December 10th - How about getting it together - together?

The story...

"I can't believe that you vote like that. I thought you were a better person. How could you do that? Aren't you a Christian?"  Yes, I was shunned by a group for presenting positions, from the "other" party, with a "best foot forward."  My position was that "they" were working toward good and just principles even if their means for funding and implementing the changes may be perceived as idealistic, unsustainable or suboptimal. The part that stung was the not so subtle reference that I must not be a Christian if I was on the side of the other party - they were shunning me for offering respect and understanding. I ended up at the governing board of the group challenging anyone to stand up and support their opinion that people from the other party were errant, naive, and wayward - needing correction.  No one stood up - this was a good moment of reckoning.  I didn't hear anyone speak like that for a season, yet the groupthink and judgement of "the other guys," crept back in.  I guess it's part of the human nature and another example of the undermining force of "groupthink."

It seems good that government would stay true to it's constitution, standardize what works, slow to change the things that work for so many; yet, run change experiments to test new ideas.  It's hard to know all of the implications of a change to a system in advance.  They'd try change plans out before institutionalizing them.  They'd plan the change, do the change on a small scale, check for effectiveness, and standardized the parts that worked - make them an integral part of the new system.  Wouldn't it be good for both parties to honestly test how the other guy's ideas might work together?  I expect that each side would learn much in the process.

The only church in town will have much leeway within the boundaries of God's revealed Word.  They'll keep first things first and work out their faith in an honest and faithful way.  That includes recognition that all men are born sinners who fall short of the glory of God - faith in Christ's redeeming work transforms them into a new creature who's able to commune with God in the present - born again.  Surely, we continue to live in the world with bodies that tempt us to live self-satisfying lives; yet, our prayer and communing with God restores us to that best working condition of being in Christ.

Just for today...

"Where in the past I have allowed unacceptable behavior, I can not choose a different response . . . Today I have the courage and faith to be true to myself, whether or not others like or agree with me."  Courage to Change (p. 345)

"Let me observe, with new interest even the commonplace things that happen in each new day."  One Day at a Time (p. 345)