I must admit that I am sometimes motivated by fear regarding the state of our nation and its people. I am driven to point out things that are wrong and that hurt many millions who are our sisters and brothers in our nation and in the world, because I am afraid that our apathy, complacency and compliance with those whose ruthless efforts to exploit the rest of the world for their personal gain, will allow them to continue to get away with this, and more beloved will be hurt.
That is why I CONSTANTLY post political, economic and ecclesiastical articles that I find and why, as some have pointed out to me, I come across as ANGRY at times in my writing... Fear turns quickly to anger for me, especially when I see people who I love and who I know God loves, being hurt...
My beautiful, wise, intelligent and powerful wife pointed out to me this morning that all of these things are coming out in the open now that were once hidden, so I should even take heart in that fact.
I believe it is true...
"You will know them by their fruits..." is what Jesus said regarding false prophets (Matthew 7:15-20). I believe we are seeing the fruits of those who have claimed to represent God and have shown their greed in their Prosperity Theology, and lust for power and position in pursuing their celebrity status, along with those who have tried to justify their own hatreds with The Word. Franklin Graham has recently praised Putin of Russia for his cracking down on gay and lesbian folk, while criticizing President Obama for his "shameful" regard for them. World Vision made a courageous stand to continue to hire those in same sex relationships and marriage, until fundamentalist "Christians" withdrew funding, preventing thousands of those they helped from getting daily bread... and although there was a movement of those who are gay and lesbian Christians and their supporters to bridge the gap by their giving on behalf of "the least", still WV reversed their decision... TRUE COLORS ARE SHOWING...
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Jesus said this regarding earthly wealth (Matthew 6:19-24) and not trying to serve the idol of wealth AND God. We are seeing where the hearts of those who favor the wealthy over the poor and middle class. We see them giving tax breaks to the wealthy and taking away from the poorest sisters and brothers among us. We see them breaking unions that level power in economics. We see them using the Supreme Court, the Congress and billions of dollars that they have available to hurt the rest of America for their own, personal gain. We see them dismantling even our relative democracy, in favor of a plutocracy. We see them exploiting the masses for the opulent wealth of the few. We see them doing that across the street and across the world. They don't want women to be paid equal pay for equal work. They don't want everyone to have healthcare coverage. They don't want people to make a living wage for their work. AND they don't want to help out the masses of people who they've rendered unemployed, even with temporary unemployment insurance, but especially with public assistance... all while they receive huge tax breaks and corporate welfare from the "evil" government. The politicians who have been bought and paid for by these oligarchs (legally, because of lobbying laws and now "human" status for corporations laws and money as speech laws that THEY got passed), often run on their "Christian" values platforms... but their TRUE COLORS ARE SHOWING...
... and yet, out of apathy born of futility, or complacency because folk have a few scraps from the table, or compliance with their efforts in the deluded hope that they will be let into this VERY SMALL, VERY EXCLUSIVE club... people say and do nothing about it... and even VOTE for these ruthless, greedy, power hungry, position and prestige obsessed folk... uggghhhh
So THERE'S my dilemma... I can "take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them" (Ephesians 5:6-21) all I want, but the apathetic, complacent and compliant, along with the gullible and easily duped, will do what they will do... and PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO BE HURT BY IT...
So, I write... Honestly, I DO try to send along positive posts and write a brighter vision... why I wrote my books, in fact... but I also point out what I believe to be obvious, frequently and strongly enough that others cannot ignore what is happening...
The thing is... we see THEIR TRUE COLORS.
And, either by activity or inactivity, by what is said and by silence, OUR TRUE COLORS are shown as well.
Pastor Jamie
Well said my friend!! There is a growing gap, more like a chasm, between the incomes of people in this country. Even in the church & non-profit sector you see it. The church is not united about anything at a time when it needs to be!
ReplyDelete