tell 'em God just dropped by to...?

i am not trying to get in on the whole political coversation by shamelessly promoting a conservative agenda. or shamelessly promoting a liberal agenda. or by projecting my fear of where the world is going by insulting people's character, background, age, experience, heritage, or the people they associate with. if i judged Jesus by the people He associated with... i've recently seen a lot of public statements from friends, aquaintances, and strangers concerning this race, the canidates, their agendas etc. etc. many of them profess to love Jesus and i am sure they do, but the more i have examined His teachings as well as the groanings of my own heart, i have to wonder what we're on about? i for one cannot understand how we could be so caught up in the politics of this world that it would cause us to bicker and insult, when we are called to love and bring along the peace that passes all understanding. when we are called to serve a kingdom wholly(holy) other. i cannot understand how so many believers are so terrified of losing money that it would dictate their decisions about politics or anything else. can man serve both God and Mammon? how is it that one of God's children can live in abject poverty while the other drowns in wealth? moreover, i cannot understand how any believer wouldn't question the motives and means of war or whether legislating morality actually works, is in the best interest of humanity, or aligns with Father's heart for His children. is faith in God and the decision to follow His principles no longer a choice? should the choices we make concerning the way we live our lives be mandated by law? does that not reek of legalism? does that not seem opposite of the church Jesus (and Paul) spoke of? i sense that putrid spirit of religion creeping back in. i suppose in most circles it never left, just cleaverly masked itself and armed people with a sense of duty to forcibly and unlovingly insist that people see things "our" way and wallow in guilt when they do not. and in some circles it doesn't bother masking itself, because people don't mind it romping around. i will not say whether i plan to vote or not, or who i would vote for if i do. doing so would most assuredly negate my opening statements. i do know that the governing of this country is inescapable, that the election is going to happen whether believers vote or not. whether they vote for McCain, Obama, or Jesus Christ himself, i know that this whole mess will get worse before it gets better, and i know that we won't really know the whole truth (and nothing but the truth) until the end of it all. but there are a few things i believe with my whole heart. i believe we are called to rise above the system, i believe that faith is a choice and our walk with God is a relationship, a relationship that brings all the beautiful and terrible things realtionship can bring, i believe that we should sit down with our enemies, and when we sit, we should talk, and when we talk, we should treat them like they're God's creation too, because they are, i believe that loving people where they're at is what we are called to do, and that the majority of the time we're bad at it, i believe i see bits of the kingdom come to fruition every day, and that the life of a believer should include a high concentration of seeking those bits and building upon them, i believe we are called to be light in the dark places, not light in the light places, i believe (and have seen!) that americans aren't the only people in the world and i'm tired of us acting like it, i believe that i can't do a lot, but i can do a little, a lot, i believe that people, especially children, learn more from what they see us do that what we tell them to, i believe we should be aware of the way we speak, the things we say when we don't use words, the food we eat, the transportation we use, the clothes we wear, and how often we smile, i believe my grandmother would tell me that "idealism doesn't get a girl too far," but i also believe that i feel alright about where i'm going and that i will never stop questioning how i'm getting there, until i do.