The election always reveals our nation's problems and issues
that each candidate promises to fix. The
problems with jobs and a shrinking economy, the problems with education and
failing schools, the problems with national security and foreign threats are
seen as issues that can be corrected if the right candidate is elected. The Democratic nominee believes that his
leadership and party can correct the wrongs, and the Republican nominee wants
to ask "are things better than four years ago?" Both candidates think
they have the answers to our nation's problems, but what if they are both
wrong? I believe that not only do both
candidates have the wrong answers to our problems; I believe they have the
wrong idea completely about what the problems are.
The reason things fail to get better is because we have been
inadequate at naming and addressing the true problems. A struggling economy, the loss of jobs,
national security, and failing schools are not the problems, instead they are
the symptoms of our problems. Trying to
fix symptoms does not fix our problems.
I watched a women die this year of cancer pain free. The morphine and medicine took away her pain. I am glad that she was able to pass pain free
but the pain wasn't the problem, the cancer was. We have a cancer in our country and our
politicians plan is to inject our country with morphine so that we will no
longer feel pain, and it is not all their fault. We look for and vote for politicians to take
away our pain instead of leading us through difficult treatment to restore us
back to health. We rather die
comfortably than live with heroic struggle.
We look for people to numb our existence instead of push for growth.
The issue with all this is that no political nominee of any
party can bring about the holistic healing of our nation, their position and
qualifications are inept.
The true problem that causes the symptoms of job loss is
greed. CEO's and stockholders demand
greater profit which means minimal cost which effect job market, livable wages,
and even the environment. No government
official can undo and cure greed. The
issue with our economy is entitlement.
People of all classes believe they are owed something and live off the
backs of other people. The problem that
causes the symptom of failing schools is discipline. Our students are not disciplined, our
teachers are not all disciplined, and our parents are not disciplined. The problem that causes the symptom of
national defense is lack of peace and love.
No government program and change these real problems.
If we create more jobs, they will simply be shipped overseas
where they can legally pay unlivable and destitute wages. If we simply throw more money at the impoverished,
they will still lack the ability to provide for them, if we create more testing
for students and teachers they will surely tell us nothings has changed, and if
we add more missiles and bombs to our arsenals our enemies will follow suit.
Where does our hope come from?
What if there was one person who lived this out? What if there was a person who was not greedy
but giving? What if there was someone
who was not entitled but humble? What if
there was someone who was disciplined and lived out love and peace? What if this person did all this and instead
of saying "vote for me" he said "follow me."? What if there
was someone who could not just cure the symptom but the problem? What if there was someone who could not only change
things but change us?
There is someone who offers such hope, who does not go on
television and slander other people with lies, but is gentle and loving. There is someone who does not charge
ridiculous prices to eat in a banquet hall with him, but freely invites you to come
and eat the broken bread and wine. There
is someone who has cure, a great physician who knows the ailment and
solution. Unfortunately we have failed
to see our sickness, and we have failed to go seek the cure. But the physician is still here. The one who can fully effect change has not
abandoned us.
Jesus who takes the illness of the world upon himself and
proclaims forgiveness has given us cure from all this and even cure from death
itself. If you want the cure, if you
want the change, if you want Jesus then he invites you to follow him and
experience not just change but transformation!
