Those who are my fellow fundamentalist Christians, my fellow stay at home moms, my fellow homeschoolers, …. all those who, like me, have in some way run counter culture and been solidified into a group for their own well-being….. I know you get disappointed with me.
I am just not fanatical enough, not that this endears me to the other side, but I don’t hold forth with clearly outlined “the only right way” signs for many of the favored positions.
Not that I don’t have those for certain core truths. I do. I have brightly printed banners with gut-level loyalty for those , but on many of the other issues I have modified views.
i.e. Take the issue of homeschooling. I live that, and I heartily advocate it, but I know how difficult it can be and how it requires certain characteristics that not all women have. Homeschool will never replace public school, it will always remain an alternative. It is one that is worth protecting and ensuring, but it isn’t something that I’d advise all parents to do. It is something I would advise all parents to take advantage of, in the educational and parenting materials, however.
All parents impact and have a part in their childs education with little training in educational methods. Later, when called upon to help children with homework they can find themselves at a loss. Homeschooling materials to the rescue in troubleshooting difficulties their children may face.
I don’t waste my time wishing we’d just all get along, I know there are important issues worth being adamant about, I just wish the hyped advertising culture and political propaganda machines weren’t so much a part of it.
For Christians, I think it is indicative of absorbing the worldly cultures values and means. It betrays the intrinsic values of what is being defended when that manner is used.
It is time that we found our own voice and tenor, and stayed true to it. It would do wonders in weeding out the legalistic hardliners with their own selfish agendas. Why feed that? A real seriousness that comes from steadfast conviction is enough. This is an ancient challenge. Look at the dynamic between King David and his head military man, Joab.
I think what sets apart the man of God is the love of mercy. Mercy+truth is a rare condition in peoples actions and voices. And both can be so ill-defined as to be actually something else. Think about that. I could give you numerous examples, but just imagine how incongruent is the idea of a right-to-life bomber.
I am starting to think of a former discussion I had on the topic of “higher ground”. We have the moral advantage only so long as we stay on higher ground, and that can be lost almost without being sensible of it. When one is advancing a cause, the higher ground is an indispensible advantage, and losing it is an almost insurmountable loss.
It bears consideration. So for those who are disappointed in me… you would have cause, no doubt on many levels, I would hope that we’d be patient enough to hammer out the reasonings and the arguments.
I have a submission to make to your thinking. What is the basic issue at hand? Is it not to live peaceful and upright lives in our generation? That, rather than winning the power-play game. Power players are notoriously short-sighted when it comes to others rights, it is the reluctant heroes ( and heroines) who most often come to the defence of the common man. It is that mix of mercy+truth.
I want to aspire to it … is anyone with me on that?