Pray for Our Political System

Letter #1 by Randy Reynolds

Years ago I got a call after the Gabrielle Giffords' shooting and was asked to do a Sunday morning service at the Court House in honor of those who were shot.  The interesting theme from the media who came to film the service was, this was caused by the significant on- going political conflict in our state.  I however challenged this view because I knew of the mental health issues of the shooter.  In a systemic view of life everyone has responsibility for their part. The complexity of the issue however was that the political conflict in my opinion did not cause the shooting but systemic tension does usually engage the more marginalized in our community and increases their pathology, including their acting out.

Within a short time several politicians apologized for being critical of opposing party members and there was an initiative to create “civility” in political discourse.  So as a pastor I saw confession of sin and repentance taking place through God’s providence. As we have just experienced that repentance did not last very long.

The political climate has reached a peak and everyone I talked with has worn out their mute button trying to cut out the mud slinging that has dirtied their TV sets.  This systemic evil is contributing to the deterioration of our culture and does promote evil from both sides of the aisle.

The Book of James says, “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.  But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.  And the tongue is a flame of fire.  It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body (the political body in America).  It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” James 3:5-6

So what do we do as Christians when confronted by systemic evil in our culture?  Are we to run and hide or react in anger or fear?  Are we to be passive? God has first called us to pray.  I believe we need to pray that God will forgive those perpetrating evil and bring them to repentance. Please pray for our politicians, those behind the scenes like the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee or the super PACs.  That they may come to a place of confession and repentance and come to know Christ or if people of faith that they submit to the King of the Kingdom of God.  Some of you may feel that this list may have an enemy on it, but we are to pray for our enemies as believers.  Also one leader said, “I have never met a person as evil as the system they were involved in.”  We all need God’s grace to help us find our way.

Please pray for an out pouring of God’s Spirit on our country and this city.  Please pray that the evil we experience will be uprooted as Christ has already defeated the devil.  Thank you for praying for our political system and that God will bring healing.  I’m asking that we pray for several months and then I will send another letter to do a follow up on this topic.  Included is a letter written by several men directly involved in this political process.

Thank you and you can pass this on to other believers

Randy Reynolds

Letter #2 by Ethan and Steve

 

During the 51st Arizona Legislature, we served Tucson’s 9th District at the state capitol. Ethan is a Republican. Steve is a Democrat. We shared a commitment to find ways of working together to serve the constituents we represented, despite our differing views on a range of issues.

That is the heart of what has made American democracy so resilient and admired around the world — the commitment of elected officials to find common ground across the partisan divide.  

This commitment and resiliency are being sorely tested during the political season in which we find ourselves.

Our country’s hard-won freedom is under threat — by a rising tide of tribalism, demonization of those with different views and backgrounds, and political violence.  

But there is a way forward. Our nation can be strengthened if we each recommit ourselves to the essential American values of empathy, welcome, and respect for ourselves and others. 

 

Even today, what unites us as Americans is greater than what divides us. 

In Arizona, our state’s greatest accomplishments were achieved when people with differing viewpoints, parties, and ideals found a way to reach beyond political differences to serve a greater good. They humanized and empathized with other people, even where they had significant differences.  

Economic development, transportation, education, public safety, public health, and water policy are not partisan issues. They are central to our quality of life, regardless of our ideological underpinnings. We all benefit when our elected officials work together to assure these basic services are well-managed so that we can take them for granted.
That’s why Democrats Carl Hayden and Mo Udall united with Republicans Barry Goldwater and Paul Fannin to support and build the Central Arizona Project, without which we would be in economic and existential crisis today.  These leaders disagreed on many issues but they all wanted to make Arizona a better place. 

 

We don’t and never will agree on every issue, including some important political and social ones.  But our common hope for a better future for Arizona and a respect for other people and the political process gives us a context in which we can debate and discuss our differences respectfully. 

Our founders have blessed us with freedom and democracy and a way of life that is fragile and must be protected.  To be a part of the American experiment is a rare privilege and our cherished freedoms must be earned by every generation, not only with battles against external enemies but by building internal cohesion that is more powerful than the seduction of petty tribalism that sets us against each other. 

There is no one correct answer for how society can progress, whether from the left or the right. Anyone who believes this is toying with the corrosive and essentially un-American forces of autocracy. Mutual understanding of differing views is the central tool that allows us to make our way forward. Together.

Now that the 2018 elections are over, we must focus on fostering unity amongst all our citizens, regardless of political beliefs and backgrounds.  Whoever you are, wherever you came from, however you voted, and whatever brought you to those votes, we are all Americans.

We are bound together by our belief that tomorrow will be a better place than today, a respect for our Constitution to settle our disputes, and a deep understanding that America can still be that shining city on a hill, an inspiration for all those who seek life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We hope you will join us. 

Circularity and Justice

We get very upset when we hear stories of injustice and the unrighteous acts that create this pain and hardship.  Almost nobody likes to hear about bullies picking on the weak. In my life the predatory lending practices of payday loans and title loans have been where I have heard many stories of abuse.  I sat with a store manager of a payday loan office and heard him tell stories of how they were told to violate the harassment laws in order to intimidate people to pay their 400% loans.  They would threaten clients by saying if they did not pay they were going to prison, which was a lie.  The one who borrowed usually did not know the law and was threatened. I even heard stories of how the borrower embezzled money from their employer so they would not go to jail.  However they got caught embezzling and went to jail anyway.  Harassment laws were not enforced against these lenders and the predatory lending was perpetuating great injustices with the vulnerable. The bullies were hurting the little guys! Everyone was caught in a web of evil.  These stores target the desperate and illiterate and find a market that is profitable but exploitive.

In the discussion of justice some will say that those taking the loans are responsible for their own lives and should know better.  In a relationship each person has a part to play and the borrower does have responsibility for their part.  However in justice issues those with the most power are usually seen from an ethical point of view as having the greater responsibility.  So abusive power is unjust and the violation of human rights comes into play in these discussions.  God grants each person certain rights and these need protection from tyrants who exploit others for personal gain.  In third world countries political tyrants rule unjustly and property rights are denied and so economies often fail to develop because of this exploitation by rulers, more bullying.  The rule of law, that no ruler, whether king, bishop, business leader or military leader is above the law, protects the rights of the vulnerable.  This is one of the main views of justice.  It also sets boundaries on human depravity and the systems tyrants rule.  America set up its government based on a constitution, a government structure and the covenant of its people to respect and implement this rule of law.  So our rights and freedoms would flourish.  However when people are selfish and abuse their power injustice reigns rather than a just and righteous society.  Each person in a relationship is required to be responsible and virtuous for a healthy and just society. Proverbs 11:10 says “... that the city rejoices when the righteous prosper…” Why? Because the righteous are those who value justice and righteousness more than personal gain, so everyone benefits when they prosper.  We all need to grow in our value of justice and righteousness. The second half of the verse is also important, “They shout for joy when the wicked die.” Why? Injustice, evil, and wickedness is oppressive! Boundaries have to be set against evil. Madison when framing the constitution said, “There is a degree of depravity in mankind which requires a certain degree of circumspection and distrust.” (Godly Republic pg 36) So the godly need to face their own sin as well as not be naïve about the wickedness of others or the systems that perpetuate evil and oppression. God has paid a big price to restore us to healthy relationships. Therefore the victim needs to learn the snares externally as well as internally, so they make right choices and the predator has to not set them, both have a righteous part to play and evil to shun.

Justice also has to do with the way we are rewarded or punished in life.  What we deserve is not only about entitlements or rights but about what we have earned.  What is rightly coming to us because of the effort, competencies and risk we have taken.  Most social systems have a reward system and a punitive system that is implemented according to our behaviors.  A just reward is to be granted for our work and accomplishments.  A just punishment is given when we violate others, like in taking a life, abusing or stealing from others.  In the story of Branch Richey and Jackie Robison the issue of injustice is based on racism.  Jackie Robison is excluded from white baseball because of the color of his skin, however he is given the chance to prove that he deserves to be in professional white baseball if he can demonstrate competency.  He does not trade evil for evil when he crosses the color line but focuses on his performance and is supported by a white Branch Richey a man of power and position.  He gains a position in white baseball by performing well and earns himself, rookie of the year.  However, the resistance to inclusion, because of the injustices of racism, were pronounced and costly to both Jackie and Branch. The racist system is confronted through this alliance between Branch and Jackie. If Jackie had acted out with vengeance he probably would have been punished and excluded from white baseball.  Jackie turned the other cheek as Branch told him to do and outperformed many white baseball players earning himself a hard fought for position of dignity and reward in white baseball.

Evil and abuse whether in a family or a social system, like baseball, can become a vicious cycle of people hurting people and it does not matter whether it is perpetrated by a system or individual.

The justice argument can quickly polarize into justice that is about rights or justice that is about a person’s responsibility.  If the emphasis goes too far towards rights and entitlements a perspective may develop where human effort and personal responsibility gets over looked.  If the emphasis goes too far towards personal responsibility, the person abusing power or the systemic evils may be ignored.  Justice almost always has a relational context that is circular in nature and everyone is called by God to be just, humble and merciful, as well as face their own sin.  Micah 6:8

A closing story just happened.  This morning a 78 year old woman was to bring in her last interest free payment on a micro-loan that we had given her.  She lives in government housing and was in debt.  When she came in she informed us that she had gone to a new car dealer and leased a new car. The sales man tells her, according to her version of the story that they are going to make her a deal that will work for her. The salesman’s job is to get her a car. She has about $30 to $50 dollars extra a month in her budget.  We have been working with her for a year to get her debts paid off.  The car dealer leased her a new car and required her to pay car insurance and a lease, which put her way beyond her budget.  She signed a contract so she felt personally responsible for the monthly payments, which she cannot afford.  The car dealer never looked at her budget to see if she could afford this lease.  It was not his responsibility or was it?  He as a sales person was to lease her a car, which he did.  Was he abusing his power and trapping her in a contract that exploited this 78 year old woman?  When we went and talked with him about his part ethically he said, “We did nothing wrong.” Was he one of the wicked that she should have been distrustful of? Was she guilty of stepping into this trap? He said, “It is all her responsibility.” Was he guilty of setting a trap?  She believed it was all her fault. Isn’t there the issue of each person doing what is right and just in this relational transaction?  How could they treat each other with respect? 

Ezekiel says, “Today even common people oppress the poor and rob the needy…” (Ezekiel 22:29)  Injustice may come from evil social systems and the irresponsibility of people at the same time.

We really do affect each other and need to know and care how we affect others to break the cycles of injustice.