AISLES AND STREETS

I suppose it is an easy merry-go-round to jump on to be critical of the national political scene. Nevertheless, I jump. I’m very weary of the argumentative stagnation of the Washington maze. The media bombards the airwaves with sound bites of slick looking, well-dressed, assumed informed, elected men and women. Eye for eye comments launch rockets of hopeful destruction into the opponent’s camp. Not only does little get done, valuable territory seems to erode amidst such repetitive and volleyed attacks.

There appears to be a significant trait for success missing on both sides of the aisle: humility. The power of winning seems to have replaced the need for the nation. The art of political maneuver trumps compassionate service. Hatred and bitterness recklessly drip during the rude one-up-manship of the blame-game.

Such can be the case in the church arena as well. For those of us not in national politics but in community ministry, we must continually check ourselves for such ruthless weaponry. Are we continually learning? Are we perpetually growing? Or, are we slinging mud? We want to be positioned to be used by the Living God. He is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

In the immediate days following 9/11 we found our national leaders standing arm in arm on the steps of congress singing in harmony together. That picture remains etched in my mind. What a glory for plain, common people. But argumentative legislators are not the biggest ailment of America today. The biggest illness in America is not aisles which divide, but streets….streets which separate us into opposing brands of religion in the name of “doing God right”. While we debate, oppose, and argue, America grows dimmer day by day.

Humility of heart will open the Way back into our midst…..He says.