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Saturday, November 29, 2008

"Is that what they are preaching at that church of yours?"

I sat down for breakfast this morning when my mom asked me, "Is that what they are preaching at that church of yours?"

There was a hint of disdain in her tone.

When my mom asks that kind of question it's because she has yet again been insulted and hurt by the Christian church. Actually it's typically one family that is responsible for it, but that isn't really important.

Just a little history.

I am the only born again evangelical in my family.

Everyone else, Catholic.

Now it's not really a big deal to me. I don't follow Catholicism because I found more Jesus being done in the evangelical church. They do the Catholic thing because it works for them. At least it works for my parents. They profess pretty much everything that I believe in, with the only difference being the whole "saved by faith/works" thing.

This family of friends are your typical white born again evangelicals. Parents are oober conservative.

Back to the original topic.

It turns out last night that the Mr. of the house had asked my mom who she voted for. My mom is a democrat through and through, so of course Obama was the only candidate for her. He proceeded to ask her why she told him because, "He touched my heart." He followed with, "your heart is going to turn to stone."

It's a cruel comment. I can understand the original question my mom asked over breakfast now.

I know this guy very well and I have a lot of love for their family. I am sure that he didn't intend for his words to be so hurtful. He was probably saying that her heart was going to turn to stone because Obama is full of empty promises and let downs. (not that he is, just that this guy thinks so. He's a staunch conservative.)

When did Christians become so enchanted with this notion that God wants anything to do with our human politics? I guess I have to ask myself do I really think that God doesn't want something to do with our human politics first.

Here is what I am thinking. God decided what is right and wrong.

Right is anything that is of God.

Wrong is anything against God.

Right winged Christians and left winged Christians have taken it upon them selves to decide that one side is right and one side is wrong.

I mean how often have you experienced in any way something to effect of, liberals are heathens and conservatives just want to uphold their morals.

Who decided that liberals aren't moral people?

Who decided conservatives couldn't be heathens?

In this past election for the first time in history a black man became president of the United States.

A lot of right winged Christians, Catholic or Protestant, were upset. They were down right angry. I have even heard it said that this man might be the anti-Christ.

I recall Jesus saying something about not passing judgment.

Now this is not to say that left wing Christians are off the hook either.
I have run into people on the street who preach similar messages about the opposite party.

When did Jesus ever tell us to vote Republican or Democrat?

Jesus told us to be not of this world.

Our human politics. They're worldly.

We are entitled to our opinions yes, but there is something that we are not to be opinionated about.

That is loving.

Got faith, but no love? You're nothing then.

If your political standings are getting in the way of you loving those around you, it's time that you remember that God doesn't have a political agenda.

This isn't me telling you not to vote when you have the opportunity to. This is me saying that maybe we Christians need to reconsider why it is we are voting one way or the other.

Stop putting up walls that Jesus already tore down.

2 comments:

b_wongkamalasai said...

Thanks Andrew, I think you're the only one that has ever read my blog since I started it last month.

unnecessary said...

wow. that gives you a lot to think about. brian, you speak alot of truth.