I don't get the joke...

I've heard in a few places about an email being spread around talking about a bumper sticker some people have these days. Here is an excerpt from the email:

"a car in front of us had an Obama bumper sticker on it. It read: "Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8". Mike's Bible was lying on the dash board. He got it, opened it up to the scripture, and read it. He started laughing and laughing. Psalm 109:8 "Let his days be few; and let another take his leadership.'"

I am trying to understand why this is so funny and why it's being spread around. The only way I can see it as potentially amusing is if people are simply saying that they want Obama to not get re-elected. Unfortunately, this just means that the scripture is extremely ill-used. My first impression, which I believe is supported if you read the following verse (Psalm 109:9 says “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”), is that people want Obama to die. Fortunately, I doubt that most people sporting this bumper sticker are wishing this upon the Obamas. Unfortunately, I don't think that the people spreading the idea of praying Psalm 109:8 are considering the murderous sounding context of the entire Psalm.

Be careful with what you say! There really are churches out there praying for Obama to die, whether by natural causes or by assassination! They are on the news spewing their hatred. By associating yourself the Psalm 109:8 prayer and saying it is good or funny, you could be aligned with their hatred. Is that what you want?

I don't care if you agree with Obama's policies or not, but I think the whole idea that he's a very evil president who is going to completely corrupt and destroy our country is very far-fetched. Please disagree with policies without being filled with hatred toward the person! Be wary of bias in the media stirring fear and hatred. Remember that if you want to get rid of evil in the world, it's far more effective to fight it with love and goodness instead of more hatred and anger.

We should always be asking ourselves: Is what I'm doing truly a good thing? Will what I'm doing help or hurt my ultimate cause? How will people interpret what I am saying/doing? Am I viewing a "cause" or "morality issue" as more important than people?

Good Stuff

Recently I've decided that it's hard to find a balance between cynicism, realism, and staying positive. In high school, I think I tended to try to see whatever was good in things (primarily the government, events, etc), and I think that I tended to be blind about some important shortcomings. Throughout college, I feel like I've come to understand how things and people "really are" in various aspects, and it sometimes just isn't the nicest to know. As a result, I feel like I am a bit wiser, but also more negative. It's so easy to see how messed up things are in the world and feel overwhelmed, but I don't think that's what we're meant to do. How does that help anything? Instead, I'd rather see good and give good away.

So, this is what's good to me. (Corny sounding or not, I promise it's all true. ;) )

It's good that I have a lot of friends and family who love me. I have a dear, devoted, loving husband who makes each day better than what it would have been otherwise. I have been given all the material possessions I need and more. With hard work, I do well at what I do.

I like hot cups of tea! I enjoy the sunshine, rain, snow, wind. I like it when trees leaves change colors, and I watch each day as the leaves come back in the spring. I like being able to run, play, laugh, dance and sing. I am glad that today Matthew and I sat together and drew hand turkeys.

I like sitting around talking to people... and laughing with people! I like growing closer in relationships. I appreciate that Facebook makes it so I can "like" or comment on peoples' statuses so that they know that I care about what's going on with them.

I like the bubbling feeling of hope when listening to something inspiring.

I look forward to good in the future while enjoying the now. I look forward to painting my kitchen plum purple someday... having kids and enjoying that miracle (at least most of the time, right!?)... learning new things.

There's a lot of good in life always, and I think that most people can find their own list. I want to constantly carry my list with me and live thankfully all the time. If I don't, I feel like I'll just add to the world's problems instead of spreading the good around.

So, thank you to all those who give yourselves to me, and thanks to God who is the giver of all good things.

It’s the calm of the storm that comes blowing in
It’s the springtime saying I'm back again
The clouds that roll by
Crossing moonlight
Me and you love – everything's alright
Standing in the rain with nowhere to go
Laughing and we're spinning and I hope that you
Remember this day
For the rest of your life
Me and you love – everything’s gonna be alright

And it just might be
The prettiest thing that you'll ever see
It’s a new day
Oh baby, it’s a new day
If you look outside
To see a beautiful sunrise

It’s a new day

Robbie Seay Band - New Day

"Those People"

Something I've been thinking about lately is the idea of labeling people. In psychology last year, we talked about how labeling people creates a feeling of "us" and "them." I think that anybody can relate to this idea (sports teams, school rivalries, cliques, etc.) I also think that creating groups can be good because it creates common ground to build strong relationships. However, it also can cause people to become arrogant and self-righteous.

One place that I think that this idea of "those people" is becoming more and more evident today is, unfortunately, within the church. Generally, there has been the notion of "the sinners" for ages. From what I can see, this is a label used primarily by those either genuinely seeking absolute morality or just those who use their societal status of "moral" as an excuse to demean others. We are commonly told that it was the cheating tax collectors, the "loose" women, or the general "Gentile sinner" who were viewed as the lesser, lower people of the time in Jesus' day. These people were avoided (and perhaps feared?) by many who were claiming to live by God's word.

From what we know, Jesus didn't put up with the nonsense that was occurring. While I definitely don't think he encouraged people to do wrong ever, I think that he saw all humans as having potential but being imperfect. Instead of excluding, he included, and by loving people he changed their lives. It wasn't by trying to convince them that they were bad people, but it was by showing them what was good so that they wanted it.

Today, I feel like we again have select groups of "sinners" that are looked down upon. I think that it is most often the case when it comes to controversial issues. Homosexuals, people who support abortion, people who are "too liberal"... These labels are used to look down on people. People spend a lot of time fighting for these issues politically, and many people become vehement and perhaps hateful. Some people simply radiate a distaste for certain people when they talk about them.

But why? What makes these people any worse than anybody else? The answer: nothing. We have no right to judge.

What should we do? What we should always do. Love people. I think that the reason God dislikes sin isn't because he's worried about labeling us or ranking us from good to bad. I think he wants what's best for all humans, and when we hurt ourselves or each other, it hurts Him and our relationship with Him and others. Most people realize they aren't perfect; that's not the problem. I just think we need to be more like Jesus and simply love people without worrying about what that makes us look like.

God works in people's spirits. Let him guide people on their paths. When was the last time you saw an argument about moral issues change somebody's mind? That's not your job. Just love them so that they can see God.

(As a note: It's "funny" because I think that I struggle with this same issue in a different manner. I find it difficult to love the people that go on protests with signs that say "God hates gays" or people who think they can decide who's a worse sinner. I too have to realize that, from my point of view, these people are wrong, but I can't judge them or find myself to be better than them! Otherwise, I have reinforced the idea of labeling and putting myself of a pedestal above them. Exactly what I don't want...)