Vote | Vote | Vote

Last day to early vote! I needed the reminder (thanks @amy_mac.c and @hayes_mac ) I like to vote on Nov 03, because it feels historic and powerful. The nervous and exciting energy to be a part of something called democracy is pretty thrilling for this TCK. The stuff of books. But this year, I was reminded by @elizabethwwilson that if I were to get Covid or in a car accident or something, I wouldn’t be able to vote... and it scared me into early voting today. I wanted to cast a ballot and know I voted in 2020. I hope that you vote today. And if not today, on Nov 03, because it’s a true gift. I have been reading a book titled “The Introduction to The Old Testament Template” (it’s a lot more interesting then it sounds). Yesterday I read the exert I’ve included at the end of this post. It was thought provoking and a reminder of my role as a believer to be at work in my community, city, and country. Jason Cook (@thelowercasejc) has been teaching on Sundays that if someone is not flourishing- if there is injustice or oppression to a human, it is an imago dei issue. Meaning it is a issue Christians are called to take upon themselves. We are all image bearers, and if we are not actively dignifying and treating each person as an image bearer, we are not loving like Christ. @tabithamcduffee wrote her thoughts out in a post that starts with “There is no way to vote pro-life.” I encourage anyone to read. This season is tense, uncomfortable, and feels heavy. I don’t know much, I’m still very very young, but I’ve found myself claiming words I can’t source, facts I’ve simply taken as truth, and developing some serious anxiety (coming out in anger). I took some time off Instagram for a while, fighting the guilt of not being “woke”. It’s helped me catch my breath, and I’m trying to recenter myself. I don’t believe biblical justice looks opposite to social justice- I believe social justice is just the beginning of Christ’s intention and grace over us. I think I’ve been so disappointed and angered by the churches lack of unity, I had forgotten that.

I forgot Christ’s call and vision for the Church. I forgot that Jesus wasn’t a “Christian”. I forgot that there is hope for the Church (global Church), not because of the people in the buildings, but because the God they worship. To watch churches who talk about social justice as “missing the point” is frustrating. Again, I know in the grand scheme of a 90 year lifetime, I’m still very new to this, but I also know God let the young share and teach too. The young are note to always stay silent. Speaking up isn not symonom for disrespect. Disrespect is an attribute any and all ages wear. (We are learning quickly this year!)

What so many of my friends who have walked away from the church share is this frustration in the church. I feel it and know it. Reading history (LEARNING real history) often feels like a “what not to do in God’s name slideshow.” Its not to say the Church hasn’t had its moments of redemption and revival, but let it be known, we don’t have a good track record by any means. The irony of being frustrated by this comes with knowing that, like Paul stated, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.” (timothy 1:15) Knowing that the Church, by the nature of Christ’s all-encompassing gift of salvation and extension of grace, all are welcome - meaning ALL are welcome. This statement injunction with the Church’s embarrassing and horrifying parts in history can often feel dismissive. At least for me- it sounds dismissive. Like hands up in the air, “there’s always bad eggs, you know?!” as we glance over at our history with its gut out and no shirt on grabbing a beer from the fridge. “what are you gonna do???” sighs The “all are welcome” isn’t a escape-goat to not take responsibility, validate, provide healing, and change what we’ve done - its a call to do those things. That no one is so far from Christ, he will not be welcomed to the table. That God’s family is huge, diverse, creative, loud, quiet, brave, loyal, and also all sinners. All those who didn’t stop sinning the minute they “prayed the prayer”, but committed their life to be in relationship with God, seeking to be more like Christ, and building His kingdom. We screw up, and if anything, when we screw up, its vital we claim it as our sin, not something in we did in God’s name. And its not “if” we screw up, its “when” we screw up. “If you are aware of your weakness, you are also humble and receive grace. Then you become strong in God, for His strength is made perfect in weakness. But then you will also flee from these things and from company that draws you into the world and its lust, and you will pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with all those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)”

It is a like a lack of ownership over the devastation we have caused, history we’ve changed for the worst. Many people leave the Church, leave their faith due to this passive response. They refuse to be a part of something that is associated with that history. And in most ways, I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to step away. Its a challenge to call myself “christian” because the association with the word is riddled with trauma in most of women and men I meet in the bible-belt of America.

This is a smorgasbord of thoughts and convictions swirling my my head, but I hope something is thought provoking. I’ve been struggling with the tension of today.