On Sandy Hook

It has taken several days for me to be able to pull any coherent thoughts together about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT.  I have cried more about the deaths and heroism of these strangers than I have about too much else, ever.  I have wondered, with so many mass shootings these days, what it is about this one that has so deeply touched me (and it is really sad that mass shootings have become "just another thing" in our lives).  For me, the reason is quite simple really.  I'm a mother.  Not just any mother, but a mother to an almost 6 year-old girl.  When I heard the news of this tragedy last Friday, I immediately pictured the precious face of my daughter and the faces of her classmates, how innocent and defenseless they really are to this world.  I imagined how terrified those children must have been, how some must have frozen in fear, some must have ran and hid, and some must have tried to help their friends and/or fight.  I can clearly imagine those things because I know first-hand about children that age.  I know exactly how a child that age looks, acts, and even smells!  I immediately thought about the parents of those children, the fear and panic and pain.  How, as a parent, could one face another day, much less even think about celebrating Christmas, after something like this.  I immediately wanted to speed to my daughter's school, pull her out, and never let her go back; to move to some remote island and keep my children in a bubble where they could never get hurt in any way.  If I'm honest, I even immediately briefly wondered about God - where was He when this happened?  How in the world could He let this happen to those precious babies and the loving and brave faculty who died protecting them?  The thing is, though, that this world is really, really broken and there are so many things here that we do not, and can not, understand.  We, myself included, forget that millions of children and teachers made it home safe Friday, praise God!  I know that God was there crying right alongside of those families in CT, and all of us.  I know that He was there to welcome all of those sweet angels into heaven - that they never, ever have to be afraid again.  I certainly am not wise enough to understand or be able to explain why these things happen.  I know it brings little comfort to those families, but perhaps those people, the children included, were already so perfectly prepared for heaven that any more time on earth would have been an unnecessary waste for them.  We really are not made for this world.  Perhaps there is something bigger and better that their families are supposed to do as a result of all of this.  I don't know.  Every time I see a picture or hear a story about one of those precious lives, I can't help but feel sad and angry and wonder what has become of us.

What gives me hope is, not only my faith, but the innocent joy in my daughters' eyes; the curiosity, the excitement, the love, the will to experience life to the fullest and make a difference.  I pray that I am raising daughters who have a cautious, yet confident fearlessness.  I pray that Madelynn continues to be so in tune with her spirituality that she always knows that "God is everywhere and He will protect me", just as she reminded me on Monday morning when I was feeling anxious about taking her to school.  I pray that God will wrap His loving and healing arms around everyone involved with this tragedy in CT.  I pray that this world wakes up and makes the necessary changes so that nothing like this will ever happen again.

Rest in Peace precious children and faculty of Sandy Hook.  I know I will never forget any of you.






           

Religion and Politics

Alright y’all, I am about to break one of the most fundamental “rules”, if you will, that my daddy taught me growing up.  I am about to talk about, not just religion, but about politics as well, in polite company.  *Gasp!*  The presidential election this year brought to light, for me, some issues in regards to religion and politics that I never closely considered before.  Perhaps it is my new-found faith and dedication to Christ that has opened my eyes.  Maybe it is just the fact that that I am hitting “middle age” (Eeek!) and I am raising two daughters so I am more aware, shall we say, of the world in a more mature way.  Whatever the reason, I feel like I need to comment on this topic, and some of you might disagree or even get angry or offended.  For that, I apologize, but I do promise that my words come from a place of compassion and love and a desire for that compassion and love for all.

During this past presidential election, I began to wonder if it is possible to be both a Christ-follower and a “liberal”.  I have always considered myself to have more liberal views and opinions.  Peace and equality have always reigned supreme in my political focus and I have always floated much more to the left than to the right.  In my new walk with Christ, I have been challenged to take another look at my ideals and values, and re-evaluate them in a more biblical and Christ-like way.  You know what’s really cool?  In my self and biblical exploration, I am discovering that, despite what some Christians, especially right-wing “Christian” politicians might say, being a Christ-follower and being more liberal-minded are not mutually exclusive!  It seems that I was probably mostly on the right track from the beginning! 

Hang with me for a minute.  Let me unpack this.  You might be thinking that it is not possible to support the things that liberal folks tend to endorse and follow Jesus.  In some ways you are right, but let’s talk about this for a minute.  Let’s talk about Jesus and who, exactly, he chose to hang out with and minister to during his life on earth.  Couldn’t we say that Jesus spent most of his time with the poor, sick, needy, lying, thieving, adultering, murdering, lowest of the low people on the planet?  In fact, many of his disciples were crooks and criminals, people who many folks warming the pews of Christian churches all over the world today would not dream of hanging out with.  Jesus also chose to seek out and spend time with women, a big, big “no-no” back in those days.  We could argue that Jesus was really the first in the Women’s Rights movement.  We could also affirm that since the Lord created this beautiful planet and all who inhabit it, that He is likely pretty darn concerned about how we treat the environment and the animals.

So you might be thinking, “what does all of this have to do with politics”.  I believe that typically, and this is where some people might start to get offended, typically the more right-wing folks are not supportive of social programs, laws, and so forth that support these groups of people.  Issues for women’s and children’s rights, equality, and healthcare; issues for the poor and infirm; issues for those who have been convicted of crimes; environmental and animal protection issues all tend to be more left-wing concerns.  I'm not saying that "Tea party" folks are not concerned with these things.  I am saying, though, that these issues tend to be a point of contention between parties and that the lefties tend to be more supportive of these groups and areas.

Let’s unpack this just a bit more and consider a few specific issues.  Because I live in the South, I would be completely remiss if I didn’t at least mention the issue of gun control.  First let me say that Jesus never used anything resembling a gun, any weapon, or even his hands in a threatening way against another person; not even the people who were torturing and murdering him!  With that being said, I do believe that in today’s scary world, it should be perfectly legal to own a firearm, UNLESS you are mentally or emotionally unstable or a convicted criminal.  If you are not in one of these categories then STOP worrying about it!  No one is trying to take your guns away!  Yes, guns will still get into the wrong hands through illegal means, but we can and should do our part to make that as difficult as possible.  Sure, that means it might be a bit harder and take a bit longer for everyone else to acquire one, but get over it and learn to be patient.

While I’m talking guns I might as well mention animal rights, a more liberal concern.  It’s pretty simple really, God created animals and He commanded us to look after them.  Using “we must control the population” and “we’re at the top of the food chain” as excuses for hunting are, frankly, a joke.  If you like to hunt for sport, fine.  Just call a spade a spade and say you like to hunt for sport.  WE don’t need to control the population.  Nature will do that.  And yes, we might be at the top of the food chain in some respects, but let me drop you into the middle of the African plains with only the clothes on your back and no weapons and let’s see what happens.  J  I have to admit, though, I do enjoy a good burger or steak from time to time! 

On a related note, let’s talk about the environment.  Regardless of what one might believe about global warming and such, the fact remains that we are destroying the environment with our chemicals and our wastefulness and our technology.  I do not believe that God would want us to treat this beautiful world that He created in this way.  He wants us be loving stewards of the land – to use what we need, but to nurture and replenish it as well.     

If I haven’t already made you mad, let’s get into a hot button issue.  How about gay marriage and homosexuality?  Guess what?  Jesus loved everyone!  Every single person!  Regardless of their choices and sins!  What does the Bible specifically say about homosexuality?  Well, I have done A LOT of studying on this topic and really, it is a little less clear than some might say.  Basically, the Bible says that homosexuality is biologically erroneous since sex was primarily created for procreation, and it lists homosexuality in line with other sexual sins including adultery and impure thoughts (and y'all pornography and even "trashy romance" novels and movies - hey there Magic Mike and 50 Shades of Gray - fit into the realm of sexual sin!  Ouch!).  Regardless of what I may or may not believe about homosexuality in and of itself, it – the issue of gay marriage – does not belong in politics!  Why should the government – the law – care about who wants to get married?  That choice is not hurting or even impacting anyone else.  Churches do not have to support it, though I do believe that churches should welcome ANYONE and EVERYONE through their doors.  Gay marriage does not threaten the sanctity of my marriage to my husband or anyone else’s marriage in the least, and it’s just not the government’s business.

Let’s talk a bit more about the issue of women’s rights.  I already touched on the fact that Jesus was probably the start of the Women’s Rights movement.  There are those religious and political folks that speak of the parts of the Bible that say that women should submit to men, particularly their husbands, in every way.  While this might be true in some respect, what about the parts of the Bible that spell out how men should treat women – that women should be revered as queens, as daughters of God, as precious gifts to be treasured.  After all, we women are the FIRST and ONLY things that God did not create from the dirt!  God saw that man could not live life alone and He created women from the man’s body!  How cool is that?  As women, we have the power to bring forth new life.  Our bodies and our minds are amazing and God created us that way because He knew that we were strong enough to handle it.  Christians often refer to the man as the head of the family, and that should be true.  However, if that is true, the woman is the neck of the family, and the head would be aimless, unsupported, and essentially worthless, without the neck.

So if you have made it this far and you aren’t mad or are even just a little miffed, thanks for hanging in with me.  I feel like, however, I need to go out on a long, shaky limb and talk about one more very sensitive subject.  Abortion.  Goodness y’all this is a tough one, one that I still have some conflicting feelings about.  Let me say first that I believe that abortion is wrong.  I especially believe that it is wrong to use it as a form of birth control, or even “oops” control.  I think it is a sin to take a human life, period end of story.  For me, though, the waters get a little muddy in a few special cases.  Take, for instance, rape or incest.  It is only by the grace of God that I never had to even consider this issue, but what if, at 15 years old when I was raped, I had gotten pregnant?  I cannot honestly say what I would have done then.  I don’t think any choice would have been easy or “right”.  This choice is never easy or right for any woman who must face it.  I mean, if I had chosen to abort then I would have had to live with that decision, that choice to kill my baby, for the rest of my life.  If I had chosen not to abort, however, I would also have to live with that decision, that choice to carry and raise a baby (most likely without a father) that was created out of selfishness and violence, for the rest of my life.  Would I always look at that child and see my abuser’s face?  Would it have impacted my feelings or my mothering of that child?  I honestly have no idea.  Thank you God that this did not happen and that I did not have to make that decision.  Thank you!  Other girls are not so lucky.  There are women, too, that despite taking every precaution, still become pregnant and that pregnancy totally threatens her health and even her own life, as well as the life of the child.  Should the government say that this woman cannot abort?  Like I said, I’m still very conflicted on this issue.  I value life and really the biggest part of me screams that abortion is NEVER OK.  Never. That there are plenty of families out there that would give anything for a child and so there is always the option of adoption.   As a woman, though, I’m not sure I can say that it is the government’s job to tell a woman what she can or cannot do with her body.  Here’s the thing, though, if I say I value life, then that really should be across the board.  I believe, then, that I cannot be OK with taking a life for any reason, even capital punishment.  Let’s chew on that for a little while.  We just have to keep in mind that Jesus was not OK with capital punishment.  How many Bible accounts are there of Jesus interceding when someone was going to be stoned; of Jesus befriending the lowest of the low criminals?  It's incredibly cheesy, but it still rings true: "What would Jesus do". 

So……… I think I touched on some of the political issues that tend to get tangled up with religion, particularly during election time.  I think, for me, it comes down to the question of how involved the government should be in our day to day living.  Yes, we do need some sort of body to keep us in line and help us avoid anarchy, but, really, is every little thing the government’s business or responsibility?  Should the government help us make our moral choices and determine our values?  I don’t know.  Really, I believe that if more of us would work harder to be more like Christ, then we wouldn’t need much of a government at all………………and if I’m being totally honest, it makes me really, REALLY angry that politicians, that people in general, use our loving Savior’s name to be judgmental butt heads!  Go ahead and spew your hatred, but don’t blame it on Jesus, or God, or the Bible!  Don’t you dare!  GOD IS LOVE!  And that love is for every person and every thing.  Period.

Peace and love y’all!