Election Leftovers, A Continuing Look

[HKHaugan]

Election Leftovers, A Continuing Look

We are experiencing a huge spiritual conflict taking place across the country. There is no question that it is being fueled by backroom dissidents whose only goal is to finance, and keep the country in, conflict and chaos. It's too well organized to escape notice. There are professional sign makers at work having been paid by hidden sources to get them printed. There is a background leadership phone calling and using social media outlets for waiting activists to respond in the moment. The goal is anarchy. But beneath it all Ephesians 6 reveals their source: the spiritual rulers, authorities and powers of evil from the dark world of the devil's kingdom. The particular people involved don't even know or realize they are being used like pawns on a chess board. While the world rejecting spirituality promotes them as attitudes from platitudes, 'free speech', 'the right to demonstrate', are just part of a smoke screen to vent personal frustration from an unfulfilled life.

The desire for justice, fairness and equality are values deeply embedded in the human DNA. But to whom do we give them to be fulfilled? The latest media provocation? An angry charismatic leader? An eloquent speaker with intellectual appeal? Someone who promises me everything I want? The core of any person is their heart. Not the physical heart but their inner heart, the person, the 'I' in us. That's where life is processed. Your mind reasons what the heart gives it or your brain kicks into an idea and your heart processes it. Then it is your spirit that is motivated to act out what the mind and heart feed it. Bottom line? The whole thing is a spiritual process because we are spiritual beings.

It is the inner conflicts that cause the outer disturbances, the inner frustration of our built in desires, the feeling of powerlessness when we don't get our way. Therein lies the problem. We want our way, my way, what I want right now that is not happening and should because I want it. When we witness the shouting, the signs, the violence, what we are seeing is spiritual upheaval in human hearts willing to sell those hearts for what they are not even sure of. Even more tragic is that part of the losing political leadership who is supposed to condemn violence and disunity now condoning and in some cases even encouraging all the hostility. They are fear mongers, fear encouragers, fear inducers.

So what is the answer? Spiritual things come first. There are four. After these we need a look at our voting strategies and the real demands they present. How do we humanize the campaign process from surface category to personal heart issues, from exploitation of fear to the real political goal, national unity and productive individual maturity?

First of all, prayer. We have to pray into the situation we see. Prayer is the active recognition that what is taking place is an invasion of forces from the unseen evil dimension in which the devil is ruler and chief instigator. He is sending his spirits of fear, rage, lust, greed, deceit, discord and division to exploit those who have no inner spiritual source of strength.

Second, discernment. We have to discern what is taking place with spiritual accuracy and pray for how we are to respond if our moment comes to face it. That means identifying the spirits active in the disruption, name them and pray against them in the name of Jesus.

Third, authority. This is a Body of Christ issue to pray for all those in authority that they are able to do their job with patience and the skills they have learned from their training and experience.

Fourth, disrupters. We pray for those who are the actively disruptive people. They are images of God who have lost their sense of humanity by becoming a professional agitator, or an idealist jumping on the bandwagon of a cause or a genuinely concerned person desiring to better their world. There are a whole lot of different people in that mix.

Fifth,witness. This is precisely when we need to step out as disciples and witness to the non-Christian. Make ourselves available while we are on the way to wherever. The world is in need of Jesus and only Jesus' people can share Him.

Next we need to change political voting strategy that meets people where they are, not the categories like white, black, male, female, age, ethnic, income groupings and so on. You know the surface categories we use to define one another. We need to discover where individuals in the country are in greatest need. What questions need the most addressing? Is it about securing an economic and social environment that allow people the safety and encouragement to develop and be productive citizens? Forget the categories. Deal with the individual heart. Start with an agenda that deals not only with citizens but also with those desiring to be citizens.

If it is employment then what can we do to build the job base?

If it is education then we need to see what kind of education best meets the need of a society that generates productive people, people who want to contribute to the social, economic and intellectual development for the future.

If it is taking care of the health needs of a maturing populace then everything from child care to elderly support needs constant attention.

If it protecting the country from foreign hostility then keeping a strong intelligence structure and maintaining a superior military force.

If it is immigration the first question that someone coming here needs to hear is “Why do you want to come here?” If they want to stay, “Why do you want to cease being a citizen where your come from?” then “Why do you want to become a citizen here?” When these questions are answered there needs to be a way to welcome those desiring to live here. It means shoring up an educational program to inform them about our lifestyle, our national documents and learning our language.

In this particular area we must remember how difficult it is for someone to come into a communal system that is entirely different in principle, experience and language than that out of which they come. It is inhumane not to provide an immigrant with what this country is all about, its basic history, why it was was founded, its laws, its language and its economics. Amnesty for uninformed residents is cruel, inhumane and abusive to their dignity as human beings. They deserve the best we have to offer not a fake welcome that tells them 'tough luck, you're on your own, survive the best you can.' The 'open border' approach promises nothing but fear and isolation. When entering any field of endeavor training and language of that profession is given. Someone wanting to be a doctor is not given a stethoscope and a scalpel and told to go out be a doctor. To really care for someone is to inform them, give them the tools for understanding and the language to communicate. They need to know what they are getting into. I would expect no less if I sought citizenship in another country. If we don't do that they will only live in a constant sea of fear and react according to the cultural standards they bring with them. This fear is what forms hostile ghettos and anti social behavior.

This is just the beginning of considering how we change the way we conduct political campaigns. We avoid ethnic, gender, professional, educational and economic profiling. Unless we change, every one in a category sees everyone else in another category as the enemy. They only continue to work against the biblically influenced Declaration of Independence that states, “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...”