Saturday, January 19, 2013

Politics

I recently decided that I should start actually writing more on my blog.  Sharing my thoughts and ideas is important for me, and I don't get to do that in person very often anymore.

SO, I've been thinking about politics for a while now.  If you know me very well, you know that I hate political debates.  I avoid conversations about the government like the plague.  But, right now, facebook is flooded with "anti" posts- anti gun control, or anti guns, anti socialism, anti public health care, etc., etc., etc.  All those posts eat me up, and I've been trying to figure out why.  I think I know why. And, what follows will be my opinion on gun control.

People want to feel safe.  People don't want to fear for themselves or their children.  Some people want to feel safe by having guns to defend themselves.  Some people want their government to step in and make it harder to for "bad guys" to get hold of a gun.  Both sets of people want to be safe and secure.  Will either of these situations keep everyone safe and happy and fearless?  NO.  Will either of these situations change the "bad guys" minds about doing horrible things?  Maybe sometimes, but not always.

So, what can?  What would a place look like where people wouldn't live in fear?  Where people wouldn't even need weapons?  Where people could be happy, and could live in love for all other people?  An upside down place.  A kingdom; yes I know what you are thinking... heaven.  And, yes, heaven will be perfectly like that.  But when Jesus came to earth he brought his kingdom with him.  When he ascended back to heaven, he left some of his kingdom behind.  I am a friend of Jesus, and I can experience part of that kingdom now. We can.

We could invest in people.  If we want there to be less crime, we could reach out to criminals.  We could tell them Jesus loves them.  (After all, it is his love and kindness that bring about real repentance, not fear of punishment). I want his kingdom.  I will pray for it.  I will engage in the things Father puts in front of me and watch how it unfolds.

Okay, next topic: Welfare

This one bothers me even more than gun control debates.  Some people want the government to take care of the poor, and some people don't want them to.  But the people who don't want them to, talk about the poor with words like "have-nots"and "lazy", while the middle class is referred to as "working hard", "upstanding citizens", people who "take care of their families".  What is it that I don't like about that kind of talk?  I don't like the classing of people.  I don't like the us against them kind of talk.

Jesus was compassionate towards the poor.  He healed them, he loved them, and he taught them with stories they could understand.  If we feel that welfare is harming people and keeping them stuck in the place that they are in, then how about if we help someone personally.  How about if we let them know that they are loved; that they can change; and that we are their brothers and sisters here to help them along the way.

In conclusion if a perfect law system and government could eliminate sin, then Jesus would not have come.  There was already an extreme law in place, and extreme measures were to be taken to ensure it was upheld; but it didn't work.  Jesus coming did work, and is working.  He is changing hearts, lives, and communities.  He is forgiving sins, cleansing evil, and putting things right.  If those are the things we long for, perhaps we could ask him how we could join him in his work.

2 comments:

  1. Well said and a good reminder of how important it is to really love others!

    ReplyDelete
  2. We are of the same mind here, Tricia! I feel the same about political debates, and usually avoid them altogether, and your reasoning on both issues seems exactly right to me....Jesus' life, living through each one of us, would solve so many problems.

    ReplyDelete