Politigous – Part V(1,222)
Finally …
July 29th, 2011
I recently opened up my refrigerator and discovered some avocado, left-over sweet potatoes and turkey sausage. It was lunchtime. Feeling a spark of genius, I decided to mix the three foods together. I like avocado; I also like sweet potatoes. Turkey sausage is great. Except … when you mix them together. To put it bluntly, they don’t cooperate. It was horrendous—an orangy, greenish-brown blob of nothing. I ate it because I am a well-trained, fat boy from a German household, always afraid to leave food behind—in respect to the starving children in India. It was not a good casserole.
Neither are politics, legalism and religion meant to be a dish. Honestly, continuing the parallel, I don’t know which one is sweet potato, avocado or turkey sausage, but perhaps we should dispel the analogy at this point. The politigous insist on blending the three together, creating a climate unacceptable for human growth. The politigous believe that everything should be done for the good of the nation, through the Constitution and laws, while simultaneously defending God’s will. He or she promote a most unusable feeling of self-righteousness and paranoia, which could be summed up as: “I believe I’m better than you but I’m going to keep you down just in case I’m wrong and you end up being better than me.”
It is beneath the United States to fail to compete in the market place, but being critical of other nations and cultures. It is certainly against the fabric of our consciousness to isolate ourselves off and refuse to be the forerunners of great ideas. Beware the politigous. He or she will not be happy unless you agree with them in entirety.
Candidly, I don’t agree with anybody in entirety—including myself. I will often come up with arguments within my emotions that I find stupid. I have to eradicate them if I want to continue to function as a human being.
This is not a case of finding what is “for the good of the nation.” Even good politics requires that you study and pursue what is good for the people. Because ultimately, it is the people who will vote their own political future. You might be able to fool them for a while but when enough evidence collects to your detriment, you will have to leave in disgrace.
What are some ways that we could politically do what is “good for the people?”
1. Once and for all, set a standard for the word “equality” and live by it. The fact that we’re still trying to achieve equal pay for women, equal housing for blacks and granting people with varying lifestyles the right to be joined together shows that we have yet to arrive at a true definition of equality. Is it a nation of equality, or is equality only given to those people who fall into a spectrum of so-called normalcy? It is a question that must be resolved.
2. If we’re going to do what’s for the “good of the people” we need to eliminate the electoral college and let the President be voted in based on the popular total. (I also suggest the first place winner should be President and the second place, Vice President, which would give us two different parties within the walls of the Oval Office, and force interaction in the Executive Branch, instead of assuming it’s possible in the Legislative Branch.)
3. If we’re going to find out what is “for the good of the people” we need to stop having public debate, which has become a screaming match—bratty children trying to talk over the top of each other. Each side should put forth its best candidate, who should share opinions freely for five minutes. At the end of that time, the population should be able to weigh in on the choice.
Is this idealistic? Yes. But the practical is only achieved by pursuing the ideal. You can never find the common sense when you begin with pessimism.
Likewise, we must understand that legalism, whether in the Constitution or the Bible, is putting forth the belief that our forefathers—or prophets of old—knew more about spirituality and God than we do. I just don’t believe that. There is just too much technology, culture, emotion, art, beauty and struggle that have happened since 1776 – or even since Moses crossed the Red Sea – for me to believe that we are deficient in comparison. If you’re going to find the spirit, I think there are three steps to achieving it:
1. The spirit always blows to the betterment of human beings, not to the promotion of any code of ethics.
2. The spirit allows room for God’s grace and for human mercy. All rules and regulations that are inflexible to the circumstances surrounding a predicament will eventually destroy the light of justice.
3. The spirit permits us to understand more about ourselves first—and then apply it into our circumstances and eventually trickle it off to others. Laws are usually levied against strangers while truth is best digested within.
Finally, we must stop trying to “defend God’s will.” My God is not fragile. My God can take a billion questions from a million atheists and not flinch. My God is not afraid of sin. My God understands human beings and doesn’t roll his eyes at the thought of them. It is our responsibility to stop trying to defend God’s will, and instead, admit our inadequacy and begin to learn God’s ways.
How do we do this?
1. Admit we are flawed and make sure we are the first one to point it out.
2. Learn the difference between analyzing and being critical. Analyzing is stating facts already in evidence, with the goal of finding a better way of doing things. Criticism always has elements of reality mingled with personal attacks.
3. And finally, God’s ways are higher than our ways, so it’s important that we acquire the mind of Christ. And what is the mind of Christ? God, man and nature have no conflict whatsoever as long as they submit to each other.
The greatest gift you can give to your country is to refuse to mix things that are not meant to mingle. Politics, legalism and religion are a threesome never meant to be in the same bed. It will take intelligent believers who refuse to put Jesus on an elephant or a donkey, but instead, let him ride the white horse of purity and love of people … to victory.
Can we do this? I try every day with a three step process:
1. Stop the meanness.
2. Listen and don’t take sides.
3. Do what I can for the people God sends my way without wondering about all the rest.
I can recommend it. It won’t make you a good politigous, but you will go to bed at night—joyously sleeping like a baby.
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