this is a post about politics

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

"I think of my children asking me why God created mankind if mankind was going to make battlefields and slums and insane asylums. The city around our pleasant apartment building is not an easy place in which to see the hand of God. Mankind has imposed its imprint of ugly buildings and dirty streets and desperate people. But if I cannot see God's love here... where we seem to have done everything possible to destroy the beauty of creation....

"It is the nature of love to create, and no matter what we do to creation, that love is still there, creating; in the young man who is holding his jacket closed cross his chest; in you; in me.
" (L'Engle, The Irrational Season, p. 13)
See this picture? This is what is left of one of these. See how the glory has fallen. See the beauty that is still here.

I ran across a post recently from someone whose photography I love. She is a "liberal" Democrat trying to cling to the hope that caused her to vote for President Obama as the economy continues to freak out. Someone responded to her post describing some "bigot" coworkers who bash the president in her office. And I just wanted to cry.

I don't generally talk about politics because I accepted something a long time ago: the people who make up politics are PEOPLE. And people make mistakes, wherever they are. People have different ideals and different ways of making their dreams come true. People can be really stupid, and people can do the best they can with what they have. And people will always, always, always do anything they can to get around their fear.

And this is what November proved. It didn't matter who we voted for - we were all voting out of fear. Fear that if one candidate was elected, the war would continue; if the other, socialism would become the rule in our country. Fear of change. Fear of the much-griped-about status quo. Fear that we were not or would no longer be safe.

And we elected a president. A president who is doing what he thinks is the best way to alleviate our fear and guarantee our safety and prosperity. A president who is initiating some very drastic changes in our government. A president who is a person being assisted by people to do what some people do to make themselves feel safe.

I did not vote for President Obama. But I am honestly ashamed to call myself a Republican or define myself politically in any way. I voted because I had the right and reason to vote, because of my own fear, because of what I knew could happen. But at the end of the day, as I cried myself to sleep, I had to release my safety and my future and my children's future into the hand of God, who holds the heart of the king.

God's Kingdom is not of this world. Jesus came to His people in captivity, and did not seek earthly dominance. But He holds the world in His hands, and each of us who seek Him to know Him. In His love, there is no fear. What can man do to me?

We all want to feel safe. We all want what we feel is best for our children. The day may come when all of that is taken from us, whether by nuclear holocaust or economic crash or creeping socialism and government control. But this I know: God is still God. He has been God since the beginning of time. Before the beginning of time. He is my surety and my salvation. He alone makes me dwell in safety, whether He is protecting me from getting hit by a car walking across the street on a normal day or protecting me from a terrorist bombing. He provides my needs.

I will not react out of my fear and hate people who do not know Him, who choose different comfort for their fear. We are not "liberals" and "bigots" or Republicans and Democrats. We are people. They are people. We will never, ever agree on everything. God made us to be able to choose. It is His gift. If we couldn't choose, we could never choose Him.

I wish that everyone would just stop. That the media would quit their bias in both directions. That we could all take a step back from our fear and realize that it is what it is and it's our mess and God is still in control.

He is so other, you know.

Let go, please let go. Fight for what is right, yes, but if you don't win your battle, overcome evil with good! Remember those coals of fire? Those could only be His love, given freely, without reserve.

And be of good cheer - He has overcome the world! There is no need for anger or bitterness when we set aside fear and believe Him. There is no need for victory; we already have it in Jesus.
"The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

"No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

"Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You."


(Ps. 33:13-22)

5 comments:

Elise said...

I love that. Be of good cheer. Yes.

Amen

Heather said...

Wow. Great post.

dancebythelight said...

This is a great post, Kelly, one I could have written myself, as far as view point, but not with such grace. What a great reminder on where to put our hope and how to treat others.

Kelly Sauer said...

Thanks for your kind words, Danielle. This started out as a vent. You should have seen a few of the sentences that God WOULDN'T let me put in. :-P

dancebythelight said...

Yeah, I know, God's done that to me before too! :)

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