I woke up this morning, the day after the re-election of President Obama, very excited about the next four years. The writer of Hebrews says that we Christians are "foreigners and strangers on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13) . We belong to another country (Gr. patrida, literally "the Fatherland"). We have a home in an eternal city "with foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10). I believe our world is about to be shaken on several fronts. The coming fiscal cliff, the impending Israel/Iran war, the Russian and Chinese push to switch to the Yen as the world's currency, and a host of other foundation shaking events are just months away. However, that is a good thing. Too many put their trust in this world's systems, governments, and political leaders. We are foreigners. Foreigners' votes never count because there is no stake in the election.
I realize many in America disagree with me this morning and are excited about America's future. They trust that the President will usher in a period of prosperity and peace. They have hope that Obama's re-election will ensure our country moves forward. Their love for our country cannot be questioned, but I wish my friends to understand we are about to step in poop (pastors use purified words for excrement) of our own making. Let me explain.
A Metaphor
Last night my wife Rachelle and I came home after a nice dinner in Oklahoma City. Rachelle could not eat all of her steak, so we brought the leftovers home to Gracie, our massive great dane. We love our dog. We expressed our love to Gracie by giving her steak. Bad idea.
This morning, rising at 5:30 a.m. for my morning workout, I went downstairs and stepped in a load of poop. Those of you with little dogs have no idea what I am talking about. Those of you with great danes know that the phrase "stepped in" is an understatement, similar to saying "I stepped in some quicksand." I tried to clean up, but the task was insurmountable. I left the house and went to my work out and did my exercises. Unfortunately, I carried on the bottom of my shoes remnants of our lovable dog. It's never a good idea to run in place and then do pushups after you have stepped in it. I was miserable, but the misery was of my own making. I chose to feed our dog steak.
Here's the parallel. There is no doubt that Americans who believe government is responsible for creating jobs, and that government is responsible to care for its citizens, and that government is the solution for every problem we face, love America. But once you feed government what government shouldn't be eating, the load of poop that's coming cannot be avoided. And when that load is dumped, the country will stink to high heaven for a long time.
But stepping in poop isn't all bad. It forces us to change our behaviors. I guarantee you, Gracie has had her last steak. The reason that I am excited today is because what I see coming to America will eventually cause more Americans to see that the only real solution to life's problems is trusting in the Unchangeable Person and entering into His Unshakable Kingdom! Governments fail; Jesus Christ reigns forever.
That's a very good thing. It's a great day to be alive!
21 comments:
They do trust and believe that he will bring good things. Although I disagree, I would be happy if they turn out to be right! So, meanwhile, I will keep my eyes about God and try to do the next right thing for myself and my family....all the while clinging to God and listening for what I can do personally. Thank you for your metaphor, it's excellent!
I agree Cindy.
This isn't about "us vs. them." We are all Americans.
It's about wisdom in seeing through the temporal to the eternal and refusing to trust in government.
Isn't it wonderful to know that Jesus Christ is in control!
Wade, I won't rehash everything - you already know what I think is coming. I believe our thoughts are pretty much the same.
I quit being scared of it though, and that is a wonderful thing to behold. It's not like Jesus woke up this morning and was surprised by the election results, or that He suddenly does not have the future in His hands.
All is well.
Johnny D.
Amen.
I agree as a Believer, a Pastor, and an American, but more importantly as the owner of a 155 Lb. Dane myself. "Poo" is an understatement for what we are all about to "step in."
P.S. Glad to know I'm not the only one who has regreted feeding a Dane a steak.
Anonymous,
You have made my wife and me feel much better!
I didn't watch any news last night at all. I watched something like a marathon of "How It's Made".
Finally, just before going to be, I snuck a peek at Fox News online and saw "It's Obama!". Suddenly, surprisingly, inexplicably, I felt a brief feeling of elation.
I was puzzled. Until I figured that it was a hint from above that God is in control, just as He was when He told Habakkuk that He was raising up the Babylonians for some special work WRT Israel that He had in mind.....
Obviously, that was "before going to bed...."
i have a totally different take on all this.
Obama in the past four years has governed to the right of Richard Nixon. He let down all the people who voted for him four years ago. And he will do the same.
Who benefits?
Not the poor people, not the middle class, but the oligarchs.
Now for all the republicans believing that Obama is a Kenyan, Marxist/Socialist Muslim and other lies, please wake up. The lies that saturate the republicans are astounding. Much, much more than the lies that surround the democrats.
About the calamities that are perpetually poised to wreck the world, they are being made worse by the republican intransigence, which seems to only happen when a democrat ia a president. When a republican is a president, the same party will spend and party like hell, without worrying about where the money is going to fund wars that are not needed.
The one thing I agree with this post is Jesus is Lord and He controls everything and that we are truly foreigners in this world.
Oh, one final thing. The TRUE winners in this election are the Nerds who understand statistics:
Scoop Dupes
Math Is Hard
Five Thirty Eight
Glenn Greenwald has a good takedown of "victory" by the progressives/liberals:
Obama and progressives: what will liberals do with their big election victory?
I can't stop laughing long enough to see the serious analogy you made at the end. But after I stop, it's one I won't forget any time soon.
I recently emailed a local gentleman who writes OpEds in my local newspaper. I said there weren't many writers who could take a very serious topic and elicit laughter on the part of the reader.
Now there are two I know who have that talent.
Thanks, Wade!
Thanks, Bob, Thy Peace, and Victorious ...
Your comments always inspire me.
Thy Peace--your different perspective is particularly intriguing to me. Stick to your guns! The Lord has given you much wisdom.
I can no longer ascribe to the idea that government is not supposed to do anything towards caring for its citizens, creating jobs, etc. Such limitations do not seem to me to be supported well by Scripture, despite having been taught that they were. My current thoughts: "Thoughts of a Christian centrist on the Role of Government" may be of interest.
http://krwordgazer.blogspot.com/2012/06/thoughts-of-christian-centrist-on-role.html
I will share two links that are pertinent to this debate:
Paul Krugman > Smuggish Thoughts (Self-indulgent)
Well, events provided an acid test. If you believed in the little models I and others were using, you made some very striking predictions about how the world would work post-crisis – predictions that were very much at odds with what other people were saying. You predicted that trillion-dollar deficits would not drive up interest rates; that tripling the monetary base would not be inflationary; that cuts in government spending, rather than helping the economy by increasing confidence, would hurt by depressing demand, with bigger effects than in normal, non-liquidity trap times.
Thomas B. Edsall > What We Already Know
The demographic threat to the Republican Party grows out of the fact that every four years the electorate becomes roughly two percent less white and two percent more minority, primarily as a result of the increase in the Hispanic and Asian-American populations and the relatively low birth rate among whites.
Wade,
Wonderful insight and perspective:) I am sorry your analogy was initially so unpleasant:)
I am reminded of something Ron Dunn once said about trusting God:
1. We learn to trust God by trusting God.
2. We won't trust God until we have too.
3. God will see to it that we have too!
How true that is and will be!
Thankful for you:)
Pastor Mark Hensley
Green River, Wyoming
This link is provided not to poke at sore spots of GOP loss, but to face reality:
NYMag > David Frum > When Did the GOP Lose Touch With Reality?
Yes, David Frum of the "axis of evil" fame. If David Frum (and Bruce Bartlett) gets ostracized from speaking the truth, then GOP has no future.
The good news is Big Bird is safe!
Obama's failures in Civil Liberties, from Jonathan Turley:
10 Reasons The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free
Obama and the Decline of the American Civil Liberties Movement
Obama’s Kill Policy
My Interview With John Cusack on Civil Liberties and Obama
I would encourage readers to view these short videos of Bill Moyers with Neil Barofsky (Special Inspector General for the U.S. Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)). Very illuminating of how sold out Obama regime was to the Oligarchs:
Neil Barofsky’s Disappointment with Vikram Pandit and President Obama
Neil Barofsky on the Need to Tackle Banking Reform
Thy Peace,
Those are some pretty doggone insightful articles. Thanks!
My position is that lot of the abuses under which Obama admin reigned the last four years, the republicans are equally for those same abuses and are willing to do more of them.
Now ask yourself whom both the parties serving. Not the Liberals/Progressives, nor the Evangelicals. This political system is set to dupe both liberals and evangelicals into pawns or front pieces, while the strings are being pulled from behind.
Wake up people.
Post a Comment