Not to Get Political

A faith built on radical love continues to be co-opted by the powerful and corrupt. This is of no surprise, at least it shouldn’t be. Christianity has a long history of forgetting who we are and grasping at power while stuck in self delusion.

My mind has been reeling all day the past few days in “politics.” We have a medal to man who reeks of white supremacy. We cheered as our president said that he’d protect our pulpits and give us our guns in the same breath.

It’s a lot isn’t it?

Anne Lamott says it best, “You can safely assume you’ve made God in your own image when God hates all the same people you do.”

And ain’t that the truth. Come on now, preacher. I’m looking at you hyper-conservaties. Until wait…a minute.

Curiously, what I loathe about corporately, I find hidden internally. God has split the Red Sea of my life and I’ve clutched for power the next day. With no one to blame -I’ve made Jesus my scapegoat time and time again. I’ve sworn God off when I can’t bear the pain I find - the pain I barreled headfirst into to fix in first place.
What makes me angry about community is often wounds I’ve been carrying personally.

I’m more like my enemies than I thought.

It’s very much an important time to engage in the world around us. Yes, to get political. Because politics is life as is. Politics informs where you wake up, what coffee you drink, where you work, how your neighbor will pay for their surgery. It’s not simply a nightly news hour or a campaign speech. It’s hard work to stay engaged and up to date. Particularly when our major new organizations are back by the world’s richest that have their own agendas that are paying pawns to speak for. Where is the truth?

Side note here are a few resources I find helpful:

Pantsuit Politics : Look no further for brilliant women discussing political issues. It’s a game changer.

Becoming Pick up a few political memoirs. Of course, they are biased. Moving on - this one is particularly brilliant in showing politics from a new (unheard) lens.

I try to read major headlines from several news sources that are across the political spectrum. (Yes, I even entertain Fox news and CNN from time to time)

Also, I pick a few voices whose jobs are to read these headlines all day long and try trust their insight. Why? Because I am not reading headlines and political law all day. That’s not my job. So my biggest advice in staying engaged is to find a few voices you trust. Then keep an open hand.

Because…ahem…..

Opting out isn’t an option! Ask someone that doesn’t have the privilege of hiding behind a faith that protects their political security. Politics isn’t simply banter to them. It’s life or death. Those that say they don’t want to get political are the ones that have nothing to lose if they don’t.

AND (this a good word that I’m implementing all the more)

It’s a great disservice if we get so caught up in working in the world we miss the greater work that needs done in us. I’m learning this the hard way. Yeah, form opinions. Hold signs at protests. Get out there and move your body. And, calm yourself down enough to realize that the justice your fighting for has to be found within you first. The love you desire to see in the world is love you have to first accept for yourself.

I believe in the radical notion that if I want to change the world it starts with changing myself. (Not in the self help way. I’ll expound more in future posts later.) Practically, this looks like practicing silence and stillness. Going on hikes and confessing what’s broken. It’s not perfect. But it’s all practice anyways.

Really, it doesn’t feel productive in the face of red ties and blasphemy. But it’s the inner work that leads to the outer. It’s out of the heart that the mouth speaks.