We are here, now.
One response to my post yesterday was to be asked for an apology. Not for the post and honestly, I’m not certain what the apology is for but I have an idea.
I think he wants an apology for the way I voted. He asked if I felt any responsibility. Keep reading, I’ll get to that shortly.
He and I voted opposites in 2016. We had a good discussion at that time on why we vote the way we do and agreed to disagree but it was civil. Even friendly. I hope we can maintain that going forward.
My thoughts on the events of Jan 6th in our nation’s capital bounce between horror and disgust. The people who showed up there were lied to. They were told there was a theft of an election and something big would happen on the 6th. They believed it and felt they were doing the right thing. They were not.
This was one example of why the truth matters.
Here are two quotes from yesterday’s post. This is what I believe is the biggest problem facing us today.
“Frankly, I believe candidates from both parties have lied to the American people. Furthermore, I believe that many are slipping dangerously close to creating a habit of lying and rationalizing that their purpose in doing so is “for our own good.”
“It has become standard operating procedure for many politicians to say whatever is needed in order to get elected. This must stop. History’s list is deep and wide and filled with the names of tragic governments whose citizens did not stop it.”
Did you catch that last part? “Whose citizens did not stop it.”
That’s us.
“We the People”.
This post is not about the election, how I voted, or if it was stolen. I can point out examples where both sides lied. Clearly, definitely lied. You know it, I know it and we have to do something to change it or we’re doomed.
We are here, now and this is about what we do next.
Cognitive dissonance is no fun. When our beliefs and biases are challenged we want to say ‘wait a minute, that’s not right’ but that’s the point. I’ve been wrong before and currently am looking for information that will make me say ‘wait a minute’.
I’m going to share some of those resources with you.
One of the things I am is a follower of Jesus Christ. My first citizenship is in Heaven, my second is a citizen of the United States of America. As an American, I am more toward the Right in my beliefs for how to run the country but I am not a die-hard Republican. I’m one that held my nose and voted. If pressured, I’d say “I’m a Constitutional Conservative that leans Libertarian” but that’s being challenged in my search for truth.
I think one of the things I’ve heard recently says it pretty well.
“The political argument right now is the left wants to say we need more social programs to help the middle class and poor people and the conservative right says we need family structures and people that pick themselves up by their bootstraps, the reality is we need both.” (from HolyPost podcast 435 go to 36:40 to hear from Skye and the rest of his thoughts.)
As I think about all this I come back to my friend asking for an apology. Do I owe him one? Maybe. But I know I owe one in the same sense that I owe an apology for allowing sex trafficking, racism, or the lies we’ve allowed our politicians to propagate all these years. We all bear responsibility.
That ‘responsibility statement’ might raise some objections if you think you are not responsible for those things or for what happened on Jan 6th.
Here’s another quote that focuses on that part.
So what’s with the We? We defeated Hitler. We put a man on the moon. We won the Cold War. We horribly mistreated Native Americans for centuries. Hey, wait. I didn’t do that one!
You didn’t do any of those things.
We love to take collective ownership for the great things America has done and then completely reject any ownership of the terrible things America has done.
If you’re interested in being challenged, to experience a little cognitive dissonance, this video might be one to spend some time with.
My mantra in all this that I want to share is “Don’t believe everything you think”. I’m learning that Jesus did not invent capitalism, that as believers we are supposed to take care of the poor and love our enemies. I already knew those things in my head but I’m learning that and more in my heart.
We might be in charge of what’s happening but God is in control of the outcome, not us. Democrats are not going to save us. Republicans are not going to save us. We need to come together, to talk to each other and that means listening to understand, not just to respond.
I would encourage you to go back to yesterday’s post and read it, get the book and read it. The truth matters.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry Robertson
Love this, sir!