Jesus For President

I am sure that today I am only one of the many Americans, who choose to reveal their thoughts to the world by a thing we call a blog, that is writing of the Historical Health Care Reform that took place yesterday. The two of us watched the newcast on our neighbor's Canadian TV set. Canada, as we all know, has had socialized health care for years. We have asked people here what their thoughts are on the matter. We've heard responses such as, "It sickens me to think that if some one needed to be taken care of they wouldn't be able to if they did not make enough money." Even people who are far above our financial standing replied, "If I pay a few extra dollars a month, but know that my friend here will be able to have medical attention in a time of crisis, it is all worth it in the end."

A couple of years ago our small group did a study called "Jesus for President".  It has been awhile but I believe the over all lesson we recieved is that throuhout history there have been politicians in all cultures both good and bad, and you can see God work either through or inspite of them. God's hand moves around them. And if you read Christ's teachings it is clear that he is not one to praise the powerful, but the weak. He constantly tells us to sell what we have and give it to the poor. He is infact a God of the least of these.
It upsets me that we call ourselves a Christian nation, and yet refuse to give our excess to someone in need. How is that Christ- Like?
I know next week many preachers will stand against my view saying things like, "God will pour his riches upon you," and assume that this means money. (Take a look for yourself. What does Jesus really say about money?) But as for me, I have to believe that socialized health care is in fact a good step, and perhaps a long overdue humbling experience for us all.

If you meet Buddah on the road to enlighment, Kill him

This saying hangs on the wall in the Kung Fu studio. Don't let it throw you off. This is not a statement of ultimate power. I imagine that many of you reading our blog are not Budists, but probably Christians, based on our list of followers. So lets rephase the quote.

If you meet Jesus on the road to enlightenment, kill him.

I wish I could have remembered this saying earlier on this week as I watched my pride swell up and take the best of me.
     Paul would call it our flesh
     The mystics call it our ego
     As Richard Rohr puts it, "Ego is just another word for blindness."

In our journeys of life, enlightenment, sactification (whatever journey you prefer to be on), we must beware of our false self. When we come to the point in the road that we find ourselves "in the right", we have never been farther from the truth. If we view ourselves, and our opinions over others we have truely lost all meaning of being Christ-Like If we meet Jesus, if we become our own god, we must kill this idea. We cannot allow our ego, our flesh, our pride, to blind us into thinking we are more than we are.

I walked on this road this week, it is time to keep on walking.