Faith Revolution

Never suffer the invaluable moments of thy life to steal by unimproved, and leave thee in idleness and vacancy; but be always either reading, or writing, or praying, or meditating, or employed in some useful labor for the common good.

~ Thomas `A Kempis

I don’t need to explain because I know that on this day,  you are thinking the same thoughts and remembering the same things that I am.

Thank you and God bless you my friend.

Trying to trip me up, a friend recently asked me something to the effect of what news media outlet was the best source of the truth; fully expecting me to say Fox News.  I forget exactly how I answered.  I did say that I didn’t rely on any one particular source, but rather did my own due dilligence in an effort to discern the truth from a glut of twisted rhetoric that Americans consider news today.  Unfortnately in our divided nation, both sides have become very shrill.

Please don’t take this to mean that I have become a “moderate” or “independent.”  If you want to label me politically, then call me a paleoconservative.  I am frequently called “opinionated” (which comes with the territory of speaking out while being solidly grounded in principle) and a few times I have been called “nutty.”  I am certainly not a liberal, socialist, communist or neocon.

Two things that I love and study are the Kingdom of God and public policy; the kingdom here and the Kingdom to come and how they relate to the phenomena of being human.  But I must admit that there are times that I become very cynical and sarcastic.  For instance, it could easily be thought of that I do not like President Obama.  The truth is that I don’t know President Obama.  I know that I vehemently disagree with the direction that he, the democrats and many of the neocon republicans are taking this country!  Nevertheless, I do not have anything against President Obama for I do not know him.  I actually believe that he may be entirely sincere in his efforts.  It is possible that he can be a very nice, sincere man who has the best interest of the nation at heart and still be principally wrong.  That is what I think, but because of the divided culture that has been created in the information sectors of our society, when I express outrage at policy, I am sometimes attacked for being against the man or the government.  It is sometimes pointed out that it is “unpatriotic” or ” not Christian-like” to oppose the president or the government in general.

The other side is that liberal Christians are often afraid to engage in public policy discussion because Christianity is equated with the Republican Party and therefore dialogue is often squelched by sometimes viscious anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-anything to do with any thought other than pro-Moral Majority thought from the 70’s and 80’s rhetoric.  Christians can be downright cruel in their speech and attitudes by assuming that all other Christians think exactly as they do (when sometimes they haven’t even explored all angles of the positions they espouse).

So how is the Christian to approach public discourse in a church small group setting, while sitting on the board of the local public school district, while involved in a community volunteer effort or any other civic activity?

In their June issue, Comment Magazine has an excellent article that begins to answer this by asking the question:  “how do we act as responsible citizens amidst the broken systems, angry rhetoric and other mucky complexities that come with public square engagement?”  The article is written by Jedd Medefind .

You can read the entire article here:  Along the narrow ledge

If you are a follower of Christ (of any label) and find yourself engaging or desiring to engage others in conversation on public policy, I strongly suggest you read it.

Psalm 138

1 A psalm of David. I give you thanks, O LORD, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods.

2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I will give thanks to your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, because your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

3 When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need.

4 Every king in all the earth will give you thanks, O LORD, for all of them will hear your words.

5 Yes, they will sing about the LORD’s ways, for the glory of the LORD is very great.

6 Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.

7 Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will preserve me against the anger of my enemies. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies! Your power will save me.

8 The LORD will work out his plans for my life – for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.