that<\/em>?<\/p>\nI don\u2019t know about you, but lately it seems like all the days have blurred together to the point where I can\u2019t even remember the last time I wasn\u2019t swimming in a sea of presidential election coverage.<\/p>\n
Certainly I\u2019ve participated in some of that, and\u00a0I think it\u2019s important for Christians to be prophetic voices within culture. I\u2019ve made my opinions on some things known. I\u2019ve spoken out against the hatred of Donald Trump, and the inconsistent ethic being passed off as \u201cpro-life\u201d by Ted Cruz. I\u2019ve said my piece, and now just long to move on.<\/p>\n
Like, for real. This election cycle is quickly becoming one of the most unbearable experiences of my life, and I just want it to all end.<\/p>\n
My feelings of exasperation, I believe, are rooted in a disruption of the necessary rhythms and balance of life.<\/p>\n
I recently finished my doctoral dissertation (I submitted my defense copy today!) which in large part is about a theology of\u00a0shalom<\/em>\u2014 a word that represents life as God intended it to be. Within the theology of\u00a0shalom,\u00a0<\/em>there are different elements or\u00a0categories of life that need to be in synch in order to experience life in the fullness that God desires.<\/p>\nPerhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of God\u2019s\u00a0shalom<\/em> is rhythm <\/em>and the balance that brings to life.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nGod created the world to function in rhythm\u00a0so that no one aspect became overwhelming.<\/p>\n
The work of day\u00a0leads to the rest of night.<\/p>\n
A week of creating pauses for an established day of recharging.<\/p>\n
The death of winter leads to the birth of spring.<\/p>\n
The heat of summer gives way to the coolness of fall.<\/p>\n
Everything has natural rhythm and balance.<\/em><\/p>\nAnd life, when lived in synch with God\u2019s\u00a0shalom<\/em>, has that balance and rhythm.<\/p>\nWhen this balance and rhythm is disrupted, God\u2019s shalom\u2013 <\/em>life as it ought to be-\u2013<\/em> is disrupted.<\/p>\nThere is no peace without rhythm in life.<\/em><\/p>\nAnd here is where I find the American political cycle to be so potentially damaging: it\u2019s a complete disruption of the rhythm and balance that God desires us to live within.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no Sabbath. No break. No rest. Just endless bickering and 24 hour news networks content to hit the \u201creplay\u201d button over and over again. It would be one thing if an election lasted 90 days, but two years? I mean, come on.<\/p>\n
We become so absorbed with it, that there\u2019s\u00a0very little talk or focus on the other aspects of life. Where friends used to talk about how cute their children are, or\u00a0post stupid videos of cats high-fiving their human companion, the election cycle is just\u00a0an endless barrage of political news and opinions\u2013 which NEVER seems to end.<\/p>\n
Even the Church\u2013 the people of Jesus\u2013 who once talked about God\u2019s Kingdom and the beautiful ways that Jesus can transform the world right here, right now, are lulled into a disrupted rhythm by a hyper-focus on presidential politics. It\u2019s almost as if we believe a political Messiah is the answer to the world\u2019s problems!<\/p>\n
The natural rhythm and balance God intends for us has been severely disrupted\u2013 and we haven\u2019t even gotten to conventions or general elections yet.<\/p>\n
When the natural rhythms of\u00a0life are out of whack, our bodies and minds feel it. Our spirits feel it.<\/p>\n
Have you ever experienced a disruption in your sleeping patterns? How did you feel after even just a few days?<\/em><\/p>\nWe were created to experience the beauty of rhythm and balance, but when that\u2019s off, it all goes down hill fast.<\/p>\n
Live within a disrupted rhythm long enough, and toxicity sets in. Ignore that toxicity, and the infection can spread.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know about you, but I long to experience life to the fullest. And to do that, I have to fix this disruption and return to the rhythm and balance that is so essential to experiencing God\u2019s\u00a0shalom.<\/em><\/p>\nI\u2019ll be turning off the television more. I\u2019m going to spend more time reading books and less time reading political news.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to spend more time doing homework with my daughter. I\u2019m going to get outside. I\u2019m going to rest.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to write some blogs, and write my next book. I\u2019ll even consume some political news, and will probably even post about Donald Trump on Facebook when something just *needs* to be said.<\/p>\n
But first, I\u2019m going to work on getting the rhythm of life back so I can experience the fullness of life that God intended.<\/p>\n
\u2026<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re feeling burned out right now from the American political season, I\u2019d invite you to consider that it might be more than whatever insane thing Donald Trump has said today.<\/p>\n
Your feelings of being overwhelmed and tired might be much more primitive and spiritual.<\/p>\n
It might be as simple as the fact that the rhythm and balance God longs for us has been disrupted, and that it\u2019s time to pause to get our\u00a0rhythm back.<\/p>\n
Stay up-to-date! Follow BLC on Facebook:<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How much of the news we watch is recycled coverage on the election?\u00a0Is your Facebook newsfeed overrun with Trump this or Hillary that? I don\u2019t know about you, but lately it seems like all the days have blurred together to the point where I can\u2019t even remember the last time I wasn\u2019t swimming in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1638,"featured_media":14224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[378],"tags":[413,3220,3219],"class_list":["post-14223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political","tag-politics","tag-shalom","tag-trump"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n