Republicans

A Blog for Friday, July 22

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 2 Comments

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.

 

2016 Elections and Other Such Nonsense

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

Apparently, we in America have two choices when it comes to electing a President. Only two choices. It’s either Donald “The Donald” Trump or Hilary Clinton.

Before you argue about third party candidates, let me say this. Yes, we do have lots of people running outside the two major parties, but I have yet to know their names, much less anything else about them. None of them have even a remotely realistic chance of winning.

It’s easy to get discouraged when none of the options seem appealing. I’m not optimistic about the next four to eight years.

It’s also important to remember that we are electing a President, not a Savior. That position has already been filled.

Bear this in mind if you’re feeling pessimistic about the country’s future. Whether we get Trump or Clinton (or even one of those others) as President, Jesus will be King. In four years when it’s time to go through the whole process again, Jesus will still be King. In fact, going back way before George Washington and even after the last President has come and gone, after the United States is no more, Jesus will still be on the throne.

In the end, it’s not Republicans or Democrats who ultimately win. Jesus wins. He’s the One who wipes away every tear and sets every wrong right. He’s the One who releases creation from its bondage and sets every captive free. He’s the One whose reign will never end and whose love will never fail or run out.

This Jesus is the One who intercedes for you at this very moment.

Keep that in mind when you head to the polls this November (or possibly earlier if you are one of those who actually remembers to vote early and avoid the lines).

Whoever wins won’t bring about the end of the world. Whoever wins won’t save it either. Only Jesus can do that.

 

The X-Files and Politics (Another Rare Soapbox Blog)

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wExxE8w

The longer I live, the more I think that The X-Files got it right. I do believe that there is a shadow government that’s really running the show while the used-car salesman/carnival barkers/limelight politicians are a diversionary tactic to keep the public from paying attention to the REAL deals going down.

Sometimes, it seems like a vastly elaborate magic trick, where the misdirection involves Republicans yelling at Democrats (or visa versa) while the other hand sneaks the hidden eight of clubs from inside the shirt sleeve. I wonder if those same politicians meet up at a bar and laugh into their beers about how most of their audiences really bought their schmaltz.

I guess that makes me a conspiratorist. Or a conspiracy-buff. Whatever.

I do think it’s interesting how the majority of people who profess their tolerance loudest of all are the quickest to vilify, libel, and slander anyone who offers a differing viewpoint or worldview, i.e. anyone who disagrees with me is automatically a racist, an elitist, a traitor, a homophobe, a misogynist, a hate-monger, and an inbred redneck (or a drugged-out hippie). It’s interesting to me that for most, if someone has a different political philosophy, then that person must be either an imbecile or evil incarnate, or some combination of the two.

I wonder sometimes if we actually stopped haranguing and started actually dialoguing (with actual listening involved), we might find that we’re not so far apart after all. Maybe we’d find the other side actually makes sense.

I personally have chosen not to pledge my ultimate allegiance to a President and a country, but to a King and a Kingdom (with thanks to Derek Webb for the imagery). I know that 1,000 years from now, after so many campaigns and elections, no one will remember who was the 49th President, but Jesus will still be king.

That’s where my hope lies.

awake

It’s Not Us Against Them

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

“We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places. And this is why you need to be head-to-toe in the full armor of God: so you can resist during these evil days and be fully prepared to hold your ground” (Ephesians 6:12-13).

It’s not about us versus them. It’s not about us Republicans voting those meddling Democrats out of office or visa versa. It’s not conservative versus liberal, right-wing versus left-wing. It’s about fighting against the evil spiritual forces in the heavenlies. And who does the fighting? God does.

What does the Bible say in regards to us versus them? Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Yes, speak out against evil but remember that the source of that evil isn’t human. It’s demonic.

Too many times it’s about me proving that I’m right rather than engaging in honest dialogue and actually listening to what the other person has to say. And it’s best to speak the truth with humility rather than in pride, remembering that any truth that I know didn’t come to me because of my intelligence or good looks or wit. It came because God chose to reveal it to me.

That’s my random take for the day. I leave it up to you to figure out how to apply it to real-life.