Dear President Elect Barak Obama,
Yesterday morning I voted for John McCain. In regards to the election, I find myself now on the "losing" side. But today the election is over, and it's time to move ahead with grace, humility and dignity.
My sincerest congratulations to you, Mr. Obama. You've accomplished a monumental feat in American history, and you've done so in the most honorable way imaginable. America spoke her mind yesterday with resounding support, and I can't help but feel a sense of victory along with you. However our votes were cast yesterday, we can all wake up today feeling proud of you, proud of what you've achieved, proud of our country, proud of our freedom, proud of our fellow citizens who you, rightly, attributed this victory to.
I am a perfect case study in political tension. Traditionally conservative, I have felt the sting of disappointment in the Republican party over the last eight years. I, like many Republicans, hope that the next few years will see a reconstruction of our party and the emergence of new leadership to restore dignity to conservative ideals. Yet, as disillusioned as I've become by the waywardness of my party, I found myself unable to cross the line in order to vote for you. I want so badly to believe the best for my party, despite their recent failures.
In a similar way, Mr. Obama, I want to believe the best for you and for the Democratic party. And, in a similar way, I find it difficult. I, like the majority of our citizens, desire change. I hope the best for us all. Yet, I fear that a Democratically controlled White House and Congress will move our country in directions that I am not entirely comfortable with. I fear that the federal government will overstep legislative boundaries and that state and local governments will not be given the legislative autonomy that is their Constitutional right. These fears resulted in a "default" vote from me, a vote for the Republican candidate.
Mr. Obama, you have gracefully endured a barrage of offensive accusations over the course of your campaign. You've been called names that need not be repeated here, that I wish would never be repeated anywhere. Yet, reality is, I woke up this morning to hear many of the same old refrains coming from a segment of religiously conservative Americans who I've spent a great deal of effort to ideologically separate myself from in the past few years. Though religious conservatism will always be a significant part of my individual identity, I want to make it clear to you, Mr. Obama, that those who engage in fear mongering or name calling, those who have chosen to exaggerate their rhetorical quips of despair, do not speak on my behalf.
Last night you spoke directly to those of us who chose not to vote for you. You reminded us that you will be our President, and I offer you the reminder that we will be citizens of the country that you lead. We will not always agree. I will continue to exercise my freedom of expression. I will continue to engage democracy, to play my part in shaping the future of our country with you.
With that, I offer you the fullness of respect that you deserve- not simply as the holder of the highest office in our country, but as my fellow man endowed by God with life and dignity, with freedom and responsibility, with hopes and dreams, and with all of the faculties of conscience and reason which will guide our decision making in the months and years ahead.
Sincerely,
Matt Hartley
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
America, you will be disappointed
Just 8 days ago, I posted a blog titled, "If they're popular, they're probably not sound." Joe Biden's address at a fundraiser was the centerpiece of the article.
The point of what I wrote there was that many Americans have seemingly been duped into believing that Barak Obama, if elected President, will actually be able to deliver on most or all of his campaign promises. I don't believe he will be able, mostly because so many of his promises have been veiled in such carefully crafted language that is intended to mislead the average voter, promises that are so well polished rhetorically that the average voter has a highly exaggerated vision of who Obama is and what he will accomplish as President.
This isn't a huge surprise. It's not a conspiracy theory that I'm proposing. I don't believe Obama is hiding his secret religious identity or his ties to terrorists from Americans. I just believe that he, like most politicians, has pulled the wool over our eyes regarding how effective he can be in carrying out his policy promises.
My suspicions are continuing to be confirmed by Senator Obama himself...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5051118.ece
The point of what I wrote there was that many Americans have seemingly been duped into believing that Barak Obama, if elected President, will actually be able to deliver on most or all of his campaign promises. I don't believe he will be able, mostly because so many of his promises have been veiled in such carefully crafted language that is intended to mislead the average voter, promises that are so well polished rhetorically that the average voter has a highly exaggerated vision of who Obama is and what he will accomplish as President.
This isn't a huge surprise. It's not a conspiracy theory that I'm proposing. I don't believe Obama is hiding his secret religious identity or his ties to terrorists from Americans. I just believe that he, like most politicians, has pulled the wool over our eyes regarding how effective he can be in carrying out his policy promises.
My suspicions are continuing to be confirmed by Senator Obama himself...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5051118.ece
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Evangelicals not alone as "single issue" voters...
i read a blog recommended to me recently in which the author lamented the Christian community's tendency to vote based on "single issues" such as abortion or homosexual unions...here are my thoughts after reading the blog:
it seems that the author is selling many Evangelicals short by beckoning back to the assumption that Evangelicals alone are "one issue" voters...i am voting for John McCain next Tuesday; and, i admit, my vote is more a vote AGAINST Barak Obama than it is a vote FOR John McCain...but my opposition to Obama has little to nothing to do with his stance on abortion or homosexual union
and, for the record, Obama has created an entire campaign strategy out of "single issues," as is the case with most political campaigns including McCain's...early in his campaign, all we seemed to hear from Obama was "I will bring the troops home!" this was a single issue that many Americans were passionate about, and it contributed, no doubt, to his early popularity.
now it's the economy- specifically, tax benefits for the middle class, a promise that resonates with many as a singularly important issue in the campaign.
or perhaps we can bring up the constant refrain of Obama equating McCain with President Bush, playing on the fears of the American people that the next four years could be as bad as the last eight...yet another single issue that tugs at the heart strings of many people...
the fact is the majority of American voters, Republican and Democrat, are "single issue" voters in the sense that there are one or two of the candidate's priorities that voters deem most important to them...and their ballot is ultimately cast based upon the narrow assumption they hold that their issue of choice will be dealt with sufficiently by the candidate they choose...candidates know this to be the case and form their entire campaign strategies around this fact...go back and listen again to the debates this election year and be reminded of how many times both candidates avoided the questions being asked in order to give the same stump speech over and over again, covering the single issues that they believe are going to convince Americans to take their side in this election...
honestly, i'm getting a little tired of hearing the refrain of "single issue voters" applied only to Evangelicals, as if they are the only segment of our population unaware of the myriad of other campaign issues and casting their votes accordingly...reality is, the majority of voters heading to the booths this year could probably not elaborate the reasons for their choice beyond one or two single issues that they have decided are important...
it seems that the author is selling many Evangelicals short by beckoning back to the assumption that Evangelicals alone are "one issue" voters...i am voting for John McCain next Tuesday; and, i admit, my vote is more a vote AGAINST Barak Obama than it is a vote FOR John McCain...but my opposition to Obama has little to nothing to do with his stance on abortion or homosexual union
and, for the record, Obama has created an entire campaign strategy out of "single issues," as is the case with most political campaigns including McCain's...early in his campaign, all we seemed to hear from Obama was "I will bring the troops home!" this was a single issue that many Americans were passionate about, and it contributed, no doubt, to his early popularity.
now it's the economy- specifically, tax benefits for the middle class, a promise that resonates with many as a singularly important issue in the campaign.
or perhaps we can bring up the constant refrain of Obama equating McCain with President Bush, playing on the fears of the American people that the next four years could be as bad as the last eight...yet another single issue that tugs at the heart strings of many people...
the fact is the majority of American voters, Republican and Democrat, are "single issue" voters in the sense that there are one or two of the candidate's priorities that voters deem most important to them...and their ballot is ultimately cast based upon the narrow assumption they hold that their issue of choice will be dealt with sufficiently by the candidate they choose...candidates know this to be the case and form their entire campaign strategies around this fact...go back and listen again to the debates this election year and be reminded of how many times both candidates avoided the questions being asked in order to give the same stump speech over and over again, covering the single issues that they believe are going to convince Americans to take their side in this election...
honestly, i'm getting a little tired of hearing the refrain of "single issue voters" applied only to Evangelicals, as if they are the only segment of our population unaware of the myriad of other campaign issues and casting their votes accordingly...reality is, the majority of voters heading to the booths this year could probably not elaborate the reasons for their choice beyond one or two single issues that they have decided are important...
Don't Forget!
Without specifically endorsing one of this year's candidates over the other, I'd like to remind everyone...
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
This is what i do at Starbucks...
I love to sit at Starbucks, pretending to read a book when I’m actually observing the people around me (sunglasses work nicely for this), or eavesdropping on people’s conversations (headphones make a great decoy).
Today, I’m listening in on a roommate interview that I can’t actually hear very well and an exchange of a used Northface sleeping bag for $100 cash. A cute girl comes in and buys an iced tea, goes back to her car and puts the tea inside only to re-enter Starbucks. I think for sure she has spotted me, is intrigued by what I am reading and wants to introduce herself. Instead, she goes to the bathroom. I guess she got cold feet.
Then, there’s the couple sitting in the corner of the establishment, the girl sitting on the lap of the guy, swaying back and forth as they both stare silently at a computer screen. I can’t get behind them to see what’s on the screen. My curiosity burns inside me. Eventually, the girl finds her own chair and sits directly in front of the window, facing out, which is particularly awkward for me since I’ve moved outside and am sitting directly in front of her on the other side of the window. Occasionally, I turn and glance at her, and it feels as if I’m at the zoo.
A well polished, black Mercedes pulls in and a middle aged woman wearing oversized sunglasses and a brown sweater emerges. As she walks inside she is untucking the t-shirt under her sweater, and in so doing she pulls up her shirt high enough to reveal her stomach. It’s actually the third stomach I’ve seen today under similar circumstances. The first two were while I was eating a burrito at lunch.
An ambulance drives by, sirens wailing, as the woman whose stomach I saw returns to her car, gets inside with her drink, re-emerges with an empty coffee cup from her cup holder, throws it in the trashcan. Addict, I think. Doesn’t she have anything better to spend her money on? I take another sip of my $4 latte and continue reading.
I always try to imagine where the ambulance might be going. Someone, somewhere is having an emergency, and it seems a bit strange to me that so many people make a really good living off of other people’s emergencies. I’m thankful that I’m not having an emergency, though if I were I would be comforted knowing that my emergency was helping someone put dinner on the table, send his kids to college, save for retirement.
There’s a guy in a red car at the intersection rubbing his hands together as if he’s cold, but I know he’s not cold. It’s a warm afternoon, and he’s in a car where a lot of heat gets trapped. I wonder why he’s not at work, and then he yawns. He must be lazy, I think.
Another lady is walking in now, shuffling across the parking lot like she’s in a hurry, like she has some emergency of her own to tend to when she gets inside. I wonder if she drives an ambulance for a living and doesn’t know how to separate work from the rest of her life. Either that or she’s one of those egotistical and pretentious types who assumes that she has to move quickly through life because she has so much going on. She makes it inside and heads straight to the bathroom, and I feel badly for judging her.
My coffee is gone, and I begin my ritualistic post-coffee buyer’s remorse. Was it really worth $4? Could I have made this at home for half as much? Am I one of them? Then I remember that the coffee wasn’t the point, really. I just needed to get out of the apartment for a while, and that was worth $4. Besides, I obviously have gotten a lot done. I feel better.
The guy working the drive-thru comes outside now, right ahead of the lady who went to the bathroom (the fast one, not the one with cold feet). The drive-thru guy is picking up the wind-scattered newspaper left by the roommate interviewer. The sun is a little warm for me now, and the drive-thru guy is still attached to his headset as a black Mazda pulls into the drive-thru. He welcomes the driver with an annoyingly happy greeting through his headset, and I’m amazed at his ability to multi-task, picking up trash and delivering spot on customer service at the same time. The drive-thru guy is about 20 feet in front of me and the drive-thru is about 10 feet behind me, and I wonder why the drive-thru guy doesn’t just walk up to the car and give the headset a rest. I wonder if the person in the car can hear the drive-thru guy in stereo, both through the speaker directly beside her and through the air behind her. If so, she might look back and see him picking up trash and be just as impressed as I am.
Another lady enters for her coffee, and as she does the alarm on her car sets, the horn honks quickly to indicate “alarm on,” and I nearly jump out of my chair. It’s not like its quiet at this busy intersection, but the horn still jolts me a bit. The ambulance is back from the emergency, heading back to the fire station but still blasting sirens as if to remind people that he just came from a serious emergency. I wonder if I should flag him down and tell him about the lady who ran to the bathroom.
The lady with the alarm comes back out. When she de-activates her alarm the signal lights blink a few times, quietly. No horn. Why is it necessary for the “alarm on” signal to be so loud while the “alarm off” signal is so quiet? She gets into her car, re-emerges, like the sweater lady (but not like the cute girl) to throw away an old coffee cup. Yet another addict. Really, what’s wrong with us?
I secretly wish I had another cup of coffee.
A poodle- with orange, Halloween bows tied in its hair. This is too easy, I think. A lady in a Buick with a decorated poodle. She’s also wearing oversized sunglasses, and I wonder why its so important for ladies to protect their eyes as well as their temples from the sun. She’s feeding the poodle chocolate, of course, and I wonder if she’s lonely…and I know she is.
Because we all are…
The guy who needs a roommate. The guy buying the sleeping bag. The cute girl. The guy rubbing his hands together. The guy who makes his living tending to our emergencies. The lady with the stomach. The girl on the other side of the window. The lady who had to go to the bathroom. The guy sitting to the side, observing it all, praying to God that someone will be interested enough in his pathetic Starbucks stories to read it all.
We’re all lonely, to varying degrees anyway. Not alone necessarily, but lonely. Not all the time, but more often than we’d like to admit publicly. And that’s not a bad thing, just how it is, and it tends to feel so difficult for us. When we don’t know how to react to it, when we try to compensate for it with over-priced coffee, stylish sunglasses, extravagant poodles, clever stories. When we try to distract ourselves from it by imagining that the cute girl is here for me or that the average girl in the window is an attraction at the zoo or that the guy rubbing his hands is too lazy to work and somehow inferior to me. We long for connection with someone…anyone. We work hard to position ourselves advantageously in relation to others, to be noticed, to be liked, to be significant.
I’m walking back to my apartment from Starbucks. As I approach the entrance to the complex I click the remote clicker and the gates open ahead of me. I like to walk into my apartment parking lot like this. I like the feeling I get when the gates open and I walk through instead of drive through. It’s like I’m royalty, a king, entering into his palace, without a remote clicker, and the gates open because someone knows that I’m the king and that I’m coming and that I shouldn’t have to open the gates for myself.
As I get closer to my apartment I notice a “St. Edwards Alum” sticker on a car. I wonder if it’s St. Edwards University in Austin and get excited. I’ve been thinking about applying to grad school at St. Edwards in Austin, so I imagine meeting the girl (because, of course, it’s a girl) who owns the car and asking her if she graduated from St. Edwards and when she say’s “yes” I say “oh my god, can I trade lives with you?” and she laughs and she tells me that she has her masters in liberal arts from St. Edwards, and I act shocked as I tell her that’s exactly the degree I want, and we have a good first conversation, and two years later we go out for drinks and talk about our masters degrees in liberal arts from St. Edwards and how enlightened and lucky we are to have such a degree and how everyone else who has a degree in, say, business or math, or a job in finance or real estate, is so one dimensional and must be terribly bored and unsatisfied. When our waitress comes by and asks if we want another drink and we ask “is it still happy hour?” and she says “no” we politely decline because neither of us has a job and we’ve both already spent more money than we should have…
But, we don’t regret it…we were both lonely and we enjoyed one another’s company.
Today, I’m listening in on a roommate interview that I can’t actually hear very well and an exchange of a used Northface sleeping bag for $100 cash. A cute girl comes in and buys an iced tea, goes back to her car and puts the tea inside only to re-enter Starbucks. I think for sure she has spotted me, is intrigued by what I am reading and wants to introduce herself. Instead, she goes to the bathroom. I guess she got cold feet.
Then, there’s the couple sitting in the corner of the establishment, the girl sitting on the lap of the guy, swaying back and forth as they both stare silently at a computer screen. I can’t get behind them to see what’s on the screen. My curiosity burns inside me. Eventually, the girl finds her own chair and sits directly in front of the window, facing out, which is particularly awkward for me since I’ve moved outside and am sitting directly in front of her on the other side of the window. Occasionally, I turn and glance at her, and it feels as if I’m at the zoo.
A well polished, black Mercedes pulls in and a middle aged woman wearing oversized sunglasses and a brown sweater emerges. As she walks inside she is untucking the t-shirt under her sweater, and in so doing she pulls up her shirt high enough to reveal her stomach. It’s actually the third stomach I’ve seen today under similar circumstances. The first two were while I was eating a burrito at lunch.
An ambulance drives by, sirens wailing, as the woman whose stomach I saw returns to her car, gets inside with her drink, re-emerges with an empty coffee cup from her cup holder, throws it in the trashcan. Addict, I think. Doesn’t she have anything better to spend her money on? I take another sip of my $4 latte and continue reading.
I always try to imagine where the ambulance might be going. Someone, somewhere is having an emergency, and it seems a bit strange to me that so many people make a really good living off of other people’s emergencies. I’m thankful that I’m not having an emergency, though if I were I would be comforted knowing that my emergency was helping someone put dinner on the table, send his kids to college, save for retirement.
There’s a guy in a red car at the intersection rubbing his hands together as if he’s cold, but I know he’s not cold. It’s a warm afternoon, and he’s in a car where a lot of heat gets trapped. I wonder why he’s not at work, and then he yawns. He must be lazy, I think.
Another lady is walking in now, shuffling across the parking lot like she’s in a hurry, like she has some emergency of her own to tend to when she gets inside. I wonder if she drives an ambulance for a living and doesn’t know how to separate work from the rest of her life. Either that or she’s one of those egotistical and pretentious types who assumes that she has to move quickly through life because she has so much going on. She makes it inside and heads straight to the bathroom, and I feel badly for judging her.
My coffee is gone, and I begin my ritualistic post-coffee buyer’s remorse. Was it really worth $4? Could I have made this at home for half as much? Am I one of them? Then I remember that the coffee wasn’t the point, really. I just needed to get out of the apartment for a while, and that was worth $4. Besides, I obviously have gotten a lot done. I feel better.
The guy working the drive-thru comes outside now, right ahead of the lady who went to the bathroom (the fast one, not the one with cold feet). The drive-thru guy is picking up the wind-scattered newspaper left by the roommate interviewer. The sun is a little warm for me now, and the drive-thru guy is still attached to his headset as a black Mazda pulls into the drive-thru. He welcomes the driver with an annoyingly happy greeting through his headset, and I’m amazed at his ability to multi-task, picking up trash and delivering spot on customer service at the same time. The drive-thru guy is about 20 feet in front of me and the drive-thru is about 10 feet behind me, and I wonder why the drive-thru guy doesn’t just walk up to the car and give the headset a rest. I wonder if the person in the car can hear the drive-thru guy in stereo, both through the speaker directly beside her and through the air behind her. If so, she might look back and see him picking up trash and be just as impressed as I am.
Another lady enters for her coffee, and as she does the alarm on her car sets, the horn honks quickly to indicate “alarm on,” and I nearly jump out of my chair. It’s not like its quiet at this busy intersection, but the horn still jolts me a bit. The ambulance is back from the emergency, heading back to the fire station but still blasting sirens as if to remind people that he just came from a serious emergency. I wonder if I should flag him down and tell him about the lady who ran to the bathroom.
The lady with the alarm comes back out. When she de-activates her alarm the signal lights blink a few times, quietly. No horn. Why is it necessary for the “alarm on” signal to be so loud while the “alarm off” signal is so quiet? She gets into her car, re-emerges, like the sweater lady (but not like the cute girl) to throw away an old coffee cup. Yet another addict. Really, what’s wrong with us?
I secretly wish I had another cup of coffee.
A poodle- with orange, Halloween bows tied in its hair. This is too easy, I think. A lady in a Buick with a decorated poodle. She’s also wearing oversized sunglasses, and I wonder why its so important for ladies to protect their eyes as well as their temples from the sun. She’s feeding the poodle chocolate, of course, and I wonder if she’s lonely…and I know she is.
Because we all are…
The guy who needs a roommate. The guy buying the sleeping bag. The cute girl. The guy rubbing his hands together. The guy who makes his living tending to our emergencies. The lady with the stomach. The girl on the other side of the window. The lady who had to go to the bathroom. The guy sitting to the side, observing it all, praying to God that someone will be interested enough in his pathetic Starbucks stories to read it all.
We’re all lonely, to varying degrees anyway. Not alone necessarily, but lonely. Not all the time, but more often than we’d like to admit publicly. And that’s not a bad thing, just how it is, and it tends to feel so difficult for us. When we don’t know how to react to it, when we try to compensate for it with over-priced coffee, stylish sunglasses, extravagant poodles, clever stories. When we try to distract ourselves from it by imagining that the cute girl is here for me or that the average girl in the window is an attraction at the zoo or that the guy rubbing his hands is too lazy to work and somehow inferior to me. We long for connection with someone…anyone. We work hard to position ourselves advantageously in relation to others, to be noticed, to be liked, to be significant.
I’m walking back to my apartment from Starbucks. As I approach the entrance to the complex I click the remote clicker and the gates open ahead of me. I like to walk into my apartment parking lot like this. I like the feeling I get when the gates open and I walk through instead of drive through. It’s like I’m royalty, a king, entering into his palace, without a remote clicker, and the gates open because someone knows that I’m the king and that I’m coming and that I shouldn’t have to open the gates for myself.
As I get closer to my apartment I notice a “St. Edwards Alum” sticker on a car. I wonder if it’s St. Edwards University in Austin and get excited. I’ve been thinking about applying to grad school at St. Edwards in Austin, so I imagine meeting the girl (because, of course, it’s a girl) who owns the car and asking her if she graduated from St. Edwards and when she say’s “yes” I say “oh my god, can I trade lives with you?” and she laughs and she tells me that she has her masters in liberal arts from St. Edwards, and I act shocked as I tell her that’s exactly the degree I want, and we have a good first conversation, and two years later we go out for drinks and talk about our masters degrees in liberal arts from St. Edwards and how enlightened and lucky we are to have such a degree and how everyone else who has a degree in, say, business or math, or a job in finance or real estate, is so one dimensional and must be terribly bored and unsatisfied. When our waitress comes by and asks if we want another drink and we ask “is it still happy hour?” and she says “no” we politely decline because neither of us has a job and we’ve both already spent more money than we should have…
But, we don’t regret it…we were both lonely and we enjoyed one another’s company.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Prayer
Last week at Journey we began a four week conversation about prayer. Many of us have found ourselves in a place where we have given up on prayer, admitting that our experience of prayer has been too disappointing or too confusing to sustain any meaningful discipline. In response to a post on our blog I've written the following thoughts. (the original post, as well as my reply on the Journey blog can be found at http://www.journeydallas.com/blog/ ) Here are my thoughts:
Richard Foster writes,
"One of the most liberating experiences in my life came when I understood that prayer involved a learning process. I was set free to question, to experiment, even to fail, for I knew I was learning."
Nancy Roth writes,
"Even emptiness itself is prayer, if we can permit ourselves to understand emptiness as part of the rhythm of the breath of God. In fact, the experience of emptiness can be one of our most powerful teachers, for it is a symptom of our desire for God. Just as our lungs crave oxygen and our whole body yearns for it if deprived of air for even a few moments, the human being...desires to be filled with God."
I don't know that we'll ever really understand prayer. I don't know that we're supposed to, or that it's possible, even. In fact, I'm sure it's not- and that may be the only thing regarding prayer that I'm certain about.
But I think what I'm discovering this week is that our greatest teacher is the prayer experience itself. As Foster says, the questioning, the experimentation, even the failing- all are part of the learning process. Conversation about prayer, or reading yet another book on prayer have been helpful insofar as they have encouraged me to move into prayer; but, it's not until I take a dive into the act of praying that I actually begin to learn anything substantial.
And, yes, even the silence, the emptiness, the absence (call it what you will) that most of us experience serves as a teacher to us, reminding us of why we pray. I commented to Danielle this week that the empty space between us and God is necessary in order to keep our hearts baited toward him- like a carrot on a stick, causing us to live in a perpetual state of self-examination, continually re-posturing ourselves toward God.
I think one of the most difficult things for me this week has been finding the humility to pray. My pride doesn't want to allow me to own up to the fact that I'm not very good at something I've been trying to do for over 30 years. I feel like I should have mastered this thing about 26 years ago.
I'm also deeply hurt when I feel that God isn't paying attention...those crazy childhood neglect wounds creep their way back to the surface of my consciousness and push me to the floor. I'd like to believe I'm stronger than that.
So, yeah, we've got a lot to learn, and I think I agree with Foster and Roth that the experience of prayer is our greatest teacher. It takes humility. It feels risky. I actually experience fear regularly in prayer. It's crazy. But, I too, feel compelled to continue trying, to continue learning. As we continue to turn ourselves to God, may we continue to learn-as much as is possible- about prayer, about ourselves, about God.
Richard Foster writes,
"One of the most liberating experiences in my life came when I understood that prayer involved a learning process. I was set free to question, to experiment, even to fail, for I knew I was learning."
Nancy Roth writes,
"Even emptiness itself is prayer, if we can permit ourselves to understand emptiness as part of the rhythm of the breath of God. In fact, the experience of emptiness can be one of our most powerful teachers, for it is a symptom of our desire for God. Just as our lungs crave oxygen and our whole body yearns for it if deprived of air for even a few moments, the human being...desires to be filled with God."
I don't know that we'll ever really understand prayer. I don't know that we're supposed to, or that it's possible, even. In fact, I'm sure it's not- and that may be the only thing regarding prayer that I'm certain about.
But I think what I'm discovering this week is that our greatest teacher is the prayer experience itself. As Foster says, the questioning, the experimentation, even the failing- all are part of the learning process. Conversation about prayer, or reading yet another book on prayer have been helpful insofar as they have encouraged me to move into prayer; but, it's not until I take a dive into the act of praying that I actually begin to learn anything substantial.
And, yes, even the silence, the emptiness, the absence (call it what you will) that most of us experience serves as a teacher to us, reminding us of why we pray. I commented to Danielle this week that the empty space between us and God is necessary in order to keep our hearts baited toward him- like a carrot on a stick, causing us to live in a perpetual state of self-examination, continually re-posturing ourselves toward God.
I think one of the most difficult things for me this week has been finding the humility to pray. My pride doesn't want to allow me to own up to the fact that I'm not very good at something I've been trying to do for over 30 years. I feel like I should have mastered this thing about 26 years ago.
I'm also deeply hurt when I feel that God isn't paying attention...those crazy childhood neglect wounds creep their way back to the surface of my consciousness and push me to the floor. I'd like to believe I'm stronger than that.
So, yeah, we've got a lot to learn, and I think I agree with Foster and Roth that the experience of prayer is our greatest teacher. It takes humility. It feels risky. I actually experience fear regularly in prayer. It's crazy. But, I too, feel compelled to continue trying, to continue learning. As we continue to turn ourselves to God, may we continue to learn-as much as is possible- about prayer, about ourselves, about God.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
If They're Popular, They're Probably Not Sound...
For the past few weeks I, like many, have been giving much thought to the ever-increasing possibility of Americans electing Barak Obama as our next President. Since Obama won the nomination of his party, delivering a knock out blow to the Clinton machine, I've felt a constant sense of uneasiness about Obama's popularity. As a lifelong conservative, moving closer and closer to the center each election, I long for an alternative to the status quo that the Republican party continues to deliver. I recognize that many conservatives feel the same.
However, it has seemed painfully obvious to me over the past several weeks that so many people have been duped by the sentiment and rhetoric of Senator Obama. Obama's rise to popularity has been fueled by his repetition, ad nauseam, of the mantras of "hope" and "change." Crowds of fans chant and cheer, faint in his presence and elevate his status to "Messiah." To his credit, it has been a brilliant campaign strategy. He has unashamedly played to the vulnerabilities of the masses as one of history's least popular presidents ends his time in office.
My uneasiness with Obama and his well-polished stump speeches has been centered around one major question. Will President Obama be able to deliver on the promises Senator Obama is waxing so eloquently?
I visited with a friend a couple of nights ago and explained to him that if Obama is elected I expect that many Americans will ultimately be very disappointed. Obama has seduced masses of Americans into believing that he has the answers to all that ails us socially, politically, globally. Americans have taken the bait and placed their hope for a better future into the hands of one man who they know very little about outside of the well-crafted answers he's given to journalists who refuse to ask him difficult questions.
As I've began to feel this uneasiness more and more in recent weeks I've often paused to contemplate the possibility that I am overreacting. Perhaps it won't be as I imagine it. Perhaps I will be the one who is surprised by what Obama is or isn't able to do as President. I've mostly kept this whole line of thought to myself, feeling like I am probably alone in my view, or that I'm not really informed enough to make such an assertion...that is, until Joe Biden confirmed for me everything that I had been thinking.
Have you heard Mr. Biden's comments from earlier this week? Astonishing! They actually make me feel like a genius. Many of you have probably heard the comments Biden made concerning the immanence of an international crisis if Obama is elected, an event intended to test the "mettle" of a newly elected President Obama. This is the comment that has received the most media attention. But, Biden went on:
"This guy has it. But he's gonna need your help. Because I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, 'Oh, my God, why are they there in the polls? Why is the polling so down? Why is this thing so tough?' We're gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I'm asking you now ... be prepared to stick with us. ... There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, 'Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that decision.' Because if you think the decision is sound when they're made ... they're not likely to be as popular as they are sound. Because if they're popular, they're probably not sound."
Are you kidding me? You don't have to read between the lines here to see exactly what Biden is doing. He's preparing America for the inevitable- the disappointment and disillusionment they are sure to feel if Obama wins. Senator Obama has tried to downplay Biden's comments throughout the week, wanting us to believe that Biden was referring generally to whoever next assumes the office of President. Read the quote in its entirety and notice the very specific mention of Barak Obama, the repeated use of "he," and "us" and "we" throughout the comments. Obama is obviously doing damage control. (My bet is, when the time comes and Obama's popularity is down, he will point back to this moment in his own defense and claim that he warned us)
So, my conclusion on this matter is simple: AMERICANS HAVE BEEN DUPED!!! Barak Obama, who has very little experience, a questionable record of voting (or failing to vote) as a Senator, who has a questionable history of associations with extremely liberal, anti-American wackos has sounded the sirens of hope and change as loudly as he knows how...and Americans have fallen for him and are setting themselves up for severe disappointment. I realize that every presidential election comes down to a popularity contest. I just wish that more people would see past the smoke and mirrors, look deeply at the reality of who Senator Obama is and the limitations he will certainly face as President. There's no doubt that Obama is a popular guy, and rightly so. But I think we would all be well-served to hear the words of Mr. Biden one more time:
"...if they're popular, they're probably not sound."
fyi, here's a link to an article containing the full text from Biden's speech:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/biden-to-suppor.html
However, it has seemed painfully obvious to me over the past several weeks that so many people have been duped by the sentiment and rhetoric of Senator Obama. Obama's rise to popularity has been fueled by his repetition, ad nauseam, of the mantras of "hope" and "change." Crowds of fans chant and cheer, faint in his presence and elevate his status to "Messiah." To his credit, it has been a brilliant campaign strategy. He has unashamedly played to the vulnerabilities of the masses as one of history's least popular presidents ends his time in office.
My uneasiness with Obama and his well-polished stump speeches has been centered around one major question. Will President Obama be able to deliver on the promises Senator Obama is waxing so eloquently?
I visited with a friend a couple of nights ago and explained to him that if Obama is elected I expect that many Americans will ultimately be very disappointed. Obama has seduced masses of Americans into believing that he has the answers to all that ails us socially, politically, globally. Americans have taken the bait and placed their hope for a better future into the hands of one man who they know very little about outside of the well-crafted answers he's given to journalists who refuse to ask him difficult questions.
As I've began to feel this uneasiness more and more in recent weeks I've often paused to contemplate the possibility that I am overreacting. Perhaps it won't be as I imagine it. Perhaps I will be the one who is surprised by what Obama is or isn't able to do as President. I've mostly kept this whole line of thought to myself, feeling like I am probably alone in my view, or that I'm not really informed enough to make such an assertion...that is, until Joe Biden confirmed for me everything that I had been thinking.
Have you heard Mr. Biden's comments from earlier this week? Astonishing! They actually make me feel like a genius. Many of you have probably heard the comments Biden made concerning the immanence of an international crisis if Obama is elected, an event intended to test the "mettle" of a newly elected President Obama. This is the comment that has received the most media attention. But, Biden went on:
"This guy has it. But he's gonna need your help. Because I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, 'Oh, my God, why are they there in the polls? Why is the polling so down? Why is this thing so tough?' We're gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I'm asking you now ... be prepared to stick with us. ... There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, 'Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that decision.' Because if you think the decision is sound when they're made ... they're not likely to be as popular as they are sound. Because if they're popular, they're probably not sound."
Are you kidding me? You don't have to read between the lines here to see exactly what Biden is doing. He's preparing America for the inevitable- the disappointment and disillusionment they are sure to feel if Obama wins. Senator Obama has tried to downplay Biden's comments throughout the week, wanting us to believe that Biden was referring generally to whoever next assumes the office of President. Read the quote in its entirety and notice the very specific mention of Barak Obama, the repeated use of "he," and "us" and "we" throughout the comments. Obama is obviously doing damage control. (My bet is, when the time comes and Obama's popularity is down, he will point back to this moment in his own defense and claim that he warned us)
So, my conclusion on this matter is simple: AMERICANS HAVE BEEN DUPED!!! Barak Obama, who has very little experience, a questionable record of voting (or failing to vote) as a Senator, who has a questionable history of associations with extremely liberal, anti-American wackos has sounded the sirens of hope and change as loudly as he knows how...and Americans have fallen for him and are setting themselves up for severe disappointment. I realize that every presidential election comes down to a popularity contest. I just wish that more people would see past the smoke and mirrors, look deeply at the reality of who Senator Obama is and the limitations he will certainly face as President. There's no doubt that Obama is a popular guy, and rightly so. But I think we would all be well-served to hear the words of Mr. Biden one more time:
"...if they're popular, they're probably not sound."
fyi, here's a link to an article containing the full text from Biden's speech:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/biden-to-suppor.html
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