You might surmise that He would start with the most important. He did. "No other gods before Me" is the command at the headwaters of such living.
God knew there would be competition for the top spot.
In Chicago there's a controversial preacher of Black Liberation Theology named Jeremiah Wright. You may be familiar with BLT...it basically puts RACE in the numero uno spot as it seeks social/political/economic justice for blacks. Let's unpack that. Of course the "seeking justice" part is Christlike, but elevating race has never been either the function or purpose of the church.
Christ's church has many functions (prayer, teaching, serving, fellowship, worship) but only one purpose. For each function...heaven is a promotion. We pray here, but THERE we will speak directly to Jesus. We are taught here, but THERE we will be taught at the feet of the perfect Rabbi. We serve here, but THERE the service (as well as fellowship and worship) will be so much easier without the presence of sin and with the dazzle that our eyegate will be taking in.
Our God does not leave us here for functions that could better be experienced in heaven.
Reverend Wright's incitement to anger doesn't point to Christ's meekness. Reverend Wright's instruction to envy and discontent does not match the Bible words "contentment is great gain". Reverend Wright's emphasis on this life doesn't point his flock to the coming kingdom. But sadly, that's not the worst.
Black Liberation Theology is a crooked path which has a doctrine of collective salvation. That means my salvation is dependent on another's salvation. Such confusion could not be farther from the Good News because we do business with God individually. He did not make us alike and we get to go through His turnstile one at a time. But that's sure is not what BLT teaches. Not convinced? Listen to this scary 20 second CLIP.
That is why someone's worldview MATTERS. It matters that our President understands life through Black Liberation Theology...and through a Communist mentor (Frank Marshall Davis)...and through a family of radicals...and through felonious Chicago friends who have bombed the Pentagon. These realities are all puzzle pieces woven into his fabric.
Black Liberation Theology taught him that politics IS religion...and he can ensure and complete his salvation by saving the country through these social changes. By our vote, the country said it didn't matter where a man went to church or what hatefulness he sat under for twenty years. We voted because he was so smart (#Harvard) and because he sounded so good and looked so cool (#Joe Biden, "clean and articulate"). And we thought our vote bought racial progress (#first black president).
We thought "change" meant a change in Washington politics, but we got the Chicago way. We thought "change" meant civility because we were so tired of the tenor in Washington. But the first rattle out of the box, he called us bitter clingers to guns and religion, and repeatedly called opponents before him publically while he berated them like a third world dictator. We longed for "change" in getting something done in Washington, but his imperial style of governing by executive order and unelected czars eviscerates our liberty. Now the "change" even punishes achievers and calls us up to the disabled roles.
In totalitarian countries the leader does not respect the rights of those who do not support him. Is that us now? If I ran a Catholic hospital, I would feel that. If I ran a small business, I would feel that. If I sold insurance, I would feel that. If I had a nest egg that was melting, I would feel that. I feel that.
We ascribed goodness to his promises the first time and followed like sheep. In November, hopefully we will recall broken promises...and tremble at his statement "I want to fundamentally change our system." Or we will get what we ask for in spades.
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