GULP! A political dialogue...

There were some comments on a previous post regarding McClaren's arrest last Wednesday, so I thought I would post again here in response. Just didn't want to take up so much space in the comments.

Ok, I will say that I am not well read and versed in the political arena. I quiver even writing this.

With that said, I don't think what Brian McClaren and Jim Wallis are necessarily participating in  "partisan politics." I truly believe they are trying to find a "third way" in the political spectrum. I think it resonates the wrong way with conservative Christians because they appear to walking a path contrary to their political posture. However, the issue at hand are issues of justice.

I know that is a very complex subject, but it is laden in Scripture that God can't stand it when those who have so much and much to give do not give to those who have nothing and have a need. I read Matthew 25 and see Jesus identifying Himself with anyone who has a need. It's like he's saying to those of us who have resources to help others in need (whatever those resources are), and we don't, Jesus says, "I take that personally."

I also identify with Hebraic thinking, which says that all of life is spiritual. So politics, mathematics, history, chemistry, construction, academics...all of this is spiritual.

I mean what really is at the root of politics? Isn't it justice? Isn't it asking questions on how we can be a just society? If you believe money to be a spiritual issue, then a budget is a moral document. It's the same thing when we preach in our churches that how you spend your money (or looking at your checkbook, however you say it) is directly connected to your spirituality. That's why people get so defensive about it, because it is deeply connected to who we are.

Now, with all of that said, I will acknowledge that politics is very complex, but to those who argue about how the wealthy who get tax breaks invest their money, therefore boosting the economy, etc...just doesn't fly in my book. I think about many of the people I know who are just getting by (and not by a mishandling of money on their part, to even suggest that is so prejudiced in my opinion), who are just trying to survive day to day, and see those plenty of people who have so much and wonder to themselves what they did to deserve what they got. Don't even tell me that some can say they got there by hard work. Some did. But others didn't, and it's the same way on those on the other end of the spectrum.

I'll agree that our welfare system isn't the greatest, but cutting money from it is not the answer, hoping to get people out of welfare. It just makes it harder on those souls who are trying to help the poor. I mean it just doesn't make sense to me.

And at the same time, maybe this is a wake-up call to the American church that if we actually gave a crap about justice this country that we could eliminate the public welfare system. Is that too idealistic? I think about the "what-if everyone tithed" question all the time in regards to this.

I do agree that there is always more to the story, but my perception (which could be well misinformed) is that the idea of the "wealthy investing money to boost the economy" theory may be great economically, but what does that do for justice?

I feel so peonic posting this. I know someone will ask me a lot of questions I have no answers to, but I thought I would throw what I'm thinking out there.

Grace,

Mike