Politics Only Occasionally

Politics Only Occasionally

Jesus was crucified because in part he railed against the political system of his time and yet He adeptly functioned within it until God’s appointed hour.

The Pharisees sent their disciples to Jesus. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away."
(Matthew 15:15-22)

I think this kind of sums it all up. Jesus doesn’t call Caesar names; Caesar isn’t painted as the Devil, Hitler, Attila the Hun, Stalin, a Socialist or Communist. Caesar is painted as simply a man, Caesar, and as such what is his, is his.

Why then in our day is there such hate, animosity and treachery? Why have so many of us bought into the un-qualified, un-quantified prattle and rattle on the air waves? What on Earth would possess tens if not hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom claim to believe; tune in daily to either television, the Internet or radio to listen to a group of folks talk in highly rhetorical terms that lack true ideas, true insight and dare I say truth?

Any true believer by the very nature of following the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, God incarnate, should when this kind of stuff starts whether it is in media or in person, RUN, not walk to the nearest door. I might point out too that it DOES NOT MATTER FROM WHICH SIDE OF THE AISLE THE NOISE IS COMING FROM…RUN.

Yet, we don’t, we forget. What is Jesus' greatest commission and commandment?

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (NIV, Mark 12:28-31).

I say participate in the process, vote, read, listen but don’t become consumed with politics and the partisan chaff; no good can come of it. Each and every side and facet has made their mission the verbal annihilation of the other side. Unfortunately many who are inundated with this daily rattle and prattle don’t know how to draw the line between language, hurt speak and actually hurting and harming others. The purveyors of “entertainment” that feed this frenzy laugh; they laugh all the way to the ad generated revenue bank.

I believe that the worst thing to happen to our society recently is the 24 hour news cycle. When we relied on the printed word, long contemplated and judicious thought had to go into what actually got typeset; sure there was prattle and rattle; but a lot less of it and it took us much longer to consume it. With the advent of 86,400 seconds per day to fill up with “something,” little if any thought needs go into the process. Truthfully in most typical days there isn’t even 3600 seconds/1 hour to “true” news. How then can we fill up a full day? We can’t! The media conglomerates and entertainment moguls must find SOMETHING to fill their valuable air time lest they not make money; and often what they find is dissent and hostility, the dissection and regurgitation of the most infinitesimal mish mash that may or may not be important and much of this disguised as “NEWS” when it is in fact “ANALYSIS” and “COMMENTARY.”

In a word, a final word or two…turn off the television, turn off the radio, turn off the computer and go serve your fellow man.