The President of Presidents

I played trumpet in school bands from fifth grade on up into college. Yes, I was a band nerd (and enjoyed it). But, I was more than just a band nerd. In eighth grade I was elected president of the Elizabeth Middle School Band…I was the president of band nerds.

As I think back on that experience it seems funny, now. What is an eighth grader going to do as president of a middle school band? I suppose I could have been a true leader and organized efforts to cheer the hearts of the community with wonderful concerts that would have been more than a little off-pitch. But, I didn’t. In fact, I can only vaguely remember one meeting with the other officers and our band teacher…and I am not even sure what it was about. Despite my prestigious title, our teacher was the one in charge.

And now, another United States Presidential election is drawing near.

More Persistent Walls

I better stand on my soapbox a little longer before someone starts beating me over the head with it.  I feel compelled to bring up another wall that is not recent, but has taken on a new look.  If you haven’t read my previous post about walls, then I recommend doing that first.

Sometimes we maintain walls that we think we have good reasons to maintain, when, in fact, we do not.  For instance, for many Christians the problem with illegal immigration is not so much that it is illegal, but that it is immigration.  Illegal immigration is used as a convenient avenue to express what really amounts to fear of the unknown.  We hear people talking in languages we do not understand, and we fear that they are talking about us.  Our fears are confirmed when they laugh, because we know they are laughing at us. (I hope my sarcasm is obvious.)

So, Christians make statements like, “All immigrants should have to learn English if they are going to come to our country.”  All the while, maybe they do not realize that the United States has no official language.  And, they make comments within the confines of a discussion about illegal immigration since “illegal” means we can take a moral stand on the issue. But this is not even the real problem.

Church Politics

An awareness of the political scene brought on suddenly by the impending presidential election has got my gears turning.  As a preacher, and simply as a Christian, I am aware of the moral status of the United States (and the world in general).  I am aware of the fact that bills are entertained and passed that conflict with, or at least display a sort of active indifference towards, God’s laws.  I am aware that many “Christian,” “conservative” groups, including churches and church leaders, make it their aim to uphold God’s laws and subvert these bills by attempting to influence the voting public, or by attempting to influence the elected officials. 

However (bet you knew that was coming), I wonder if a lot of time and resources are spent trying to influence in the wrong ways.