First let me get something off my chest about unions. Do you like working a 40-hour, 5-day week? Thank a union. Do you like having safe working conditions? Thank a union. Do you like having confident teachers in the classroom, able to discipline their students? Thank a union. Do you like having a living-wage? Thank a union. Do you like having the first Monday in September off? Thank the unions. Do you like being called a redneck? Thank a coal-workers union.
Ok now that I'm finished with that.
While Michael Moore isn't that eloquent, I think he hits on a major point without realizing it. The more we dehumanize and strip rights away from people accustomed to rights, the more dangerous they become. When someone has nothing to lose, you don't know what they'll do. Kind of like that adage about a cornered, wounded animal.
Now this isn't a plea for our leaders to placate us with second-rate solutions to keep the status quo.
Rather I ask for everyone to consider what would happen if you treated everyone with love. Not fairly, but lovingly. What if Jesus really meant it when He told us to love are enemies, hating is murder, love our neighbor? What would happen to this nation, this world? Many will tell you, that would be nice, but... There always seems to be a but, an excuse for not doing right. ... but, what if everyone did this?
The question being asked there is, "What if no one did this but me?" What if I'm the only one who sacrifices to make things better? Who will take care of me? Who will protect me? The politicians won't do it. My neighbors won't do it.
My... church... won't do it?
That's where I think we've gone wrong in church. We've become to concerned with whether there's a piano up front or what songs we sing or what color the walls are or how do we attract more teens with programs. We're trying to save the saved. We also have become so concerned about saving souls that we have forgotten to save the body as well.
Some of you may want to push back at that last one, but I ask you to consider the Gnostics found in the New Testament epistles. Though you baptize a thousand, what will happen to their bodies and consequentially there souls without care?
They become beaten down, defeated, out of options, and dangerous. Danger isn't a bad thing. We need more risk takers, more Christians to speak out against the status quo. We need people who say, "This isn't right!," and then work to make it right. Yes, this is a "kingdom" mission. It is an effort to pull the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. Where God will dwell with His people.
Yeah, Michael Moore said this, because this is really about that.
namaste
DIOS le bendiga
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