I love America. I love American history. I think we have been profoundly blessed. I am married to a former Marine...oh, I forgot. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi. At my church I also mention praying for the candidates and for the election process and I (quietly) encourage folks to vote.
Nonetheless...I ask, have you been given a "voter's guide to the issues" that looks like a brochure for the Republican party? Do you feel the need to send scurrilous emails about political candidates, pointing out their sins, flaws, parentage etc.? Are you engaged in getting everyone you know to be patriotic and vote their "Christian values?" Are you planning on moving to Canada if your candidate is not elected? (Just kidding.) Then this article, "On the Campaign Trail" by the always thought provoking (and a teensy bit bit controversial) Greg Boyd is not to be missed.
Here is a snippet of the whole.
"... Several representatives of... (a conservative Christian political action ministry) shared why they felt America was a Christian nation and why it was the responsibility of pastors to encourage their church members to get out and “vote their biblical values.” (Are Christians tempted to vote the values of the Koran, Tao Te Ching or Humanist Manifesto unless their pastors remind them what they believe?)...I asked “When did Jesus ever do anything like what you were just asked to do? “ ...the church’s one and only job is to look like Jesus, humbly manifesting God’s love in sacrificial service to all people at all times, including our enemies...the church in America is, as a whole, failing miserably. Christians are known for a lot of things, but humility and self-sacrificial love, especially for enemies, isn’t among them. The tragic truth is that the church in America is profoundly broken... We aren’t doing what we’re called to do, in part because we’re so busy trying to get Caesar to do it! ... Instead of feasting at the banquet of God’s humble, servant love, we’re joining in the world’s scramble to scarf up a morsel of power that falls from Caesar’s table...Folks, for people who profess to follow Jesus, this is pure insanity! ... In the Kingdom, we vote with our lives, not in a booth expressing our opinion about what Caesar should do...Keep your eyes fixed on Christ where your life is hid (Col. 3:1-5).
I'll be honest. I'm not sure I agree with everything he said. The whole article might challenge some ideas, make you a little angry, or maybe it will make you shout "Amen." Read it for yourself--I dare you!
P.S. And stop, stop, STOP sending me those insane emails. The Book of Revelation does not say that the Anti Christ is charming, 40, and of Muslim descent....
3 comments:
Boy, I wish I could get some of my friends and family members to stop sending me those same type of emails too! One of my cousins was so offended by one of those type e-mails sent out by another of our cousins that she wrote him a nice little note and mentioned to him that she felt this was extremely prejudicial, biased, discriminating, etc., and the sender of the e-mail was aghast that the other cousin felt that way. Didn't stop him from sending more of the same though. Thick heads I guess is all I can say about it -that and I am also very adept at clicking open my trash can on my e-mail account lately!
Luckily, I don't get the icky emails...yet.
I have mixed feelings on the "Christians should vote biblical values" argument. I do believe that the Christian life I am called to live does extend to all parts of my life--politics included.
I do believe that how I plan on voting very strongly reflects how I understand Scripture, grace, justice, and love. But I also know that people who shout this from their pulpits probably really mean vote for the other guy. :)
Me too, CH. A Christian world view should certainly affect all of our life, not just Sunday morning.
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