Politics part 2..

So here I am, sitting in a chair at The Summit Church watching a picture tribute of Stan Lowery, listening to his daughter sing a song dedicated to her dad, watching a video of the girls softball team at the summit thank their coach for all his efforts and hard work as their coach. Listening to a story from one of Stan’s best friends who met him one Sunday morning when Stan greeted him as he came in. Just listening to story after story of people’s lives that were changed, and not just changed inside the walls of a church building, but most importantly outside the church because of his Love for them and his Love for God. The reason that all of this is going on, is because Stan died of lung cancer just two days ago at the age of 57.

As I left Stan’s memorial service that evening I couldn’t help but think of the words of Donald Miller when he said “We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the settings and the climax and the resolution”. I begin to think about how that when I die that I want to have the same impact on so many people’s lives and that I would without a doubt want the same type of memorial as Stan, but in order for that to happen I would have to venture out on a life that puts others first, but most of all God first.

I also became overwhelmed with the thought that me, Stephen Bethea am to passionate about meaningless and pointless things. Not that I should not care about the things I was thinking about, but that I should just become less passionate about those things and more passionate about the things that matter most.

I started thinking how at Stan’s memorial they never once mentioned his passion for the way church is done, never once his passion for sports, and never once his passion for POLITICS. All that was mentioned was his passion and love for people and for God and what he actually did to show that passion and love. It was very humbling thoughts I had that night as I thought about the walls that even I build up because of meaningless things.

I also had the privilege of talking to one of my bestest friends in the world that same night that I had not talked to in months! This is a girl that was about to watch the VP presidential debate that cares an awful lot about politics, but all though she cares an awful lot, it is not one of her passions in life. It can’t be, because if it was she would not be the person she is today. This is a girl that is so busy getting out in to this world, and not just here, all over the world and she is changing this world one person at a time with and through her genuine and authentic love that she has for everyone she comes in contact with. That’s her passion, that was and still is Jesus’ passion, and after that night, I want that to be my passion.

Again, we know without a doubt that we people have the power to change things, but if we think change is having either John McCain or Barack Obama as president, then we need to examine ourselves. Because if we were really passionate about the God we say we serve, then we would not have time to be passionate about politics, we probably wouldn’t even have time to type a note/blog just as I am doing right now.

I think in so many ways this election has turned out to be yet another test from God, a test to see that whether or not we’re republican, or whether or not we’re democrat, that we would all still practice the greatest commandment from Jesus, and that’s not to call out the republicans, or call out the democrats, or say that you’re a “Christian” if you vote for this party, and your going to hell if you vote for that party!! No, that’s not it, in fact such statements make the Creator of us and even politicians, (shock shock) sick!! Because such statements build up the same walls that God paid an awful lot to tear down.

Jesus changed this world by being the greatest example of Love we have ever seen. The only people he opposed and was intolerant to and took a “stand” against were the “church people” that were always pointing their finger, or turning this person away, or condemning this person, or trying to stone someone that had committed a great sin in their eyes.

Any ways we just need to at least consider the life of Jesus every once in a while when we’re making such strong statements and judgments about people we really don’t even know, (who are just simply “voting” for someone that we disagree with) and we have to consider this, “Would Jesus stand with me as I’m making these judgments towards these other people, or would he handle me like he handled the religious leaders and pharisees of His day?” I think when we really think about it or actually try and see what the bible says about it, we will all know the answer.

Should you vote? Of course you should, but let’s not fall into the trap that some many people fall into, including me, and allow who we’re voting for to build walls between us and others. That is not what the Father of Love would want.

So to Stan Lowery, thank you for being an example of Love that we can all follow and for being so passionate about the things that matter most. To one of my bestest friends in the world, thank you for caring about politics, but for not being passionate about it to the point of letting it disable who you are and what you are to this world. And last but for sure not least, thank you Jesus for accepting me with open arms whether I be a duke fan, or the hardcore UNC fan that I am, whether I vote for a republican or a democrat, whether I go to this church or that church, and whether or not I commit this sin or that sin, thank you for still loving me the way you love me and for never playing favorites with the people inside or outside the church, no matter who they are or what they’ve done.

Thanks for reading, and again this is not a note/blog to put down any one guy running for office this year, this is just a note/blog to simply call out the problem in why this great country is so divided in so many ways in such times like the times we’re in. I don’t have it all figured out, and I struggle with the very things that I’ve talked about in this note/blog, but I also can recognize the problem within me and try my best to make the appropriate changes in my own journey to fix a problem that so many of us have.

Respectfully written,
SB