Rant-able, or Not!

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Some of my American friends are wrestling with how they voted in the last presidential election. Believing that Hilary wasn’t a good choice they voted for Donald. Now they are rethinking that. The latest scandal to hit the White House has sent ripples throughout the world. Donald was caught disparaging people from African nations and from Haiti even while he is signing some kind of document to honour Martin Luther King Jr. He claims that what he said was taken out of context. Even if it was, calling African nations “s—hole” countries is not appropriate no matter what the context. But that is the mouth of man. And the Scriptures (Matthew 15:18, 19) are clear that what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart—deny it all you want!

Meanwhile, our own Prime Minister is pushing his marijuana agenda in town halls across the country. A young Muslim girl was attacked in Toronto because of her hijab. The PM expressed concern, and rightly so, but then made the statement that, “This is not what Canada is.” Sorry, it is what Canada is, because the person who perpetrated the crime (and it was a reprehensible act) is as Canadian as the little girl, and unhappily represents what is in the heart of more than a few others, whether they express it or not.

Out of the heart come the actions and attitudes and words that we see and hear on a daily basis. We are, as that heart is, desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).

I confess I was angry this morning at the stupidity—mostly of our politicians on both sides of the border. Canadians have a provincial election coming up and I can’t vote for any of those running for office. For the most part they sell their souls to get enough votes to win, and then prostitute themselves to stay in office. Values are for sale to the highest bidder—anything to win office and then to stay there. None of them represent me.

So what to do? Not vote? That’s not an option. Men and women fought and died so that I could have the privilege of living in a democracy and have the opportunity to vote. I’m not sure that I would be able to go into the voting booth and write in the name of someone other than those running for office—Kiefer Sutherland, of Designated Surviver, for Prime Minister (or President if he happens now to have American citizenship). I understand that is possible in at least some parts of the states. But I suppose I could go into the voting booth and spoil my ballot, either by not voting for anyone at all, or by writing, “None of you will do” across its face. There is probable a jail term for defacing a ballot. So much for freedom of expression.

But then again freedom of expression is not inclusive in this country anymore. If you are a big enough special interest group to be worth enough votes to earn the selling of the political soul in support of your cause, then you have the right to speak—and be heard—without negative repercussions. That does not apply to we “little people” from whom any “squeak” is considered offensive, prejudicial, judgmental, and actionable.

This morning, in my private rant, I shook my fist at God for about 30 seconds—30 seconds too long, I confess. The charge, similar to Job’s, was “Why don’t You fix this stupidity?”

There is lot of stupidity to go around. It doesn’t just exist in the halls of power, but in the pews of the basically powerless who seem to have abandoned their commitment to the cross for the comfort of the cuddle and coddle.

I wonder if that is why we, as believers, are so powerless, why we have lost the privilege of speaking and being heard? We have abandoned the roots of our faith and no longer come under God’s protection and provision as far as the political will is concerned. It seems like Israel’s history might be good example to us—every time she strayed from her commitment to God her enemies overtook her—with God’s permission and support.

So my rant, my fist-shaking, only brings me back to me. Lord, fix my stupidity, because my commitment to you is all I can fix. I know who I need to be before you. You have told me in your Word what you require of me. I recognize how far from that I am. Forgive me. Renew that “right spirit”, and create that “clean heart” in me (Psalm 51:10). And Lord, I’d really like you to do it for the rest of your church too, but right now, I really need you to do it in me.

Oddly enough my verse for today is from Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” which reminds me that God owes me no explanations for how He works or why He does what He does. But I will owe Him more than simply an explanation for not doing, and being, all that He has revealed for me to do, and be.