Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Jesus is not the norm

"The ends justifies the means." No matter how you slice it, this statement seems to have caused more pain and loss than anything else. Religious wars are being fought by using drug money, wars are being waged for the hopes of peace, to shut down Guantanamo there is so much red tape (also the fact that the country wishes to have it shut down, but the prisoners... we don't want em'), economic stimulus plans being passed, and I don't think a government jubilee is soon to come. I just kind of sit back and am so very very sad with what is going on around. As John Stewart said, "Politicians and people are like, the bell curve. We are all here in the middle section and everything is run by the small outer sects of the curve." We rely on the politics to bring change. In which the government can, don't get me wrong. The possibility is there. We forget what people can do, what people can do for change. In the larger majority, we kind of just... slump our shoulders when we here that Gitmo can't be closed until there is further planning... when our states are refusing to take in detainees. It's kind of like, if you're against abortion be open to adopt some kids.

So what I'm saying is, "In the seventeenth chapter of St. Luke, it is written that the kingdom of God is within man, not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people, have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.", Charles Chaplin in The Great Dictator. We aren't our political leaders, we don't have the red tape to go through... we have the people and actions that speak out. We could sway our political leaders or not. If there can't be a jubilee, let's enact one with ourselves. If they won't take in detainees, let's find some way to help them. Another quote to just simply state my point, "I don't preach a social gospel; I preach the gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When people were hungry, Jesus didn't say, "Now is that social or political?" He said, "I feed you." Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.", Tutu.

We acting for the kingdom of God, to bring it here to earth. Are representatives in a way. When we mess up that affects the perspectives of what the kingdom actually looks like. But that is a different discussion all together.

God is trying to enforce and build our imaginations, we can do great things... in such imaginative ways. Perhaps start a jubilee, by paying off our fellows debts (forgetting trickle up or trickle down economics, helping each other out). Finding ways to stop suffering, believe it or not... God didn't call us to be Americans first and lovers of all humanity second. We were called to love all of our brothers and sisters, even those in Gitmo. The kingdom I work for has no borders, I wish to love all, even if that is optimism I have hope for God's kingdom to come (and that's not I'm waiting for Jesus to return, I'm awaiting mankind to bring on the 'on earth as it is in heaven')

No comments: