Friday, January 13, 2012

A Political Ramble



I have been in a creative slump lately.  It is not an uncommon condition for anyone who creates things they hope will inform or entertain others.  Periods of reflection and rumination are necessary steps in the creative process.  A moonshiner must wait until the mash is ready before he starts the distillation process to insure an end product that is strong enough to be named, "Pop Skull".

You have probably been swamped by news from the Republican primaries that has left you confused and befuddled.  I know I have.  The response from the Democrats has been predictable, and in my brain, even less appealing.  However, lets look back in history to the beginning of our representative republic.  I went back and looked at some cartoons from the twenties and thirties and I offer the following as an example.



The cartoon above could have been published today and it would still be relevant.  All of us, who are maturing adults, have witnessed the repetitive and cyclical nature of human behavior.  If you were to draw a diagram to illustrate human behavior from the Garden of Eden to the present age, it would look like a huge coil with ever expanding rings.  The expansion of the space between the successive coil segments would represent the increase in scientific knowledge and technology.  But, the repetitive coil segments represent the repetitive nature of human behavior.

Representative republics and democracies fail because unrepentant man will always head toward a state of total selfishness and depravity unless there is spiritual intervention to offset the natural leanings of his carnal nature.  Our nation is not, and never has been, a Christian nation.  In fact there is no such thing as a Christian nation.  Christianity is the body made up of individuals who have repented of their sins and asked God to forgive them based on the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, on a Roman cross over two thousand years ago.  Christ's sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection made it possible for man to have an indwelling presence that provides the antithesis to the selfish unrestrained child of his human nature.  In the early years of our republic, there were a sufficient number of people who chose to be influenced by this indwelling force to make a constitution that would work based on the voluntary and unselfish compliance of the populace.

I know, I know, those of you who don't believe will say this is hogwash.  Christianity goes against everything that seems to come naturally in our human nature.  It is probably the only thing you must believe (by faith) before you can understand it.  Even then, many things are hard to come to terms with because we are getting input from our carnal side that tells us the spiritual message "does not compute."  It is the only thing that can save us both individually and as a republic.  God's ultimate plan will come to pass on his time table regardless of what we or any other nation chooses to do.  I have personally chosen to put my life in his hands and daily renew my dependence on him.

2 comments:

  1. Was here early in the day. Thought about what you had to say all day long. John stopped by just now and agrees with everything you've said. I am struggling a bit more. I see no reason why God should raise us up or allow us to serve or choose us in any way. I say we are doomed without revival. We all need to be Tebowing.

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    1. I have no idea what God's plan is Vee. It may not be pleasant for the U.S. If we are faithful we will be doing what he asks us to do. The outcome is still in his hands. In Daniel, when King Nebuchadnezzar asked Shadrach,Meshach, and Abed-nego who could deliver them from his hand they told him they didn't need to give him an answer to that question. In Chapter 3 vv. 17 and 18 they said If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire , and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if he does not, let it be known to you O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. They trusted God, but could not predict the outcome. I think that is where we are today.

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