Who are you following and what have you gained?

It is interesting how the 21st century has begun in the United States. We have a growing economy with rapid technological development that has created unprecedented levels of wealth in this country. As like every period of history, wealth creates free time and free time leads to wonderful creativity, learning and progressive ideas and philosophies for a better society.

Now I enjoy living in an age of financial stability that provides the time for our society to be introspective and discuss ways to progress that creates better societal equality. It's much better than the alternative of widespread poverty and economic inequities. Yet, like many other times in history, when a wealthy society has that privilege, it gives rise to clashes of ideologies. We find ourselves trying to sift through the political, economic, social and doctrinal philosophies of our our history to determine what we need to cast off and what we need to retain while also debating the new ideas of our present time. All of this is an effort to determine how to progress as a healthy, united and diverse society.

What is unique about the United States in modern western civilization is the vast diversity of people living side by side in every neighborhood. This has happened in history but mostly in the eastern Mediterranean but is unique to a society birthed by the European Enlightenment ideas of democracy and liberty. What is also unique to the U.S. versus other countries is the federalist system of government in place. This is the collection of individual self-governing States which have been referred to in history as the "laboratories of democracy". It gives the States opportunities to test policies and ideas on a local level. In our history, we have seen very bad ideas fail and very good ideas succeed. Many times these differing ideological viewpoints lead to conflict within our society that the rest of the world views as potentially destructive, yet seems to lead to usually lead to a stronger and more diverse society.

To us, and the citizens before us, living in an age of social unrest and conflict seems like our society is unravelling before our eyes (and it may be and I may be naïve) but the uniqueness of the U.S. system of self-government allows for conflict in a self correcting way. Our political, cultural and societal system is primarily governed (by law) by two fundamental rights...individual liberty and property ownership. Our government is bound by law to protect those two things. The protection of these rights causes the third societal correction (and basis of our societal strength) to come into play, economic growth.

When a conflict arises and our government fails in one State to uphold these rights other States usually move to protect them. This has a segregating effect on our society causing people to "vote with their feet" and move to States and communities providing the property protections and civil liberties they desire. This migration causes economic growth in the more politically liberal States and generally causes an economic downturn in the more politically oppressive States. At the end of the day, we are all "belly gazers" and economic survival is our first priority. So, economic development will always solve ideological differences as long as the opportunities are equitable.

However, in our republic, the decisions of state and local politicians have immediately more influence over the equity of our society than the federal government. Yes, the federal government can print money, adjudicate the legality of laws, grant contracts for federal governmental needs and provide a national military defense. Yet, state and local politicians impact business growth in the local economy and allocate any State and local grants and tax revenue.

As I listen to the social and political narratives of disillusionment from the right and the left right now, the common theme is that their is no "equity". Which is true. In any and every society there has never been "equity" nor will there be. Human nature will always prevent it because humans are all self-interested. Even the loudest voices demanding change are always interested in gaining some social or political power over those who agree with them and especially those who disagree. What has always happened in history and will continue is that when they gain power, they seek to marginalize or punish those who they see as the "problem" and those who disagree. This is the definition of authoritarianism.

Our national politicians have simply become cults of personality in which their supporters seek this outcome. They speak vaguely and pander to their base like rock stars just playing their hits. There is no longer any discussion of issues and policy because they are actually ignorant of the intricacies of good policy. From what I've witnessed, they are lousy legislators. They are only in their positions because they are good fundraisers and drag money in for their party. Then they are promoted as the next "great leader" whether they have good leadership skills or not. Our citizenship doesn't vote for politicians with good ideas, we've simply chosen a side and vote as if it's "our team" and the results are a scoreboard at the end of the game. It's a disgrace to true democracy.

Now, I understand the underpinnings of the disillusionment of this moment in our history. I've lived long enough to see wages stagnate and inflation escalate. There is a sense that the gap between rich and poor is widening. There are many statistics that can be stated to quantify anyone's opinion on the severity or dispute of this issue. Yet, keep in mind, we are talking about the wealthiest country in the history of the planet.

Our nation has a complicated and embarrassing history of marginalizing and oppressing people based on an arbitrary (and wrong) definition of race. No honest person can deny that and there are still remnants of those ideas on the fringes of society. Our laws seeking to keep those ideas and their societal impacts out of the public square are true, right and just. Yet, new ideologies like critical race theory use the same arbitrary (and wrong) definition of race and weaponize it against those they perceive to be the cause of social inequity. This is simply a revenge tactic. It's gaining power to marginalize people out of some false sense of equity. Any time an ideology seeks to marginalize or silence conversation, it stops being equitable and starts being authoritarian.

[For the record, I reject the idea of different human races. I believe the biological reality of one human species (homo sapiens) and diversity within that species.]

The problem with these ideologies is simply the same problem throughout history. It becomes an ever shrinking circle of adherents. In the end, no one "measures up" and more and more people are marginalized until those with power are under siege from the society and revolt happens.

The circular firing squads are already forming within these ideologies. The push back will be enormous once the repercussions of these policies ripple through society because it is repressive, authoritarian and not democratic. I just hope and pray the revolt happens at the ballot box and not in the streets.

I am always skeptical of political and social leaders barking "bumper sticker" slogans. It seems they burn out quickly and the leaders end up wealthy and politically connected while their followers are in the same social position as when the movement began. The only people really helped by these movements are the leaders. At this moment in time, we have many of these people profiting from their loud voices and those who follow left behind...on both sides. So, how is that "equity"?

The Idolatry of Faith

The Idolatry of Faith

We all have faith, the question is whether it's rightly placed. We exercise faith daily in things as simple as the comfort of a cup of coffee or as important as a doctor's proper care. We exercise faith in our banks, government, services in which we subscribe and other people whom we trust. Faith is simply trust in something or someone.

In spiritual things, Christians sometimes use the term "faith" much more abstractly and it leads to it being misplaced, misunderstood and even idolized. I find myself falling into that temptation because we have allowed improper ideas from secular culture to cloud the Biblical understanding of faith.

First, Christian faith is a gift. We know this from clear passages of Scripture. Faith is granted to us from God by the Holy Spirit through the preached Word and Baptism. The Apostle Paul writes:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. -Ephesians 2:8-9

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. -Titus 3:4-7

When Peter makes his great confession of Christ, Jesus tells him:

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. -Matthew 16:17

Since faith is a gift of God, it only works in the manner God intends it. It's chief function is exactly as Peter declared. It clings to Christ. It allows us to confess as Peter does that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." [Matt 16:16]  We know that "no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit." [1 Cor 12:3] So, the Holy Spirit is the giver and director of our faith. He uses our faith to keep us focused on and believing in Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. He works our faith in order that we trust in the work of Christ in His life, death and resurrection for our benefit by destroying death, defeating Satan and restoring our relationship with the Father. He does this by convicting us of our sin and driving us to daily repentance which causes us to return to the work and promises of Christ. This is the primary purpose of our faith.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:27-30

Luther wrote in the Small Catechism:

"I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true."

We Christians fail in our relationship with Christ when we begin to believe that our faith functions as an act of our will or that faith is something we use for other purposes other than focus on Christ. It's true that we live under God's providence and care. Yet, we also live under the curse of creation, our sin and among other sinners. God's providential care includes blessings and discipline, fortune and suffering, the results of our sin and the effects of others sin. When we view the bad times of our lives as a result of "lack of faith" or "weak faith" we view faith wrongly. Christ is not saving us from suffering but through it because the end result of suffering is hope and that hope is in Christ. [Rom 5:1-11]

Our experiences in this life are not the results of how we "live out" our faith. That is turning our faith into an idol because we are no longer focused on Christ, we are focused on our faith. That is simply having faith in our faith which is idolatry. Focusing on our faith as the central part of Christian life is a scheme of Satan to pull our eyes from Christ and His work for us and through us and back onto ourselves and our works which are as "filthy rags". [Isaiah 64:6] Our faith should always point us outward to Christ. Focusing on Christ shapes us in His image and then to service and love for others.

Focusing on the strength or weakness of our faith turns faith into a work and not the blessing and gift it truly is. True faith in Christ is a "light yoke" and "easy burden" because it rests on Christ's promises. It's true our daily battle with sin and temptation is hard at times and we fail, but that's where faith becomes a comfort because in repentance we rest in the assurance of Christ's forgiveness which true faith clings.

The other blessings of Christ like His Word in preaching and devotion, prayer and Holy Communion are not "works" we do to prove our faithfulness, they are the means Christ gives to sustain, strengthen and nourish our faith. Again, it's His work in and through us, not ours. We simply receive the blessings of these gifts.

Christian faith is a blessing in which we receive and which the Holy Spirit works in us and is fed and nourished by Word and Sacrament. We Christians are living in the "now but not yet". We have entered into our eternal lives through Baptism and cling to that knowledge by faith. It is by our faith that we will eventually see the reality.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. -Romans 3:21-26