Volume 2 Issue 31

“If Ronald Reagan was the Great Communicator, [President George W.] Bush is proving to be the Great Polarizer.” --John F. Dickerson and Karen Tumulty, “The Love Him, Hate Him President”, TIME, December 1, 2003)
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I’m both pleased and excited to announce that the article from which the opening quote is taken has provided me with a homiletic direction for the new year. I personally think that the reporters are giving Mr. Bush more credit than he is due because the very presidential election that put him in office was a clear expression of how this country was already split politically right down the middle. What the Bush administration has succeeded in doing over the past four years is to daily find ways of making the divisions more pronounced.
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In the series of sermons from January 26, 2003 through March 2, 2003, followed by the series from March 9, 2003 through April 13, 2003 (scroll down to the bottom of the “Sermons” page to find the archive) I explored the polarity between good and evil and attempted to explain how the homeostasis of the Whole necessarily requires a dynamic and constructive harmony between the two. But as Election 2004 is going to make incredibly clear, the good/evil polarity is but one of many, and political, moral, cultural, and religious differences in this country may well be brought to a flash point.
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I don’t anticipate anything like the Civil War erupting because today’s homogenous society isn’t split geographically as was the America of the mid-1800s. Contemporary Americana is far more susceptible to a Cultural War – or a War of Values – because the differences are dangerously compacted into ever more densely populated urban centers that have the potential for literally pitting neighbor against neighbor. The divisions of such polarization are far more widespread by virtue of improved communications technology, etc. and as such will have the capacity of swallowing up the national and global communities.
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It is the position of GiC that theology is the ultimate subject; i.e. the study of the ultimate. From such a perspective, POLITICS + MORALS + SCIENCE + RELIGION + EDUCATION = THEOLOGY (feel free to make your own addition to the equation). Each element contains within it a polarity; e.g. conservative/liberal; literal/figurative, etc. And within the inclusive whole of theology no single element stands alone void of the ability to influence and impact the others. One aspect of this paradigm that I particularly like and will be exploring further is the distinction it makes between Religion and Theology; it does not treat them as synonymous.
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While on vacation I became reacquainted with dial-up connection to the Internet and its slower speed. Not knowing what forms of connection are being used by GiC readers, I am going to try to be more judicious in my use of links, etc. that may prove to be more time-consuming than I had realized. I’m now wondering if this issue is affecting the willingness of people like yourself to post to the Bulletin Board or to reply to what has already been posted. Any comments you have concerning ways to make your time spent at this website more meaningful and satisfying are always welcome.
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That I haven’t communicated with him for ages is testimony to the excellent job that Matt Piper did building this website for me. Your suggestions for improvements to GiC will give me a reason to get back in touch with him and see how he’s doing, so send them in! As always, I am honored that you have chosen to spend some time with this ministry. With your feedback and input, my continuing hope is to proclaim the Good News of God’s love to an ever-larger number of persons who choose to be Growing in Christ!
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Until next week…….Shalom!