I’ve been paying attention to the wrong show. Kerry/Bush, Edwards/Cheney, Liberal/Conservative: The wrong shows. I get worked up about lies told about politicians I think are doing the country some good. Or lies told by politicians I think would be doing harm. I felt the same way about GHWBush and Bill Clinton, so it’s nothing new. I get outraged at it, over and over again… and it’s the wrong show to be paying attention to.
It’s like having an expensive ticket to The Greatest Show On Earth and never making it into the tent for all the stupid midway games that only cost more money and are un-winnable. You go home with a lighter wallet, no appreciation for the big show, and an empty feeling that even winning wouldn’t have filled (just distracted, maybe).
Why I’ve Been Missing It
I’ve always thought that those who believed God controlled the very direction of a fart in the wind just took God too seriously. Not that I think He isn’t real, or in control – but that He works on a macro level, trusting the world He created (physics, weather, people, etc) to exist within its self-sustaining systems without any hand-holding necessary. The sheer vastness of it convinces me there must be a God to have made all this, and set the whole thing spinning – There are days I can’t even keep my shoes tied, and I’m pretty intelligent. What kind of genius God who could do all this, would then be present to tilt every blade of grass just so?
God’s role, in that view, is just to sprinkle the God-dust around until He gets good and ready to turn the whole thing inside out. A miracle here, a life-change there, answered prayers every morning, and a big ole’ judgement down the road. God is above fart direction.
The Greatest Show On Earth
The problem I’m realizing (hey, changing your whole view of existence isn’t like flipping channels) is that the side shows don’t matter. That’s hard for someone who enjoys them to deal with. The world kept spinning just fine under Clinton, as it does under Bush, as it (probably) would under Kerry. God spun it, nothing they can do is going to change His plan for it. Our daily lives might change somewhat, but is my enjoyment of television and the internet integral to God’s plan? Doubtful. So as much as I think God can sit back and just sprinkle the God-dust, He’s not. His plan, involving His interaction, is inherently in everything.
When Clinton was in the oval office, missionaries became allowed into Bosnia via US involvement, where they hadn’t before. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t on Bill’s radar. While Bush has been in the office, churches have been getting government funds to grow ties to their communities, which helps spread the message, even if they can’t do it during the tie-growing itself. I’ll give GB a little more credit than BC – it was definitely on his radar, but again — that’s God’s plan. It’s just working with (as well as it would without) the man in the oval office.
And In The Center Ring…
Since the name going on federal laws doesn’t really matter, then it’s really God’s interaction with me, that is the show worth my attention. I need to remember that — I don’t want to leave this place disappointed.