In our American politics, it saddens me to see many Christians on both side of the aisle apply bad theology and mistake their parties philosophical worldview for a Biblical one.

I came across this quote in a book about worldviews and I saw both party platforms in it.

First the Republican: “The humanist assumes that to be free is to do whatever one pleases. If a person’s reason is clear and their will is free, their only limitations are physical.”

I don’t think all Republicans are humanist, nor do I think all would agree with this. But the basic philosophical under pinnings of the platform are—work hard, set your mind to it, freedom is your right and you can achieve anything in this country. “Yes You Can!”

Next the Democrats: “The Marxist assumes just the opposite. People are in bondage, personally, intellectually, and morally to economic forces beyond their control. Freedom is simply participation in a new collective political consciousness and the inevitable historical process taking them to a classless utopia.”

Again, I don’t think all Democrats are Marxists, nor do I think all would agree with this. But, as with the Republican/humanist underpinning, so goes the democrat philosophical platform—we should share equally in our burdens as Americans. There’s nothing wrong with those who have more sharing a little extra with those who have less—it’s called being neighborly. Together we can bring the change we need. “Yes We Can!”

But the Biblical world view says neither. It says apart from Christ I can do nothing, but in Christ I can or we can do all things. We fail the mission of the church and our calling as ambassadors of a new kingdom when we as Christians forget this.

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Posted by email from thinkshawn’s posterous

“You came and restored dignity to a shamed humanity. You honored … the lowly, the dis-graced of the world. You came and challenged the honor of the honorable and restored it to the poor, the broken, those who need and know they need.”

I think it sucks that I have moments when things are as clear as they must have been when I wrote that and then … things are like they are now. I’m not so clear headed or full of wonder. I think because I’ve been to full of myself lately.

I thought about honor–it’s a mysterious substance. When we see it we’re moved and we instinctively respond that what we are seeing is right and what we are seeing is good, and we cannot explain why. It just is.

Link from Mac Richard through the Deadly Viper Blog.

It was on!

It does matter. He matters.

He bears God’s image, no amount of dirt, grime or sin can change that.

He matters, and so do you.

I’ve been thinking about what I trust… who I trust.

I find that I put a lot of pressure on myself to make the “right” decision. I play out all the scenarios and ponder all the what ifs. Vacilating back and forth I clog my head with questions.

All that wrestling, all that self imposed pressure and fear that I might get it wrong, brings me face to face with whom I’m trusting and he looks a lot like–me.

My advice for a friend and a stranger this weekend is really the best advice for myself. I need to say this to myself and keep saying it. I need to turn it into my prayer and let it become a part of me:

“Lord, I trust you, more than I trust my ability to hear you.”

So be it.

It is not because He’s great, (although He is that.)

No, we praise Him because He’s good.

And that makes all the difference.