don't hold your breath or your vote until you think you've finally found a Savior up on capitol hill.

i had a really long post planned out and partially written about politics, the election, and my feelings on these subjects.

but as i wrote it, i imagined all of the comments i would suddenly get from my staunch republican friends, my obama-supporting friends, and everything in between. so i decided against it. mainly because i don't know if i can fairly defend everything i think. this is for a couple of reasons: first, i don't have it all figured out. my pet peeve is people who think they do (especially in the Church, but that's another post). second, i don't really have an opinion on most things political either way. i usually can see positives and negatives of both sides in most situations.

basically, it's like this. i think it's all blown WAY out of proportion. the president is important, but am i convinced without a doubt that one person can do a better job than another? ABSOLUTELY not. therefore, what would be my reasoning in throwing my ONE vote in the pot or putting a stupid sticker on my car or going to a rally.

none of us have a clue what these people really think anyway. and if we're listening to greta van susteren, rush limbaugh, lou dobbs, keith olbermann, joe scarborough, larry king, anderson cooper, shepherd smith, neil cavuto, sean hannity, alan colmes, jon stewart, or stephen colbert to get our information and form our opinions, we're not getting the whole story. actually, we're probably not getting much of it at all. just something to consider.

the only way i can justify looking at the situation is the way Jesus would have looked at it. and do i think Jesus was any friend of politics? nope. check out what was going on with the roman empire during the life of Jesus. these people that try to compare america to that very roman empire may not be too crazy after all...

i follow Jesus. not obama (he DOES have kenyan blood, though), not mccain, not anyone else. i was put on this earth not to be an american, but to live a life consumed by and surrendered to the Lord, and to bring others to that same conclusion. with love. with compassion. with thanksgiving. through grace. no mumbo-jumbo. no bullshit. no sugar-coating.


i tend to find solace in music, and there is no one who says it better on this subject than derek webb. here are some lyrics to ponder:

'so my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it’s to a King and a Kingdom'

'and nothing unifies like a common enemy
and we’ve got one sure as hell
he may be living in your house
he may be raising up your kids
he may be sleeping with your wife
oh he may not look like you think'
-a king and a kingdom

'i've got a killer instinct bringing out all of my best
i've got a poison conscience telling me to go with that
this may not work and i don't guarantee that it will
but i've got no choice unless you tell me who Jesus would kill'
-i for an i

'i repent, i repent of my pursuit of america’s dream
i repent, i repent of living like i deserve anything
of my house, my fence, my kids, my wife
In our suburb where we’re safe and white
i am wrong and of these things i repent

i repent, i repent of parading my liberty
i repent, i repent of paying for what i get for free
and for the way i believe that i am living right
by trading sins for others that are easier to hide
i am wrong and of these things i repent

i repent of judging by a law that even i can’t keep
of wearing righteousness like a disguise
to see through the planks of my own eyes

i repent, i repent of trading truth for false unity
i repent, i repent of confusing peace and idolatry
by caring more of what they think than what i know of what we need
by domesticating you until you look just like me
i am wrong and of these things
i am wrong and of these things
oh i am wrong and of these things i repent'

-i repent

in God we trust, and the government is on His shoulders,
in God we trust, through democracy and tyranny alike
in God we trust, He uses both good and evil men

in God we trust ’til we fight for peace and He fights for us,
in God we trust even when He fights us for someone else
in God we trust even when He looks like the enemy

in God we trust even though our hearts are bankrupt
in God we trust for more than just the value of our dollar bills
in God we trust there’s no gold behind these notes of reserve

in God we trust even through our great presumption
in God we trust even though He favors no nation-state
in God we trust even when the blessing is a curse

-in God we trust

people love you the most for the things you hate
and hate you for loving the things that you cannot keep straight
people judge you on a curve
and tell you you’re getting what you deserve
this too shall be made right

children cannot learn when children cannot eat
stack them like lumber when children cannot sleep
children dream of wishing wells
whose waters quench all the fires of Hell
this too shall be made right

the earth and the sky and the sea are all holding their breath
wars and abuses have nature groaning with death
we say we’re just trying to stay alive
but it looks so much more like a way to die
this too shall be made right

there’s a time for peace and there is a time for war
a time to forgive and a time to settle the score
a time for babies to lose their lives
a time for hunger and genocide
this too shall be made right

i don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door
i join the oppressors of those who i choose to ignore
i’m trading comfort for human life
and that’s not just murder it’s suicide
this too shall be made right

-this too shall be made right

there are plenty more that i could post, but i think that's good for now. i'll leave you with one more thing:

click here (haven't figured out how to post a video yet)