Thursday, January 03, 2008

ROOTING FOR THE CHAMPIONS

Today’s political scene is perched with anticipation to see the results of the Iowa caucuses. Millions of dollars have been spent, thousands of arms have been twisted, deals may have been struck, and the media are launching their trek to Mecca. Each of the leading candidates calls for change. One will become the new President of the United States and in four years there will arise more clarions for….change.

Over the years one can note few changes as far as campaigning goes. I would imagine in 2016 the talk will be a call for change in the Social Security system, education of our children, prescription drug costs, and health care. Why? Oh, just a hunch.

I’m sympathetic to our political governing body. As badly (and I believe sincerely) as they truly want to change America for the better, it seems the system bogs and quenches each leader’s vision. I would guess it feasible the best candidates aren’t running for president because the system shut them down much earlier. I see similarities in the church. It isn’t that many leaders lack championing drive to match their vision, the system of “the way we’ve always done it” seems to box in even the best of visionaries.

While it seems many of us enjoy much more freedom in the kingdom than we once did, I find we (I) still take note of how much easier it is to keep the flesh under law and key rather than swim upstream in spirit. It’s just easier. Whether young leader or old, I urge each of us to keep pressing in spirit. We need not be offensive but faithful. The spirit will want to go where the flesh cannot see. Debate will develop both outwardly and within.

While we are quite capable of rolling our eyes when Hillary or John Mc. or Barrack or Mitt or Mike or John E. make comment, the church might fare well if we could remember those in their teens and twenties may be looking to us to see if we will take them upward improving lives in Christ. This is an important agenda. We must be found ever weighing, sorting, and measuring possibilities, for not only what is but what can be done, that we might build, build, build people into the formation of the Prince of Peace.

1 comment:

Tim said...

thank you for that, TR! The last paragraph really speaks to me... I have resolved to be less cynical and less sarcastic in 2008 and beyond. I am convinced that cynicism is the number 1 killer of vision...

tim