I was reading another blogger earlier tonight and his blog resonated with me. He had been accused of deserting his faith, of becoming a liberal, and other various "major" sins. And so he attempted to clear the air in what I consider to be a humble response. Here is my attempt to do the same.
For the most part I ignore anymore what people think of me or what they say about me. I'm 50 years old and quite frankly I don't have the patience to deal with folks who won't sit down with me personally to be able to see who I really am. For example, last year, I chose to remove someone from my life after many confrontations with them regarding their behaviors and their continuous lies. It was a difficult choice, but clearly it was a wise one as still nothing has changed. Some have criticized me publically for the decision, but most have simply resorted to whispers or to saying nothing at all. That saddens me, but I will not chase people down to explain my side. People will believe whatever they want to believe without trying to see all sides of any issue.
Secondly, some see many of my posts against what I will call the "Christian Teapublican Party" and they think that I am on a mission to somehow destroy the Church with my words. Some say that I have even left my faith. A friend two years ago walked away from me for exactly this reason (there's a nice God like attitude! LOL). But in reality, especially in the last year, my faith has grown tremendously. The problem lies in the fact my faith in Jesus does not allow for me to hold to many of the tenants that fellow believers seem to hold with the Teapublican party. Having been a Church minister, God has given me a voice and I seek to use that voice to speak about the false religion of the Christian Teapublican. Jesus has no desire to establish an earthly kingdom and yet that is exactly what leaders such as Falwell, Robertson, Cruz, Bachman, Huckabee and now even Franklin Graham are trying to do with their moral majorities, family councils, and political groups to elect all Christians to office. (BTW - I've had this same view for 35 years). Jesus has no desire to force faith or religion on people. He has 2 commands: love God and love people. The angry rhetoric of the Teapublicans is hardly that.
Which brings me to the dreaded "liberal" label. I actually embrace the title these days, but I am also conservative in ways. I am conservative, and actually agree with the Tea Party on the basic premise of financial accountability. We need to look closely at our debts and at our deficit and we must hold leaders accountable. We need desperately to reduce wasteful spending and we need to be wise in how we spend. Taxes are a necessary part of any good nation, but there always needs to be a healthy debate as to how much is too much.
However, as far back as I can remember, I believe in what some will call liberal ideals. I believe that we as a country should take care of her own. The Bible is abundantly clear that God holds nations accountable for how they treat the poor within their borders. He holds nations accountable for how they treat the immigrants that enter into their countries. He holds them accountable for how they treat all people - as we like to say - all people are created equal. Through time we have continued to move towards the attitude of equality especially making great strides here in our country during the last 80 years. Equality means equal rights for ALL people. It even means equal pay for the same jobs. It means providing equal opportunity for all people, not just those who can afford it. Equal despite color, sex, age, religion, nationality or any other diversity.
Liberal means learning to lay down the weapons, as much as is possible, and instead showing love towards enemies. It means learning to be peacemakers. It means doing away with vengeance and the barbaric death penalty.
I believe in Jesus and His teachings. I do believe in salvation from sin through His death. I have pledged my life to loving Him and loving others. I find that as I grow in my faith, that there are more and more questions - things aren't nearly as black and white. There is a comforting peace in that knowledge. There is a reason that God is mysterious and why it is difficult to know Him and every time we begin to think that we know something about Him, He reveals another mysterious side. But in Him we move, we live, we have our being. He is all in all thus there is nowhere where He is not including all of nature and people around us.
I am a complex person as you are too. I love politics and may just throw my hat back in the ring for office. I don't love politics because of some belief that politics will bring utopia. I do not believe that politics will force a nation to be somehow good or even Christian. I do believe in a politics where the politician serves their people's needs. At the same time I love trying to promote the real Kingdom of God. His Kingdom should be growing and should be shining brightly in the midst of the darkness of what politics can not fix. We are to let the light of the Kingdom shine, not force it down people's throats through words or even legislation.
My mind never stops. I love quiet times and yet my mind never slows down. There are multiple projects going on at all times. I've had more ups/downs in my life than most people only because of this racing mind. My thirst for knowledge and wisdom is insatiable. I will always study all sides of issues so that I can defend all sides before making a decision as to what side I will be on.
One of the things that I work on is how I come across to people. Some say that I am arrogant or that I come across as knowing everything. I don't feel that way at all, but I do have much impatience for those who don't look at all sides of an issue.
Not sure why I even wrote this - perhaps only because I could relate to another blogger whose faith and politic were being questioned. I can relate. So maybe this was more for me, rather than you.
Blessings
David
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Easter is about Unconditional Love
Easter is a special day this year. It is a day of looking back over the past year and realizing that I have made more progress in my spiritual life during that time than I had in many years. It didn't happen because I prayed more or because I read my Bible more, not even because I went to Church more. (To be honest I haven't physically been in a church building in quite some time.)
My life fell apart last January with a series of crisis' that I never could have imagined. I tried to put on a strong front. I tried to keep a smile. But deep down inside I was a train wreck. Through numerous events my heart was broken into so many pieces that I could not even begin to count them. I began to work more and more and then would come home, sometimes drink too much, and always go to sleep to escape. My son came to live with at some point (I honestly can't tell you what month it was!) but I remember him looking around the house and wondering out loud if maybe an atomic bomb had gone off somewhere! The house was a disaster - I hadn't cleaned anything since January (and again what month was that then?!) So he moved into the messy bachelor pad and slowly we began to get the place picked up and slowly I started to work through the pain. My son got angry a few times over the coming months, but he never criticized. He never condemned me. When my precious dog died, he left what he was doing to come be with me.
After a time I helped Jimmy, a friend of mine, with his political campaign. Nothing major - just kept up his political facebook page. It was something that was a pleasure to do and yet I stayed out of the public eye for the most part. Jimmy has told me on several occasions that he is proud of me and proud to be my friend. He most recently stated his pride when I completed a 60 mile cycling event to raise money for bikes for our veterans.
What does all of this have to do with Easter and with growing spiritually? My son and Jimmy both showed faith in me that I was of value. They appreciated me. They thought that I was "good enough" to be around.
So many other friends and family members didn't take that time. In my time of greatest need I was abandoned and effectively told you are not "good enough" for us to associate with you. I didn't live up to their standards in whatever way. Have you ever felt that way?
All around us in Christianity we are reminded of how sinful we are and how lucky we are that we won't go to Hell because of the Easter resurrection. Jesus came to save us miserable sinners. I don't know about you, but I beat myself up enough over my shortcomings without someone else adding even more shame! And that is what we do. We shame ourselves and we shame others. We beat up ourselves and then we beat others up with our specially chosen Bible verses.
When I realized what a great blessing Jimmy and my son were to me, I began to realize that my view of Jesus and even of Easter was all wrong. Even though I previously knew that Jesus did not come to condemn me, I still condemned myself.
And then I thought some more about the parable of the wheat and the tares growing together in the field. The question was asked as to whether one should tear up the weeds or not. The answer was no. To tear up the weeds would also rip out the roots of the wheat. Let them both grow together. Yes I have the bad and the good in me. They both are there, but I'm not dead yet and so the harvest is not here yet when the weeds of sin will finally be gone.
But notice, Jesus didn't say to basically kill myself by trying to destroy every evil weed. He knows of the enemy who has sown the weeds and he sees the weeds. He accepts it as simply a part of life. He accepts me.
The story of Easter is about Jesus the Christ who accepts me even with all of my weeds. He sees the good in me, not the weeds. It is a story of unmatched and unflinching love. It is a story of acceptance. We don't "ask Jesus into our hearts" to receive that love. It is His gift to us and we choose to accept that gift. No conditions. No half hearted love. There is nothing that I can do that will stop his love.
There is a reason that Jesus said that there were only 2 commandments. He had given us the greatest gift of unconditional love. Our response then should be to love God and to love all people thus becoming one in all.
Why has this caused such spiritual growth this year? When one can accept that kind of love there is a peace that comes. You don't beat yourself up over the weeds. You start to look for more opportunities to love your neighbor and thus God. In times of prayer you can sit at peace without words and simply feel His presence, to dwell there in that love. There's not the sense that I have to do better in my life in order to feel the Father's love. The pressure to be "spiritual" or "holy" is off because the love is not going anywhere for anything. It is total acceptance. When you are loved in that sort of way, isn't it natural that you simply want to do the same in return?
Blessings and Happy Love Day
David
My life fell apart last January with a series of crisis' that I never could have imagined. I tried to put on a strong front. I tried to keep a smile. But deep down inside I was a train wreck. Through numerous events my heart was broken into so many pieces that I could not even begin to count them. I began to work more and more and then would come home, sometimes drink too much, and always go to sleep to escape. My son came to live with at some point (I honestly can't tell you what month it was!) but I remember him looking around the house and wondering out loud if maybe an atomic bomb had gone off somewhere! The house was a disaster - I hadn't cleaned anything since January (and again what month was that then?!) So he moved into the messy bachelor pad and slowly we began to get the place picked up and slowly I started to work through the pain. My son got angry a few times over the coming months, but he never criticized. He never condemned me. When my precious dog died, he left what he was doing to come be with me.
After a time I helped Jimmy, a friend of mine, with his political campaign. Nothing major - just kept up his political facebook page. It was something that was a pleasure to do and yet I stayed out of the public eye for the most part. Jimmy has told me on several occasions that he is proud of me and proud to be my friend. He most recently stated his pride when I completed a 60 mile cycling event to raise money for bikes for our veterans.
What does all of this have to do with Easter and with growing spiritually? My son and Jimmy both showed faith in me that I was of value. They appreciated me. They thought that I was "good enough" to be around.
So many other friends and family members didn't take that time. In my time of greatest need I was abandoned and effectively told you are not "good enough" for us to associate with you. I didn't live up to their standards in whatever way. Have you ever felt that way?
All around us in Christianity we are reminded of how sinful we are and how lucky we are that we won't go to Hell because of the Easter resurrection. Jesus came to save us miserable sinners. I don't know about you, but I beat myself up enough over my shortcomings without someone else adding even more shame! And that is what we do. We shame ourselves and we shame others. We beat up ourselves and then we beat others up with our specially chosen Bible verses.
When I realized what a great blessing Jimmy and my son were to me, I began to realize that my view of Jesus and even of Easter was all wrong. Even though I previously knew that Jesus did not come to condemn me, I still condemned myself.
And then I thought some more about the parable of the wheat and the tares growing together in the field. The question was asked as to whether one should tear up the weeds or not. The answer was no. To tear up the weeds would also rip out the roots of the wheat. Let them both grow together. Yes I have the bad and the good in me. They both are there, but I'm not dead yet and so the harvest is not here yet when the weeds of sin will finally be gone.
But notice, Jesus didn't say to basically kill myself by trying to destroy every evil weed. He knows of the enemy who has sown the weeds and he sees the weeds. He accepts it as simply a part of life. He accepts me.
The story of Easter is about Jesus the Christ who accepts me even with all of my weeds. He sees the good in me, not the weeds. It is a story of unmatched and unflinching love. It is a story of acceptance. We don't "ask Jesus into our hearts" to receive that love. It is His gift to us and we choose to accept that gift. No conditions. No half hearted love. There is nothing that I can do that will stop his love.
There is a reason that Jesus said that there were only 2 commandments. He had given us the greatest gift of unconditional love. Our response then should be to love God and to love all people thus becoming one in all.
Why has this caused such spiritual growth this year? When one can accept that kind of love there is a peace that comes. You don't beat yourself up over the weeds. You start to look for more opportunities to love your neighbor and thus God. In times of prayer you can sit at peace without words and simply feel His presence, to dwell there in that love. There's not the sense that I have to do better in my life in order to feel the Father's love. The pressure to be "spiritual" or "holy" is off because the love is not going anywhere for anything. It is total acceptance. When you are loved in that sort of way, isn't it natural that you simply want to do the same in return?
Blessings and Happy Love Day
David
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