Post election rehab

Its over. What will I do with my time now?

In the next few weeks to come, we will see the close states be called electorally, the closer senate seats resolved, the newness of this present milestone wear off, and the shock of horror on the faces of the right to succumb to reason and a logical sense of peace.

I hope.

Here are my reactions to the whole thing:

1. Just 40 years ago, in my parents lifetime, systematic racism was acceptable in most of America. Blacks using separate restrooms, schools, and public places… today, we have elected a black president whose roots can be traced to a small, rural, poor village in Kenya. Wow.
2. The McCain I voted for in my life disappeared this campaign and was replaced with a grumpy, crusty, attacking old man.. he returned last night. The John McCain I know and respect sprinted to the stage faster than I have ever seen a presidential candidate about to concede defeat. His speech was gracious, classy, and full of the same American unity that Barack’s was. Unfortunately, the crowd within earshot of him was as nasty as he was classy. I hope that is not the future of Republicanism.
3. NBC had the best coverage and the easiest graphics to understand.
4. This was the year of the uneducated voter and the over-use of election night 3D graphics and technology.
5. I can not believe that a woman just ran for VP of the USA with out EVER releasing her medical record and never giving a press conference… why is NOBODY talking about this?
6. I couldn’t figure out the Palin pick until last night during McCain’s concession. The Reps knew in September that they couldn’t win this election. So they looked at who the future of the party might be a decided to begin grooming one of them for 2012… hence, Sarah Palin. The bad part about this is that the future of the Republican party is a woman who is governor of state who just elected a convicted felon to the U.S. Senate.
7. I can not wait until 4 years from now to rub in the faces of right wing radio and emailers that all the doom and gloom scenarios and fear campaigns did not materialize. I had a longer post about this, but my better senses kept me from publishing it.
8. Say what you want, but I actually do believe this election, by itself, did accomplish something already. I can not empathize, but judging by the tears and emotion last night, it seems the result was in many ways closure for black Americans.
9. Turnout was at an all-time high and the youth vote showed up. For those of you who mocked me for saying this, I say “See I told you so!”
10. I am disappointed in Arizona. We passed some dumb legislation, re-elected some major jerks, and continued to allow a fascoracist enforce the laws of the third largest county in America.

I wish I had more to say in a more poetic way other than bullets, but I don’t. My hope is in Christ to do his redeeming work in men, not in men to do a redeeming work through government. But I will pray the latter happens.

One last time

I have taken a lot of hits from people about my vote this presidential election. I have had my faith questioned, my intelligence challenged, and have been stereotyped as “falling prey to the lies of the liberal media.” Because of that, I am looking forward to this election being over.

Truth is, I used to be one of those people who said these very things to people. For me, politics was a generator of hatred and anger against people I never met, nor ever wanted to. I remember watching Donald Rumsfeld’s promised “shock and awe” on the big screen projector at my old church back in 2003 and cheering it on with a soda and popcorn in hand. Today, I am ashamed at myself and the amount of pleasure and entertainment I took from watching bombs fall on people’s homes on the other side of the world. It wouldn’t be until years later that the military would fully disclose the number of innocent families destroyed that night.

I used to tell people that I was for an immigration policy that would involve rounding up all illegals and dumping them in the ocean… I was kidding but such a joke came from a dark place deep in my soul. There was a time when I assumed that all Hispanics in my city were criminals and they owed it to people like me to prove otherwise.

There was a time when the ONLY issue that mattered to me was abortion. Not because I believed in my heart that only God can take a life, but because I could not stand the type of people who were for it… hippies, gays, just sinners in general. Basically, all the people Jesus tells us to love… I know, right? Back then, abortion was purely a political issue for me and not a problem that desperately needed a solution.

Not too long ago in my adult life, I used words like “socialism” and “liberal” like they were 4-letter word insults. I used to genuinely believe that democracy was God’s chosen form of goverment and anything else was evil. Seriously.

But that WAS me. I changed. God changed me.

For me, God breaking my heart meant a change in opinion with regards to American politics. That is not to say that people who have differing opinions from mine now are wrong or somehow not on a journey with Christ… that is just what it meant for me. I know lots of people from the Right, who I respect as people of faith who truly love God.

The opinions I have about politics are just that, opinions. None of them are final and most of them are a work in progress. As humans, we are not justified by how we vote, instead we are saved only by God’s grace and His love for us.

Senator Obama addressed the “abortion issue” during the debate the other night. For most of his response I cringed and argued with my wife. (long story) But at the end of his rehearsed answer, he added this which seemed to me, to be from his heart:

“Abortion is always a tragic situation, and we should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred … and providing options for adoption and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby. … Nobody is pro-abortion. … We should try to reduce these circumstances.”

Does anyone disagree with that statement? I know that reasonable, cool-headed people on both sides of the abortion debate can agree that given the current state of American politics and legalities, abortion is not going to completely go away any time soon. With that in mind, I pray that a day will come when such people can sit down and work on practical, tangible steps to limit the number of unintended pregnancies and decrease the number of aborted babies.

Up until now, the abortion debate has been so passionate and emotionally charged, that the two opposing sides refuse to speak to each other or an “I’m going to take my ball and go home” policy has been invoked. This will not solve anything and given that abortion is currently legal in the U.S. it certainly won’t bring it to an end.

I know Obama is pro-choice. But this is the first time since I have been interested in politics that a liberal, pro-choice senator seems apologetic and willing to put a somber, spiritual take on abortion… during a presidential debate no less! As Christians who are TRULY pro-life (ONLY God can take a life), we should jump at the opportunity to at least, in the meantime, work with those 4 letter-words (liberals…gasp!) and try to limit the number of abortions taking place. This by no means is ideal and a permanent solution, but at least it is a step in the right direction. If zero is what we are aiming for, and 1.25 million is where we are, than the next logical step is to do what we can to shrink this number.

This post comes from a man whose heart is broken by staggering statistics of death and destruction and who feels helpless to do anything about it.

Total Abandon

I just finished a book I started 4 years ago. I first picked up Total Abandon by Gary Witherall when he spoke at my last church… during the transition of leaving that church I lost the book but I am glad I found it last week.

If you have heard Gary’s name before it is probably because his wife, Bonnie, was murdered by an Islamic terrorist while the two were missionaries in Sidon, Lebanon in 2002. But Total Abandon is not just a story of grief and loss and martyrdom. It is the story of God moving in the lives of real people who are sold on following him. While the story of Bonnies death and the grief that follows is the foundation for the book, the message that God showed me through is that God does not call us to a place, He calls us to himself.

Social justice issues in Christianity have become trendy today. It is always good to do unto the least of these and defend the defenseless, but doing so has kind of become the fashionable thing for Christianity. I have struggled with the cynical thought of just “going somewhere and doing something” while forgetting the truth in this book… God calls us to Him, not a place, not a ministry, not a church. Our desire should be more of Him. It seems that the few people I know in my life who actually get this are the ones who are “doing” those crazy works for God. But they aren’t THERE doing THAT because it is trendy, but instead because they delighted themselves in Christ first.

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. John 14:4

The older I get, the more I hope that I can find this true in my life. Oh, to be delighted only in Christ and nothing else! Not because of where it might lead or what it might mean for me in the long run, but because that is simply why I was created.

I recommend this book and if you want to borrow it, just email me!

Jack. is. back.

And he’s finally making me proud…

The Lord’s army

Am I understanding this correctly? We might actually be electing a person to be a breath away from being the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most-powerful military who thinks that the war in Iraq is “God’s plan”?! I am all for praying for our leaders and our military personnel, but as a one who worships a sovereign God, I get defensive when we equate our nation’s war with a “task that is from God.” (3:50)

This is just my humble opinion and I am not trying to “play God.” If you interperet her words differently, please post your comments and do it without attacking me personally and don’t do it annoymously with fake @live.com email addresses (Yanni & Greg Azul).

Justify this

No wonder why Jesus tells us to be peacemakers. (Matt 5)

No human is “illegal”

… because God says we are created in His image, and the Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equal. So then why, in this “God-fearing” nation is THIS allowed to happen?

As Christians, why is it so easy for us to ignore volumes of Scripture about caring for aliens?

As Christians, why do we selectively choose which US laws are okay for us to break and which ones aren’t?

Bibles for leaders

Thought I would share this pic with you. It is one of the village chiefs and pastors in Chikudzulire receiving a bible purchased by Vision Africa. My church sponsored Chikudzulire almost a year ago and if you had anything to do with Vision Africa, here is just a glimpse of what you have helped accomplish. Also, notice the feeding center you helped build in the background!

Great Debate: Illegals

I live in Arizona. I am white. I am a Christian. I should be one who is “fed up” with illegal immigration. I should be panicked and alarmed at how open the U.S. border with Mexico is. I should be pissed that “my taxes” pay for the education and health care of people who don’t deserve to be here. I should assume every poor person with brown skin is an illegal. I should laugh when my peers make illegal jokes.

Read more

Permanent Me

I just met someone who has a design I made for a church series TATTOOED on his arm. That may not sound like a big to you, but it is to me. I have only recently (last few years) begun to embrace and engage my creative side and I am still building up self-confidence in this area. To hear that a few people are getting a design that I dreamt up and created permanently inked on their body is a momentous thing for me. It gives me confidence, encouragement, and assurance. Now, if i could just someone to tattoo my face on their body…

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