Will the Church please be the Church...
In light of this past election, hearts have been aglow with the passion of politics. I have enjoyed many of these conversations with peers, family members, bloggers and so forth. My observations have made me slightly aggitated, not at republicans or democrats, but at those who call themselves the church. The familiar scenario was a conservative republican standing behind their morally upheld beliefs and faith in their party and the liberal democrat who desired change and social justice, also holding faith in a party-but much more in a man that was identified with. My general observation was that many republicans weren't keen on Sen. McCain and democrats found common ground with President-elect Obama. Whatever. What was annoying was how people placed their best interests (usually taxes) as a poll position to vote and yet masked the abortion issue as the reason God is republican or the relief to the poor by taxing the rich as God's will made known through Obama. Give me a break.
If the church would be the church money would not be the issue. If the church would be the church then our poverish communities would already be receiving aid, and care, and relationship rather than government programs without accountability. If the church would be the church, the sanctity of life would be found in pro-life, anti-war, and pro-salvation (giving life back to the people of God!) Why do republicans make abortion their end all answer and yet agree with the war in Iraq? Is sanctity of life supposed to be upheld only in unborn children, or is sending a soldier into a position to take someone's life also a violation of the sanctity of life? For the love! Are the poor really going to be bailed out now that a democrat is president? I doubt it. If the church would be the church, all of these problems would not be solved. No. If the church would be the church we would be held to a kingdom standard that is commissioned to show life to ALL people and to have faith in a God that is mighty to save, unrestricted to theological formulas and all of our brightest ideas of what God should be or should be doing. God gives us faith so that we may respond purely out of grace and witness to the inbreaking kingdom that this world desperately needs.
This is a rant, but hopefully you see it as a thoughtful and coherent rant. peace.
If the church would be the church money would not be the issue. If the church would be the church then our poverish communities would already be receiving aid, and care, and relationship rather than government programs without accountability. If the church would be the church, the sanctity of life would be found in pro-life, anti-war, and pro-salvation (giving life back to the people of God!) Why do republicans make abortion their end all answer and yet agree with the war in Iraq? Is sanctity of life supposed to be upheld only in unborn children, or is sending a soldier into a position to take someone's life also a violation of the sanctity of life? For the love! Are the poor really going to be bailed out now that a democrat is president? I doubt it. If the church would be the church, all of these problems would not be solved. No. If the church would be the church we would be held to a kingdom standard that is commissioned to show life to ALL people and to have faith in a God that is mighty to save, unrestricted to theological formulas and all of our brightest ideas of what God should be or should be doing. God gives us faith so that we may respond purely out of grace and witness to the inbreaking kingdom that this world desperately needs.
This is a rant, but hopefully you see it as a thoughtful and coherent rant. peace.
posted by Levi at
1:52 PM
1 Comments:
very thoughtful my friend. this is all really difficult to deal with, because as you know, many dedicate their lives to some of these issues. the kingdom is more than that and i think it is right that it angers you when it is made into moral or political issues.
keep fighting through it brotha, not so that it will make more sense, but so that we can be more useful agents of grace to those who are hurting.
good stuff bro.
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