Moving Forward to Vision

Now that the silliness of election day is over, I would like to say that whomever Americans would have voted for was not good enough. We have elected people to put into place programs and laws. We have elected people to make us feel safer. We have elected people we don't even know in positions to control our lives! These means of oppression and control, these programs and laws have nothing to do with the vision which must be put into place if we are to survive. What is that vision? How is it different or similar to the current vision of those in power over us? Whether democrat, republican or in some way independent, the government in America is controlled by the vision of corporate profits and personal wealth. It is "The American Dream." Americans, in general, love money and do all that they can to make more of it. We are obsessed with a fiction! For what is money but an empty promise for control, safety and happiness! But that is to be expected in a capitalist society that does not understand the inherit problems found in the love of money.

I could complain until I turned blue and died and none of it would change the fact that we have elected people with this vision to control our future and the boat shows no signs of stopping. I have a more pessimistic view of America's future now that the elections are over and many many social conservatives have been put into office. Fortunately, I don't see them swaying anyone's vision for humanity who has not already been swayed. If anything, now that they are in absolute power many people will see the absurdity of there oppressive, marginalizing, hateful, death-filled, destructive and selfish visions and policies.

But what should replace this capitalist/neo-conservative vision for humanity?

America needs an exile! My community (read tribe) and I find much hope in the vision contained within the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we have come to understand it. For us the vision for humanity is one of diverse love. A love that can only be fully expressed by allowing the diversity of its manifestations to flourish together. It is a vision of abundance (as opposed to the myth of scarcity and fear given us by our elected leaders). It is a vision of the sacraments of life filling all of creation with the Creator's sustaining grace constantly without mediation of culture. It is a vision of Unity without Uniformity. That is why I say America needs an exile. We need to see the abundance of God's grace when their is truly scarcity of physical means around us. The first step in moving forward is to break the cycle of fear and scarcity and rest in the vision of abundance.


The Liturgy of Abundance, The Myth of Scarcity by Walter Brueggemann is a really good read for understanding the insanity I have just spewed forth.