To everything, turn turn, turn, and cough.

This is my first "official" post, so it may be a little dicey.

Ok, we all have watched the news and have seen our country at a low point. People have let the most base of human emotions, ooze out over the national landscape. I can only imagine that the social atmosphere that we find ourselves in, is not unlike America in the mid-late 1960's and early 1970's. There were protests over the Vietnam War, civil rights, and the changing social morays. People screamed, spit, and even assaulted each other. You would have thought that we have moved passed that. WRONG! We now have "deathers", "birthers", "ultra-liberals", "wingnuts". Wonderful little names we come up for each other. Welcome to "1960's 2.0".

Now we have stepped up our game a bit from what our ancient ancestors of 40+ years ago (no offense to my older friends) did. When protesting whatever is the hot topic of the time (I think you know where I'm going with this), we now feel like it's ok to bring AR-15's and 9mm sidearms to said protests. Oh wait, it gets better. We now think think we can do this at a rally where our President is speaking. Wow, that is absolutely brilliant, bringing guns around our leader and not thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, the Secret Service will just somehow ignore you? After all, you don't look like one of "those people" whom, we are at war with, and you certainly are not one of those, ahem, "people of African decent, who of which you happen to have one as your 'best friend' ", so you're good to go, right? Hmmmm? What type of mentality would think about bringing a gun or two, to a protest rally, especially where the President is speaking? It's been my observation that in history, especially over social issues, when someone of color is in a prominent position and speaking out on those issues, all of a sudden, guns start coming out. People have protested for different things over the years, but it only seems like when an African-American or another person of color is somehow involved, the threat of violence seems to increase. This is just my thought. What's yours?

Ok, to bring it back to a Christian perspective. Do you think Jesus is pleased with this mess? Personally, I can't see attaching myself to any of those groups. Nothing about what they are doing spells "love you neighbor as yourself" to me. I understand that they feel that somehow our country is going under. Here's the thing "Be in this world, but be ye not of this world." Why are people who consider themselves Christians, ready to fight and despise their neighbor just because they disagree on some artificial political point? Indeed "the love of many shall wax cold." Matt 24:12. Even if I am in disagreement with someone, I can still still respect them and show the love of Christ. Our country would do well to learn that lesson.