Politics, Politics, Politics!

Never discuss religion or politics if you want to keep your friends. It’s a good thing I’m not in dire need to keep the friendship with people who can’t handle my view. Frankly, I don’t care what your views are. If you like me, I’m your bud. Yes, even if you are gay I will enjoy your company. You will have to handle the fact that there are some things I may not agree with. If we can put those things a side we can have a good time. Who ever you are, we will never agree in everything.
     

​So lets get down to politics. Donald,Ted,Hillary and lovable Bernie.  Quite the mix. Who will be crowned the next most important man, oops, or woman in the world? I am a Christian. I have walked this walk for 43 years. I have been drunk on religion and from God’s point of view, I’m sure I looked like a drunken sailor. Like a pendulum, I have swung the other way into theology and became as dry and logical as Spock himself. I guess I hit every point between these two poles. My conclusion today is, LOVE is the answer and family is the breeding place of greatness. At this time I am talking about the church family. You know, the one that has often been royally screwed up. I’m not sure if we really read the scripture that says, “they will know we are Christians by our love for one another.” Yet the shrill street preacher blasts through his “tin-ny” amplifier hung around his neck telling everyone they are sinners. Very easy to do. But who will love and clean up the messy souls that respond to their bold call? If you think I’m cynical, read on.
     
Yes, politics and elections. It’s the time when the piranhas of all tribes come together to feast on one another defending the king-to-be. The divide has never been further. Animosity and down right anger has never been more caustic as now. Oh look, there are Christians. Are they spreading love and hope among the frenzied throng? No, they too are fighting. They are verbally stripping off the flesh of other Christians of different persuasions. They are using words like “clowns and idiots.” Some of their words are even more vile than the unbeliever. Read Facebook; thinking they have the power of God behind them, they use a verbal barrage destroying their brothers' and sisters' lives as well as their own. When the political battle is over and the new monarch is established, will they again come to my street corner and yell their voice hoarse, as if they are different people? The frenzied herd-mentality of politics is gone. What is in the heart is in the heart. One can change form but, you are still the same character. 
     
My confession: Been there…..done that!

I am glad to admit that there are churches getting their stuff together.  As far as I can see, good things happen when the leader is a father instead of an insecure, ego seeking hireling. There are many good people who labour day in and day out and fall asleep at night praying for their beloved sheep. I absolutely love these unknown soldiers. Their walk causes the unseen powers of darkness to shutter. If one really tried to define them, they would have to go on forever.
       
Back to politics, again. Maybe I will get my purpose for this post out this time. The litmus test of faith is love. The destroyer of love is religion. Not true religion, the kind that takes care of the fatherless, the widow, the poor and the broken. We, for the most part, have forgotten this mandate from God and do not deserve our tax status. The only way darkness can grow is when the church has lost it’s light. We malign one another relentlessly in writing and over our bully pulpits. A long time ago, we gave up our light. Evil rose unchallenged as each church and denomination were busy building their empires. Much of the time church growth was only the shuffling of the deck as the disgruntled went from one church to another. The pastors panicked because the offerings would be less. As great PhD's stood waxing elegant, proclaiming what was scriptural and what church in the community to stay away from, evil grew arrogantly and uncontested. A house divided can’t stand. The church thought it was standing but she had no garments.

To close, the 'clowns and idiots' were and still are us. We gave up our nations to find the impossible dream. ”Dominance, without brokenness and love for each other.”

We can get it back BUT there is only one way. NO GREATER LOVE HAS A MAN THAN TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS BROTHER.

{For further understanding of the leadership God is making, please read “A Manifesto of Leadership” found on this website.

Your brother Dan.