A Whole Faith

It's time to stop being Pharasees, and grow a whole faith. 

I am new to this forum, a Baptist deacon who has voted largely
Republican for decades. And I am delighted, more than delighted to see
this site begin, and to such a warm and "fast out of the gate"
reception. 

When I was young, I would visit my
grandfathers farm. We'd work on the farm through the day, and then in
the heat of the day, we'd often travel to the small country store near
his the farm. Other farmers would be there, sitting inside out of the
sun and there would be real conversations, covering not just the crops
and weather, but often faith and politics. These were friendly
conversations, even though the thoughts were often widely divergent. In
a real sense, it set the standard for me, as to what a conversation on
important things could be.  

One of my great frustrations
over the past decade has been the seeming inability of people of faith
to have real conversations about politics. We have let politicians,
mostly Republican politicians, define religion so narrowly that one or
two issues are supposed to define whether we are "faithful" or not, and
painted everyone who sees faith different as somehow less faithful to
their God. 

They remind me so very much of the Pharasees,
who had come to define God so narrowly, that they missed his essential
spirit, and it took Jesus to show the way to a whole faith that did not
just embrace the law, but the heart of faith.

But there
has been no hearing, no listening to what living a whole faith
entails.  Or that often, the details of living that faith are not
listed neatly in the bible, but instead require us to pray feverently,
search our hearts deeply, wrestle with choices, and in the end choose
and act. No, these group is far more comfortable, like the Pharasees,
to simply say "this is the way. That is all."

I have
always found it intereseting the group Jesus gathered around him as
disciples. They were not of one mindset or background. In fact, look at
who they were and where they came from and you'd think they would never
have gotten along. I'd guess that dinner conversations with those 12
were lively! But not acromonious. 

The conservative
side of the religio-politcal landscape, of which I have always counted
myself, can't seem to have a conversation. They give marching orders.
And yet, it is from conversation and relationships that we grow deep,
abiding faith. Jesus didn't dictate. He talked and listened and was
unfailingly gracious to all who came truly searching. his anger, it
seems, was only aimed at the self righteous.

Something
is very wrong in our country, and I do believe, like many of my
faithful brothers and sisters, that it is largely a spiritual problem.
But not the spiritual problem the Repulicans shout about. Instead, I
have come to believe it is because we have let our spirituality be
defined too narrowly. And we've let the Republican politicians do that
to us. We know the law, as they define it, but have lost the heart.

It's
time to rediscover the heart, and it is my hope that this site, and the
spirit of real conversation and dialog it wants to foster, will bring
many like me here, to listen, talk, change, and grow a whole faith
again. It's the deepest prayer of my heart.

Tom  Atkins