BLOG 4/20/16. I VOTE FOR WHATEVER IS TRUE, HONORABLE, JUST, PURE, LOVELY, COMMENDABLE, … AND EXCELLENT. AM I BEING NAÏVE?
Full disclosure: I am a news junkie, and a political junkie. But once in a while I get ‘OD’ed on all of that. There is so much focus on all of the discontent, the cynical appraisals, the tragedies, the crimes, the wrecks, the arrogance of the plutocrats and the power-brokers, the charges and counter-charges of the political candidates … that I wander out to my patio and wonder to myself: “Something good must have happened in this city today.” Or: “There must be some good, positive, creative political folk seeking the welfare and common good of all of the people.”
And then you come across a good neighbor, or some helpful person in the midst of your busy day, or some gifted medical person, or some guy who is really an engaging conversationalist, … and you respond: “Yes, there really are some super-cool folk out there who make life more beautiful. You are blessed by them and thankful for them.
Also, in the midst of the tragic earthquakes and floods and natural disasters, the nightmare of tens of thousands of homeless migrants, there are those humanitarian workers, the Doctors Without Borders folk, the relief agencies, along with so many ordinary people who come to the relief of the victims, who offer hospitality, who care, who become instruments of healing and help.
Add to that all of the natural beauty. Here in Atlanta the dogwoods and azaleas and so many flowering plants are in full bloom and the beauty is almost overwhelming. “All nature sings and round me rings, the music of the spheres.”
When I stop to reflect on all of that, and to take time to observe the beauty of God’s creation, I also am overwhelmed by the realization that my calling, our calling as God’s New Creation people (God’s New Humanity), is to walk as children of the Light where we are—right here in the social and cultural darkness that is so evident. We are to be the incarnation of the peace and beauty that Jesus came to inaugurate, … and this is a discipline. My life, your life are, in a very real way, sacramental. We are to point beyond ourselves to the ultimate beautiful design of God for his creation.
The apostle Paul, out of a prison cell could write to the believing folk in Philippi: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true. whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). The result of marinating in such thoughts is that we begin to incarnate them, and to be those living expressions of the Kingdom and will of God right here where we are, right in the midst of so much that is distressing and apparently hopeless–often in dark nights of the soul. That should not surprise us. We are called to walk as children of the Light—not in ideal circumstances or always pleasant pastures, but in the realities that are so often discouraging.
Our calling as God’s children is to live our lives by his own Spirit, and that Spirit will be producing in us the fruits of God’s New Creation (of God’s own nature displaying itself in us). Paul even gives us a punch list of what that looks like: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control …” (Galatians 5:22-23).
The Psalmist states that those who seek God’s presence produce springs in the desert, they leave behind them pools of water. I have to remind myself of this morning by morning. We who are God’s children are to be his encouraging, positive, hopeful, loving ‘instruments if his peace.’ In this confusing election season, I vote for this kind of life for myself and my fellow children of light in order that we be God’s light in the darkness, and a blessing to all whom we encounter. Does that sound like an OK platform? Or am I just being incurably naïve?
