election

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

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It’s Wednesday, January 11, 2017. I’m so tired that I originally typed that it was Thursday. It’s not.

My traveling music adventures continued today as I chose Gillian Welch and her new album to accompany me on my homeward trek. Yesterday, the choice was the lovely Norah Jones. I’m keeping it mellow.

All the continued rhetoric over the election is making me tired. I don’t know how  praising one side and bashing the other has ever really changed anyone’s mind. All it does is further polarize and alienate us from each other.

I’m thankful that my ultimate allegiance is not to this or any other President. It’s not to a flag or a country or a platform, but to a King and a Kingdom that will last well beyond any President or Congress or Supreme Court. It will last forever.

In these hectic, crazy days, it’s helpful to sit still for a bit and practice breathing in and out slowly, remembering that because of the resurrection, the worst thing is never the last thing. Every trial is temporary and all pain is passing. The Prince of Peace and what He brings will be eternal.

So chill out. If you must err, err on the side of grace and forgiveness rather than judgment and condemnation. Remember that each of us is walking a difficult path.

I still believe that if you want to see difference in your life and in the world around you, you have to be the difference. Once you start doing that, you won’t have time to snipe and criticize from the sidelines.

As always, keep the music recommendations coming. I’m alway on the lookout for good new (or old) music to add to my already ridiculous collection.

Thanks and good night!

 

 

Some Positives for your Post-Election Weekend

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In case you missed it, there was an election this past Tuesday. A few people showed up. Some are elated at the result, while some are ready to jump off the nearest bridge or building they can find.

I thought I’d share a few positives on this Saturday evening because everyone probably needs a little more positivity in their lives at this point (regardless of whether your candidate won or not).

  1. Finding almost the entire series of one of your favorite sitcoms at Goodwill (in my case, it was the BBC sitcom As Time Goes By).
  2. A day with perfect fall weather.
  3. Hot chocolate on said day with perfect fall weather.
  4. Waking up in the morning.
  5. Not being dead.
  6. Pets that love you no matter what.
  7. Random acts of kindness all around us.
  8. The hope of the Gospel that still saves people like you and me.
  9. Time traveling back into the past via the Turner Classic Movie Channel and their old movies.
  10. A good mystery novel and a piping hot cup of tea.
  11. Just a piping hot cup of tea.
  12. Sleeping under the covers under a ceiling fan, even in the dead of winter.
  13. Those 50% off Criterion movie sales at Barnes and Noble.
  14. That feeling after you take your socks off.
  15. Sleeping in on Saturday mornings.
  16. Seeing your life as an adventure and living it that way.

Take as many of these as you like and leave the rest. Not everyone will agree with me on everything on the list (like those weird people who only like weather that is ridiculously hot and humid).

I’ve heard and found to be true that you pretty often find what you’re looking for, so if you only look for the negative and depressing, you’ll very often find it. The same goes for positive and uplifting. So maybe turn off the news and go outside for a change.

That’s all.

 

The God of the Underdog

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Some of you are absolutely elated. Some of you are crushed in spirit. After this latest Presidential race, there are a lot of mixed emotions. So be kind. Remember that people who think and vote for you aren’t ignorant or evil. They probably have very legitimate reasons for thinking and voting the way they do, so don’t stereotype and dismiss them. After all, they too are created in the image of God and have value and worth.

But enough of that.

I’m thankful again tonight that I serve a God of the downtrodden and oppressed.

I’m thankful that my God has a special place in His heart for the orphan and the widow.

I celebrate that God is with the outcast and the forgotten, and God is with us if we are with them.

Yes, God can work through Presidents and Congress and Senators.

The way God chooses most to be visible on this earth is through your hands and my feet.

That’s the way God chooses most to reach out to the poor in spirit and to those who hunger and thirst for something better.

Remember that real change comes not from the White House or the Supreme Court. Real change comes from God working in and through people of no account like you and me, people who are out there in the trenches doing what others said was impossible. People who may not have a great big faith but have faith in a great big God who knows how to bring life and hope out of the ashes.

Instead of bashing those who think and vote differently than you, seek to be a positive influence on those around you and strive most of all to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Above all, seek to be the face of Jesus to those on the outside who desperately need a word of hope and light.

 

Who Will You Serve?

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“If you decide that you’re not willing to serve Him, then today is the day for you to choose whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors bowed to in the land beyond the great River, or the gods of the Amorites whose country you possess. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Eternal” (Joshua 24:15, The Voice).

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, there’s a Presidential election happening as we speak.

Some of you are in an increasingly festive mood. Some are growing more and more despondent as the numbers continue to roll in. Just about all of you are ready for this whole mess to be over and done with, regardless of the outcome.

But as I mentioned in my last post, no matter how this election plays out, Jesus will be the Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That will not change. Not now, not in four years, not in eight, not ever.

The question that will arise in the morning (and every morning after that) is this: Who will you serve? Will it be the gods of political parties and platforms? Will it be the gods of success and power? Will it be the gods of relationships?

Even good things like marriage, family, and children can become idols if they become the “be all, end all” reason for your existence.

Bob Dylan got it right when he said, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” Who will it be?

The beautiful part about God is that He will not force you or anyone else to serve Him. He will not coerce you to bow down before Him in this lifetime.

Today, I choose to serve Yahweh. I don’t profess perfect service in the past. I don’t promise to hold fast in the future. I know myself too well for that. But for today, I choose to serve the Maker of heaven and earth.

Tomorrow, whether I did well or failed miserably, I get to choose again. So will all of you.

So again I ask, who will you serve?

 

One Last Bit of Voting Advice

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By this time tomorrow, we will know who the 45th President of the United States is going to be (God willing). All the votes will be in and counted and one side or the other will have a majority (again, God willing).

I have one last bit of advice for those of you still yet to cast your ballots (and for those who already have): Remember that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are human beings created in the image of God and died for by Jesus.

It’s easy in the heat of battle to dehumanize the opposition and make them evil monsters with no trace of humanity or feelings. It’s equally easy to do the same to those who follow said opposition.

I seem to remember what Jesus told us in regard to those we consider our enemies– He told us to pray for them. He did not mean pray for bad things like hemorrhoids or infinite paper cuts. He meant pray for them like you would want to be prayed for.

That’s it. That’s all my advice. Remember that both Hillary and Donald have worth and value because they bear the imago dei (the image of God). Remember that you do, too. All of us do.

Also never forget to pray for both of them, whatever the outcome, regardless of where you cast your vote. Pray for those whose ideologies are different than yours, who see the world differently than you. In case you missed what I’m getting at, just pray.

Oh, I almost forgot to remind you of one more thing. The day after tomorrow, when we know who the President-elect is, Jesus will still be in charge. He will still be on the throne of the universe. I believe that trumps whoever is the next President.

 

Just a Reminder: November 2016 Edition

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I wanted to pass out a quick reminder before I pass out for the night: err on the side of grace, especially now during this intense (and ridiculous) election season.

No matter who they voted for, show grace. Even if they voted for the “enemy”, show grace.

Remember that you were once the enemy that God so loved and that Jesus died for so that you who were far away and without hope could be brought near and shown mercy.

For good or ill, the election ends in 6 days. We still have to live with each other. Even politics is no excuse for disobedience to Jesus in terms of loving each other.

If you’re a sports team and your team wins, show grace. If your team loses, show grace. People remember what you said and how you acted long after the games and scores have been forgotten.

So in case you missed the main point, here it is again: err on the side of grace.

That’s it. Short and to the point.

Good night out there. May God’s grace keep and sustain you in these coming days.

 

Don’t Panic

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“Don’t panic. I’m with you.
There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you” (Isaiah 41:10).

There’s a wonderful series of books called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, in which all sorts of sci-fi shenanigans occur and in which one electronic book features prominently, the book after which the series is named, On the cover in big friendly letters are the words “Don’t Panic!”

I think that’s very good advice for these uncertain days.

No matter which way you lean politically, the end is not nigh if the opposition wins. America is not done for if “they” win.

No matter how out of control you feel right now, despair will not have the last word.

No matter how much you avoid looking in the mirror because you detest the image looking back, those voices in your head will not have the last word.

God will have the last word. Jesus already had the last words when He cried out on the cross: “It is finished!”

For those who have clung to the cross as their last desperate hope, victory is the final word. Peace is the final word. Joy is the final word.

I have read the last word of the last page of the Great Story. It is Amen. The Bible ends with the promise that the final victory is for all those who will simply drop their pretenses and come.

That’s the invitation. Come to Jesus just as you are, not after you’ve cleaned yourself up and pulled yourself up by your own bootstraps and vastly improved your morality. Just come, you and your scars and regrets and shame. He will never cast out anyone who comes to Him in earnest faith.

 

 

My Occasional Political Soapbox Rant

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It feels like an extended full moon season the way people are acting. Actually, it’s just election season, and people have lost their ever-loving minds. In response, I broke from the norm and wrote a rare political rant. Here goes (deep breath):

Rant for the day: It seems to me as long as the two-party system is in play, both parties are all too willing to play up the other side as being evil and how you must vote for our candidate unless you want “them” to win.

There’s an underlying sinister attitude on both sides that says, “You’re gonna take what we give you and like it. If not, there’s the door. The other side will be glad to have you.”

Sadly, too many are too willing to drink either the blue Democratic or the red Republican kool aid. Too many are selling out their own ideology and beliefs to tote the party line instead of thinking for themselves. Too many will turn a blind eye to the faults of their side while magnifying the faults of the other side and demonizing anyone who disagrees with them in any way. The end result will most likely be more of the same, regardless of the outcome. Here endeth the rant.

The point I’m making is that people are once again willing to believe that politics as usual can solve what is ultimately are deep spiritual problems that no human candidate (male or female) can solve. Once again, most will be disappointed when they find out the result is politics as usual.

I’ve mentioned it before, but it bears repeating. After this election, we will have a new president, but Jesus will still be King. In four (or eight) years when the next one steps into office, Jesus will still be King. After the last President, Jesus will still be King.

My hope isn’t in what some politician will do in the distant future or in the promises he or she makes. My hope lies in what Jesus has already done and in the promises He’s fulfilled. I’m banking on the fact that whatever I am afraid of and whatever obstacle lies in front of me Jesus has already overcome and defeated on the cross.

My hope is not in Trump or Clinton. My hope is still in Jesus.

 

 

A Blog for Friday, July 22

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I finally got around to watching the Lawrence Olivier adaptation of Hamlet from 1948. I bought the movie some time ago when Borders was going out of business and got it for 50% off.

It was worth the wait. The acting was, of course, fantastic, but my favorite part was the cinematography. The dark and gloomy castle setting almost felt like a character in its own right, and the black and white photography brought out the impending sense of foreboding and doom that foreshadowed the entire film.

My favorite line is the last line spoken– “Farewell, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” It gets me every time.

Of course, my favorite part of Friday is sleeping in the next day. Not having to set the alarm on my phone for 5:15 am? Priceless. Knowing that I will wake up with a sleeping and very contented cat on the pillow next to me? Even better.

Lately, I love my sleep even more if possible. Ever since my mild case of pneumonia, I tend to get tired more quickly and not have quite as much energy as before. Hopefully, that will soon remedy itself.

I’ve never been more disturbed and concerned about the current political situation than I am for this upcoming election. I’ve never been less impressed with the two major political candidates for President. Maybe this will be the year that a third party shakes things up a bit and causes both the Democrats and Republicans to take some hard looks in the mirror about their own parties.

I still love my Mac. My only regret is not taking the plunge back in 2012 when I thought they were overpriced and not worth the extra moolah. They were and are. This laptop is so much better than my Sony Vaio.

God is still great, life is still good, and grace is still very much what I need the most.

The end.

 

Politics, Schmolitics

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“The anything-goes passiveness of the religious and political Left is matched by the preachy moralism of the religious and political Right. The person who uncritically embraces any party line is guilty of an idolatrous surrender of her core identity as Abba’s Child. Neither liberal fairy dust nor conservative hardball addresses our ragged human dignity” (Brennan Manning, Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging).

“All religious and political systems, Right and Left alike, are the work of human beings.  Abba’s children will not sell their birthright for any mess of pottage, conservative or liberal.  They hold fast to their freedom in Christ to live the gospel-uncontaminated by cultural junk, political wreckage, and the complex hypocrisies of a bullying religion” (Brennan Manning).

Yep. That sums it up.

I normally don’t post anything political on any of my social media sites because anything that smacks of politics tends to generate reactions rather than well-thought-out responses. These days most people seem to fall into one of two camps– either those who blindly support the current President and think he’s nearly divine or those who hate him and everything he does and have labeled him as the Anti-Christ. At least that’s the way it seems to me.

It was the same 8 years ago with the last President. For some he could do no wrong. For others, he could do nothing write.

I love the song that says that my hope isn’t in a flag or a President or a country, but in a King and a Kingdom. That’s where my ultimate allegiance lies. That’s where my ONLY allegiance lies.

True, the Bible does say to respect, honor, and obey those in power, but that service is done as to God Himself.

So yeah, I take all these comments I see on Facebook and Twitter with a grain of salt. A very, very large grain of salt. Ultimately, my future hope isn’t in this President or the next. It isn’t in a political party. It’s in the Jesus who was Lord before George Washington took office and will be Lord after the last President leaves office.

That’s my soapbox blog for the year, people.