It appears that the last time I blogged was in December and for some reason I was annoyed with Obama...probably over the slow going health care reform stuff. But it passed and all that is over for now, but the bill wasn't as drastic as it would've been if I were in charge. I still have faith in Obama and really like him as a person and President, but I'm getting so fearful of what I'm hearing out there now regarding politics. I don't understand a lot about politics and American bureaucracy and our capitalist system...but I just feel a burden to use my vote, my voice, my heart to push for policy which will help the poor and marginalized. That's why the tea party freaks me out. Because I don't see Christians doing their job to help the poor so if we do cut gov't programs, who is going to help the poor? Do we want to see poverty double, triple, quadruple in the USA?? Because I fear that will happen if these tea party people take over. Honestly, I'd love it if we had "less government," but I've lost faith that Christians will do what God has called them to do to provide for and take care of the poor, alien, widow, and orphan, and so if we don't allow government to do these things than no one will do them and we condemn these people to suffer.

Jesus' heart was with the poor and marginalized; that's who he spent his time with when he was "evangelizing" - which if you read the actual stories, his evangelism looks a lot more like hanging out with people and eating with them and showing them compassion as opposed to the 'repent or ye be damned' definition of evangelism that lurks out there today. It wasn't conditional; it wasn't a "if you come and listen to my 'gospel sales pitch,' then i'll heal your leprosy or give you sight or feed all 5000 of you," he offered himself. He oozed compassion, wisdom, love for the Father, conviction, salvation. I think time with him in person and seeing all these things that he was would make you want to repent of sin. He was God. Wow. And we're to be like him. This means sacrificing yourself, carrying your cross daily, realizing God died for the sins of the whole world and there is nothing of this world that we can attain that means more than that. So what's the big deal if we pay more taxes? Will we be willing to spend time volunteering places or donating to people who help the poor? Will we be willing to make necessary changes in our lifestyles to be able to help "the lease of these?" God help me be willing and able to do just this, to life a life worthy of this calling we have received.