Sunday, January 15, 2017
Sunday Reflection: Inauguration, Dissent, and the Next Four Years
As we all know, there will be an inauguration this week, one that many people thought highly unlikely; Donald J. Trump will become the president, having won the election according to the rules we have. I have said before that elections have consequences, and this one certainly will.
I'm starting to realize something.
Christians may continue to be the majority in the country, but Christians who believe that Christ meant what he said-- the two great commandments, for example-- are becoming a small and embattled minority, nearly invisible beneath the greater number who believe that the faith is one of self-congratulation and judgment of others. The election and the discussion that surrounded it is one of two events that has led me to this sad realization (the other has to do with Baylor).
Meanwhile, in my project on clemency, rooted in the idea of mercy, few of my co-travelers are Christian.
I would not say I am losing my faith in God. I am losing my faith in the role of Christians in American society, though.
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One thing I mention to my kids quite often is that I get tired of other people telling me who I am and trying to hijack my identity, ie "You're not a Christian if you think being gay is OK" or "You're not a Christian if you accept evolution" or "You're not a good American if you're against this war or that war." They're a noisy group right now, but those folks don't get to speak for me. I try to be a representation of Christianity as I know it. I won't, though, say that someone is or isn't a Christian -- that's their call, not mine.
There's an entire denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, that might make you feel more positive about the number of like-minded Christians in the U.S. Check us out! We'll be sitting quietly as far back in the church as possible, planning our next pot-luck.
There's an entire denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, that might make you feel more positive about the number of like-minded Christians in the U.S. Check us out! We'll be sitting quietly as far back in the church as possible, planning our next pot-luck.
Faith is a journey. You will land where you belong and with the right people. To act like a true Christian does not mean you have to affiliate with a church although I know you and know that you find comfort in the church and many of its other rituals. Be at peace with yourself and your decisions.
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