Blue: the Sadness

A lot of people in our country are mad these days. I don't find that very helpful. In fact, that seems to me to actually be kind of dangerous. Instead I get a little sad about the current state of this United States. Because where madness usually drives people to take crazy action; a sadness borne of deep affection usually drives believers to loving action and dedicated prayer. There are a lot of things about our country that make me sad. It's mostly because I love it so much. I think the best way to describe it, is that it's like watching a very dear friend go through difficult times, and feeling as though you are largely unable to help them out. I just mostly feel powerless to do anything about it, but I know that I can pray, and I do, and will continue to. These are just a few things I'm sad about.

I am sad because I think our nation has lost a lot of the selflessness that once made us wonderful.

I am sad because the Democrats want to give everything away, and I fear we will not survive it.

I am sad because the Republicans are stingy beyond reason, or compassion.

I am sad because both parties act like spoiled little brats.

I am sad because bi-partisanship has died in the last decade.

I am sad because the words "Tea Party" used to mean something great before its recent scary revitalization and rebranding.

I am sad because our political system is a rotten quagmire of crooked career politicians, more interested in currying favor and power, than in helping people.

I am sad because our country's moral compass takes its bearing from the relativist fickle masses rather than objective truth.

I am sad because we are turning into a nation of cynics, talking heads, and "reality" TV, and I am trying not to fall into any of those categories (it's not easy).

I am sad because every time a stranger looks at my son I think about how I can protect him from them if they turn out to be a psycho or pedophile.

I am sad because in a nation of so much, so many have so little.

I am sad because schools no longer teach kids how to think, they try to teach them how to test.

I am sad because shame is an antiquated idea.

I am sad because we are addicted to ourselves.

I am sad, because sometimes that is more helpful than being mad.

Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness

White: the Innocence

I was watching The Munsters with my nephew and brother-in-law this weekend. It was great. It had been so long since I had watched it, that I had forgotten what a wholesome, family friendly, show it was. It made me start to think about a lot of things that seem to have grown dirty and soiled over the years. TV definitely, but I think in general our pop-culture has certainly lost its innocence. Hearing yesterday's big news on the passing of TV legend Andy Griffith was for me, like so many others, a proverbial nail in the coffin.

In the aftermath of the very sad news I was watching an interview with the classy Matlock star the night he was inducted into the Hall of Fame some time ago. The interviewer questioned Andy about his opinion on the "modern" state of TV. I found his answer to be a sad commentary. In short, he had stopped watching TV long ago, really only preferring the news if he watched at all. A public indictment from Mayberry's humble Sheriff is quite the statement on the condition of entertainment in America.

I'm not some ultra-conservative fundamentalist here to bemoan all aspects of media and entertainment. There are still a few decent programs you can watch. It just takes some research and censorship on our part to find them. Particularly for me, I find myself watching less and less television all the time. My chief sources for entertainment have shifted to books and film, where I am incredibly critical and careful of both. (I recently greatly enjoyed seeing Brave and John Carter.)

Growing up through the 80s the TV landscape was vastly different than today. The Andy Griffith Show reruns I used to watch have been replaced by really crappy reality TV, vitriol spewing news networks, and filthy "comedy".

Traditionally the color white has always stood for purity, wholesomeness, and innocence. This 4th of July, as my wife and I stay indoors to watch movies together (The Vow, Patriot, and Captain America) I am wishing that were still the case.

Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness

10 Things I Love About America

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. I really love this country. My heritage goes deep. I'm part Native American, and part English immigrant, but one way or another my family was here from the very beginning of this great nation. I've always been patriotic, as anyone that knows me well at all can tell you. Here are ten things I love about this wonderful land we live in.

1. The Bill of Rights is pretty awesome. Owning guns and being able to read the free press are WIN scenarios any way you slice it.

2. Captain America. I don't believe that requires any further explanation.

3. Charity; people all across the board like to point fingers and gripe about everything from entitlement, perceived socialism, welfare, deficits, and stinginess, but facts are facts. The U.S.A. Is the most charitable country on the Earth both inside and outside its borders. Whatever side of the political aisle you find yourself on, next time you want to gripe about charity, you would do well to remember that once upon a time that word actually meant LOVE and not HANDOUT.

4. Creativity; thinking and doing are appreciated in a myriad of ways. We aren't the only creative culture around, but we manage it with a sense of style that is uniquely American.

5. Freedom of Expression; some people choose to exercise this particular freedom like bone-headed-nincompoops, but that is their prerogative. For every flag burning moron out there, there are an army of sensible artists ready to wow us with their beautiful minds.

6. Protection; if you come to my house and threaten the life of my family, I will kill you, and it will be legal.

7. Natural Beauty; this is a remarkably beautiful place. I can drive less than an hour from my home and see sights that take my breath away.

8. Military; we have the most powerful armed forces in the world, and it's made up entirely of volunteers.

9. Capitalism; for the most part I decide where my money goes. Do I want to buy seventy bags of Corn Chips? That would be ridiculous, but if I want to I can...or I can buy a pile of ground beef and grill burgers for my family. Not everyone handles this freedom responsibly, and plenty of people wish they had a little more wealth to be (ir)responsible for/with; but if you have it, it's yours to do with as you please, or as your conscience dictates.

10. Worship; I've been reading a lot of stories lately about churches in my movement facing violent persecution around the world. I can sleep easy knowing no one is going to come into my home and attack me for my faith...but if they do I can always fall back on number 6 (Kidding! Kind of.)

Red: the Sacrifice

I don't worship America. What a funny way for an American pastor, and US Missionary, especially one that professes to be so incredibly patriotic, to start off a blog right? Well, I just felt like I needed to come right out and say it. There is a sad kind of fervent religious nationalism I continuously sense in the American church, at least here in the South. Sometimes it borders on idolatrous. Sometimes, it is just plain idolatry.

Jesus didn't die for America, He died for the world; and as much as I love both Jesus, and America, those are two very different focuses for two very different levels of affection. Even though Jesus didn't die exclusively for America, there have been thousands of men and women who did die exclusively for America. I don't worship them. I don't worship their sacrifice, or even the incredible freedoms it has bought me, but I do honor them. I do remember them. I do thank them.

For me, when I think of the red, white, and blue that has come to mean so much to me over the years--the red is a constant reminder of all the blood that was spilled making this nation what it is today. Some of it was spilled unjustly and serves as a sad reminder, as when the Native Americans and African slaves were treated cruelly and often murderously by zealous settlers or tyrant land owners. Some of it was spilled innocently, as when terrorists threatened and attacked our civilian population. And some of it was spilled valiantly, as when brave men, women, and sometimes children, took up arms to galvanize the hope for democracy for another generation.

No, I don't worship America, but I am thankful for all whose blood paved the way for mine and my family's freedom. And though this country is not a recipient of my worship, it is a focus for my pride. Join me this week in honoring those whose sacrifice made the possibility of our freedom a reality we enjoy daily.

Here are a few stats on the number of combat related deaths from ten of our wars. 1. World War II - 291,557 2. Civil War - 212,938 3. World War I - 53,402 4. Vietnam War - 47,355 5. Korean War - 33,746 6. Revolutionary War - 8,000 7. War on Terror - 4,977+ 8. War of 1812 - 2,260 9. Mexican–American War - 1,733 10. Northwest Indian War - 1,221

Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness