Perhaps I should not even post this. Perhaps I will regret it and take it down. After all, I haven't yet come up with a way to get out of bed today.
But ~
I have been vaguely aware of national politics for the last week or so. And I have been reading my usual smattering of blogs, which cover a wide political and theological spectrum.
What I am really struck by, in the starkness of life as I now live it, is the unhappy reality that there are, indeed, two sets of views that are almost completely irreconcilable. In the church and in the nation.
I have read some religious posts so at variance with what I know and believe of God that I can hardly believe that they were written by people in my very own denomination. And they are always roundly applauded by a host of commenters. The adjectives that I would use are quite different, but I know that I am in no shape to respond with a modicum of decorum, so I will limit myself to saying: I finally get it. I finally get it when some say we simply cannot be in the same church.
And Sarah Palin? I had a great deal of respect for John McCain the man, if not for his politics, but that's evaporated. Again, I think it prudent to limit my comments, other than to say that if the Republican ticket is elected I will, for the first time, start thinking about my father's idea of moving to Canada. And yet -- I have friends, people whom I like and admire greatly, who are enthusiastic about her nomination. How does that work? How can we be so completely at odds in our respective visions for this country?
Perhaps it has been ever thus.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
18 comments:
The post is fine; you should leave it up. That is what I see too both - in my church and in our nation. I hadn't thought of Canada...
As for the "starkness" - one of your other commentors said "holding you in my heart" and I completely identified. I, too, am holding you in my heart.
Please leave the post up. As Kathryn said, I think it's fine and written with your usual clarity.
My FIL, a WWII vet, is voting for McCain because he's a war hero. The man doesn't have a single ideological view that matches that of my FIL but he's still getting his vote. I am frightened. Perhaps we should start our own little colongy in Canada.
I have to say that I have been more conflicted on this election than any in my lifetime. My 17 year old, who sees things with such youthful clarity (grin), says that even she is flummoxed.
SO no - your post has a decidedly real ring to my ears...
Praying for you
Deb
who could probably self-sensor her posts more often!! LOL
i totally hear you on this, g.g.. this is a puzzling election season indeed. so hard to get my head around sometimes. i know who i support and do so passionately and recent decisions have made me all the more passionate, but people I love and respect are in SUCH different places it is hard to grasp.
The genius of our political system is the checks and balances that have been put into it that protect it and prevent extreme points of view from prevailing.
We survived ________(fill in the President you most disagreed with) and we will survive the election of either ticket this year as well.
we'll live side by side in vancouver, bc, eh? keep the post. i'm right there with you.
xo bean
I was just wondering this morning about how it might be to live in Canada, how complicated all that transferring of things would be. Hoping not to have to find out....your post struck me fine as well. I too have these thoughts. You are still in my heart and my prayers.
Not to start a debate, QG, but... the selection of the VP candidate has NO system of checks and balances. Either Sen. Biden or Gov. Palin will be a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the United States and one of them is a relative unknown with minimal vetting and experience.
Okay, so I stepped in it. GG, remove this if you wish.
It's something that happened to me too, after my dad died. Everything around me looked different somehow. Things that really weren't vital suddenly lessened in importance. And really important things became much clearer. And my tolerance for the bull**** was reduced to almost nill. I had to hold my tongue, sometimes literally, to avoid embarrassing my son to tears.
I share your experience of John McCain. And I respect what QG has to say about our survival, even though I feel the current administration has dangerously eroded the foundation of checks and balances.
The clarity is a good thing. It will buoy you through this time. Though it can be really annoying. And I send you lots more (((((())))))
GG-- (in my opinion)...I live in this world, however, we do not watch TV, get news magazines or newspapers, and lately I have even limited NPR in the car to listen to music I love as I travel to and from work. I try not to read blogs by folk who rile me up. The country has always been divided, though it may be more so or less so from time to time.
GG, keep the post. You expressed yourself honestly, and I can identify with what you wrote.
You are in my thoughts and prayers.
I think it has always been so.
I put my hope in people like you that are willing to speak your truth, found after thoughtful reflection, instead of taking the easy and lazy road and simply following the masses.
We are still sending gentle thoughts to you and your family.
Peace, Virginia
Like Virginia said,
it has always been so. We have always had divisions. The challenge is to face diversity as a reality. We live in a world with many kinds of people, ideas, ideals, and experiences. The real challenge is, like you've done, to open up for the honest conversation about faith, life, love, and hope that come not just from ourselves but from God.
Please don't take down this post; its an invitation to conversation, even if people disagree with you.
pax
unlikely
Canada sounds good to me...
I shouldn't say we've "lived through" Mr. Bush. His term is not over yet, and things are looking blacker all the time. Take a look at today's stock market...
Your post is fine. You ask good questions.
I read your comment over at sorting the pieces and wanted to say that of cours eyou can't look at the moon yet -you are griving and in pain- be kind to yourself.
I just read a really interesting book.Again you are probably not there yet - but it's about one man's mission to promote peace - one school at a time (Three cups of tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin) and I wish Sarah Palin McCain George W and yes the democrat ticket too would read this book and learn something from it.
I wish we all would :(
I agree with PG, your STL (* tolerance level) goes WAAAAY down when you're facing something earth shattering that completely reorders your priorities. And elections are nothing if not S!
Also, I think that every person and every issue has, like, a gazillion aspects to it. We see those aspects with which we relate and that matter (for good or for ill) to us and skim over the others. If not, we'd never get on to the next thing.
So, even when I don't agree with one of your gazillion pieces, I still see lots of pieces I know and like and pray for. But we don't always take the time to look at issues or people that way.
It would be too complicated and too much work ;>
All this talk of fleeing to canada makes me think of this... Mosaic Woman was born in New Mexico but arrived with her parents in Canada before her first birthday. Left when she graduated form HS to meet up with her mom who had moved to PA a year earlier. I remember trying to explain flag worship to her.
very very real.
It HAS ever been thus
.... I think as I drive down the blocks and see all of the competing compaign signs.
Post a Comment