Why I Turned Blue

The election has now come and gone... finally.  Man, it seemed like a virtual eternity that this was going on.

I will say that I am absolutely excited at the history that just occurred. Last night was monumental for more than just me, and I'm glad I participated. America has just overwhelmingly elected its first black president. To see the tears and the joy from places across the nation last night was phenomenal. Not just black people, but all races and all ages jumping and yelling in celebration. To see many of the news commentators and special guests getting emotional. Last night was a big, big deal. It will be great to tell my kids the story of last night, and how mom and dad felt that they made a difference in a cold snowy night in Kansas in the Democratic caucuses, and voting early in the waning warmth in Kansas and Georgia.

I will also say that while Obama's speech was great and encouraging for the nation, I also felt a sense of honor from John McCain's speech last night as well. It was very inspiring to me, and in what seemed like ages ago, I remembered why I was so glad that McCain won the Republican primaries. Despite all the mud and the campaigning, I do respect him immensely, and upon reflection, I think that I wouldn't be too disappointed if he had indeed won (compared with, say Mitt Romney, or *shudder* Hillary Rodham Clinton). And after last night, I began to recall why I had voted Democratic this year. I can say that about four years ago, I was most certainly Republican, and now I've come full half circle.

So where did it begin? I guess I could say college. Even though I went to a solidly Republican college, there were some classes in particular that piqued my interest. I guess they don't call them "liberal arts" without reason (har har!). I remember my Intro to Sociology class (strangely enough, I wasn't a Christian when I started that semester, but I was when it ended... weird), and I remember that all of the military students in that class had serious problems with it. Maybe they didn't like the curriculum, or they didn't like the teacher or her feminist undertones (and I think she was a lesbian with 80% certainty due to some of the things she said/implied), or they just didn't like class in general. I don't know. But I do know that I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and I think I got a 'B' grade in the class (funny story, I got a 'C' on my initial final grades report, but sent a formal petition to the teacher, and she changed it, saying there was indeed a mistake, and that I was one of the better students she had). I don't think she liked the school either, because she didn't teach there after that semester.

I later tried to change my degree from computer science to sociology (it even says I earned a sociology degree on my Officer's Record Brief), but to no avail, seeing as Army had a say in the length of my educational pursuits. Not to mention that my dearest love was a sociology major. I loved listening to what she would learn in class, and how society had certain trends, and how certain events occurred just so, and how it was likely that certain things would happen depending on where people lived in society. I remember that one of her teachers invited the entire class out to the local mexican restaurant/bar for a drink and discussion about social theory construction, and he even invited me as well, and even paid for my beer. Although I was virtually lost in the sauce for the majority of the discussion, I was absolutely fascinated on what they were talking about (it was about a guy who wrote a book on why things acted the way they did. But the book wasn't really truly about that, it was a farce; a fake example to show how social theory construction happened... and some probably more important things I couldn't wrap my mind around).

I think the biggest push that started the momentum towards the political left was a book called Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller. In short, it was a collection of thoughts and stories of being a Christian in a modern society. And it was very brutally honest. It was the first book I read where the author was truthful about the doubts and fears he had to struggle with, and was aware and freely discussed his own sins and shortcomings. The word I like to use for this is 'authentic.' One of the stories that almost brought me to tears was centered around Don and his friends building a "Confession Booth" at his hyper-liberal college, and dressing up as monks. When people would come in, expecting the Christians to hit them over the head with condemnation, in fact, the Christians took the time to confess their sins (and social sins/failures of the Christian church in modern and historical times) to those who entered. It was absolutely amazing, and a touching display of loving others. I think that book will be a cult classic for Christians of my generation. For me, it was a surprising look into a Christian that aligned himself Democratically. That, I think, caused the first real crack in the wall in understanding that Christians could indeed be on the other side of the spectrum, and that Democrats weren't all anti-Christian pagans and hippies that wanted to destroy our country and life as we know it.

Not all movement was an attraction to the blue side. Some of it was repulsion from the red side. Probably what had significant push was how I initially viewed all Christians when I wasn't one. To be more specific, I've heard a lot of people, some of who I still greatly respect as well as a few who have lost my respect (if you're reading this, you are most definitely in the former) express fear, outrage, and bitterness at the seemingly anti-Christian liberal, amoral, and hostile masses of the country. (As a quick note, I also have expressed similar feelings at the same, with no exceptions. I have no need to throw stones--I just want to express my remorse.) It seemed to exude an "Us vs. Them" mentality that didn't jive with what I understood of the world and the people that I met. I think it bothered me to such an extent, that I adopted the "Us vs. Them" against other Christians, and sadly didn't do the Church much good. (Please forgive me if you were recipient to my hypocrisy!) Regardless, feelings and mentalities along those veins have no place in our faith, and should have no place in our hearts.

The biggest barriers that resisted my change of political preference were of course the hot-button Christian issues that the Republicans adopted as their standard. To go against these seemed to run dangerously close to blasphemy with some people. I think I crossed allegiance in part to a need to rebel in some form or fashion against where I was at the time. I had some extreme difficulties in my job at Army, and I also was having difficulty finding a church where it wasn't anathema to vote Democratic (that's a slight hyperbole, and that's an oxymoron! English is fun!).

Some of the social issues were easy to deal with. My main line of thinking on these is the old axiom: "To each his own." To explain further, I really had big problems in my pre-Jesus life thinking that if Christians could have their way, they would, in a sense 'oppress' the rest that they could not save. Occasionally, I still hear that sentiment from time to time, and I still don't like that attitude. I will say that the only thing that has saved me, and changed my life was done in my heart, and that of course was by God. That is the change I seek to promote and cultivate in others. I've heard lots of thought out and good reasons why the above mentioned sentence is a horribly bad axiom to throw around, but for now, that's where I stand. It's very likely that will change in the future, but for now, there it lies. If I prevent someone from getting a homosexual marriage, but don't show them the reality of the gospel (bad and good), what progress have I made? What part of the Great Commission have I fulfilled?

Anywho, I'm getting off topic. The next big thing that changed my views was the YouTube Debates of 2008. My wife and I got a good taste of who we liked and disliked on both sides, and that's where I first learned about the junior Senator from Illinois named Barack Obama. I started doing my research, (and I might have even prayed a bit about it) and then the Iowa caucus happened. That was amazing what occurred back then.

The rest, as they say, was history.

So, in closing, that's why I turned blue. Politics for me has (thank God) become much more ancillary in my life nowadays, but I'm glad I participated in all of it. Please note that I could be horribly, horribly wrong about my assumptions, but the one thing I know, and the one thing I profess, is that Jesus is Lord, and that he is my only hope in all of this. There are many more vile and reprehensible sins I've committed, and to His glory, He has paid for them all! Not McCain, not Obama. What happened was cool, and historical in an American sense, but pales in comparison to what a homeless jew did for me long before I was born. That, dear friends, is what it is all about, and what should power our lives.

Peace and Grace to you all.