Break the Doors Down

If you have not read anything from Will Campbell I strongly recommend reading him. A book of his I am currently reading is titled Up To Our Steeples In Politics. With this book in mind I offer the following:

 I am currently and have been for quite some time struggling with the apparent disease of mixing politics and Christianity (or any faith for that matter). My fear is that this tension has been highly overlooked by many followers of Jesus, but I now begin to ask why? Why has love for a particular political party overshadowed one's love for neighbor (especially a neighbor who thinks differently)? Why and how has political allegiance intermarried with allegiance to our Lord? Why has one particular political party been considered pro-Christian and the other(s) anti-Christian? Why have we as the people of God living in this country sold ourselves to Americanism? Can this be changed? Should it be changed? And if so, where do we begin?

The more I come to understand more and more about Jesus (I know the song more and more about Jesus just came to your mind) the more I see a tension between what ALL political parties say is right and true and what our Lord says is right and true. Is it enough in this day and age to pay our taxes, obey the driving laws, take care of your loved ones AND others as well (I think Jesus meant what he said in Matt. 5:46-47) as best you can, and with all that commit ourselves to the life and teachings of Jesus without selling ourselves to a particular political party? Is this oversimplifying life here in America? Or am I missing something?

Measure of a man/woman

I have a quote in my office by Martin Luther King that reads..."The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." I read this every day and I wonder if I could live this out. There have been moments where I can say yes to that and there are moments where I can honestly say no.

Underneath the quote I have copied a picture of a cross. At the cross Jesus experienced much controversy and the challenge of a lifetime, yet on the cross he lived out what he taught. He held on to what he believed. His character of who He was and is can be seen most clearly on the day when it looked like all was lost, yet it was only the beginning. Jesus says it so eloquently in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." The cross was not the end, but the beginning. May we all take courage in the fact that if we are His disciples and follow in His Way we will face controversy, we will face challenges. But take heart, He has overcome the world! 

This should be interesting...

Well I never would have imagined that I would ever create a blog, but low and behold here we go. This should be interesting. To my friends back in Nashville Carrie and I miss and love each one of you. Bradenton is a beautiful small city that has everything (except the GOO) one could ask for in a city. The people here at 43rd have welcomed us and really made this transition easy. Dylon is doing great and will start school soon. We hope he will do well at his new school. Our God is faithful and we are excited about the opportunities that await us here. Blessings to all.