Gay Marriage and Christians...

I spend a great deal of my day online, it is a part of my job, and I love it. I enjoy reading news articles, interest stories, blogs, twitter, facebook, youtube.. I mean you name it and I at least partially am aware of what it is (or will be tomorrow haha).

My favorite medium is blogs, I love them. I love getting a deeper insight into someone's view of the world, cause let's be honest, 140 characters while providing a wonderful platform for laughs just does not connect my heart to yours... So, I blog.

However, upon occasion I get fed up with the "trends," I get tired of reading all the different perspectives on things going on in the world, I get frustrated at both sides of the argument attacking the other for their incompetence, their ignorance etc... etc.. Each side claiming the other is for one reason or another stupid, idiot, un-christian, christian, unloving, loving.. blah blah blah. I just get tired of reading the (thankfully) first amendment right to share opinions.

While I definitely have my own opinions of gay marriage, Obama, government official's views on religion and gay marriage.. the thing I keep coming back to is:

"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." - Colossians 4:5-6


Did you catch that? 

"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders,  

making the most of the opportunity.  

Let your speech always be with grace."

The thing that I am the most frustrated with is the lack of ACTUAL conversation about this (or any other hot topic) issues. What is NC saying by voting against gay marriage by such a resounding 20% (which is a huge margin)? Clearly there is reasoning there.. but no one is asking what it is, instead the people who think it is a mean or hateful decision are turning into bullies and name calling or accusing the people who voted against it of being (fill in the blank). Then, in response some Christians are not responding with grace. Instead, they are taking this opportunity to antagonize the situation... Yes, thank you for your sharp wit, but really shut up cause you are hurting the entire conversation at large...

Instead of taking this opportunity to reach out to a very hurt and broken community, and openly admit we are against the sin not the sinner, we are "fighting" back in a manner that causes our voice to get lost in the collective internet noise.

So, once again, as I have said before,

"You were made for so much more than these shadows of who you are clinging onto as your identity. 

You were made for more."

And, once again, I always come back to caring more about the individual's state of salvation and brokenness, and not really caring about the laws, the public policies or the media's dogging of the issue... If I am going to say I believe in the Bible and its Truths (capital T), and then if they come into conflict with the government's laws, I have to choose the Biblical laws over the government's.

And, to be clear, I have yet to meet anyone who is not completely and totally sinful. Your sexual orientation does not make you better or worse, it makes you fallen and broken.. regardless of if you are "straight" or "gay"... You are broken and sinful. 

 

I am broken and sinful too.

 

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.... 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:1-2, 38-39

The President and My Thoughts

So, fun lunch today.. Watched "History" as everyone keeps calling it (as though every other one isn't history as well..). I find a few things interesting, and thought I'd share..

Being in the south with a President who is half black is interesting.. Some of the older ladies commented on their thought process.. which was less than something to be proud of. But, we talked about the differences cause I was beginning to seriously FEEL the difference being from the North has made in my life. So, I said I thought their thought process was weird.. and completely foreign to me. The response? "Well, honey this is the south.." as though that makes it any better... kinda like bless your heart (you stupid retard).

So what do I think?.. He's a man who is half black. I don't really care that his middle name is Hussein.. I don't really care that he looks black. I don't think he will save us though.. I don't think McCain, Huckabee, Palin or any one of them could save us... Regardless of the man in the role as president the world will continue to get worse, we will continue to hurt each other, people will continue to die, people will continue to go to Hell. How sad. He will probably do some good things, he will do some terrible things, and he will have to answer for each. Praise Jesus it's not my choice or job to judge him!

See, I had a friend (who is black) say that he hates it when people say "I don't even see the color".. he said that's stupid because he sees it when he looks in the mirror. It's not racist to notice someone is WHITE, freckled, tan, black, whatever. That's not racism. It's not racist to ask a white girl what challenges she sees or feels by being interested, dating or being married to a black man.. that's called curiosity. It's the same thing my parents went through with my mom being German.. she LOOKS white, but she's not the typical white American I promise. There are cultural differences and challenges regardless of color. Noticing that someone is white, black, asian, hispanic etc..etc.. that's not racism. Racism is hating them because of it. Thinking less of them because they look like someone else you know who wasn't good in your eyes. Treating them poorly because they don't look like you... Those things are all racism. But the reality is you can be racist against people who DO look like you.. hence the issue with the Hutu and the Tutsi in Rwanda.. they LOOK alike for the most part but they were from different tribes and thus hated and killed each other and caused a genocide! Now that is racism. Hitler did it.. heck the Japanese do it to other Japanese in Okinawa, or along the boarders where Japanese married someone who wasn't Japanese... It happens all over the place and isn't a problem that for some reason whites and blacks have.

So.....

I figure it doesn't matter, my life hasn't changed and probably won't change with having Obama as President. My job, my passion, and my calling is the same, it has no reason to change... I will love and serve my sweet Savior Jesus until it's time for me to see Him. I will try to show that, express that with every part of who I am and what I say. I will do my best to help others to see that and get that too. So, why would having a "black president who's middle name is Hussein" change that?

I really hope that if this is exactly what blacks feel they need, they use it to light a fire under themselves. I hope they use this as a reason to stand up to the plate and make a difference... But, with that being said.. I still maintain that some of the most loving people I have ever met are black. I know more wonderful black men and women then I do the stereo typical "lazy ones".. Especially after going to Africa.. I have never experienced people like those in Africa (and they simply aren't the same as the "African-Americans".. they are a very different people). My friend and I joke all the time about all the incredibly attractive black men in our area. And how we wouldn't mind having a "creamy" (a term used in the movie Australia) child.. and I'm not gonna lie.. some of the cutest little kids are black :) Especially the ones in Africa. So why would I care that we have a black president? And, if this is what blacks need to motivate them.. Good. Use it. But, remember he isn't our Savior. Jesus is still Savior, He still will return, and the world will still end.

So, to sum up. I don't care that he's black. I don't care that his middle name is Hussein. I just care that people know and LOVE Jesus. Nothing has changed.

My Life's Call

Ok, so after some conversations I've decided I need to make perfectly clear (once again) what I know to be my life's call.

I will love people for Jesus. I will live my life in a manner that will be pleasing in his sight.. whether anyone else is watching or not. So, with that being said let me make some things CRYSTAL CLEAR.

I don't care about politics. Did you catch that? I do not care about politics. I don't care about which candidate will raise or lower taxes, I don't care which one has a better plan for pulling out of Iraq, I don't care that one has an uncontrollable pastor, and the other has an inexperienced VP choice... The only thing I do in fact care about? Abortion. That alone makes me vote this November, everything else is trivial.

So, here is why I feel I need to explain this: I don't care about politics (again in case you missed it). My voice cannot be heard through politics, oh sure the idea is great and there is one guy there representing me and a few thousand other people.. but really my voice isn't being heard. I can't call anyone in politics that has any real power and get them to take my call, they won't respond to my e-mails, and they won't set a meeting up with me to hear what's important to me. So, in reality my voice isn't being heard, it's being heard in mass (like when everyone "floods the gates of Heaven" and all prays at once.. you hear the mass, not the individual).

So, if that is the case, then why would I care to make my stance there? Why would I choose that as my outlet to make a difference for Jesus?.. It's pointless, especially since I don't care enough to understand it.. kinda like Chemistry. I don't get it, but I'm glad someone is there getting it and working at it.

If I can't make a difference in the souls of anyone.. much less millions, why in the world.. or for the sake of eternity would I choose to waste my effort there? Why would I sit here and debate over which party has a better "plan" cause lets be honest.. they can want to do all kinds of wonderful things, half of which will be compromised like everyone else before them.. and either way.. NONE OF IT SAVES ANOTHER SOUL FOR JESUS. How can I live my life of "one more for Jesus" or "Love people for Jesus" or "Live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord" if I choose my way of doing that in a way that fires people up, gets them mad at each other or causes bitterness?... and that's on the person to person level! Where's the love there? What is the point?

The point? mmmm that's a good question.. Let me make something else clear to you... McCain, Obama, Biden, Palin.. none of them will "save" our country. The economy always takes a low after a while.. it will come back. But, again none of them will "save us"... The Bible clearly states that times will continue to get worse (did you catch that?.. continue to get worse).. So much so that blood will flow in the streets.. Granted I don't know if that's here or in the Middle East, but since I haven't seen any blood FLOWING in the streets then I am left to assume that it will only continue to get worse... which means it won't get better.. which means that my job isn't done.

November 4th is another day just like every other.. I get another opportunity to love people for Jesus, to show his love, to show his joy, and to show his caring nature. Why would I put my hope in Obama or McCain to give me hope of things getting better?.. That's stupid. I don't wake up every morning putting my hope on November 4th.. I don't wake up every morning putting my hope for January.. I don't wake up every morning with hope for getting married some day.. I don't wake up every morning hoping that I will have children some day..

I wake up every morning with hope that I will be closer with God than I was yesterday, and that I will live my life to please him, that I will love and show my love to anyone and everyone I come in contact with. THAT is what keeps my heart going every morning.

So, think about it, things WILL get worse no matter who is elected. Your "voice" is not being heard, and why would you choose to show Jesus to people through politics when it clearly isn't anything that has brought people to their knees crying out to Jesus?

And to be clear.. I will vote for McCain November 4th because he is against Abortion which is murder, but I am voting not because I feel I will make a difference or because I want to have hope for tomorrow but because I understand that everyone SHOULD vote.. So in the midst of this all I choose not to debate over it cause I won't change my mind and you won't change yours.. so why argue??

I choose love. Not sappy love, but true, raw, real, explosive, energetic Love.. Agape.