Russellings of the Spirit

Time for politics! Did you get to watch any of the Democratic National convention last week? It is great to watch the unspontaneous, carefully scripted drama that happens every four years when the major parties gather, isn’t it? Outside of church, I am not sure where you could go to see people become so passionate about the task of defining a new vision for the future. I think one of the really fun aspects of each party’s convention is watching to see which surprising people appear on the speaker’s rostrum to help drive home one or another of the party’s platform planks. You always expect to see the traditional “stars” and heavy hitters of the party… certainly the nominees, their families, and the senior party leadership. But then there are the “surprise” speakers that show up now and then. There was the senator (sorry… can’t remember his name. I am not really that much of a political geek) who served in the Army in Iraq before running for office. Then there was the woman who brought a sex discrimination lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Regular, ordinary people whose lives have been touched or affected somehow by the political process. They stand up and tell their story, looking straight into the camera wanting more than anything to see SOMETHING change that will make life better for everyone. It really is stirring.

It is now Wednesday night and I am watching the beginning of Sarah Palin’s speech at the Republican convention. I am trying really hard to stay completely non-partisan in this comment, but we are ten minutes in and I am still waiting for the “WOW!” moment that really carves out the defining vision she and her party have for the country. But I sure am getting to know her family really well! Who knew her husband was a world champion snow machine racer?

But seriously, there is a special electricity in the air at this time of year, isn’t there? I think it is because every one of us yearns for the inspiration of a vision that will bring meaning to our lives. We want to be inspired. We want to hope. We want to have a sense that there is a nobility to the quest we are on as individuals and as a nation. We put all of our eggs in the basket of voting the right way and electing the right candidate as the way to do that. Now certainly the make-up and the overall worldview of the people making and enforcing the laws of the land make a huge difference in the kind of lives we all lead. But a worldview that brings with it hope, meaning, nobility, and access to life that extends even beyond the temporal plane is what is available for each of us, freely given by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ! And you don’t have to wait until the next election cycle to have access to it. It is available here. It is available now. It is available to ALL. Praise be to the God and father of us all!