I’ve written before that I’ve had a good number of spiritually momentous times in my life. I don’t feel any less normal that most people who’ve decided to follow Christ. I believe God impacts us at pivotal times in our journeys, as He sees fit. As we’ll allow. Motherhood was a huge moment for me. It wasn’t really a moment, though, to be fair. My oldest son was born early in 2003. I didn’t wake up the day after he was born and say “Ew, fundamentalism, gross.” In fact, I remember in the early years of motherhood still arguing points with my brother-in-law who at the time was practicing more of what we’d call emergent Christianity. Oh, he loved the word “conversation”. We’d argue John 3:16 early on Sunday mornings, skipping church, eating egg burritos and listening to Sun Kil Moon. Good times.

Several years after my first son was born I turned 30 and I started to get serious about my questioning, my doubts. I read “The Shack” and I had my first beer. Who knew that’d be the combination to really get me thinking. As my motherhood evolved my perception of God changed. God was a parent, He was me. If I, being created in the image of God, had a love so great for my children that I would never reject them, couldn’t it be possible that God is also like this? Hm.

Moreover, I watched my “non-Christian” girlfriends raise their families and experience the same deep passionate love for their children that I feel for mine. I wasn’t observing any lacking in these dear friends’ parenting skills, their love for their children, their parental devotion or the experience of beauty in the world they had brought their children into. This puzzled me. No, actually, this delighted me! “He will always transcend whatever cages and labels are created to contain and name him, especially the one called ‘Christianity’”. (p. 150) Bell writes in Chapter 6 “There Are Rocks Everywhere” (my favorite chapter of the book).

My mother has often said to me: “Even Timothy McVeigh’s parents still love him.” Oh, you mean to tell me that even when children commit the most monstrous and atrocious acts of crime against innocent humanity, their parents don’t (might not) abandon their love or acceptance for their children? Hm.

I’m visual and very attached to my home. I like to imagine my children, Luke (he’s 8), Danielle (she’s 6) and future politician Grant (he’s 3-1/2) coming to the door of our family home in their worst conditions. Could I, would I, ever turn them away? Truth is: Never. Would I possibly be disgusted and angry? Yes. But I also may be as equally as filled with an unexplainable amount of compassion and mercy. I can imagine myself saying: “Hug me, sweetie, let’s make this better.” Bell beautifully explains: “Grace and generosity aren’t fair; that’s their very essence.” (p. 168).

In my opinion, Rob Bell has great ideas about choice. He asks “Will those who have said no to God’s love in this life continue to say no in the next?…People take that option now and we can assume it will be taken in the future.” (p. 114) “Why limit that chance to a one-off immediately after death?” (p. 150) This concept reminds me a lot of the series finale of LOST. Ben waits outside the church, remember? He’s still got some issues to resolve before he’s ready to go in. Love it.

For me becoming a parent dramatically changed the way I view God. I’ve ultimately come to believe that I have no choice but to deconstruct the boxes I’ve worked so long and so hard to construct or else I’ll end up boxing out my children. In my opinion and in my heart there was just never going to be any box big enough or small enough to keep Luke, Dani & G out of my life. I just can’t help but wonder if that’s why He sent Jesus Christ in the first place.

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$28.2 million was reportedly spent campaigning against gay marriage. With that money, we could have built over 1800 wells in Africa, where people are dying because they don’t have drinking water. But we need signs to tell people that they should live up to supposed moral codes, from a religion to which they may or may not subscribe.

I don’t believe that we can legislate morality. No one’s heart or mind will be changed by calloused views, and laws by which they feel oppressed. We can not hold those that do not believe in biblical precepts to the same ideals that we strive to uphold.

C.S. Lewis touches on this concept in Mere Christianity. Although he discusses the issue of divorce here, the same basic idea is in play. We can not force people, through legislation, to behave as Christians. And what if we did force them to behave more as Christians (by whose definition, I’m not sure)? Isn’t God more concerned with the heart, than the following a particular code because it is mandated? I do not think this is an effective way to change hearts. Also, if we believe that Christian standards should be applied to marriage, why do we not legislate punishment for those who break the sanctity of marriage by adultery, or fine people for fornication? Are these issues less detrimental to the bonds of marriage, or are we mostly just scared of homosexuality?

It is also disappointing to me that fear has been a tactic resorted to by so many Christians, who seem to be too swept up in their culture, to challenge the assertions that are being fed to them in regard to the presidential election. I have heard so many accusations that are drastic misrepresentations of the truth, or out and out lies. Its also disconcerting to see so many people jumping to illogical extremes, creating imaginary horrific scenarios where I will be forced to change my occupation, live in a run-down, usurped bourgeois palace, and place the title of “Comrade” in front of the name of anyone I am addressing. Many of these same assertions were made in reference to the election of President Clinton, and instead of the projected socialization of this great nation,”…the average family’s base-earning went up by $7,500 per year and we operated under a balanced budget.” -quote stolen from D. Miller

This is the first time I have voted for a democratic President. This is largely due to the fact that I have subscribed in large part, to the ideal of a small government. I still favor this idea in many ways, but also realize that some governing is certainly required. The current state of the economy has borne this out, as we see the recanting of de-regulationist positions, by even the staunchest of its supporters, Alan Greenspan.

I think that it is also hypocritical to say that one is for smaller government, and then try to pass laws that encroach even more on to the rights of others. Essentially, many republicans want to have less government when it comes to their money, and more government when it comes to legislating their particular moral views. This stands in contrast to me to the life and teachings of Jesus.

People looked to Jesus to be a political revolutionary that could overthrow the oppressive government which taxed them harshly. They set traps like asking him if it was right to pay tax to Caesar. Jesus’ answer was not one that focused on anything material, but rather set our minds to more important matters of the heart, and things of eternal significance. He set the example of giving selflessly. it was not the amount of money, but the widow’s heart that was important, when she gave away her last mite. It is great privilege to live in this country. And while we enjoy great freedoms, they are not free.

My family is the beneficiary  of a government program that makes health-care affordable for us. Healthy Families is a bit of a bureaucracy, to be sure (although this year’s approval was a breeze!), but I am not sure what we would do without it. I am not a lazy person, who takes advantage of the government, as many would suggest are the normal recipients of government assistance. I am a small business owner, paying more in taxes than I ever did before (Hello self-employment!). But I wouldn’t have it any other way. My life is good. And I believe it will continue to be good.

The truth is, we live in a country where the differences between the two majority parties, though they are hyped as being vastly different, are fairly similar in comparrison to other nations. We are fortunate indeed to live in the USA. Not better than, not more right than any other country, but very fortunate. God bless America. My home sweet home.

P.S. Here is some interesting information:
http://www.matthew25.org/paf/index.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST2008060900950.html

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