As a follower of Jesus, and one who truly believes that you cannot serve two masters,
that love of power and love of money over love for God and neighbor is not faithful,
and that justice comes from love for all equally...
It seems to me that we de-value Democracy in the current climate of our nation, and
only value limitless capitalism.
Great lengths are being taken to eliminate voters' rights... under the guise of concern over
voter fraud, mostly poor and lower, middle class, mostly more left of center and mostly people
of color are being given more hoops to jump through, more barriers to voting and more
questions about their legitimate right to vote by Republicans. District lines are being re-drawn
to favor one party over another, rather than allow all to have equal opportunity. I thought we
were the people who valued democracy itself, and not just gaining power for "our side". Doing
"whatever it takes to win" is not love for democracy. It is the process of EQUAL representation
in the nation that is democracy. Where is our love for that?
The only thing worse, is confusing true, patriotic love for democracy with limitless
capitalistic greed. Corporations are running the country through lobbyists. They directly
own much of our Congress, so we are not being represented, but the corporations' desires
are... de-regulation so that thousands of workers can be laid off or fired for the sake of
more profits for stockholders and bonuses for CEO's is not democratic. These are the
"job creators" who want to convince us that they will hire folks out of the goodness of
their hearts if we don't make them pay their fair share of taxes. They were not paying
them before when they laid them off! De-regulation so that our air, water and land are
poisoned and natural resources are wasted - all for more profit - is not democracy of the
people, for the people and by the people, but gaining more for a few at the expense of
the rest of the people.
The 1% are in full control, because they successfully divide the 99%, putting us at
odds over issues they have deemed "critical", so that we will not focus and act upon the
real injustices and their creation of and benefit from them.
Limitless capitalism is born of insatiable greed.
Power politics are born out of an insatiable lust for power.
They are both idolatry. Jesus addressed them, as recorded in the Gospels. Don't believe
me? Read the Gospels and especially what Jesus taught and exemplified in them. It is
neither rocket science nor brain surgery. It is easy to understand. Jesus' commanded
Agape Love has no place in this, and this has no place in it. Really! Read it!
Our nation's soul is at stake.
If we do not see beyond our own desire to always have more money and power,
we will implode. We are already a deeply divided nation. God's vision of the peaceable
Kingdom with lion and lamb together does not apply with donkeys and elephants or rich
and poor in America. Jesus' prayer that we be one, even as Jesus and the Father are one,
is FAR from complete. Until we learn to love "the other side" enough to allow them to
live and live well, we are not living the Agape Love that Jesus commanded. Until we take
care of "the least of these, (Jesus') brothers and sisters", we have no place in Him.
Our great immorality has nothing to do with sex, as some would have us believe. Our
deep immorality has to do with insatiable greed and lust for power, and how we will hurt
anyone we can to get them.
It is time for WE THE PEOPLE to speak AS ONE, and not allow one party to kill any
legislation that would help others who are our neighbors. It is time for WE THE PEOPLE
to vote AS ONE, and not allow party politics to keep us under the thumb of big business
at the expense of regular citizens who only want to work and make a living. It is time for
WE THE PEOPLE to act AS ONE, and say NO to the injustices that personal greed and
lust for power have created in our nation, before it all falls apart.
I pray for social action and not rioting. I pray for dialogue and not unilateral action. I pray
for justice and not abuses of greed and power. I pray for America. ALL of America, and
not just the "privileged" few.
Jesus, help us!
Pastor Jamie
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