Hillary Clinton

Approaching Advent

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I should just drop the proverbial mic and walk away after this. That sums up everything I wanted to say tonight.

I do want to add something. If you really and truly want to be Christ to your family and friends and neighbors, here’s what you don’t want to do:

  1. Don’t shame those who think and vote differently than you. Not everyone who voted for the “other” candidate is a close-minded racist or a bleeding heart baby-killer. No, the opposing candidate is not evil. Just because you dislike them doesn’t make them Hitler. Above all, love your enemies. That’s what Jesus taught us to do.
  2. Don’t pledge your allegiance to a political party. Your allegiance belongs solely and completely to Jesus.
  3. Don’t disengage from those who have differing opinions. We all win when both sides can learn from each other instead of throwing barbs at each other from a distance.

Here are a few dos to consider in the weeks approaching the Advent season:

  1. Do forgive early and often (even if the person needing forgiveness is you).
  2. Err on grace rather than judgement (even when it comes to people like Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, because they too share the image of God and need grace as much as the rest of us).
  3. Cultivate a grateful and generous heart toward others, not because they deserve it but because you too have been the recipient of love and mercy from God Himself.
  4. Do something for someone who can never begin to repay you and discover the reward simply in the giving.
  5. Pray for those you love. Pray for those you hate. Pray as often as is humanly possible and then pray more. Just pray.

Advent is coming and hopefully it will bring out the better angels of our nature. Remember that your hope lies not in a conservative or a liberal platform but in the Savior whose birth we’re about to celebrate.

The end.

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.

 

State of Affairs

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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.

 

 

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.