chasing the sun

I’ve been thinking a lot about the law lately…how do we know what law is, what it means. Where does it come from? I would say it comes from God, but some laws don’t come from God, so does that mean the law as we know it didn’t come from God, but from man? And does that mean that justice can be defined more than one way? I think there’s God’s justice and then there’s man’s justice.

Man’s justice says that if you’re unhappy with the way someone is running their country you can demand that they change it - and if they don’t change it, you can bomb the hell out of them until they surrender or agree with you. God’s justice? Well, that’s where I get confused because some of God’s followers would tell me that God wants the tyrants thrown down and the “evil-doers” destroyed, but I think what is really at stake here is not the reputation or justice of God, but the pride and self-righteousness of man and his law.

Didn’t God say he would sort it all out in the end? Shouldn’t we have faith that he will overthrow evil? Is it really up to us to rid the world of evil? Or, is it that we should spend our time opening doors for others to know and believe in Jesus? Yes, we seek justice for the oppressed, not by violence – never by violence – but by our words, our deeds, our sweat and our compassion.

I agree with my sister Mary – Christians spend so much time defending themselves that they don’t really know who they are anymore. America is not the new Israel, folks, I promise. Jesus is not our President and he doesn’t want to be. He doesn’t want our votes, he wants much more – heart, mind, strength, will…It’s easy to vote, it’s much harder to love the person who doesn’t vote the same as you.

Some Christians think that limiting people’s freedoms and choices will some how please God because why? Because then the world will be a less sinful place? Because that will mean that all of a sudden all those gays and lesbians who would’ve gotten married will see the light and start attending an evangelical church? Why do you push an agenda when you should be reaching out to those people you’re waging political wars against?

The beauty of obedience and love is choice…it’s choosing to be with someone when you have a million other places you could be…it’s laying down your pride and self interest and sinful inclinations and choosing a better way, a better path. Choice is what makes faith genuine and something only God can truly know the depths of, I am convinced.

May I choose to spend my life defending not myself or my own rights and self-interests, but the rights and interests of those who, because of poverty, abuse and neglect, are ignored by the larger part of our society. May I live to speak for those who have no voice and to fight for true justice, not because it is politically correct or democratic, but because it is kind, good and compassionate.


And miles to go before I sleep…