It's Not About Politics

I have a precious friend whom I have known since the early days of my walk with Christ. There are many things that we do not fully agree on, and there are many things that I have written about and posted on this blog that have rubbed her the wrong way. There are some things that she just outright does not like and does not agree with. I love this friend so much, more than she may ever know. She is bold, yet gentle and loving. She is inquisitive and seeks understanding. I love that she challenges me, questions and digs for meaning and truth. She doesn't let me get away with flippant comments or ideas that were not well thought out. Sometimes my passion gets the better of me and takes hold of my thoughts, and this precious friend, she calls me on it, forcing me to reign in it and refer back to Scripture. You just cannot fathom how I love this friend.


For quite some time now, we have had an ongoing conversation about the healthcare issue. I have loved the conversation as it has challenged me a great deal to be sure of where I stand. Because it has recently been brought to my attention that some do not agree with my "political" stand, I am going to share some of the conversations that my friend and I have been having (with my dear friend's permission of course).


There are a few points that I wish to clear up first though. The most important one is this: I am not political, nor am I taking a political stand on anything. I am part of God's Church. My citizenship lies therein, based on Philippians 3:20. I am not in favor of the political healthcare bill. I AM in favor of the sick being visited and taken care of. I care not what the government does. Yes, I do pray for the leaders, and yes I do pay my taxes (giving unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar), but my concern is for the Church. My calling and my gifting lies in that. Are we (the Church) doing what God has called us to do? I am not involved in politics, but when the political system fleshes out an issue that the Church SHOULD be addressing, I will speak to that. Not to how the political system should fix it, but how we as the Church SHOULD be responding. If you are looking to be offended by political partisanship, you will probably succeed here. But you must know my heart. I am not political, nor am I speaking to defend any sort of political action. I care not about politics. I am speaking to defend the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, the fatherless and the widows. I speak to spur the Church to question, challenge, and delve into the creative imagination that would allow us to envision some other alternative to what we are doing now. Not referring to the government. Referring to us, the Church. Is it possible that there is another way, a better way, to fulfill that calling that Jesus left for the Church? Is it possible that the Church has ceased in growing because we have ceased imagining life any other way? This is what we do because this is what we've always done and clearly it's the right way to do things. But what if there's more? What if we are missing something?


Next, I wish to make it very clear that I would never dare to call into question anyone else's state of salvation. It is not my place, as I am not the One sitting on the Throne. There were some who took offense at a phrase that was used, "I have heard some, possibly well-intended, comments coming from those who claim to be followers of Christ." Where this phrase has caused offense, I do ask for forgiveness. It was not intended to offend, as I am in the category of those who claim to be a follower of Christ. This was not meant as a derogatory statement, referring to "so-called" Christians. I would never presume to make such a statement. There is no such thing as a "so-called" Christian. All we have from each other is our own claim, and I would never dare to question anyone else's claim. 


I must also make it very clear that I am not speaking on behalf of any other person or organization. These are simply thoughts that have been so heavy on my heart based on my time in the Word and my time with the Lord. I am attempting to reconcile my life with the Word of God, desperately attempting to have the two line up, but very aware of my own failures. 


I am ok with disagreement. I think it's healthy and challenging. But again and again, it is our responsibility as the Church to return to Scripture and be sure that what we are doing lines up with what is written for us. The disagreement must never turn personal, but must always return to Scripture. I am trying to be a part of the Church of God. I'm trying to be a part of building that Church up, and just wondering and exploring there is another way to do this than what we are doing now.


Just as it says in Jude 3, we are to contend for the faith, struggle with it and continue to seek. If we cannot ask questions, challenge the status quo, and re-examine what we are doing for the sake of staying on the right path, without folks feeling threatened and/or outraged, then what are we doing?


I'll share the conversations that I have had with my sweet friend, as I am sure there are many who see things the way that my friend does as well. I love her boldness to challenge where she disagrees. I welcome you to do the same. I would just ask that it stays focused on the topic, and not get personal.


In all things there is grace and peace.

The Community that Builds Up

In general, the culture of the West is not communal. Now there are certainly places here and there, small breakaways from the norm, such as The Simple Way, or Solomon's Porch, but they are certainly more the exception than the anything else. For the most part, this culture prides itself on the individuality and space, while many other cultures around the world still live in that communal setting, all joined together, working and living together. 

Because we are not a communal people, many of the things written about the early Church can be very hard to relate to. So what I see more often than not in this society, is lots of people who claim to follow Christ, all struggling (or thriving) on their own, individually. Some can pay their bills and are able to afford such luxuries as healthcare, and have extra left over to be able to give; and let it be known that there are many who give generously according to their ability. Many more are not able to pay their bills, have lost their homes, and certainly cannot afford any luxuries, including healthcare and life-saving medications, such as insulin. But because we are such an individualistic people, everyone is doing it on their own. Many of those who are drowning are going down in silence. They are working VERY hard, but are not in the right job that would afford them these seeming luxuries. And many on the other side are, possibly unknowingly, yet callously nonetheless, labeling them a drag on the economy, a casualty of capitalism.

But in community, no one struggles alone. Your problem, your lack, your deficiency, is my problem, my lack, my deficiency. As it says in the Word, “There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 says this:

"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.'"

Equality was the goal. Simple, divine equality. No keeping up with the Joneses, because they have exactly what you have and all needs are met. For everyone. 

Here’s the real beauty of the Church building itself in that manner: it frees people to be about Kingdom business rather than the business of the world. The early Church was all about spreading, teaching, sharing, equipping, engaging the gospel. Not about surrounding themselves with comfort or building up their portfolios or retirement. For all they knew, they were going to be martyred, so all they had guaranteed was the very moment they were living in, and the blessed assurance that what they had waiting for them was well worth the sacrifice. 

No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, so all needs were met and the various parts of the body were free to truly live in their giftings and callings. The teachers were free to teach without having to worry about the mouths of their family being fed. Those gifted with hospitality certainly had more than enough room to move and work and love and invite. The apostles were free to come and go, knowing that the needs of others were being met. These men and women knew their gifts, accepted their calling, and then walked in them. Fully. Moreover, they had the backing and support of a community to fill in the gaps that they could not. Their attention was not divided. They were not working day jobs to pay the bills and then serving with whatever they had left over. The fulfillment of the gospel was their day job. All of them.

Look at Acts 6:

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit, and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

         This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

         So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Because we, as a society, have strayed so far from community, there are many, many among the faithful church-goers, teachers, shepherds, apostles, healers, prophets, and those with gifts of administration and working miracles who are waiting on tables to meet the needs of their families. They are struggling to scrape by, to pay the bills, to buy more things, to appease whatever desire is in them, rather than living out the calling on their lives. Because we are not joined together, one in heart and mind, we have lost focus of what it is that we have been called to. We have become enslaved to the duties and responsibilities of the culture rather than the commandment of the Kingdom, so we work to pay the bills and hope that maybe we’ll have something left over at the end of it all to give a little something to the church.

But what if...what if we got radical? What if we sold a house to pay for the medical needs of someone among us? Who would take us in? Where would we live? Would you take a family into your home? What about someone who is homeless? It might get really inconvenient, maybe even tight. Could your kids share a room so that you had a room open to a stranger? A stranger?? What if two or three families were to combine residences? Sell the other homes and pool the resources. It would be tight living quarters, but I bet folks would discover very quickly how to be Christ to each other, or at least the need for it. 

And what if those resources were then used to put together a feeding ministry in a local school, taking over a government-run program? What if the resources were used to buy medication for those who could not afford it, on a regular basis? What if the Church became the healthcare reform that so many are desperate for? And what if the right job that guarantees benefits was simply in the community of the Church, walking and serving in the gifting that given to you? 

What if we just took another look at what we were doing and asked some really hard questions of ourselves? Do we really need all this space? Or could we invite another family in and pool the resources? Don't you think it could be done?

I do.

So did the early Church. 

And their numbers grew by the thousands. Daily.

Who Deserves Healthcare?

Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:4-5

All this discussion about the new healthcare bill has sparked new rounds of ugly talk and divisiveness throughout this country. I have heard some, possibly well-intended, comments coming from those who claim to be followers of Christ. Things posted as statuses on facebook, since that seems to be an appropriate place to air political ideologies, such as:

Democracy will cease to exist when you take from those who are willing to work and give to those who are not.

This one was quoting Thomas Jefferson, and I have to confess that I did not ask the one who posted it if it was in reference to the healthcare bill, but if not, it certainly was interesting timing for the post. If this was indeed in reference to the bill, one has to ask the question, are only those unwilling to work going without healthcare coverage? I know plenty of folks who work VERY hard but are just not able to have ends meet at the end of the month. Maybe they just aren’t privileged enough to work the right kind of job?

I saw a status that was apologizing to Abe Lincoln for the decline of democracy, saying that it was no longer of the people, for the people, etc. That’s really a huge assumption. Here’s a thought on that one: Is it possible that there are just as many, if not more people, who are calling, emailing, and writing their congressmen/women on a daily basis, asking for reform? Is it not a possibility that there are thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people out there who are desperate for reform, and have let their representatives know this on a regular basis? Is it not possible that for every person who became a fan of the “I demand a repeal of Obamacare” page, there are others out there who are working two and three jobs just to make ends meet and so don’t have the luxury of playing Farmville on the internet at home? Is it possible that there is another perspective outside of ourselves that has not yet been considered? Isn’t it possible?

All of this has me asking lots of questions about the state of the Church. To see Christians flinging labels such as socialist and communist, comparing Obama to Hitler, seriously, is this what we are called to? Are we called to contribute to the division or have we not been called to be instruments of reconciliation, called to be at peace with everyone (which is not the same as agreeing with everyone, but it’s hard to be at peace with those whom we are labeling Hitler) regardless of the circumstances or situations? Have we forgotten where our true citizenship lies (Philippians 3:20)?

I often wonder about the state of the Church and how far we have strayed from that picture of Church in Acts 4. I often wonder how different the world would be if we, the Church, were more like the description we see there:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Well, those who like to label and name-call might just be able to say that those in the early Church were socialists, as they distributed all they had around to everyone among them. What a beautiful thing. You know what I like even more than that, though: they were one in heart and mind. They were one!! Just as Jesus has interceded for them, “That they may be one,” they were united as a body, together in full force for the sake of one purpose: fulfilling the commandment of their Christ. And they grew as a body daily, because they were different, set apart, didn’t get bogged down by the political nonsense of the day, but stayed the course that was set for them by their Teacher.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Then before Jesus was taken up into heaven, he spoke to his followers, saying, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Tomorrow I'll look at the community that formed the Church, enabling it to accomplish the command that Jesus gave...

In all things, friends, there is grace and peace,

Back to the Early Church

So for the past several days, I was recounting an experience and the amazing power of forgiveness that was shown to me while in South Africa. Where to go from there? Back to the early church, of course. My mind is consumed by it these days. I can't seem to get away from it, and more over I am left with the unyielding question of "What do I do with this?"

It is interesting that right now the church body that I fellowship with is in the midst of series about finances and resources and stewardship. It seems to me that the question always seems to come back around to "how much is too much and what is ok for me to keep?" Is it ok for me to have this or is it ok for me to hold on to that?

So last night at our small group, we were discussing the Lord's prayer, and specifically the Matthew 6:11. "Give us today our daily bread." So, here's the thing...how do you ask for that which you already have? And yes, I know that some will reply that we give thanks everyday for all that God has provided, but seriously, when was the last time that you prayed that, really needing God to provide you with bread that day? When did you pray that and not already have bread in your well-stocked kitchen? Or even meagerly-stocked kitchen? When did you have to plead of God to truly come through for you? When were you left with no other option than to depend on God?

When is the last time that you were unsure where your next meal was coming from? When was the last time that your pantry was bare and your refrigerator was just empty? When was the last time you swung through Starbucks because you just had to have some coffee? Or pulled through the drive-through or take out for a quick bite? Did you even give it a thought? Maybe you wondered whether you had cash on you or if you should just whip out the debit card? When was the last time that you seriously had no idea where your next meal was coming from? When was the last time that you just resigned that you weren't going to eat that day, and prayed and hoped for a better day tomorrow? And know that I ask these questions simply because they are being asked of me. I am certainly not innocent in these manners.

Here is what I struggle with these days: how joined are we with the rest of the Church? Do we struggle with the rest of the body of Christ, or is the global disconnect so great that we rarely even give the sufferings of our brothers and sisters a thought? Here's what I love about the early Church. Distance did not disconnect them. Nor did nationalities or boundary lines. They were united by their love for Christ. It superseded all other allegiances or patriotic notions. Look at the letters that Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi, thanking and encouraging their giving and supporting him in Rome. Look at the letter to the Hebrews, who are being encouraged in their giving and support of the Christ followers who are being persecuted in Jerusalem. Look at the letter to the Church in Corinth, as well as the Church at Galatia. They are challenged to continue in the collection for the Church in Jerusalem.

So, going back to Acts 4, where Scripture says that all the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. And then I am drawn back to Matthew 6:11, where we are instructed to ask God for our daily bread. Everyday, ask Him for our provision. And this isn't the first time in Scripture that we have been instructed to ask and receive just enough to get us through the day. Think back to the Exodus story while the Israelites were wandering in the desert. God provided manna from the sky for them, but they were instructed to take just enough to get through the day, and then trust and believe that God was going to come through for them again tomorrow.

So, what is it that we are supposed to hang on to? Just our daily bread? Just enough for today? Are we not to be vessels through whom blessings flow? Are your blessings flowing, or are the landing on you and coming to a full stop? What if your next door neighbor were going hungry? Would you not allow your blessings to flow readily through your hands to see that your neighbor was properly taken care of? And what about your family? Even if your family were in another city, would you not go out of your way to see that your family is properly cared for?

So now Scripture tells us that we are born into the family of God, as we are bound together by the blood of Christ and we all have been adopted in as family. But truly, are we taking care of our family? Anyone can look at the world situation and see that the family is a bit (read a lot) out of balance. While our brothers and sisters around the world are daily pleading for even a piece of bread, we drop too much money on an over-priced coffee drink without even giving it a thought.

It's time to start thinking about it...

I long to see that community

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There was no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it al the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

So goes the description of the early Church, conceived out of the crucifixion of Christ, birthed out of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, grown under the weight of the persecution of the surrounding Roman empire. In those days, the Romans presented a brute military presence, marching through territories claiming, "Peace through Victory!" crucifying those who resist. This young budding church, though, was a thorn in the flesh of the an otherwise dominating empire. This Church refused to pledge their allegiance to Caesar. They refused to shout out, "Caesar is Lord." They refused to contribute to the machine that had built up the most powerful world super-power at that point in history. They were underground. They were subversive. They were rebels. They were generous, forgiving, and welcoming.

Oh, how I long to see that community. In previous posts, I have talked about the idea of giving it all away for the sake of others, pouring ourselves out, hoarding nothing for our own sake, but giving it all away. I see here in Acts 4, it says, "No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." That's powerful. Could you imagine seeing that fleshed out? Does that mean that everyone sold everything and gave it to the church? I would imagine not, as that would leave everyone homeless. Look further down that passage in verse 34:

"For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money form the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."

As needs arose, the body responded. If a widow needed medical attention but could not afford it, a field could be sold to provide for her need. If mouths were going unfed because the resources were not available, a house could be sold to provide resources. It was all community property.

But even if the field or house were not sold, no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, whether they sold it to give the profits to the church or remained with it. It was still not a possession to be claimed. It was all community property. It was all a gift that was given, and could easily be taken away.

My house...not my house, but community property.

My car...not my car, but community property.

God has provided these things, not for me to hoard, but to be used for His glory, for His name's sake, for His Kingdom work. Is that what I'm doing with them? Oh, how I hate questions like that. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is so selfish and weak.

That would change things a bit, wouldn't it. More later. My head is spinning in that tonight.

Bound to Return Eventually

Wow, well I would imagine that no one is really following along anymore. I apologize for the long silence, and to seemingly leave the conversation hanging about the early Church. For some reason, though, these thoughts of the early Church just haunt me, continuously whirling through my head, as if I'm supposed to do something with them. The problem is that I have not been able to sit down long enough to even form a complete thought. The beautiful interruptions of my sweet, precious girls tend to break of the coherent ramblings that might eventually find their way to paper. But tonight, for right now, and 21% more of my laptop battery, I have a moment to think.

And my thoughts drift to Jubilee. Leviticus 25 lays out God's law for the year of Jubilee, and it is beautiful, impressive, merciful. It is not capitalistic, and in fact does not survive in capitalism. But it also seems that it did not survive for very long among the Israelites. Or any other people for that matter. It seems that the idea of it was revived among the early Church, beautiful thing, but again, was short-lived.

These are the things that I am pondering, and trying to make sense of. In the meantime, check out The Potter Street Community. It makes my heart beat fast. Maybe I'm meant for the communal life after all. Maybe we all are.

Slowly Processing...

Wow, there has been a lot to think about lately. As I have tried to process through it all, I have only realized that I am not wise enough to process it all, so I'm going to try to lay it out there and pray that the Holy Spirit makes some sense of it. I have so many thoughts rolling around in my head, and somehow I know in my heart that they are all linked together. I just need a moment to process them, to see where they tie together. In warning, this one might be a bit long winded, but I am hoping that it comes to a point, somewhere along the line. Feel free to move on, though, if it's too long-winded for you. I guess this one is much more for me to work things out than anything else. You're free to stick around if you like.

My grandfather wrote to me this week in response to all the buzz of the healthcare reform. While my grandfather and I have profoundly different political views, I deeply respect him as the elder of our family. He has seen things in his lifetime that I cannot fathom, including an amazing advancement of technology, a few wars, more than a few presidents, a Great Depression, and many more dips and rises in the economy through the years, etc. Here is a bit of what he wrote to me that really caught my attention though. For some reason, this has stuck on my heart everyday since I read it:

I believe that the term "entitlement" as commonly used re government/citizen relationships in this country refers to the obligation of our government to take care of the citizenry of our country. In my memory, the first entitlement program in this democracy was social security, established by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s. We were in a deep depression, as you may know. We did not spend money we did not have. Dad sold my small flock of chickens I had raised to pay the grocery bill. Many times during my highschool days, I caught a ride home with a neighbor so that I could pick two ears of corn from our adjacent farm as my lunch for the day. In the summer, I worked at a grocery from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. five days a week and 7 a.m. to 10:30 P.m. on Saturdays all for $7.00 a week--and glad to get it. Out of that, I bought my lunch, daily for about $0.40 at a nearby cafe. Many people had no work at all. The grocer was a family friend!!!

Mercy, this has so touched my heart. I know nothing of this world that he speaks of, of the values that he refers to. Now don't get me wrong, we work hard to instill values into our family and our kids, but somehow, this is so different. I am inspired by what my grandfather has written. See, when I moved out of my parents' home at 18, I was armed with 3 credit cards and absolutely no knowledge of stewardship whatsoever. If I had, I spent. If I didn't have, I spent. If I wanted it, sure enough I could buy it. Just whip out the plastic. And 3 credit cards slowly (quickly) grew to more than three, my favorite at the time being my Victoria's Secret card. Now don't judge. I didn't know Christ in those years, somehow in my mind, I didn't know that sacrifice and going without was better than debt. In fact, in my mind, sacrifice was a humiliation that was not worth its weight.

Well, as you can imagine, it didn't take long to amass an incredible amount of debt. An INCREDIBLE amount of debt. When I came to know Christ at 22, I was just about buried in my debt, so when I began to learn about stewardship and dealing responsibly with my finances for Kingdom sake, I was so overwhelmed with where I was. By God's grace, though, He does not leave us where we are, and He did a great work in my life. I can boast in Him these days that we worked hard and sacrificed to get all of that credit card debt paid off, but somehow I still had not fully learned my lesson. I am stubborn and quite hard-headed, and obviously quite slow to learn lessons. God knows this. You see, I still carry plastic with me. Initially it was for "emergency sake," but that morphed over time to using the plastic for points, or for convenience sake. And then it was being used if we came up a bit short on cash at the end of the month. You can see where that's going.

So, in the midst of all of this, the healthcare debate began to take shape. I'm chiming in on the debate, all the while praising God that we are healthy and not needing healthcare attention, knowing that that sort of cost would be devastating to us. I had vowed in my heart before God to go back to our "cash only" system, as that seemed to hold me accountable for spending the best. And then sickness struck our home. So, two urgent care visits later, and a $300 plus bill wiped out our grocery budget for the month.

My first instinct? Break out the plastic and head to the grocery store. It was just about this time that the email from my grandfather arrived. And somehow in the midst of all of this turmoil, I knew that God was teaching me a lesson. You see, several times within the last few days, I have come across the story in Exodus 16, of God providing the Israelite people with manna in the morning. They were told to take exactly enough to get them through the day, and those who did not trust the Lord took too much, hoarding it for the next day. But the extra manna that had been taken for the next day ended up rotting and full of maggots. I have read it, I have blogged about it, someone used it conversation with me to encourage and exhort. Praise Jesus that He knows I am slow to learn. He just continues to drive it home. I'm started to realize that maybe I should get this one. Just what exactly it is though, I have not nailed down yet.

To me, this is all very interesting thoughts in light of our current situation. I am accustomed to doing grocery shopping for a at least a week at a time, for convenience sake, of course. I like to plan out a menu and do one thorough grocery trip. But now...well, now I can only look at how creative I can be for our next meal.

How do we ask God to provide for our daily bread if we've already taken care of it ourselves?

Well, needless to say, I have put the plastic away, yet again, and began to get very creative with the "staple" items in the pantry, until those have become very depleted. And then, God provided bread for us. Literally, as a friend dropped off a loaf of bread, some butter, meat in the freezer and two gift cards for the local grocery store. I felt some of the glory of the early Church in this generous act of a friend.

It is humbling, downright humiliating, to struggle in such a manner. But I have seen God's grace in it as I have pleaded for a content heart. I want to glorify Him. I want to depend on Him.

In all of this talk about healthcare, stewardship, and daily bread, I know that God must be in it somewhere. The events are too "coincidental" to not be Him. It leads me to thoughts of Jubilee and of the early Church, and the system that God had set up originally for His people. Surely there is a better way for us, as followers of Christ, above political lines, above partisan biases, above denominations, above national boundary lines.

That's probably enough for today. I'll try to unpack more of it tomorrow. I can't seem to get away from thoughts of the early Church. Maybe it'll make more sense tomorrow.

Whoa, I seem to have struck a nerve

Oh how I love challenging conversations, even disagreements! Scriptures says, “Come, let us reason together,” and it is through this challenging reasoning that we grow and come to see other perspectives outside of our own. Thank you for engaging in that. Also, I now know how to get comments on a blog; Challenge you with an idea you don’t like. You don’t have to like it or even agree with me, but as long as we can engage in the conversation, there is hope for us as a body of Christ. It’s good to know that someone out there is reading along, even if I just lost some. There were some very good points that were brought out in the comments that I would really like to address.

The phrase “sense of entitlement” was used. It’s a very interesting phrase and very appropriate for this culture. You see it more and more in the upcoming generation as they demand their cell phones and video games, insisting that they just can’t do without these modern amenities. Well, we know that’s not true and even in my own generation, we remember life before all our gadgets and toys. But more and more it is harder to say no to these things. It is a sense of entitlement and it’s incredibly dangerous.

Did government really create that, though? Or was it born out of capitalism in general? Isn’t that the fueling wind of capitalism? I deserve it all? The entire American dream is based on this sense of entitlement. When the system of credit cards were introduced post World War 2, it was based on a sense of entitlement. I deserve a better life and I’ll just pay for it later. The feminine movement was based on entitlement. “I am woman; hear me roar!” I can do it all and have it all, and I don’t have to wear a bra to do it! There is a well-known gospel that is still being preached in countless churches across the nation known as the “Health and Wealth Gospel” that thrives on this sense of entitlement. “Come to Jesus and everything will be just fine!”

It seems like a bit of a scapegoat, though, to blame this sense of entitlement on government alone. The health and wealth gospel that riddled so many churches for so many years propelled Christianity into a religion of gain and not give. Hoard and not sacrifice.

Even some of the comments left on the blog were in reference to saving up for rainy days, as if poverty is due to irresponsibility. If only I would save more responsibly or give up my cell phone, maybe we wouldn’t be in the position we are in today.

Who am I to hold on to anything, when my brothers and sisters are toiling endlessly for the sake of the gospel, and have nothing to eat? Who am I to tuck away $25 for a rainy day, when it’s pouring over there? How can I hoard the extra that we have left over, when our family abroad is attempting to feed the mouths of orphans and other families who lack even more? Everyday they pray for God to multiply the fish and bread just as Jesus did when He walked this earth, so that each mouth may receive even a little. And selfishly, we tuck it away for a rainy day.

It reminds me of the story of God providing manna for the Israelites in the desert. He told them to take just enough to get them through the day, for He would provide again tomorrow. Those who did not trust the Lord hoarded extra manna, but by morning it was rotten, full of maggots worming their way through the bread.

We stress the importance of saving for retirement, saving up for a rainy day, setting aside a portion so that we do not lack, and yet in our global disconnect, we have forgotten the toils of our brothers and sisters around the world who received not even one bite today. Our brothers and sisters in Kenya and Ethiopia are working tirelessly for the sake of the cross, setting up clinics, planting churches, seeing to the needs of the orphans, discipling new growth, and yet they have not received a paycheck in months, and what they do receive, they give away because surely there is someone who has less indeed. Those are your brothers and sisters as well. You just might not know their names.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that no one should save anything. I'm just trying to look at this conversation in the light of Scripture and put it all together.

I have not yet heard why people are so completely opposed to the public option for healthcare. I have heard fear, speculations, doubts, but nothing solid. They’re scared of losing their doctor? According to factcheck.org, this is what Obama said:

Obama, Aug. 15: [i]f you like your health care plan, you keep your health care plan. Nobody is going to force you to leave your health care plan. If you like your doctor, you keep seeing your doctor. I don’t want government bureaucrats meddling in your health care. But the point is, I don’t want insurance company bureaucrats meddling in your health care either.

Scared of losing your doctor? Try not having one at all. Like 46 million people across this nation. These are the selfish conveniences that I referred to in my previous post. I don’t want anyone else to have coverage because it might adversely affect my own coverage. Not that anyone would ever say that out loud (except for the woman sitting next to my father at the town hall meeting), but the implication is there. Sure, idealistically it would be great if everyone had coverage, but not at the expense of what I’ve got. Don’t mess with what’s mine.

Others protest the idea of government running healthcare, saying that they are incompetent. Just look at the mess of social security. Two thoughts on these statements: social security is a mess, but it has long outlived the intended plan for which it was created. The life expectancy when social security was created was only 55. Now the life expectancy is 85. That’s 30 years that the plan was not necessarily intended to cover. That plan needs to be revisited, revamped even, to make it more applicable and more relevant to the day and age we now live in.

Second thought is this: the government currently runs the VA medical system and Medicare. In 2008, Medicare was providing health care to 45.3 million elderly and disabled people across this nation. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, over 80% of those 45.3 million covered are quite satisfied with the care that they have received. I guarantee you that my father would trade his big, broken toe to have that coverage. It works, and has been working for 35 years. Has it been flawless from the beginning? Absolutely not. Has it needed to be revisited, tweaked, and revamped in portions? Absolutely. But it was a plan that was put on the table and put into action, now providing care to over 45.3 million.

I have heard, and even seen in these comments, folks saying how sad it makes them that others don’t have health insurance or access to health care. It is sad. But then they follow it up by saying that this plan that has been proposed is not the answer. They just aren’t sure this is the best way, and so for now, we'll do nothing. So my question is this: is it better to sit back on our heels and do nothing while we hem and haw about how this isn’t the best way forward? Or is it better to act on a good plan that has been laid out and be prepared to revise as better ideas are illuminated?

It reminds of the passage in James 2:14-17:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, “ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

I agree that it is prudent to carefully consider the options and consequences, but seriously, at some point you have to take a step. For those with coverage and those without, there is a much different sense of urgency. The system is thoroughly broken, from top to bottom. The prices for all things are in a cycle that is spiraling higher and higher. That’s why this overhaul is necessary.

I will stop there for now. This is a lot to mull over. In all things there is grace. In all things we remain bound by the blood of Christ. This conversation is an attempt to live it out, and encourage others in the same.

Chiming in the Debate

What is wrong with the world that we live in today? What has happened to this culture that grown men and women think that it is acceptable to yell, “BOO” and shout out “LIAR!” in the middle of an overly crowded town hall meeting? Grown men and women behaving like rotten, rebellious, teenagers. Truly disgraceful behavior.

Last night I attended such a town hall meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to have an open dialogue with our local Congresswoman about the proposed health care reform. But the anger and fear of many turned a diplomatic forum into a display of completely uncouth, rowdy juveniles clothed in the bodies of middle to late age retired veterans depending daily on government-run healthcare called Medicare. The hall was filled with an over-representation of older, retired folks who had been forming a line to enter for 4 hours prior to the beginning of the event, while the rest of the attendees watched on big screens outside the hall because they were not able to show up until just before opening due to the second or third job they were working to be able to afford health insurance for their family.

The former Surgeon General of the United States stood before this passionately noisy, and often rude, crowd and spoke about the desperate need for reform, about the unsustainability of the current system, and about the already high price tags of health insurances premiums that will continue to rise all too quickly. All the while this ridiculous crowd of grown adults booed and hollered as if rude rebellion is an acceptable standard. One of the men lucky enough to have his ticket called by lottery to be able to ask the Congresswoman a question, boldly proclaimed, “85% in this nation today have access to healthcare. Isn’t that enough? Why do we need to fix a system that isn’t broken?”

Huh?

Really?

Is that all we’re shooting for? Clearly that man has never been part of the 15%. I am eternally grateful that God’s numbers and merciful economy do not work like that.

Remember the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18-19. Abraham pleaded with God to not destroy the cities, testing the depth of God’s mercy. Abraham starts off by asking, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?”

The Lord replies that He will spare the whole place for the sake of fifty righteous.

Abraham continues with the questions until he reaches 10. He says, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of 10, I will not destroy it.”

Even just for 10 righteous, mercy will be shown to all. Much better economics than shooing off the unfortunate 15% simply because the privileged 85% are getting their needs met. They’ve got theirs; who cares about the rest?

How did this culture become so selfish, so egocentric? The woman who was sitting next to my father at this town hall meeting is currently receiving Medicare benefits but is not yet 65. She actually said to my father that she didn’t want him to receive the same Medicare benefits that she currently receives because it might take away from her benefits. Seriously? I’ve seen that same attitude in my 2-year-old who has not yet learned how to share. But in a 2-year-old, we quickly correct such selfish behavior. What do we do with it in a well-aged woman? Have we lost touch with mercy and compassion altogether?

I have heard many people say that all this talk of health care reform just seems to be happening so fast. That statement can only come from someone who has access to healthcare. They have options, so what do they care about rushing to change anything? They don’t seem to understand the urgency that comes with having no options and no access. Imagine having a sick child and not being able to do anything about it. Imagine having a parent, who has no insurance, walking around on a broken toe for months because he can’t afford to seek treatment. Imagine getting a simple infection and not being able to seek treatment.

I have heard many balk at the number of 46 million uninsured, saying that the number is not a true representation. Seriously? Isn’t that splitting hairs? Are we going to make that the issue? Are there 30 million uninsured? Are there 10 million uninsured? Are there 5 million uninsured? Isn’t that 5 million too many? I think that the number is easy to hide behind, keeping it impersonal and distant. But I have a face, and a name, and a husband and three precious girls, and we have no insurance. I have a family member who has a great job, but still cannot afford health insurance for his family. He just recently got a second job to pay for it. So he works all week to pay the bills, and all weekend to pay for health insurance. That is wrong. The system is broken and in need of desperate repair.

The irony for us is that we work so hard to see that villages across Africa have access to healthcare, yet here in our own country we just cannot afford it. And should something happen, as in a trip to urgent care this past weekend, we get to choose which budget that money comes out of…groceries or bills? And don’t get me wrong. We are not living outside of our means. We live QUITE frugally, and pass any extra on to others who have less than us. So, yes, for us, there is most definitely a sense of urgency.

Proverbs 3:27-28 says, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow’- when you now have it with you.”

It reminds me of the story that Jesus told of the Good Samaritan, who stopped, allowing himself to be inconvenienced, in order to help a man whom has been beaten and robbed. The beaten man had already been passed up by two religious leaders who just simply could not be bothered to help him. This Samaritan, though, carried the beaten man to lodging, saw that he was cleaned up and taken care of, and then paid his bill. The Samaritan withheld nothing, but gave of what he had to see that the man was properly taken care of.

We are talking about compassion and mercy here. For those who know Christ, this should strike such a heart chord! Christ called us to care for the sick, to have mercy on others. When Jesus was teaching on the Mount of Olives, he said:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

Isn’t it time to get on the side of compassion? Isn’t it time to set aside notions of selfish conveniences and look to the good and care of the whole, including those who don’t have? What if we, as a body of Christ, were united for the sake of mercy to the uninsured, and I’m not even referring to myself, but to the body as a whole? Why is everyone so angry about the possibility of universal coverage? Because it will inconvenience you? Because you will get less quality than what you have now? Imagine life on the other side.