Elections ...
(Since I started this October 30, it is down here. But I just updated it this morning. I'm not a physic!)
Don't worry - since I never got excited about either candidate, I'm not getting on a soap box for one or the other. Besides, I have a really cute kitten curled up on my feet - how could I get mean? but I thought I'd throw out a few random thoughts and questions -
Must the Republicans despair?
Must the Democrats be ecstatic?
Why do we put so much faith or have such despair over one man . . . a mere human being? Who exactly are we supposed to have faith in? Aren't there enough checks and balances to keep us from being too lopsided? Aren't we supposed to pray for whoever wins? Aren't we free enough to do amazing things for the issues that mean a lot to us?
In Morocco, the elections were very closely watched - literally. We know Moroccans who have woken up at 3:00 AM to watch the debates. It seems everyone was buzzing with expectation. I'm sure many stayed up all night last night to watch.
On BBC, they had a "play-by-play" account of what to look for each hour of the night.
And after all the international interest, the exit polls said the economy was the major factor - not the wars or international issues. That seemed like a slap in the face to the rest of the world who watched with baited breath. But I think they'll get over it because . . .
The name "Barack" means "blessing" in Arabic and is a word we use daily in our greetings and "thank-yous." This simple fact seems to reach Arabs right at the heart.
It seems that everyone on this side of the ocean is for Barack Obama. Recently I heard a Moroccan say something like - "Almost every single conflict in the world has the America's finger in it." The quote got my attention because so many times I've heard something like, "Almost every single conflict in the the world involves Muslims." To hear the opposite made me think. Wow - that is how we are perceived. Whether true or not, people perceive Obama as someone who will "stop attacking Muslims" simply because he is of the opposite party as Bush Sr. & Jr.
And so it is rather nice, for one day anyway, to not be hated by the rest of the world.
Why can't there be a strong third party? Why do we have to pick between abortion or more wars? Why do conservative Christians have to end up on the ballot with capital punishment and the NRA?
Back to the third party - I think the Friesen family should start one. After all, we're 200 + strong!
But no, we couldn't do that - Aren't Mennonites are to stay out of politics? (Isa 40:23 - "He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.")
What is the church vs. the government's role in bringing loving solutions to problems like war, poverty, environmental issues and abortion?
I'm always amazed at the triumph of public health in the area of smoking. To turn an entire nation's view around is really something. How could that be carried into areas like abortion? Are there other ways to change a nation's behavior besides the top-down approach?
After all, Jesus was not an earthly ruler nor did He have any earthly power, but he still managed to change the world.
Sad to say, I think it's unrealistic and naive to say that we can pull out of any war very fast.I was disturbed to find on various sites the candidates have lots about Iraq and Iran - but precious little about Afghanistan except that they'll bomb it some more. Great. That's just what they need. I don't think either candidate thought very hard about this topic.
My brother there says that while troops are necessary, the only way to 'win' this war is by helping with their infrastructure. As long as Afghans don't have schools, roads, water, electricity (his area), people will be restless and turn to the Taliban for help. The US is doing these things, but not nearly in proportion to military moves. Knowing that he and his family risk their lives every day to bring about peace in that country humbles me and brings me to my knees.
When I look at the choices here on earth, I get very depressed. No system, no human, nothing can even come close to God's ideals. We just can't get it right on earth. It leads me again and again to pray, "Your kingdom come!!!"
"For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations." Ps 22:28
Whew!
posted by Reimer Ramblings @ 1:46 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
Beautiful words.
To those that see our hand in every war, I ask them what would the world be had we not gone to war in WWI? How quickly would have the rise of the Nazi party been if they had won? How would the world have been if in WWII we had stayed home? How many Jews would they killed? After the Jews, would they have turned on the Russians and then the Arabs?
You know we love you and yours. I also pray for peace but I also keep my rifle handy. I will live or die to protect your right to not take up arms.
I would say to you that you should do what my mother says, "Denny. I'll pray for you." I'm not positive but I may be the only hell my mother ever raised.
MUD
Good questions. I knew I could count on some excitement from you! One huge mistake pacifict-leaning folks make is to write off the past or to see current and past military as being evil. Thankfully I wasn't raised that way and am proud and blessed to know people (like you) from all different opinions.
I re-heard a quote the other day which I will now misquote and not reference (dreadful) - "All it takes for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing." My question is: Would these conflicts had happened if "good men" had done something much, much earlier to prevent the conflict in the first place? It's kind of like spanking a child - you can certainly train a child to do all kinds of things through spanking, but prevention of the behavior in the first place and then creative ways of dealing with the behavior when it happens can lead to much longer-term effects (It sounds like I've written one too many behavior plans!). All I'm saying, is, can the Christians (including myself) do a whole lot more praying and fasting for the countries we're bombing? And can we all think more creatively about solutions to some of these problems? But as Gerald says, "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas." So I guess we'll never know about past conflits.
Since WWI & II didn't greatly affect Arabs, it's not really something they think back to very much. And with the way they feel about the Jews, some say Hitler should have finished the job. Also,in England, it is taught that it was the British who saved the day in WWII. Sigh. We have much to learn about each other and we need Someone bigger to help us out!
Julie
I think that WWII was fought early in North Africa and impacted a lot of the people even there in Morocco. The beauty of things is we can agree to disagree and yet remain friends. MUD
Yes, indeed there were troops here starting in 1942. The famous lion sculpture in our town is said to have been carved out by a WWII POW, though I have since heard that is just a story made up by the guides! Whatever the case, You've got me curious again - I'll have to do some research!
Amen to your last statement!
julie
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