more or less

There are those who say they want LESS Government, so that MORE power is concentrated in the hands of fewer people, LESS gets done to protect citizens' rights, and LESS gets done for the most vulnerable. There are those who say they want LESS Government regulation over business practices, so that MORE money is made for the few, and Greed becomes MORE the norm, so that the many can be more easily fleeced by them, and the economcy for the many is shot, while the few make more. Many of these same folks say they want MORE legislation over people's love lives and bodies, while adding MORE legislation to allow LESS restraint on those who would like to make discrimination a part of their religious freedoms. They also want MORE War, LESS responsibility for the lives of those who fight them for us, MORE profit out of war and LESS restraint in the inhumanities committed in War. They want MORE freedom to profile, harrass and openly kill young, black men. They want LESS participation by all citizens in the voting process. They want MORE profit and privitization of schools and prisons, so there is LESS education for the poorest among us, but MORE room for them in prison and the free labor they provide to farms and factories. They want LESS freedom for people to love who they love, and MORE freedom to openly hate them. They want MORE freedom to buy weapons with not limits, amd LESS affordable healthcare for our citizens. I believe that these attitudes, behaviors, philosophies and ideologies are MORE hurtful and therefore LESS Christ-like than those of the folks who oppose them, so I am one of them. Pastor Jamie PS - it was suggested by a good friend and doctor, that you look up "We are the many" by Makana on YouTube..., that it speaks to this very well... I agree!

I've got an idea...

How about...

Those in business who profess to be followers of Jesus
     pay their laborers their wages... all of them... in a timely way
     feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, give benefits for their employees who
           might get sick...hire those who were in prison...
     do not pay women 77% of what men in comparable positions/experience get
     do not find ways to keep from paying a living wage for your own bonuses and greater profit
and make ENOUGH... be satisfied with ENOUGH so that ALL can have enough...

Those in politics who profess to be a followers of Jesus
    feed the hungry and not take away their food stamps
    clothe the naked and not take away their assistance
    welcome the stranger and do not deport them
    keep ACA so the sick can get cared for, yes, even the poor ones
    create one justice system for ALL... the same for ALL...
    make sure that the penalties AFTER someone gets out of prison do not
          further marginalize them and limit their legal options
    do not kill the creation for the sake of more profit for their friends...
    do not take away from the poor and most vulnerable so the powerful rich have more
    do not jeopardize our nation's security by undermining our President
    do not do whatever it takes to rush off to war for more oil, profit
    do not create bogus scandals to misdirect folk from seeing the truth of their works of darkness
    do not make up lies to scare voters so that they will vote for them
    do not intentionally work to make voting impossible for the young and minorities AGAIN
    do not crush labor so that management can exploit people at will
    do not claim to be job creators and then lay off millions for the profit of a few
    do not claim to be "right to life" and Pro-death penalty
    do not claim control over women's bodies on some bogus claims of righteousness   
    do not claim that you love democracy when it is only laissez-faire capitalism that you love
    do not claim patriotism when you willingly sacrifice lives on trumped up wars to make profit...
    do not obstruct every progressive, caring, logical, reasonable, responsible bill or appointment
        because a. you HATE our black President, and 2. you HATE progress for others
    do not dupe the elderly into voting for you and then take away their financial support
    do not sell your votes to the highest lobbyist bidders...
    stop being duplicitous about EVERYIHING
    and
GOVERN all the people equally... represent ALL the people equally...

... and those regular citizens who profess to follow Jesus...

PATRONIZE ONLY BUSINESSES WHO TREAT THEIR EMPLOYEES WELL,
    PAY A LIVING WAGE... PROVIDE BENEFITS...
    DO NOT EXPLOIT WORKERS/RESOURCES OVERSEAS,
    PAY A FAIR PRICE FOR GOODS HERE AND ABROAD,
    KEEP PEOPLE EMPLOYED, EVEN WHEN TIMES ARE HARD...

VOTE FOR POLITICIANS WHO WILL TRULY FOLLOW JESUS
    IN THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE, ACTIONS THEY TAKE AND
    LAWS THEY WRITE...

Pastor Jamie 
   

work to do

The Good News of Jesus demands that Agape Love be lived. That brings about Peace, Justice and Equitable treatment of all God's children. In the world in which we live, the powers and principalities operate on a different system of values. Driven by greed and a lust for power, they seek self-indulgence at the expense of others. That runs contrary to Jesus' Good News. It is Anti-Christ. But how do we make a difference is a world that has this far gone down that path? 1. Know the Good News of Jesus. Read, learn, internalize and apply what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled, as we have it in the Gospel witnesses. 2. Expose the works of darkness. When something is inconsistent, even or especially with what the church is doing, point it out, and remind folk of Jesus' more excellent way. 3. Be persistent in holding folk accountable for practicing what they preach. Hold anyone who claims the name of Jesus to the standard of His teachings, even (or especially) the church that bears His name. 4. Demonstrate Jesus' Good News Kingdom Values. LIVE Jesus' more excellent way of Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of the other) in the world around you, absent of judgment or intolerance, willing to forgive. 5. Speak, write and march out of Agape Love for Peace, Justice and Equitable treatment for all. The First Century believers lived Jesus' Way, and it changed the world by changing the thinking of those who witnessed His Agape Love in action. Let THAT be our mission today, here and now. Pastor Jamie