Vote
I shocked my Sunday School class when I argued that Jesus didn’t always advocate for docile faith.
He modeled compassion by healing the sick and caring for the poor. The respect he showed sinners, prostitutes, lepers, children, and women showed that he saw all people as children of God. And he commanded his followers to love all their neighbors.
When Did We Stop Being Polite?
I was always taught to be polite. To think about how my words made other people feel and to not speak when my words were going to be hurtful. And while my sharp tongue often got me in trouble, my parents were quick to reprimand me.
On one such occasion, my father’s driver – Ishmael - drove me to my horseback riding lesson. We boarded my horse at the stable where I took lessons. I had gone to the stables more times than I can count. That day, I didn’t pay attention as Ishmael drove. I didn’t notice when Ishmael took a wrong turn. We got lost, and I was late for my lesson.
My response was to yell at Ishmael.
What is Our Role?
I got into my car, flipped the radio on, and my heart sank. Once again, reports of a school shooting filled my car. As I mulled over my different emotions – grief, anger, numbness – I began to wonder, what is my role?
I know my role as a mom: to protect my daughter. I know my role as American: to vote and advocate for a better America. But as a Christian what is my role?
How do we as Christians navigate a world of politics? How do we know what to say, when scripture doesn’t mention the different topics that we are debating on the national stage?
A False War
It’s not about believing the women, it’s about the lie that we are at war. In a war, you work with imperfect people and ideas to win. You're willing drop the first nuclear bomb, killing millions, creating a weapon that threatens the human race, to save millions. In a war, you work with evil people to stop evil people. Wars provide excuses to slip on blinders so that you can focus on the “common good.”