...well, not really.
But don't feel cheated...I still have an opinion...it's probably not the opinion you want to hear though. What do I mean? Well, odds are you're on one side of the fence or the other...at least if you live in the U.S. And many of you are firmly planted...deeply rooted...on that side. There in lies "the rub".
"Huh?" You may ask.
You see, I've intentionally avoided wading into the foray (a.k.a. muck!) of politics this year. This is the first presidential election where I've been active on Facebook and quite frankly, I'm pretty much sick of all the mud-slinging. First, I opted out of all the political ads that kept constantly coming up on my page. Facebook asks you why. I replied with the innocuous "repetitive" when what I really wanted to check was "offensive". Then there are all of the ads on local TV.
I grew up in Indiana during an age that on election night, all the news commentators threw up the Red Indiana (meaning Republican) before they'd even had their first commercial break. Presidential advertisements were not something to which I was accustomed. Then, just when Indiana gets interesting...we moved to Kentucky. You guessed it...in the last election the first state projected was the Red commonwealth of Kentucky. So you'd think I wouldn't have to worry much about the ads...and you'd be wrong. Our TV channels come from Cincinnati...as in Ohio...as in one of the most hotly contested states there is. And Cincinnati's airport happens to lie across the Ohio River and just down the road from my house. Big deal, right?
Well it is a big deal when the President, Mr. Romney, both of their VP wannabes and even the First Lady have made, to the best of my recollection, at least six visits to the Cincinnati area in the four weeks proceeding this one. Again...what's the big deal? Well, they shut down the interstate (both ways) for the 10 mile (sometimes more) stretch that lies between where they land...and where they need to be.
We Kentuckians get all of the inconvenience...and none of the fun of our votes actually mattering...or sought after. If I actually thought it would matter and if I could actually get anywhere near the motorcades without being taken out by security...I'd love to hold up a sign that reads, "Hey...what about us?" You'd think they could at least throw some candy out the window as they went by or something.
Okay, so those are some of my gripes...but the biggest one has come from the little people...yes...us! Too many times to count I've been honked off at something someone has posted on Facebook. I will not even dignify any of them with a reply. There's been a few times when I've been more than tempted. One of the best things I've seen posted though, came from a Facebook friend, Christi Marcotte. She posted How Would Jesus Vote? on her blog and I agreed with every word.
Actually, it seems like some of the hullabaloo has died down...but there's another debate tonight and I know it will rear it's ugly head soon so I think that's why I'm writing this.
You see...here's the main reason why I haven't posted anything on Facebook: No matter what I say...I am bound to offend someone...multiple someones.
My Facebook friends include ultra conservative right wingers and "just as far" to the left wingers too. I am connected to heterosexuals and homosexuals, some married...some single of each. I don't know for certain, but with over 400 "friends"...odds are I am "friended" by women who have protested abortion and some who have had abortions. I can recall that just recently, there were many that stood in line for hours at Chick-fil-a and many that protested Chick-fil-a. With a heart's passion for single moms, I have many connections to women that desperately need food stamps, government supported health care, free college grants and access to student loans, free school lunches for their kids, the tax-time child tax credits and earned income credits (both only available to working people) and any other available assistance as they work sometimes two jobs and go back to school to better themselves. But I recognize that I have just as many (maybe more) Facebook friends that strongly oppose and resent a lot of government assistance to whom they deem to be "lazy" and "noncontributing"...of which I know there are many in our society. To be fair...I also have a lot of single Facebook friends that probably feel extremely put off and slighted simply because they are not married, nor have any children so a lot of the mud-slinging about benefits, health care, extended family leaves, child tax credits, earned income credits, food stamps, etc....don't apply to them and yet they still have to help pay for them with their tax dollars.
Do you see my predicament? Now, isn't it obvious why I've not waded into the foray until now?
To be completely honest, most of the mud-slinging I've seen and also heard "live" has come from people who call themselves Christians. At first this made me mad...now, it just makes me sad. Don't get me wrong...if in "real life" you actually engage me in a conversation about politics...I am going to have a lot to say...good and bad about both sides. But two Thursdays ago, the women's ministry director at our church spoke some simple, yet powerful words to over 100 women attending our morning Bible study. Sue said something like, 'Remember...this is a place where we come to study God's Word...to come together and love each other and grow closer together as the Body of Christ. This is not a place to discuss politics. There are godly people on both sides of the issues and this is not the place to discuss it.' I could have shouted, "Amen!"
I know this is lengthy and if I haven't angered you too much, I'll go one further, because God says something similar. Yesterday, in my study of James...which has a LOT to say about our tongues by the way...Beth Moore directed her readers to another Scripture that I think I may just post on Facebook every day between now and the election:
"If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain." (I Timothy 6:3-5)
Beth Moore was asking for the "description of a person who does not submit to sound instruction." How it hit me, was "right between the Facebook eyes". As Christians we do need to submit to sound...godly wise, instruction and when we do, I believe, we will stop participating in a "morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions and constant friction!"
Before I got too "high and mighty" because I haven't been political this year, God's Spirit reminded me of my fascination with conspiracy theories, secret agendas and the like...and how they get me all riled up until I spew out the poison all over my husband who, quite frankly, doesn't want to hear it anyway. Keeping my heart and mind...my questions, passions, desires, wants, needs, fears, frustrations, pain, anger, happiness, contentment and even joy...constantly turning back to Him (where my focus should be anyway) and then why would I even begin to entertain the thought of posting something that would cause division or alienate even just one of the Facebook acquaintances or real friends I have?
So yeah...if you're a Christian...you may think I'm "copping out", "riding the fence", "afraid to stand up for the truth". My response? You may be right. But I know in a private conversation, I will gladly speak the Truth when the Holy Spirit prompts me to. As for the public forum? I just know that the only Truth in my life...doesn't need me to stand up for Him anyway...He's done a pretty good job of it since the beginning of time...I think He can handle the next few weeks without me alienating anyone that He is concurrently attempting to draw to Him.
He is Love...and there's no two sides about it! Amen!
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