Panic Mode

I'm not in panic mode. I'm just not. But I am sometimes afraid that we'll lose my America. I don't even really know that means, but I'm sometimes I'm afraid I'll lose it anyway. It seems this election threatens ideology itself. Ideology allows groups to engage eachother and challenge each other. Sometimes that leads to war and I hate that. But you have to stand for something while allowing the fruit of growth which sometimes stems from opposing views. We've gone to a place as a country where truth is replaced by ridicule. Sarah Palen isn't a bad person, but she's been abused with such vitriol as to make you believe she's either a common criminal or else she can't see her bum from her elbow. It seems there's no more acceptance of the debate. We're no longer about something except change. Dangerous. Hitlers are born from such a mantra.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I can feed the hungry, I can clothe the naked, I can heal the sick, I can minister to the lost and I can make safe the afraid as a conservative. I can give time and money to charity. I can work to educate people about one thing or the next. I can do that as a conservative. But that doesn't make an opposing view of any less worth. They can do the same things from their point of view. I simply want that you're not afraid of mine. One can't learn and grow if they don't allow others to pass through their world.

I wrote a comment about a political blog a friend wrote and it went something like this:

I dare say arguments often look like hate, but aren't. I have strong feelings on the topic of say...abortion. I hate abortion. It should be illegal. I also believe that "distribution of wealth" smacks of something I don't want to be part of. The government crosses my American made line in that regard. FDR's "New Deal" wasn't new at all, but was this country's first major turn toward a desire to like everyone else, even though we shed much blood to be different. We weren't perfect, nor are we now. But I'm not afraid to be right as much as I'm not afraid to learn. Either way, I don't hate through my feelings. I think it's possible that a person such as yourself has to see people as hateful in order to justify feelings of victimhood or minority segregation etc. Why must people insert one group of people in one basket?

We were with liberal "friends" the other night and Monique and I hoped we were in a safe enough environment to give an opinion or two. Instead people like me were torn apart. They had to insert one motive or emotion into the other ito give their vitriol merit. But these attitudes are not one-sided (although they seem to me that they are sometimes). Conservatives and Liberals work each other over. And they don't use substance, but slander. We weren't torn apart for a useful reason. And on the flip side of an argument about abortion for instance--Obama's support for abortion rights doesn't make him a murderer, I know that...I would hope my side of the debate doesn't come to such blows.

I'm not in panic mode. I'm really not. The stock market hit the tank again today. Politics sucks. But I'm not running from either because I can take advantage of a down market. And if I say I'm for the debate than I must engage the debate. Truth be told, I enjoy the debate.

I'm safe and I can't be snatched from that safe place. Hope. Furthermore, as a Christian, I'm also called to love my leaders and so I shall. If God reigns then I am thoroughly not in panic mode.

I met with a friend this morning. He needed to hear some things. Christians know what I mean, but I truly felt that God was simply slapping my lips together this morning. Blablabla slap slap slap. I felt amazed and joyful. I'm not wise enough to fully know how to respond in the ways I did this morning. My friend had needs, God supplied them through my lips. He does speak through me, because His Spirit searches the deep things of God and this morning I know God is. I'm glad to have such assurance, such hope. I'm glad He works and I and enjoy watching what God is doing. He's given me a great seat in a stadium full of miracles.

On the way home, I saw a guy in a full rain suit and full-faced helmet, riding his motorcycle to whatever destination. That guy knows what he can do and ways he can be, so that gray clouds and rain and cold air do not hurt him. He wears his armor and rides on. My rain suit, my armor sets lightly upon my body. My armor of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness gentleness and self control, virtually unbreakable. My armor restrains those who victimize me, who cause me to need them to justify their power. Their intention? Smash ideology instead of allowing it to flourish...and I'm talking about those on either side of an opinion.

Rain falls and almost always replenishes a thirsty earth. I, of God's will, by the blood of Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit am going for a walk in the rain.

God the lip-slapper. No, I'm not going to panic.