Asking the Wrong Questions

I was talking to a friend about the state of the Church and she mentioned an interesting converstaion she had recently with a pastor from Kenya. The comment that he made that stood out the most to me was something like "I love this country [speaking of the United States], but I do not let it become part of me." I thought this was a profound statement, full of truth. She believed this was very significant and was concerned that we were not doing enough in America to build the Kingdom. She also questioned why we do not see many [any] signs and wonders in America when there are reports of amazing things that God is doing in Africa and other parts of the world. When she related this to me, my response to her was "I wonder if we are asking the right questions." She looked a little puzzled, and so I clarified my response.

I believe that the Church in America has bought into the lie that our rights matter. We complain that our rights are being violated because we cannot pray in school or we have abortion on demand or whatever the new issue may be; but we do so very little to get to know God enough to know what He would have us do. We fight over musical styles in our churches, and try our hardest to think up new programs that will fill the seats, but we are devoid of the Spirit of God. I am afraid that when the Spirit makes an appearance in our churches we are so unprepared for Him that we miss our opportunities. In ministry we talk a lot about providing meaningful opportunities for people to experience God, but I wonder if we are fulfilling true needs in peoples' lives or only our perceptions of their needs. I feel that if we spent more time praying and more time doing the work of God, we would complain less about the ills of our society, a society that we built, and get about the Father's business of accomplishing His will on earth, just as it is in heaven. I am afraid that we need to beg for forgiveness of our well-meaning, but still completely oblivious missteps when it comes to meeting the needs of the world.

We are too busy believing that God cares about our rights. I think the idea of Christian rights is completely unscriptural. It seems that Jesus told us if we are to be his disciples we are to DENY ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Paul reiterates this idea when he says that he is crucified with Christ. If we truly are His disciples, we will not be able to tell the difference between His will and our own--it will be the same agenda. The early church was not concerned with political agendas because it was too concerned about getting the word out about Jesus. Because they truly believed Jesus would return anytime, there was no time to complain about the emperor's newest edict. I hear people concerned that there will be a great day of reckoning for the church in America and I am sure that it will happen someday. Some want to blame it on pluralism others on the rise of Muslim immigration to America, but I want to put the blame where it belongs. It starts with me and the rest of the church that has been too busy to notice the tares that have been sown all around us, the tares that are choking us to death, the tares that we planted when we decided to be worried about things that do not matter. Lord, open our eyes to see the world as you see it and not through our own very cloudy vision. Lord, help us to understand that just because we have been blessed it does not give us the right to lord it over others or to expect that we deserve it by divine right. Help us to be ready for that day of reckoning, and not be caught unawares doing the "work of the Lord" only to have You tell us "I never knew you."

Propaganda and the Liberal Media

I have not posted anything in quite some time, so I guess it is about time I shared another bit of wisdom I have been chewing on lately. With the upcoming election in November looming over us and the prospects for 2008 already starting to line up, I guess it is time to weigh in on the topic. Not that I have any expertise on things political, but I have touched on some of these issues before so they won't be new.

I remember being in college in 1992 when Bill Clinton was elected president. I remember thinking that he was probably the antichrist, but I really felt like he would win, especially with Ross Perot splintering the Republican vote. I wanted to vote for Clinton because I wanted to be on the winning side, but instead voted with my conscience to stay the course with George Bush Sr. Of course, that logic failed along with the Bush campaign and the religious right became a force to be reckoned with shortly thereafter. Since Clinton was liberal and the media was the whore of Babylon, the world must soon come to an end. I remember the 1994 election and the contract with America that Republican congressional officials made with the country. I remember that November night thinking, we'll show them, now the Lord will have his due. Well, we have had 12 years of Republican control of both houses of Congress and 6 years of that under a Republican president and I have come to realize one thing: more governing actually seems to take place when there is a balance of the two parties.

I guess what I am trying to say is: "Let the Democrats have it back!" At least that will give evangelicals something legitimate to complain about. It is astonishing to me to hear people complain about congress and their lack of accomplishment when we are the ones who put them there. We have become so afraid of Osama bin whoever, that we forget that we serve a God who is in control of all situations, and this is true whether there is a Republican or a Democrat is in the white house. It is funny that I still hear complaints about the liberal bias in the media, but there has to be a balance between the very conservative government and the media coverage. I do not remember any conservatives complaining that Rush Limbaugh was not giving a balanced view of President Clinton.

I was reading an article in Texas Monthly about the state of politics in Texas and how the GOP state convention was basically a diatribe against illegal immigration and the wall that they want to build along the border. Honestly, I didn't realize there was one person in Texas who did not realize there were illegal immigrants living there. So now that we have an election, we have to stir up fears about the border and a wall to keep all of the illegals and other ne'er do wells out of our borders. OR, is it possible, the wall is not to keep out whoever wants to get into the country, but to keep our culture monolithic in its outlook. We talk a lot about multicultural in church but when we get right down to it, it is just talk. We really do not want people around us who make us think or challenge our comfort level, especially with regard to our faith. I am challenged everyday, and I don't like it. But it is the best thing for me and it makes me stronger. It makes me know myself better. These border fears remind me a lot of there Y2K conspiracy. It is funny how people of faith were the ones that made the biggest uproar about Y2K and its possible repercussions. How is it that we have such faith in the end of the world, but so little faith in the Savior of the world?

The older I get the less sure I am of any of former convictions. I realize now that God does not care as much about some of these little things. I am not talking about the basics of the faith here. I am talking about things that matter little for the Kingdom. Just like I don't think a fence on the border of Mexico is the answer to our immigration problems, I do not think that picketing abortion clinics or rallying against Democrats is going to win anyone to the Kingdom.

So if the Democrats take the Congress and Hillary becomes president in 2008, or if the Republicans keep Congress and John McCain takes the white house, God is still in control. My prayer is that we as Christians do not allow our fears to dictate how we work and live. When it comes right down to it, we are most effective when we are salt and light in the world, rather than avoiding the world at all costs. As for me, I think I am going to vote for Jesus in the next election, and the last time I looked, he was an independent. And I no longer think Bubba is the antichrist, but the jury is out on . . .