What the Hell is Happening?

There are so many things I could say... and so many I either shouldn't or don't have permission to share. 

I took a drive down to the lake last Wednesday, picked at rocks along the shore, walked a short way, and sat down on a bench to watch the fishermen along the shore and to gaze at the sky. My heart is broken for our country... How is it that so many people who claim the name of Christ have become so very unlike Him? In the name of "saving babies" the church has discarded entire groups of people, declaring them unworthy, willing for them to be rounded up as cattle and shipped away. Those who prayed for the immigration success of my son in law have now voted against those just like him.

It is easy to write off foreigners when we have not rubbed elbows with them, eaten with them, or taken a moment to slip their shoes onto our feet. But when we literally link arms, sing and laugh together, share hugs and tears and family members, the world becomes a much smaller place and the the stranger is no longer alien. I realize there is an immigration problem, but I also know there is a better solution. A cup of cold water, a warm jacket, and a safe place to lay a pillow is a good place to start. 

It isn't enough to be deeply concerned for my neighbors, but my heart is also deeply troubled for the church I once loved and thought I knew... The platitudes are nauseating in the face of what is at risk. The mask has fallen off and underneath are the ugly, selfish hearts of the Pharisees.