AMERICA IS NOT STRANDED BETWEEN A HILLARY AND A DONALD PLACE

I love the political scene.  I study it, find interest in it, and enthusiastically want to engage.  Veterans fought for my enthusiasm and I remain sensitive to the privilege. And within this current mix of sound-bite jargon there are gaps of opinions which, shall we say, are polls apart?  It would seem that the political scene is anything but a pretty one.

Should any hold to a particular party, ample fodder awaits for spewing factoidal misdeeds toward the other.  (And yes, I said it.  Factoidal.  And no, it didn't pass spellcheck)  Accusation fuels blame.  Finger pointing is the acceptable sign language.  It just might be that the recent July 4th night sky was lit both by fireworks and by tempers flaring.  The battle for the Presidency indeed seems to be heated.

But before you would wade out into the accusatory river toward any one's political bent, might we Christians take personal inventory in case there might be something we are doing or not doing which contributes to the chronic divisiveness of the day?  Could we have forgotten something key in our walk that would enlighten America more empoweringly than the correct political choice?  I think we have enough work to do in our own house.

Society is in desperate need of Christian action.  While my opinion is that it certainly doesn't sense such as fact, I believe it is, indeed, extremely key to our future.  And here's why.  The political parties are snapshots of society in general; quite divided. Only Jesus knows how to close the gap; opinion against opinion, bias pushing bias, even enemy charging enemy.  He knows what to do.  Not only did he do it (successfully, I might add), he handed us the playbook.

Here's how we create harmony in the war zone.  Die for the offender.

At his crucifixion, Jesus shook the world when he told Father first thing, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).  This is what goes on upon a cross; our crosses.  Forgiving enemies.  And we are called to carry this tool of mass-correction...each of us...for the same specific reason.  Society can't get well without a cross-carrying believer.  Yet, Christianity seems to have come down from the cross, put up its dukes, and said something to the effect, Bring it on.  

Our social system, economic vision, educational instinct, and even our political gamesmanship will not heal America.  The church as individual spiritual soldiers will. Therefore, this thrusts a serious question upon us. Will we drop our in-house swordsmanship in cutting the other various groups down or will we begin to seriously regain the purpose of carrying our own crosses that even our enemies would come to know the Living God who gives life to the dead calls into being blessings which do not yet exist?

This is what's going on.  Mankind is killing itself.  Of all times, now is one where answers are needed which will bring healing.  It can be done.  It could be done.  We must believe together in order that it is done.

America is not stranded between a Hillary and a Donald place.  America is up in arms because we churches have shifted from faith to being political; possibly much more than we realized.  Every human being needs to run...not for office...but into a God-believer who strives to die from a cross that others (even enemies) might live.  May we be among those who give life to any who have grown to think there is no more hope.

We.  Can.  Do.  This.