A lot of my blogs are idealistic, and conceptual, they are generally intended to inspire the few people that happen by to think deeper about something in their life, to connect more closely with a God who is there and wanting to speak with them. This is not that, this entry is a rant, maybe even a bit unhinged, I want to get it off my chest so.....
Ok, I admit it, I like motorsports, basically automotive racing. I watch Indycar, (my favorite) Formula One, Formula E, Imsa, Wec, Supercars, and Nascar. In all the race series I have watched except one, their are clearly defined rules of engagement. You may not block, if your leading, and another driver pulls out to pass you, you may not swerve and force him to stand on the brake, this leads to wrecks, and possibly injuries or worse death. You may not bump someone out of the way to pass; when you catch someone, you must drive around them, not through them, a little contact side to side is ok, but bumping someone from behind so you can pass is not, this could lead to wrecks, injury, and death. Here is the exception, Nascar, in Nascar, most of the tracks are simple ovals, and the cars are actually very slow by race car standards, the track and cars do not lend to an entertaining spectacle like the grind of exotic Imsa machines pounding around the rough concrete roadways of Sebring, or Formula one cars zipping up and down the rolling hills of Belgium at insane speed, Or indycars taking wide, sweeping, 90 degree bends at Indianapolis at 225 mph, and you get the point. What Nascar has going for them is safety, the walls are foam, the cars are tough, and the speeds are low. So what does Nascar do for entertainment? Take a lenient stance on the rules, that's what. Drivers are not only allowed to block, they are encouraged to do so. Drivers are not only allowed to wreck each other for the win, they are encouraged to do so. There is risk of course, but Nascar has done a tremendous job of making things safer since the tragic passing of Dale Earnhardt, and drivers can get out of a car who took such a head on impact that the front tires are lifted off the ground, and just complain about their day not ending in a good finish. So, then, you would think Nascar would be fun, lot's of aggressive, chaotic driving, but nope. A Nascar race typically has some clean no contact passing early, and then the drivers settle in, and the fastest car leads. If another driver manages to make his car faster, he takes the lead cleanly, and drives away to victory. So the spectacle is a little boring, it's basically a demonstration on how to drive a slow car in a circle as fast possible. Of course there are exceptions but this is generally how it goes. So what gives? The drivers are friends. Let me repeat that, the drivers are FRIENDS. That's good right? Yea, it's good, but, what if the drivers are being paid millions by fans, Nascar, and sponsors to put on a show. The Kingdom of Nascar gives them so much, and they give so little entertainment because they don't wanna wreck they guy they went to church with last Sunday, they don't want to send their fishing buddy into a wall and wreck his car. So, where is the allegiance of nascar drivers? Towards Nascar, or towards their buddies? It's a bit of both, it's a divided loyalty. Honestly, I think it's good Nascar drivers are friends, Nascar should work on making the contest compelling instead of trying to make the drivers mean.
So why did I bring that up? Because I wonder why about many things. When I do a quick google search, I see where people are saying that Christians have a lower divorce rate than the world. My question, why are Christian divorce rates a thing? Do Christians know how God feels about marriage? For Christians who are single, either because their spouse left them or otherwise, where are our "Pauls" today? Why is Christian remarriage a thing? Do Christians not know how God feels about remarriage? Why do conservative right Christians like the death penalty? What did Christians want to do when 9/11 happened? Did they want to bomb the middle east or care for the hurting and witness to the lost? How did God see that whole thing? Is there a way to save America from the jaws of socialism as well as being true to the Kingdom of Heaven? If so, how? If not, please demonstrate to me why I should care about America in light of the Kingdom? I'm listening. When I read about the mark of the beast in Revelations, and the one world government, and everyone needing a mark etc. I do not see an exemption for America in it, so why, are Christians putting so much pressure on me to vote for their favorite pro war, pro death penalty, pro gay, pro divorce candidate every single election cycle? Please demonstrate to me why I should care who runs this country? Please demonstrate to me how working towards propping up a system of world government that has been kind to Christianity has actually been helpful to the kingdom of Heaven. Also, when there are people who don't have Jesus inside their hearts here in America, have they actually never heard of him, or did they decide by the vengeful, judgmental, and average/non-exceptional western attitude of the average Christian that there is nothing there worth having? That it's a cult of some kind?
So, I am desperately wanting to learn of God and His Kingdom, I am wanting to completely sell out to him, and I know it is not my strength; I know I cannot be good enough for him, but I am thankful that's not actually what he's after. Discipleship only means I give up to him, i. e. surrender. I want to learn the ways of discipleship. I want to "sell all", and I am "counting the cost". I want to "forsake all that is mine." I want to be "salt that has savour". In order to be this disciple, I need to be renewed as I have spoken of in my 5 part series on this blog. I cannot renew myself. So that is my priority, I want to be a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven, and to all my fellow Christians who are fighting for any American cause, please either show me how my signing up for your cause helps my growth in discipleship, or leave me to it. I don't want to have divided loyalties in the spiritual realm the way a Nascar driver has in the physical realm. I am not against you voting or being politically active, not at all. I am only against me voting or being politically active, in anyway that hinders Luke 14 discipleship. Thanks for listening.
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