve were “heavenly figures” from paradise, God’s abode, that became part of the mortal world and therefore shed their pre-awareness state in order to begin their human journey under their own choice and responsibility.

On the other hand, Christ had to do just the opposite and shed his human condition and transformed himself into a being that can again occupy paradise. The three temptations offered by Satan in the desert dealt with hunger for food and hunger for power, the two greatest weaknesses that motivate humankind.

Satisfying hunger for bread and the temptation of having the power to rule the globe have led to greatest wars and destruction in the history of the world. It was and is a very human thing to do.

By resisting those temptations, Jesus Christ symbolically left the major characteristics of his human form behind before offering his body for sacrifice and redemption.

Yet Christ’s image and human substance is still very relevant in our belief system since we, including Jesus, are made in the image of God. As believers, we cannot escape that image and must honor it as we honor our own.

For many Christians and others that seek to divide our living world by color, race and ethnicity, this 40-day period can be a time of reflection especially focused on the true face of America and what is to be an American. For true Christians there should be no separation about believers who are worthy and eligible for redemption based upon the sacrifice made on the cross.

It is important to remember that, like the rest of us, Jesus has a human form, a cultural base that identifies him as Jewish, a Middle Eastern region that locates his earthly origins and a racial makeup that defines him as a person of color.

Those that see themselves as true believers but maintain the notion that a Northern European complexion is superior may experience a surprise at the gates of heaven. They may find Jesus in his darker image. 

The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.

The United States Supreme Court finally acted to prevent a continuing injustice against the American people and their pocketbooks. In a 6 to 3 decision. The Supreme Court voted to stop the implementation of most of the Trump’s tariffs, classifying them as a tax not authorized by our representatives in Congress.

Tariffs are a pet project of the President that he has used as an instrument of personal power to manipulate others according to whatever mood or whim that comes his way. Up to now, he has been imposing, canceling, increasing, decreasing or adding tariffs on top of one another with little regard to world trade order or even our standing international agreements.

At the same time, he has tried to convince the public that tariffs are a good thing because the added costs are paid by the exporters and importers. He conveniently leaves out the fact that some to all the tariff assessments are added to the price of imported things we buy.

Tariffs are a tax and, as such are within the concerns of Congress. Also, tariffs mostly affect consumers, especially those with less disposable income as they must spend more of what they earn on the necessities that are mostly subject to this added expense.

The unilateral executive imposition of tariffs is part of a pattern that favors the rich at the expense of the working poor and middle class. That basic tenant is expressed in the One Big Beautiful Bill’s (OBBB) tax policy. 

The most important part of the OBBB is the continuation of a major tax break for the very rich. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says that the cumulative effect of the bill is an increase in our national debt of some 3.4 trillion dollars over the next ten years. If we add the immigration deportation policy and its effect on our labor force, the deficit goes up by another 700 billion for a grand total of 4.1 trillion dollars.

The first novel I read in my early childhood was Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo first written in 1844-45. Followed closely behind in my reading was The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883) by author and illustrator Howard Pyle.

The story of Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England was famous in his day for taking from the rich and giving to the poor. It was a fight to resist the tyrant, upset the status quo and find some relief for common folks against the conditions created by the rich and powerful.

Although the Robin Hood story is about an outlaw, its foundational message projects the notions of social justice, fairness and higher human values. The defense of the weak against the strong has always captured the imagination of most young readers.

In a sense, the Robin Hood type virtues and struggle of today brings into focus the emerging challenge of a tyranny portrayed as a new status quo. That status quo puts the generation of money and wealth for the few ahead of the interests of the many.

Whether it is tax breaks for the rich, tariffs on the common American or even a Board of Peace, a club that requires a billion dollars to get in and perhaps promises billions from a new Gaza resort, it is all about money and maintaining another major characteristic of our divided society.The Supreme Court acted out of an instinct for survival as a constitutional institution. Yet it produced a good day for democracy. 

The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.