All that’s happening with our government is proof that the historical record of museums and monuments makes for nice photo-ops and a bit of education…but only as far as is convenient. Take the children on a field trip, but don’t let the truth of what is seen make room for introspection. The grandeur and intricate design only elicit a loud “USA! USA!”
Money + religious control continue to be a recipe for destroying life, not saving it. Prolife-ers*1, please speak up. I can’t hear you above all the racket of self-centered tax cuts. I can’t hear above the scapegoating of immigrants. (I’m not trying to be rude. Lately any time spent around the capital boils my blood.)
Let’s pretend there are no “illegals taking your jobs and killing your neighbors”.2 Can you speak up for Americans, fellow citizens? If you spoke up with the same energy you’ve picketed hospitals, clinics, and planned parenthoods, that bill wouldn’t have passed and your finances and healthcare wouldn’t now be uncertain. Yes. Yours.
Forget all the other citizens. I’m guessing you got that email from social security the day after the bill passed trying to make you feel like everything is just fine when in reality the likelihood that you’ll get this $6,000 tax break is extremely low. Funny enough, you don’t make enough/any money to get this break. But it sounded so good…
Life is too messy…faith is too messy for us to continue on this quest for a black and white clarity that Jesus never said would exist. Yes, there are 10 commandments but Jesus said that our anger may be a problem, not only murder. And taking God’s name in vain isn’t just about using it as a swear word. Those aren’t so black and white after all.
Life with Jesus has to go deeper. It has to be one shaped not by political rallying cries and concepts and not by a desire to control the culture but by the influence of Jesus that transforms us not because of our efforts but because you can’t help but be changed by whoever you spend a lot of time with. There is nothing about the life of Jesus as recorded in the Bible that should have us thinking everything can be neatly packaged with zero space for anything except what we were taught when we couldn’t understand nuance. “Read your Bible, pray every day and you’ll grow grow grow”?Not necessarily.
Are we that afraid of being wrong? Do we understand the grace of God? Is assurance of salvation a reality in our minds?
So much of how we live is the result of what we believe comes after we die. If that’s unsettled, our current existence will be fraught with spiritual anxiety. Spiritual anxiety bears no good fruit.