Mike’s Rumblings 11-01-24

Faith Conversations

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 11.1.24

1. I do have to say that the MAGA rally in New York last weekend was particularly soul sucking and it certainly wasn’t the ‘lovefest’ they say it was. Not even close.

When we lose civility, when we forget the lessons history teaches, when cultish behavior becomes normative and facism is embraced, we’re in deep trouble.

Jimmy Kimmel quipped:

“This is the first election where reporters have to ask the candidates ‘Who did you root for when you watched “Saving Private Ryan”?’”

2. “Every bombed village

is my hometown

every dead child

is my child,

every grieving mother

is my mother,

every crying father

is my father,

these people

they are all ours,

they belong to us

and we belong to them.

They are not “other” to us.

They are all ours

and we are theirs.” ~ James Baldwin

Baldwin, I believe, found the heart of Jesus. I bet we can do that too.

3. Retired Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carder said: “I’m no Solomon, but here’s my proverb for the day: “Power, privilege, and pride without character, conscience, and compassion equals corruption, chaos, and catastrophe.”

It’s a no-brainer to stand against politicians who habitually bring corruption, chaos, and lack of character to the table. I feel compelled to speak out. It’s what I’ve been taught people of ‘faith’ do.

In the face of such ‘danger’ I often wonder how anyone can stay quiet?

Do I pray for those politicians?

I do pray (admittedly not as often as I could) for the MAGA guy, in particular, to be seized by the power and glory of God, to fall to his knees, to repent of his sins and then to humbly begin to make amends for harm done.

Could that happen? Sure, it could. However, I’m not holding my breath. I hope it does because the actual act of repenting sins and making amends would be good for him.

And it should keep him busy and quiet for quite a long time. That would be great for the rest of us.

4. So, on November 5th, it’ll be as if the whole world is waiting for a biopsy to come back.” ~ source unknown

I confess to being a little antsy. There are so many unknowns, so much that lacks clarity. Here’s what I’m leaning into:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus…” ~ Philippians 4

The world around us might be in turmoil but in the Kingdom of God there’s no worry or instability. Lean into God’s Kingdom agenda and keep leaning.

5. Genocide is biblical.

Loving your enemies is biblical.

But only one is Christlike.

Slavery is biblical.

Chain-Breaking is biblical.

But only one is Christlike.

Patriarchy is biblical.

Counter-cultural elevation of women is biblical.

But only one is Christ like.

Retributive violence is biblical.

Grace-filled restoration is biblical.

But only one is Christ like.

Segregation is biblical.

Unity is biblical.

But only one is Christlike.

Christ transforms, not the Bible. Be wary of those who know one but not the other. ~Jordan Harrell

Take aways?

Bible reading and study is a very good thing but discernment is necessary.

Pay attention when Christ-likeness shows itself.

Don’t lift the Biblical text out of its context, attempting to make it say what it doesn’t say.

6. “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago

The dividing line between goodness and evil is razor thin. Anyone with even a smidgeon of a prophetic voice and a conscience struggles with speaking out against evil for it requires dealing with their own ‘stuff’ first.

7. I confuse some people. Heck, I confuse myself sometimes.

In particular, folks who lean to the far right politically are suspect of someone like me who leans left politically and who also claims to be a follower of Jesus. How can that be? After all, in their world Jesus leans to the right and absolutely adores all things MAGA. And then someone like me comes around and says “not so fast.” It doesn’t compute.

And when I quote someone who’s not part of their tribe they don’t know what to do with it. It’s someone like Richard Rohr (who I held at arms length for far too long) for instance, who cuts against the grain of their beliefs when he writes:

“Christianity is a lifestyle—a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared, and loving. However, we made it into an established “religion” (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself. One could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain in most of Christian history, and still believe that Jesus is one’s “personal Lord and Savior” or continue to receive Sacraments in good standing. The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on Earth is too great.”

8. “Visionaries, prophets, and Jesus have all warned us that this journey that we are on will be beset by troubles. In this life, you will have trouble. How we handle that trouble is our witness to future generations.” ~ Barbara Holmes, Center for Action and Contemplation. RIP

How blessed we are to live in such interesting, troubling times. Could it be that God chose us specifically “for a time such as this?”

9. How then shall we pray? This works.

“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Then silence.

Be present to the very Presence (of God).

Listen.

Respond.

Finally, an Amen.”

10, As we enter the path of transformation, the most valuable thing we have working in our favor is our yearning. Some spiritual teachers will even say that the yearning you feel for God is actually coming from the opposite direction; it is in fact, God‘s yearning for you.” ~ Cynthia Bourgeault

God yearns for me.

That’s both sobering

and life giving.

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