State of Affairs

I’m offering up an additional candidate for President of the United States of America– my cat Lucy. I think she’s as qualified and fit to lead the country as either of the two major party candidates.

I continue to see how people are hypersensitive to the faults of the opposing candidate and equally blind to the faults of their own candidate. The other side can’t merely be wrong. They must also be stupid and evil. There can be no dialogue and no understanding between the two sides, according to this so-called logic.

I also continue to see how people justify character assassination and hate in the name of politics. After all, the other side really isn’t human, is it? They have no feelings with which to hurt, right?

Too many people still believe that there are political answers to spiritual questions and that laws and policies can fill the God-shaped hole in each of us.

Contrary to popular opinion, the world will not come to a screeching halt on November 9, regardless of who wins. As I’ve mentioned before, we are electing a President, not a Savior. That position remains filled and will be so long after last President leaves office.

Our battle as believers is still not against flesh and blood, against the liberals (or conservatives) and the Democrats (or Republicans). It is against spiritual forces in the heavenly places. That remains true.

So think before you take a jab at a candidate or those who support him or her. Remember that in the Kingdom of Heaven, love is the currency we spend and the language we speak. Hate does not become us.

By the way, my cat Lucy’s platform is More Naps for Everyone. It’s something I fully endorse. She’s much less high-maintenance than either Clinton or Trump, plus she’s much cheaper on the economy. Vote for Lucy.

 

 

Mr. Irrelevant

Today, I watched the last few rounds of the NFL draft. I know for some of you that sounds as exciting as watching paint dry or grass grow. But it was an interesting experience, nonetheless.

There’s a new tradition where the last player picked in the draft is deemed Mr. Irrelevant and bestowed with many mock honors in a week-long celebration. I realize that it’s all in fun and not to be taken overly seriously, but it got me thinking.

Have you ever felt irrelevant? Like you don’t matter?

Have you ever been through the process of looking for a job and been to interview after interview, only to be told a variation of, “We’re sorry, but we’ve decided to go with another candidate”?

Have you been at home reading about all the fun exploits everybody else is posting about on facebook and felt uninvited and unwanted?

Did you know that the God of the Universe would have sent Jesus to the cross if you had been the only one who needed saving? Do you realize that God chose you not out of some cosmic sense of obligation, but because he actually and truly wanted you?

I have trouble believing it sometimes, but it’s true. I think Max Lucado said that Jesus would rather go through hell for me than go back to heaven without me. That means that I matter. That means that you matter.

Don’t ever let anybody make you feel like you’re unwanted. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you don’t matter. You’re wanted and you matter.

I may have already said something like this before, but I don’t care. I’ll keep repeating the same truths over and over until you and I both fully grasp that God is crazy in love with us and desires for us to know him more than anything.

So you see there really are no Mr. Irrelevants after all.