Dear Leftists, Quit pretending to care

For all the people who are in a perpetual uproar over the American injustices and inequalities they rage against, please, funnel your energies with a bit more consistency.   You voices are loud, but your actions...?

Studies that research generosity show by region and voting patterns that people who are the most generous people populate certain areas known for, you guessed it, being conservative.  There is no law against opening up your own wallet and addressing areas you are concerned about, that would speak a lot louder than the hate speech that floods the media these days.

You want to open to the borders of our nations and you want sanctuary cities to continue, how about leaving your car unlocked or your home?  Sounds insane, I know.  You do have borders you recognize and expect others to respect, so please stop pretending like your entire world is open and free.  You have lines drawn, they may not be the same as others, but you have them.  

You think contemporary protesters who loot, burn, and vandalize major cities are on the side of truth and justice and that the vast minority of bad police officers represent the majority of police forces, which justifies the behavior of the protesters.  All the while innocent business owners watch their hard work destroyed and demolished by people who apparently are unemployed, after all who has this much free time on their hands to "protest"?  Every economist will tell you, the driving force behind the American economy is small business.  The people who are suffering the brunt end of these "protests" are small businesses who have their storefronts smashed, and their merchandise stolen.  I'm not sure how cheering this on displays care and concern for society.  

If you really care about making a change, do the hard work of building something up, rather than tearing down the structure that enables you to even have the rights and privileges to complain.  Go serve in a soup kitchen instead of vandalizing restaurants or watching/approving of others who vandalize them.  Tutor minorities who need mentors and structure in their lives, instead of endorsing brutality against the police, who by the way have sacrificed a lot to keep rough neighborhoods as as safe as they can.  Help find ways to eliminate illiteracy instead of grinning while people willingly let the libraries burn.  

As it is now, all of your negativity, gratuitous rioting, empty rhetoric and petty diatribes merely show the rest of us how little you really care about improving the world.  Change our minds and show us you really do care.  

What's wrong with this world & how to fix it

Power and authority should not be confused with each other (The corollary to these ideas are submission and obedience).  Power, the ability or resource for action, and authority, having the right to enforce or exercise the power.  Our understanding, or better yet our misunderstanding of these ideas are at the root of much of what's wrong with this world.  This leaves us in perpetual tension.  Why?  Everyone wants to be the one in charge wielding their power while no one seems to appreciate the need to obey or be submissive.  

Families all across the land are divided and they are being ripped apart over arguing about who is to blame for our Nation’s problems and how do we as a people unite and move forward.  We don’t just segregate our communities by skin color, we separate by political affiliations, social status, occupations and economic diversities.  

With a culture that is obsessed with competition, from tee ball to professional Sports, campaigners trying to beat their Political opponents, to your kid’s dance or debate team -- is it any wonder we have such a division at every level in our country?  This isn’t new.  All the way back to Cain & Able we’ve had rivalries.  

The process of College entrance is competitive, applying for a job is competitive, getting your parent’s attention is competitive, keeping your attention here on this page or when you sit in a pew competes with technology and social media/the entertainment industry.  You know who doesn't compete?  God.

It’s clear to nearly everyone we need change.  Whatever it is we’ve been doing, it isn’t working.  Change is incredibly difficult, and we can see this playing out in our culture right now.  Think of how many churches fizzle out by fighting over change.  How can we call people to action?

Maybe we just need a “better pitch” to energize people?  Clever slogans like Nancy Reagan’s “just say no” campaign (drug abuse has risen exponentially since her plea) or the “WWJD” bracelets we wore in the 1990’s seem ineffective to spark real change.  Slogans rarely mobilize people, instead they seemingly initiate fads that fade from memory quickly.  

Perhaps we need stricter criminal & civil laws, ones regulating speech, gatherings, and actions that make people fairer.  If the laws don’t work, let’s break those laws or similar ones and make sure our voices are heard.  Well.  It’s hard to legislate morality.  And fairness & equality are moral issues -- matters of the heart.  

Laws will not change the heart or the attitude of divisive people.  Neither protests nor riots will change the hearts or culture that they infiltrate either.  

We’re now seeing a different competition for the direction or the focus of our national conversation.  As long as we compete and see this as an “Us versus them” issue, we will lose ground.  We need to mutually support each other as much as possible.  Support has to be authentic and genuine.  Not everyone will feel the same as you or share your approach to bridging the gaps that exist in our nation, and instead of resisting or resenting, we need to learn to cooperate.  

How do we cooperate towards a common good?  We must see others as allies instead of demonizing them as enemies and we must obediently submit to the right authority, yes, we need to yield to God’s will -- especially in how we treat each other.

Consider what Paul wrote in Romans 13:8-10, “8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”  And ultimately, it’s time for us to take the words of Jesus seriously, especially what He says in Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

 

Why police shoot innocent people

I've never worn the blue uniform, and chances are you haven't either.  Before you read another word, this is not a police-bashing post.  I have the greatest respect for people who serve and protect us, and who stand in harm's way, those who live knowing they might have to sacrifice their lives in the line of duty.

Okay, why do police shoot innocent people?
I can think of two reasons, in general, on why innocent people end up shot by the police.

Again, I'm not nor have I ever been in their shoes, but common sense makes it clear that #1, sometimes, who is "innocent" isn't clear, sometimes people make the wrong decisions, and not everyone is perfect, and unfortunately mistakes are made in the heat of the moment.  That's my defense for the completely accidental shootings where police who have honor and integrity make regretful mistakes.  This is one of the reasons I can see why police shootings happen.

By the way, I can't imagine the anguish an officer has to deal with for the rest of their lives after pulling the trigger and harming or killing an innocent person.  Before we judge all the police the same, think that over.  

Again, I'm not bashing the badge, but I'm also smart enough to know that not all police are stellar examples either.  Some police, I'm sure, have shot people when they didn't need to, out of anger, or simply out of cowardly convenience.

How can I balance this, this idea that I respect the uniform and the people who wear it, and yet acknowledge that some police aren't "innocent" in their mistakes?  Simple.  It's called the seduction of power.

The second reason police shoot innocent people, is the person behind the badge is a fraud.  Police, Pastors, School Principals, Troop leaders, and a few other positions/titles in our society attract people with the wrong motivations, people who are very unhealthy, people who will and do prey on those for whom they should be nurturing or saving.  There are people on power trips, who misuse and abuse their station in life.

Sadly, this misrepresentation of the uniform or office harms those who should be being protected or cared for.  Which is, by the way, the reason everyone is so raw over police brutality or when priests molest young boys.

What we can't do in our current situation, is overreact and label all police as bad.  We can't enact restrictions or make their difficult job even harder to perform.  They don't need more paperwork or body-cameras (unless they want this, to help protect their reputations).

What we can and should do, is have a better selection process on who we let serve on the front end, provide support along the way, provide ongoing training, and give them time away to relax and untangle their lives from the harsh work they do.  This again goes for people in ministry or school administration, or any office where there's a risk of drawing in people who might abuse their position.

I've met people who are police officers (or who wanted to join the force) yet who never should've become one.  And, I know some really good stand up guys who I'm proud to be friends with who are the type of police we all need.

The reality is, we need to make sure we don't rush to judgement and lump everyone together.  These are highly emotional times we are in, and we need to be calmer than we are, and more reasonable than we want to be.