I am Zimmerman. I am not Zimmerman. I am not Martin.

I believe that race was a big part of the events because I assume that George is a little bit like me. I don't think that he's racist. I don't think that he hates black people. But I think that he might be prejudiced just like me. The black men that I know (the ladies, too, but that's not who I'm talking about right now) are some of the friendliest most trustworthy people I know. It's black men that I don't know who make me nervous. When someone who I don't know who looks somewhat like Trayvon is walking toward me, my pulse quickens a little and my animal brain thinks that he must be up to no good and starts looking for an escape. The rest of me is ashamed of that gut reaction and my rational mind tries to view that person with love and treat him just like any other person. And the initial negative reactions become weaker and less frequent. But that little part of me still exists. There are people that I see as “The Other.”

A juror said that Zimmerman would have acted the same way if Martin was white. I doubt it. A young white man and a young black man raise different types of suspicion in different types of neighborhoods. The whole situation arose because Trayvon looked suspicious to George. I don't know what he was really thinking and feeling. But I'm not really talking about him. I'm talking about you and me and how we respond when faced with someone not of our tribe.

I wish that race wasn't an issue in this case. A person with a gun followed another person who was carrying no weapon. The first person ended up shooting and killing the second and received no punishment. That is messed up regardless of the races of the people involved. True, the second person might not have responded to being confronted on a dark and stormy night by a person with a gun in the calm, cool and collected way that you or I surely would have, but still. Something is wrong with the law when it's legal to chase down and kill a person who's just walking down the street. It is a little bit crazy that the prosecution had to try to prove that the defendant was a hateful racist. It turns out that an overzealous man with a need to be a hero can be just as deadly.

And race is certainly an issue in the aftermath of the trial. All the posts that I've seen on facebook pointing out what a horrible person Trayvon Martin was are by white males. He did drugs and liked guns? There's a picture of him with his middle fingers raised? And your point is? CNN is full of lies? I don't care. The press has the freedom to choose which stories to cover and how to report them. Why does your love for Fox News lead you to attack the character of a person who was tragically killed? If Martin was a white, gun loving alcoholic would you be posting the same things about him? Or would you be demanding that people show some respect for the deceased?

Are you prejudiced just like me and George?

Can you pause for a minute and examine your reaction?

What are you afraid of?

What can we say and do from now on to promote life rather than perpetuating violence and hatred?

Citizens of Heaven, Citizens of Earth: Party Politics

November was my first time voting in a national election. For a decade, I chose not to vote – partly for the same reason that many people my age choose not to vote – I didn't want to put my support behind the lesser of two poor choices (not “two evils” because I don't want to hastily label people or groups as “evil”). But I also had other reasons for not voting.

For one, my Bible based values make me too conservative for Republicans and too liberal for Democrats.

Also, I chose not to vote because voting is a poor way to try to change society. Christians should try to change our world from the inside out by changing people's hearts, not by passing laws and policies that attempt to force an outward change of behavior.

I still believe that voting is the least important part of Christian involvement in society. But I decided to vote this year because maybe it's better than not voting. I still don't agree that it's a Christian's duty to vote, but for now I believe that it is an acceptable way to influence society in a little tiny itty bitty way.

I didn't vote for Barak Obama.

I'm not sad about him continuing as President.

The way some people responded to news of his re-election, on facebook and in churches, you would have thought it was the end of the world. A harbinger of the downfall of America. A sign that this nation under God has become godless. The tragic confirmation that the Bible no longer has the special place in America that it once had.

For me, this election season showed that, when it comes to politics, the church is just as divided and vicious as the rest of the country.

Rachel Held Evans wrote on her blog on the day of the inauguration, “There is no place for followers of Jesus to be consumed with either hate or adoration. Jesus teaches us to love even our enemies, to bless and not curse, to reserve our adoration for God alone, and to humble ourselves in the face of power. Responding to today’s events with either despair or unbridled glee communicates to the world that our trust is in the government, not in Christ.” (disclaimer: this quote does not imply that I endorse, recommend or agree with everything that she has ever written.)

In the months leading up to the election, pastors and passionate Bible-believers gave guidance to fellow Christians on how to vote. Of course they would never tell you who to vote for (wink). They would just suggest some key biblical values that should guide your decisions and then leave it up to you (with the implication that if you love Jesus and believe in the Bible you'll vote Republican).

As I listened to sermons online just before and after the election, I imagined two Democrats sitting in the audience. One is a believer and maybe he has attended this particular church for a year or so, or maybe he's new to town and this is his first time there. The other is not a believer and she decided to visit a church this week. The preacher feigns neutrality, but covertly encourages the congregation to vote Republican, or he mourns the re-election of President Obama. Our Democrats sit through the service uncomfortably, and as it ends they leave as quickly as they can, both deciding never to step foot in that church again. The one who is not a believer has had her suspicions about Christians confirmed – they're narrow minded and have no compassion for people who aren't just like them. The Christian decides to find another church where he wont be made to feel like a faithless degenerate just because he votes based on biblical values that this preacher chose to ignore.

These two imaginary Democrats were not convicted by the truth of the Word of God. They were offended by the divisive nature of the worldly political system that too many Christians have bought into.

As Christians who serve Jesus as king, our politics should not be right in line with those of Republicans or Democrats. The priorities of this world are upside down and backwards when compared to the priorities of the kingdom of heaven, so how can we wholeheartedly support and join ourselves to a man made political agenda (even if the party we are supporting does mention “God” a whole bunch of times in their platform)?

We must worship the King of kings by living lives of sacrifice, instead of bowing to human power structures. We must not be conformed to the patterns of American politics, but should line up more and more with God's will by constantly reminding ourselves of who Jesus is and what he has done.

Our crucified Messiah reigns in the earth through us, his body, his people who are to be a picture of the new creation and a means of it breaking into this present age, bringing life and freedom to everyone around us. Christian communities are to be people in whom heaven joins earth and where God's will is done on earth as in heaven.

For this to happen we have to surrender our need to have our beliefs validated by society. We have to sacrifice our pride and our desire to be seen as right.

We are to be salt and light, influencing our culture by living lives of loving humility. Stretching the metaphors to the breaking point – too much salt ruins the food, and too much light is blinding instead of illuminating. Christianity is great when Christians serve. We fall apart when we seek to wield earthly power and call it service.

Our power is found in the Holy Spirit, not in weapons or legislation. Our power is tied up with prayer and martyrdom – being witnesses.

Political parties should not divide Christians. Rather Christians should act as a bridge between those on opposite sides of the political spectrum. When it comes to interpersonal, political and international conflicts, we who know the Creator and who follow the Prince of Peace should be ministers of reconciliation who find creative ways to bring peace. At the very least we should not be taking sides, making enemies and intensifying the conflict.

Christians ought to show respect to those in authority. When it comes to “like”-ing and “share”-ing facebook posts that mock our leaders or the beliefs of the other half of America, we should think twice and then DON'T DO IT. On facebook and in our face-to-face conversations we need to remember the (Ephesians) 4:29 Rule: build up don't tear down.

Our everyday social and economic choices are political and religious actions. Biblical values should guide everything we do and say. Perhaps we should live and vote according to the values of justice, mercy, humility before God, and love even for enemies. Maybe these values can unite us in obedience to our true King.

May we follow the example of He who gave up his power and became a servant. May we not demand our own rights, but seek justice for others. May we give up our longing for our own comfort and security and take up our duty as servants and peacemakers.

Verse-jacked proof-texts for this post:
Ex 20:2-4, Lev 19:18, Num 22:28-30, Deut 6:5, Ps 2, Dan 2:44, Micah 6:8, Matt 5:5,7,9,13-16, 7:12, Mark 10:42-45, 15:26, Luke 6:27, John 13:13-15, Acts 1:8, Rom 12:1,2,17,18, 1 Cor 1:10, 25, 2 Cor 5:17-19, Philippians 2:2-15, Col 4:5-6, 1 Tim 2:1,2, James 1:27, 1 Pet 3:8-17...