I Care About Them All

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My heart is heavy.  If I'm honest, it's heavy much of the time, perhaps TOO much of the time.  I listen to the news, read articles, and try to stay informed. I observe, read, and listen to the many, many comments on social media.  Some comments are well-thought-out, others merely knee jerk reactions and strong opinions to hot topics.  

As is true with many of us, I suspect, I have friends on both ends of the political spectrum.  They feel very passionately about issues they care deeply about.  Many of my friends are living life consistent with these views.  They rally, give financial support and get behind candidates and causes that speak to their sense of what is right. I applaud them.  I have little use for people who express opinions to gain a minute of attention or to incite an argument. I find many remarks I read to be inflammatory and distasteful.  Certainly we can disagree without being rude or offensive in how we express what we believe.

But then, I follow this man named Jesus, who was THE model for how to express truth respectfully, not rudely.  The Bible isn't a pick and choose.  It's an all or nothing.  I don't get to pick the issues that resonate the most with me and just pay attention to those.  As a follower of Jesus I have to ascribe to all of it.  I have to look at His word and discern what truth is on all the issues and sell out to it - all of it.  Let me say that I don't have it all figured out.  This is lifelong learning and I'm still studying and discerning.  But I have figured out some things:

I care about the environment.  God gave us this earth to take care of and it is despicable how we have used and abused it for a lousy buck.  We can argue global warming, emissions testing and the like.  At the end of the day, what am I doing to educate myself on the issues and what am I doing to take care of this planet?  Do I model behavior that would suggest I care about the environment? Do my kids know how to care for the earth, recycle, repurpose, reuse? The Church has fallen far short in this area and it's time we turn the corner and get educated.

I care about issues of social justice.  No one fought for the oppressed more than my Savior.  He always stood up for the underdog.  I love that about Him. He requires me to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with my God.  I don't get to blame people for their downtrodden condition whether they are directly responsible for it or not (remember the woman at the well?).  I get to extend a hand to help them while speaking truth.  They are entitled to my help. It's not entitlement because THEY think they deserve it;  It's entitlement because God has extended His grace to me and I will be judged by how I treat 'the least of these.'  HE entitles people to forgiveness, second chances and being helped by His people.  I care that people are oppressed.  I care that there is inequality and unfair treatment based on race, ethnicity, gender, _________(fill in the blank). Do I have it all figured out?  Of course not.  But I am passionate about issues of social justice and always yearn to do the right thing because I'm required to as a follower of Christ.

I care about unborn babies.  We are committing genocide and it's not okay. It's not the only issue we should care about, Church, but it's a big one.  Life begins at conception and our babies deserve better.  Their mommies deserve better too.  Few that fight for women's rights recognize the value of the person behind the abortion.  I care that she will fight guilt, shame and self-hate as a result of her 'choice.'  Yes, I care about unborn babies, but I care about them after they are born and I care about their moms, dads and families.  We could do better as His Church fighting this battle.  We don't score a 'win' just because someone chooses life.  I applaud those who help with adoption services, support groups for single moms, provide help for newborns, parenting training, and emotional support.  It's a start but we need to do more.

I care about immigrants and refugees.  The Bible is quite clear about how we are to treat the strangers among us.  My God is big and He requires me to respond to life and the issues thrown my way Biblically, not politically.  This is tough but it's worth our energy to figure out how to respond.  It is very difficult to see through the rhetoric of politics.  It always surprises me how many people take the appropriate stand on the issue of immigration based on the elephant or donkey.  I want to know the right thing to do.  Maybe all of you have figured out what the right thing is, but I'm struggling with this one. 

I support capitalism.  You work hard, you earn and you get to have discretion on spending, including charitable giving.  The Bible is clear about mandates on our giving as Christians.  We are told to take care of each other and especially widows and orphans.  We long abdicated that responsibility to the government and now we're complaining.  Dare I say if we had done our job the government wouldn't have had to?  It's not as simple as saying 'get a job'.  It's also not okay to do nothing and expect the government to take care of you.  The system is a mess and it's one of the things that keeps me up at night.

I believe in science.  I have never seen a disconnect between science and my belief in a Creator.  Science, to me, is an amazing understanding of what I believe my Creator created.  I don't hate science, rebuke it or refute it.  We may draw different conclusions and fill in the dots differently but I will never back away from science and what it tells us about our world.

I am a patriot.  I support our military and our freedoms they protect.  I know many, many veterans who are getting a raw deal.  We see the repercussions that combat has on our soldiers.  We may not fully acknowledge the sacrifice made by so many.  We have a responsibility to take care of them, support them and find ways to minister to them and their families.   I love this country, what it stands for and the opportunities it provides.  We might disagree about many, many issues, but I think most of us could agree that it's a privilege to live here.

There are many other things I care about, but these are some of the biggies.  I agree as wholeheartedly with my liberal friends on issues of racial reconciliation and justice as I do my conservative friends on issues of smaller government.  At no time have I ever cared about a red cup and what it has on it.   I am not ashamed of the gospel nor its Author.  I believe that the Bible offers truth and the longer I live and experience this world the more convinced I am that it holds the key and the answers we so desperately need.

I wish that more Christians represented their Savior better.  I wish that there was less hypocrisy and more transparency.  I strive to live my life with an audience of "One" and follow Biblical standards and principles.  Admittedly I fall short too much of the time, but today, I will strive to live my life well.  I will continue learning, growing and being the woman of God I am called to be.  Will you join me?

-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP