What Does It All Mean?

With the onslaught of yet another political campaign here is where my mind went early this morning, as I lay in the comfort of my bed trying not to think:  

‘What does it all really mean:  “Conservation, Liberal, Independent, Green Party, Hipster, Christian?  

And where, and how, does our faith in God fit?”

Finally I got up and began to find definitions to all of those ambiguious words. 

First I looked up Conservative.  Which I learned meant those holding to traditional attitudes and values; cautious about change or innovation.  Typically in relation to politics and religion.

Synonyms for Conservative are: traditionalist, conventional, orthodoxy, stable, old fashion, dyed-in-the-wool, unchanging.  

Origin: Late middle English — in the sense of aiming to preserve.

Then I moved to Liberal, who are “Open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.  Concerned mainly with broadening a person’s general knowledge and experiences; rather than with technical or professional training.”

Synonyms are:  wide-range, broad-based, general humanistic.

Webster’s definition: “A Liberal shares a root with Liberty (A quality or state of being) and can mean anything from ‘generous’ to ‘loose’ to ‘broad-minded.  Politically, it means 'a person who believes that government should be active in supporting social and political change.”  

Liberal can be traced back to the Latin word; liber meaning free.  Liber acts as an adjective to describe a person who is free, independent and to the leftish side of the political spectrum.

What is an Independent?  A person who take a non-partisan stance and comes from the grassroots working  for mass-appeal.

Green Party?  It has ten key values. 

1.Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not   
   subject to the will of another.

2. Social justice and equal opportunity

3. Ecological wisdom

4. Non-Violence

5. Decentralization

6. Community-based economics and economic justice.

7. Feminist and gender equality.

8. Respect for diversity 

9 Personal and global responsibility

10. Future focused and sustainability 

Hipster:   A person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream.

Christian: One who professes belief in the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Hummmmmmmm

After all of that verbiage I was still in the dark.  So I picked up my most recent devotional and read this quote from ‘Every Step An Arrival’ by Eugene Peterson p.60

“Right before our eyes the Hebrew nation makes this mighty transition from a loose confederacy of tribes to a strong central monarchy.  But the refusal to look ultimately to God as King is an indictment clear to anyone with eyes to see or ears to hear. Consider your political allegiances in light of Israel’s lessons.”

A subtle direct hit to the political drama in 2018.

WOW!

To be continued