Monday; March 25


Not long ago I was reminded of a statement by then presidential candidate Ted Cruz who was quoted by Politico magazine as saying, “It’s is exactly right that in terms of who I am, I am a Christian first.  I am an American second.  I’m a conservative third.  And I’m a Republican fourth.  And I’ll tell ya, there are a lot of Americans who feel the same way.”.  Now, before we go any further, please understand that I am not endorsing any political candidate, nor any political party, but I would like to go back and evaluate the crux of the statement – religion, nationality, philosophy and party in that order.  That looks really good, doesn’t it?  In fact, it sounds so solid that, as Mr. Cruz suggests, a lot of Americans might claim adherence to this philosophy ... but how committed are we to this belief?  Does this theory stand up to reality?  The Bible tells us, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink ...” (Proverbs 25:21) – are we willing to put the good of all humanity ahead of the ambitions of our national values?  The New Testament demands, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) – are we willing to love and serve our fellow man by voluntarily giving up our constitutional rights if it helps them feel safer and more empowered?
Folks, I am going to tell you this is a struggle for me.  I like what I like and I am committed to those things that appeal to my philosophies and values – so where does that leave me?  It is easy to profess a hierarchy in my belief system, but when it actually comes right down to it, what is really most important to me?  Again, I am not looking for us to debate this through social media, my hope is that we’ll analyze our priorities in the privacy of our hearts.
Think About It!

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