Good and Evil...Not

Last night as I flipped from channel to channel vainly attempting to find anything apolitical, I finally rested on the RNC just as Chris Christie barged onto the stage. I found him intriguing in that he blusters "telling the truth" and presuming to "know" what is best for all of us. After rereading the last sentence it will seem I don't like the guy, not true. It is just that my nature of functional skepticism is in full alert when any politician speaks. He has an engaging style, blunt call outs for established leaders, and a down-to-earth sort of swing-for-the-fences attitude. But somewhere in my mind is the nagging doubt that he is an actor like all of them and has found a marketing style that promotes his brand in an effective way. See, I told you I was a skeptic.

But as I listened to him, and then to as much as my gag reflex could handle, the talking heads, it occurred to me that this is not a moment in our national history that is about right and wrong, or good or bad, progressive or traditional, black or white, number crunchers or word eaters. This moment is simply about two warring political ideologies, both of which will ultimately pass into history.

It is this last sentence that we, as Kingdom residents, need to remember. This is not our home. As Indiana Jones' father said in The Last Crusade, "We are pilgrims in a pagan land."  It disturbs me that far more believers are so deeply involved in this event and are not nearly as engaged in the spiritual community in which they live. It is easier to vilify than to engage in conversation. Evangelical right has become simply a voting block and not a voice of spiritual reason in this trumped up debate.

You want a word of prophecy? This, too, shall pass. Right leaning conservatives and left leaning liberals, and all in between will see this implode. It is man made and not built to last. Even on the historical stage of world events, the Great Experiment will come to an end. And you know what? The Kingdom will continue. We may pay higher taxes, or stand in lines longer, or go hungry every once in a while, or our babies may be born naked! But it will be okay. I have stopped worrying about the "future generations" except to spend a great amount of my disciplines praying for them. Not to escape the harshness of the battle between Righteousness and Evil, but that they will show themselves prepared and worthy. Just as we should be doing in our own time and place.

It is my hope at some point that the believers will be just as knowledgeable and articulate about their Father as they are about their politics. It is my hope that we can reason from our faith, not from our political clout, that we can in the amazing scope of our world give the other guy a break.

Godspeed out there. I think tonight I will try to find reruns of The Big Bang Theory or a documentary on sharks...talk about scary.
Don