Let's start with love: I love my church. It is going to be very hard to leave and find a new one someday. Matt's family was here on last Sunday, so we didn't go to the service so that we could spend more time with them. Today I listened to the sermon that we missed and realized how much I really did miss being there, after just one week. It was on Acts 8, and about Philip preaching in Samaria and many other places after he got kicked out of Jerusalem along with all the other Christ followers because their lives were at stake. Pastor Jeff talked about how we all end up on detours in life (an example would be my life right now: working at a daycare while I want to be teaching, but this is where God has me.... hence why this sermon hit home so much). Well, Philip was on a detour, he wasn't where he wanted to be... he ended up in Samaria and on a random middle of no where road. But in the end he helped an Ethiopian eunuch to understand the scriptures and become a Christ follower as well! He said how we don't expect to see God working in detours, but He is! And we should be looking and praying for those opportunities.... opportunities that are often put there for us to help others. Another reason that I love my church... we just studied/discussed this chapter in our small group last week (because our small group booklets go along with the series) and I didn't get that part out of it at all, but other totally different things. Sweet.
Onto politics... Like everyone else, I am so sick of seeing, hearing, and breathing the presidential election for the past I don't even know how long. So, in my naivety, I thought that this morning would start a new much more pleasant era with it all being over. I was listening to the local Christian radio station (91.3) on my way to work as usual. And I really do like this station, I like the music, I mostly like the DJs, and it is really helpful to put me in a good and Godly mood for a trying day at work when I listen to it. But not today, oh no. The first thing I hear when I turn it on is the DJ talking about how a lot of people were disappointed and that we really need to be praying for our country (both true and valid statements - but not what I wanted to hear right then). But it went to a good song, so I kept listening.
And then this ridiculous woman called in. In saying what I am going to say I realize that I am in turn judging her, however, I can't stand super judgemental Christians like this who cannot even consider another's point of view, let alone respect it. What is so hard about respecting an opinion different from your own? She says she wants to make a comment about the election. She says that she is very disappointed in the Christians in our country, particularly those who voted for Obama (who would say this on public radio?). She says that they are trying to make Obama their God and are counting on him to save us rather than Jesus Christ (maybe I'll get back to that as a good analogy for non-Christians and some Christians in voting for a president in general later). She compared it to the Israelites begging God to give them an earthly king even though God told them that they didn't need one. She says that we should not make the economy or any such earthly things the biggest issues, but instead the right to life. She went so far as to say that those so-called Christians are not trusting in God to provide for them as they should be during hard times like these - that they are putting their faith in Obama to get them out of the hard times instead. Now, that may be true for some people... but I want to ask her this: Why can't a Christian trust in God to provide for them (knowing that that is needs, not wants), yet want something more for our country in general, for all of those who may or may not be trusting in Him to do the same for them... to see beyond yourself and what you want for you, but to look at what you want for everyone, what you want for your country, how to do what Jesus calls us to do-how to take care of the orphans and widows? Whoever each Christian out there chose to vote for I would hope they were being open minded enough to consider such things, and in turn, to realize that Christians on the other side are doing the same and are still doing their best to help the Kingdom.
Back to looking at any presidential candidate or president as a savior of sorts... I think many non-Christians do do this because they are looking to be saved... in the wrong places. Dustin shared a post in Google Reader from
Mark Driscoll's (the pastor of Mars Hill in Seattle) blog that describes this well.
