Dear All of Us,
There's more than a stir
here in the states just now.
We are about to vote,
vote us a future,
one that will stir here
and cross the seas
effecting other futures.
It will be a swing
LEFT OR RIGHT
Actually,
it's about way more
than partisan politics.
It's about
who we are
and
how we are
and
will be
as a people.
It will mean that
we here and many there
will be a lot better off,
or a lot worse off.
If Left, will it be a lift
or a letdown?
If Right, will it mean
getting things right or
downright wrong?
LEFT OR RIGHT
A bunch of years ago
Shane Claiborne
wrote a book entitled,
Jesus for President.
How about that?
Well, yes!
How about that indeed!
Actually,
we are very much
voting for
or
not for
Jesus
right now,
right where we are.
It determines
who we are
and
how we are
and
will be
as people
and
as peoples.
We are voting with
our heads and hearts,
our values and lifestyles,
our treatment of each other,
our care for Creation,
our practical, personal
incorporation in Christ
and being
gathered together
here and now
in
The Kingdom of God
Unfortunately,
in spheres spiritual
there are
some of us
making a turn
HARD
LEFT OR RIGHT
Both are off the page
and over the edge
in this old man's view.
The Hard Right is scared silly.
They are locked up
in what they think
are cemented sureties.
The Hard Left is fogged in.
They fuss and fumble
about cause upon cause.
Both get nowhere fast.
Both are doctrinaire,
demandingly so.
Both want "nice nice"
and they want it
their way and now.
But guess what?
"We have not here
a lasting city,
but we are looking for
the city to come."
Hebrews 13:14
Hard
Lefties and Righties
are missing the bus,
just at different stops.
Empire rules the world.
It always has.
It always will
yet
"Thy Kingdom come...
on earth as in heaven."
Matthew 6:10
Well, it has and is
and that
right in the midst of the
mad mess of Empire.
For us, it's not
LEFT OR RIGHT
For us it gets to be
the real deal
pure and simple
here and now
Kingdom Living
with largeness
for all
for all sides
for all sides of a whole.
A concern and caution:
So many
Hard or Soft on the
LEFT OR RIGHT
are actually living the values
and enjoying the perks
of Empire on their way to church.
Lefties fume about the environment
yet drive pricey vehicles,
jet away to vacation spots,
buy way more clothing
than needed,
go to meetings about the poor
and make sure
not to live near them,
are so open minded that
solid values don't stay put,
liberally spend
discretionary funds
on preference and pleasure.
The Righties substitute
ritual and dogma
for sweaty, on the ground faith,
throw some money at the poor,
but make sure they stay
on the other side
of the tracks,
they disallow difference,
they ban books,
they live in the dollhouse
of a pretended past.
Do I exaggerate?
To a degree,
but not that much.
Both Hard and Soft
Lefties and Righties
enjoy Empire living that has
a Bible on the coffee table.
Their votes for Jesus,
are hedged to impotence.
Same sad so for their churches.
Church Leaders
LEFT OR RIGHT
need to ditch
their robes and rubrics,
titles and canned cliche talk,
their corporate management,
their Rolodex of reports and plans,
their careerism, their clericalism,
the overload of church real estate,
then
do things like
stay in a college dorm
for a weekend,
baby sit a week for a single,
working parent,
then stay a week
in a youth detention center,
next shadow a day labor
and then an office worker
for a week each,
curb out to curb home
sunrise to sunset
then
go to a Retreat Center for a
thirty day guided retreat
learning how to
honestly vote for Jesus,
focused on learning
how to practically live
The Sermon On the Mount
ALL OF IT
ALL OF IT
You can't give what you don't have.
Pastor people not programs.
"Feed my lambs..." Jesus (John 21:15)
"Give them Christ." John Wesley
What will really make a difference
for each of us and
all of us as a people
is an honest election of Jesus
"The way, the truth and the life"
We need to face up to the truth that
we can't have it both ways,
Empire perks and actual Gospel living.
We have to deal with Empire.
"Render unto Caesar..."
Mark 12:17
We live in
The Kingdom of God
"...and to God what is God's."
We are freed to follow
Jesus - "the way"
as we go about life -
his manner
his teachings.
We are freed to base
ourselves on
Jesus - "the truth"
calibrating our
lifestyle and values on
his manner
his teachings
We are freed to live
Jesus - "the life"
our center and dynamic,
enfleshing, making present
his manner
his teaching
Where and how we live
get to be
Jesus Tuned
money, transport,
real estate,
furnishings, food,
recreation -
all simplified,
enlivened in
generous and
generative
God Love.
We are also freed
to move away from
over institutionalized religion
to small groups of disciples
bonding in
face to face
life sharing
gritty real
church
"Followers of the Way"
More than we care to face
hangs on how we vote on
November 5, 2024
Certainly the future.
Perhaps our continence.
Vastly more hangs on
whether we vote for Jesus -
our shared now and forever
we vote with living
really
practically
honestly
with our lives
in real community
caring and sharing
vigorous in
the Kingdom
coming on earth
No
LEFT OR RIGHT
to it
"just as it is in heaven."
Now that's really right.
Nothing left out
******
A rich autumn
Welcome
to
frankly speaking
spirituality for the street
johnfrankshares.blogspot.com
NEXT ONLINE POSTING
Tuesday afternoon/evening
East Coast USA Time
October 8, 2024
NEXT EMAIL DELIVERY
Friday
October 11,2024
We hold in love our Jewish
brothers and sisters
in this time of the
High Holydays.
Shalom!
LAST FIVE ONLINE POSTINGS
AVAILABLE
by
Scrolling down beneath
this posting
Right beside you
in life's voting booth.
Hope to see you here
next week.
Love to all.
God Bless,
John Frank
******
