I've been hesitating writing about anything political on this site. For one, I realize how enflamed people can get when they find out you don't agree with their political stance. Also, I didn't want to alienate my Christian brothers and sisters who might be "on the other side of the aisle," (no pun intended). I do not believe God takes sides. Not in politics or war or whatever...God loves all of us. The fact of the matter is, I was a Kerry supporter. I saw him and was inspired by what he said when he visited Allentown. I put his bumper sticker on my car and his sign in my yard. And, I felt alienated by other Christians for supporting him. When it comes right down to it, I just don't think one can legislate morality. You can't make someone act morally by creating laws. Change must come from within. That's why we are the church (or one of the reasons.) At the same time, I believe in living like Christ by actively pursuing compassion and social justice in our world and that means being active in the political process--whether you're a republican or democrat. Enough said, I leave you with some inspiring words:
"I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible. Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted--or at least, most of the time.
This year, in this election, we are called to reaffirm our values and commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up, to the legacy of our forbearers, and the promise of future generations. And fellow Americans--Democrats, Republicans, Independents--I say to you tonight: we have more work to do. More to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico, and now are having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour. More to do for the father I met who was losing his job and choking back tears, wondering how he would pay $4,500 a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits he counted on. More to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more like her, who has the grades, has the drive, has the will, but doesn't have the money to go to college.
Don't get me wrong. The people I meet in small towns and big cities, in diners and office parks, they don't expect government to solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead and they want to. Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don't want their tax money wasted by a welfare agency or the Pentagon. Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can't teach kids to learn. They know that parents have to parent, that children can't achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. No, people don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. They know we can do better. And they want that choice [...]
A belief that we are connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief--I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper--that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.
Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America--there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America [...]
In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation; the belief in things not seen; the belief that there are better days ahead. I believe we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity. I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair. I believe that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us. America!"
Barack Obama, Senator-elect of Illinois.
joe harvey at 1:24 PM
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Yesterday I visited a Christian Bookstore. As I was looking for a Bible for two kids in my youth group, a weird feeling came over me. I get the same feeling every time I enter one of these stores. I could never quite understand it until I read of a similar experience by Dan Kimball in his book The Emerging Church. Now I love to spend lots of time in bookstores, but I never browse in Christian Bookstores. Generally, I go in, get what I need and leave--quickly!
Dan Kimball writes of a shocking experience he had a few years ago when searching for a gift for a non-christian friend. Dan was taken back when he pictured his friend in that store amidst all the Christian T-shirts, music, life-size cutouts of radio personalities, the Christian baseball hats, golf balls, and tees. He noticed (as I did) all of the "niche marketing" of Bibles to every demographic: Bibles for leaders, men, women, youth, young adults as well as the "End-times" and "Athlete's" Bible. He knew it would seem foreign to his friend and he didn’t know how he would explain it to him. He was so "weirded out" by the whole experience, he left without buying anything.
Dan calls his experience an encounter with the "Christian subcultural." It could also be called "Christian consumerism," where spirituality is replaced by a good sales pitch. We are prompted to buy something that feels comfortable or fits us. This often happens in our churches as well. First, we shop for a church that fits us or offers us the most. Then, we pick and choose the services that make us feel good, rather than becoming part of the church--or adding our uniqueness to the church. In a country where people consider themselves consumers, we are becoming a church of consumers. In an effort to be "in the world" but not "of the world," we have created a Christian subculture that is alien to most in our society. Worse, a person is not accepted into the community until they accept the culture.
Is this what it means to be a follower of the Risen Jesus? Jesus changed the culture of his time not by inviting people into an exclusive group or offering them a way to feel good about themselves, but by challenging them to encounter the culture and counter the culture. He challenged the conventional thinking of the religious authorities by living in the culture, encountering the unclean, and eating with sinners. And, he countered the culture of his day and redefined it by restoring the marginalized and the outcasts to the community of God through the politics of compassion. When we create an environment which is foreign to most in our culture, what we are really saying is "you're not welcome here, unless you know our language--unless you conform," rather than accepting people for who they are--unconditionally. And, when we yield to the conventional thinking of our day (consumerism, etc.), rather than subverting it, we risk asking to be served rather than serving others.
joe harvey at 1:15 AM
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