Skip to main content

WWJD?

What would Jesus do?
I love to ponder that question when faced with a difficult or challenging decision. Like many of you, I had one of the WWJD wristbands and it worked as a great visual, moral compass. In situations like:

"Should I start swearing at the driver of the car going 55 in the left lane of an interstate with a posted speed limit of 70 with the three little Piggins in the back seats of my mini-van?"
First, even though Jesus never had a mini-van or children for that matter (unless you read or watched 'The Da Vinci Code' and follow the story line of Mary Magdalene being the wife of Jesus ... boy did I digress!), I'm pretty sure in this case, Jesus would not have sworn and certainly not thought awful thoughts about some idiot that didn't know that the left lane was for passing ...

or how about a situation like this:

You're in the express check out lane at the grocery story with the granola bars you promised to bring to your son and his team after soccer practice. You're supposed to be there in 15 minutes, so you're in a hurry. (You could have planned ahead and bought them when you did your regular grocery shopping but you forgot the list and the bars so here you are!) There is an older woman with clearly more than the 10 items maximum (as so clearly displayed on the sign!) and she's got a coupon wallet and is riffling through her wallet looking for more money because she's apparently short! Inside you're fuming, and are thinking some pretty unkind thoughts as the cashier begins removing items to lower the total. 
This is a clearer case of knowing what Jesus would do - He would have helped the woman pay for her groceries and probably helped her out to her car. Not to mention, He wouldn't have forgotten the granola bars in the first place. His wife Mary Magdalene would have gotten them ... oops! I'm off track.

Okay - how about a clearer case of knowing what Jesus would do:

A man is standing on the side of the road with a sign that reads, "Homeless. Looking for work." He also has a can that people are putting money into. Easy peasy, Jesus would also put money in the can and bless and pray with the man. So that's what you do ... but wait didn't a Christian organization you support say instead of giving the homeless money you should give them one of their cards that direct the homeless to their shelter for support? 

Boy, I'm clearly struggling. It would be so seemingly easy to know what Jesus would do but doing it isn't always easy. It's not in our human nature to easily be like Jesus. He is perfect after all and we're just works in progress. Or, in the last case, being told that doing what you think Jesus would do isn't 'right' or 'best' according to good Christian people.

Like many of you, I struggle. I want to do what Jesus would do - I want to be His witness and when others look at me to see His light shining in me. I'm a work in progress and some days are better than others.

But I know when it's not right or when it's not something that Jesus would do or say. And that's when a mighty fury is ignited in me - especially when someone writes or says that they believe Jesus would vote for a particular candidate or support a particular party or issue. It's not new, it's been going on for as long as I can remember. But it has really been rampant in recent weeks as Christian organizations or writers in Christian publications have had to really stretch Truth and bend logic to support Trump. A man, when asked if he considered himself a Christian answered to the effect of 'well, the Evangelicals are supporting me, their support of me is huge, so I must be.'  WHAT???? 

I'm not writing this to say that Jesus would vote for Hillary either. I'm writing this to say - in the case of an election for the President of the United States of America, Jesus isn't voting. We are - we imperfect human beings, we imperfect works in progress. I've read stories circulating that Pope Francis endorses Trump (false according to Snopes.com) and opinions from evangelicals striking a tone of fear about abortions increasing or guns being taken away if Hillary is elected. Don't try to bring Jesus into our dirty politics and our mudslinging .Just like I had to stretch all logic and theology to determine what Jesus would do on the interstate or grocery store, I see these pundits doing the same.  Don't try to use Christianity to justify your unjustifiable, lacking-any-humility, bigot, money changer, adulterer. Keep His holy name out of our unholy politics. It's not right. Vote the way you want to vote - it's your right and I think obligation. Just don't besmirch our Heavenly Father by citing his endorsement or support or your choice. It's your choice - and only yours.

Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" Mt. 22:17. Our vote is our earthly obligation - our messy politics are too imperfect to anything but human. 


Can I get an Amen?!

Comments

It's not a popularity contest, but ...

When a small town is huge

  In the movie "it's a Wonderful Life", the protagonist George Bailey has longed nearly his whole life to 'shake off the dust of this crummy little town off my feet," to see the world. But Bedford Falls, that crummy little town, felt differently about George. And with the help of a quirky guardian angel, George eventually sees that his life and his town were pretty wonderful. Good lord, but I love that movie and it's characters and it's moral and that small town. I watch it every year at least twice and still cry every time. And I wonder too about the man that pushes the devious Mr. Potter's wheelchair and stands by his side- you know the man, he looks a little like Lurch from "The Addams Family". I wonder, what was he thinking as he listened and watched his boss ruin the lives of everyone he could. What kind of an Non-disclosure agreement did he sign, to keep him silent as he stood by and watched Potter pocket the money Uncle Billy was depo...

Parenting

I just read a post on Facebook regarding the dearth of parenting. The poster was describing a scene where two young girls were pelting rocks at some ducks in our little town and how he observed no parents around telling these girls that it was wrong to torture little innocent animals. Within hours, there were 15 responses - all alluding to a lack of parenting that is evident nearly everywhere today. Stick with me here - because that conversation reminded me of one I'd had recently that might not seem related to parenting at all. It was with my oldest son about his concern about the selfishness of our culture - most recently evident in the Wall Street meltdown. He believes that we are too focused on "Me" and not enough on "We" and if we had a little more focus on the total and just not our part, we would be in a much better place. Still there? Okay, here's the cement that will hold this together - those girls pelting little ducks with rocks weren't likely...

When you encounter a totally different reality

John and I arrived early for an appointment (for those of you that know my husband, you know that this is not infrequent! The story of arriving three hours early for a flight to Phoenix from Midway still gets repeated and laughed about when the 'kids' get together). We found a seat and the waiting room began to fill. We had chosen seats away from the TV where NBC's Today Show was playing, so we couldn't see what was on the screen. Another couple sat before the TV and provided commentary and as the time progressed provided a glimpse into a total different 'reality'. "Oh I can't even stand to look at him. He's so evil" "What is wrong with his hair?" "This administration will do down in history as the worst ever." "The federal government is taking over the states. There's going to be a civil war, just you wait." "They just let all those illegal aliens in and then they're going to give them weapons to take...