I am feeling a bit cynical this evening.
Let's go back a few weeks to before Gov. Perry declared his intention to seek the presidency of this great country.
This according to the Des Moines Register:
"I’m not ready to tell you that I’m ready to announce that I’m in,” Gov. Rick Perry told The Des Moines Register. “But I’m getting more and more comfortable every day that this is what I’ve been called to do. This is what America needs.”
"...called to do..." This may be an innocuous piece of phraseology to many Americans. To those in the evangelical Christian community the meaning is quite clear. We have become completely familiar with people we know being called. With younger individuals it is most often to a missionary endeavor or to the ministry. When we hear it from more experienced and seasoned professionals it is in the form of "I have been called to..." someplace else. The code is that God has spoken to me in some way and this is what he wants me to do therefore "It is Good."
My observation (and I do not pretend to be aware of all cases) is this. I have not seen one pastor, youth minister, music minister or anyone else in a church "called" to sacrifice and move to a smaller ministry position with a smaller salary. I am sure it must have happened but I suspect it is the exception to what I see as a rule
So, when I see any politician suggest that he has been "called" to the highest elected office in the land I am just a bit cynical - especially when they accept the call. I suspect that Gov. Perry's response to the call might have been a bit different if it had been the call to serve as mayor of Oak Point. It seems God never sends anyone down to the minors. He only calls them up to the majors. #justsayin
I read this article on CNN this morning. Seems you aren't the only one questioning the motives of the "christian" candidates. http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/16/my-take-5-biblical-passages-for-bachmann-and-perry/?hpt=hp_bn8
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. As the article points out a serious problem for these candidates is that their basis for one position often directly contradicts another.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with the fact that politicians (in particular) using Christian vernacular, like that referenced above, is kinda sketchy, I disagree with your statement that God doesn't seem to "call" people downward, only upward. I have seen God call people to what i believe you would call "the minors." One of my former pastors and his family was called to sell their house and belongings and become missionaries in Africa, which they promptly did. He lost a steady paycheck as well as his wife's income to move to a third world country, dependent on support from a not-for-profit company and other supporters. I would consider that to be a downward move, so to speak. While a drastic move like this is rare, it doesn't mean He doesn't make "calls" like that. It's possible that because politicians are in the limelight so much and are criticized constantly, it makes it difficult to determine whether a politician is really a true Christian following the calls on his life or if he is just taking advantage of using Christian vernacular to "win points." Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I too could cite a rare case or two. In part that's what makes me cynical of the vast majority who are called up. It is really the politicians that make me crazy and the republicans are the worst.
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