Thoughtful Voters, America Needs You

If the polls are to be believed, the upcoming presidential election season offers one of the greatest opportunities for change on the political landscape in my memory. President Bush’s approval rating is bouncing around historic lows for a sitting president and the approval rating for congress is even lower. The American public is really disgusted with the whole bunch.

Besides the very unpopular war we are engaged in, people are fed up with the fact that these politicians are incapable of breaking through partisan bickering and actually running the country. The tit-for-tat, he said-she said noise pollution cloud that hangs over Washington is choking out healthy dialogue and meaningful progress. It is a toxic atmosphere. It reminds me of the time that the coach benched the entire first team and sent the second and third string players into the game because the starters weren’t playing up to our potential. Voters are ready to bench the under achievers and send in new players with different attitudes and skill sets.

What I am hoping for is that enough of us will break away from blind party loyalties on both sides of the aisle to find out who among the candidates offers the clearest vision for the future and can break through the current impasse. That will mean refusing to let the media, the spin controllers, agenda peddlers, and radical fringes do our thinking for us. It will mean reading between the lines, studying policy and voting records and taking note of what the candidates really stand for. It will mean forgetting about Paris Hilton and Rosie O’Donnell and their ilk while we focus on more important things. It will mean thinking beyond local politics and reasoning through foreign policy implications. It will mean looking out for not only our own interests, but also the interests of others. It will mean offering with our vote the opportunity to govern this great nation only to those who are genuinely motivated by public service not greed and lust for power, and who refuse to pander to special interest groups. It will mean saying a resounding NO to the politics that settles for the lowest common denominator and avoids solving the big issues of our time. Remember, we voted in those who are failing us and we can find replacements to put in their place.

GOD, HELP US, PLEASE!?

Before I could introduce myself and get his name, he picked up my book, frowningly turned a few pages, gave a brief glimpse to the back cover, and then asked in stern tones, “Are you a part of ... (mentioning a contemporary Christian movement)? I’ve heard about them,” he sniffed. He then proceeded to inform me what his denominational persuasion was and that he thought “we should go by the Bible.” He even proudly volunteered that he was currently at odds with his pastor because he wasn’t teaching the Bible “correctly.” “My name is Steve,” I interrupted offering a handshake.

I was sitting at a table as the invited guest author for a book signing at a local Christian bookstore. Talking to me was optional. I was only there to sign my book for anyone interested enough to buy it. Many people bypassed my table and went politely about their business just as I have numerous times in bookstores. This gentleman walked in, saw me sitting there, noticed the title of my book (Quit “Going” to Church...And Other Musings of a Former Institutional Man http://xulonpress.com/book_detail.php?id=4001), made a snap judgment that my writings were unbiblical and threatening to his “true” Christianity, and felt like he needed to get in my face. He didn’t know me, didn’t want to know me, and didn’t think he needed to take the time to consider what I have to say before judging me to be his adversary. After spewing his excluding bile, he walked away in smug confidence that he had held to his righteous standards and had clearly established the demarcation between him and me. I sat there sadly thinking I know how he feels because that is how I used to think.

Many of us were trained and groomed in a tradition that made being convinced of the correctness of our point of view the all important thing. We were taught how to win arguments in defense of our beliefs. Opposing views were to be vigorously resisted. Many of the Bible classes and sermon series we were subjected to (and that I used to teach) focused on the evils of groups, denominations, or movements that offered an alternative perspective. Our mission was to hold the line against anything and everyone that seems different. To carry this out effectively it was necessary to share membership only with those who agree with us. We got together to reinforce what we believed and to remind ourselves how evil the rest of the world is. We were defined by what we were against and how different we were from everybody else.

I no longer look at others this way. I am so very sorry I ever did. Yes, there are points of view that I cannot agree with. But I strive to not allow points of disagreement to become obstacles to what can hopefully become a generative relationship. While seeking to find points of commonality, empathy, and understanding, one often finds reasons to actually like and listen to others. That is life giving in the sense that it fosters bonds of affection and stimulates personal growth. This is what Jesus modeled when he intentionally socialized with marginalized people such as drunkards, prostitutes and “sinners” (Luke 15). I don’t mind that the man didn’t buy my book. I’m just disappointed he walked away before discovering how much I love God and the Bible, too.