Embarrassing

This is the season when I am mildly embarrassed by my college major.

Well, actually my college major was a little complicated. I wanted to be a teacher which back in ancient history meant you had to have a major and a minor as well as all of your education classes and student teaching. My parents made it clear that this was a four year deal, so there was some cramming involved, along with some summer school credits that helped things along.

         

My major was kinesiology (physical education) and my minor was political science. However, I had more than enough credits in political science for a major, so technically I was a double major.

         

I love political science: the history, the development, the nuances. I took a class on the politics of third world nations and another on the politics of Latin America. My first teaching job assigned me to teach five sessions of U.S. Government to High School Seniors every day! I loved it.

         

Chicago is a great place to live if you like politics. The recent teacher’s strike was a lot more about politics and power than it was about education. (O.K., so that’s my opinion.)

         

It doesn’t hurt to know about political systems when you work in churches!

         

But this is the season of the year when being a political science major can be embarrassing. Presidential politicking has become mostly “trashing” the other candidate and their personal and political histories. An embarrassing video of a Romney speech is made public. An embarrassing video of Obama needs to be found and distributed. A sound bite of one candidate can be made to look controversial and the other candidate’s camp needs to find one with which to counter-punch.

         

We have to look past the newspaper headlines and the television coverage to find out what each candidate wants to accomplish. In fact, you really have to dig to find out what one party or the other would actually do because so much is focused on how bad the other is.

         

Facebook doesn’t help. One posting after another “trashes” either candidate. It makes me cringe a little when devout Christians engage in this. The bible gives these instructions:

         

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” (Romans 13:1,7)

         

Much of what is written and said is disrespectful and doesn’t honor anyone. We need to find ways that we can differentiate our political beliefs without demonizing those who hold different beliefs. What qualifies as respectful disagreement?

         

I do know this from history.

         

No party, or candidate, has been perfect.

         

Both political parties have contributed to the betterment of our nation throughout history.

         

Neither party can claim to be more “christian” than the other. There are thoughtful, evangelical believers who are members of both parties.

         

Jesus was “apolitical”. He was only concerned about one Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, which was spiritual and not material.

         

Personal attacks, in the long run, are counter-productive. When we keep focusing on how bad another person is, rather than on what they will contribute that will result in positive change, it often has the opposite impact we hope for.

         

Ultimately, Christians are not even citizens of this world. We are aliens, here only for a short visit to share God’s love, grace and mercy before we go to our true Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.

         

That’s not embarrassing.

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