… We’d hum on Election Day

I had a long conversation with my dad last week about politics.  It was great fodder for a post, but alas, I have a research paper due in three days and a historical context assignment due in four, which leaves little time for political pontification.    So … I’ll share a song instead.  Enjoy!

Over the Rhine’s “If A Song Could Be President”

If a song could be president
We’d hum on Election Day
The gospel choir would start to sway
And we’d all have a part to play

The first lady would free her hips
Pull a microphone to her lips
Break our hearts with Rhythm and Blues
Steve Earle would anchor the news

We’d vote for a melody
Pass it around on an MP3
All our best foreign policy
Would be built on harmony

If a song could be president
We’d fly a jukebox to the moon
All our founding fathers’ 45’s
Lightnin’ Hopkins and Patsy Cline
If a song could be president

If a song could be president
We could all add another verse
Life would teach us to rehearse
Till we found a key change

Break out of this minor key
Half-truths and hypocrisy
We wouldn’t need an underachiever-in-chief
If a song could be president

We’d make Neil Young a Senator
Even though he came from Canada
Emmylou would be Ambassador
World leaders would listen to her

They would show us where our country went wrong
Strum their guitars on the White House lawn
John Prine would run the FBI
All the criminals would laugh and cry
If a song could be president

Oh, and while we’re talking politics (and music) here’s a link to some free music (about politics).

Political, Not Partisan

I love Amazon.com.  Today I was looking for a book for my dad’s birthday, and another book popped out at me from the “new for you” section.  Based on past purchases and books viewed on its site, Amazon really thinks I would like the new Tony Campolo book, “Red Letter Christians: A Citizen’s Guide to Faith and Politics.”  And I  think I will like it as well, because I sure enough bought it along with the book for my dad.

Although I voted in the past two presidential elections, I haven’t cared much about politics in the past.  However, these days several influencing factors have steered me in a different direction … conversations with my dad, West Wing DVDs, Derek Webb lyrics as well as a couple of books to name a few.  Perhaps in the coming months I will blog a bit more about political issues.  But for now, I will leave you with an excerpt from an article I read the other day that beautifully sums up what I think Christians should be about politically.

“The biblical prophets tell us that God judges societies not by their gross national product, their military strength, or their cultural dominance, but by their justice and righteousness – especially how they treat the weak and vulnerable.  There are multiple threats to human life and dignity that suggest a new moral agenda that could bring us together.  Some of the elements of that new agenda could be:

 

• Overcoming extreme global poverty and disease, as well as unnecessary poverty at home
• Finding a better path to national and global security
• Advancing a consistent ethic of the sanctity of human life
• Healing the wounds of racism and sexism
• Ending human trafficking and promoting human rights
• Strengthening marriage and families
• Renewing the moral fabric of our culture
• Protecting God’s creation

… As for politics in an election year, the U.S. Catholic bishops have some good advice for us.  They counsel Christians to be political but not partisan, principled but not ideological, clear but also civil, and engaged but not used.”

 

Jim Wallis – “A Real ‘Values’ Agenda” from Sojourners

A Savior on Capitol Hill

I wouldn’t say I’m a very political person.  Part of that is laziness, and part is disillusionment.  I feel like people who really care about politics believe that politics can change things.  “If we could just elect the right person …”  I suppose I just don’t see politics as the answer to all the world’s problems.  I believe that true change begins with changed people.  And while I am thankful for government, I am also disheartened by its fallibility.  I am reading a book about the kingdom of God, and in the foreword (written by Don Miller) he recounts a conversation with a friend in which his friend says, “when Jesus comes, when Jesus reigns, we will be amazed at how differently and perfectly He governs.”  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

So considering that in the coming months “politics” will be the news of the day, I thought I’d share some lyrics from a man I admire who has quite a lot to say about politics.  (i.e. ”My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man.  My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood.  It’s to a King and a kingdom.)  For your reading (and perhaps listening) pleasure: Derek Webb’s “A Savior on Capitol Hill”

I’m so tired of these mortal men

With their hands on their wallets and their hearts full of sin

Scared of their enemies, scared of their friends

And always running for re-election

So come to D.C. if it be thy will

Because we’ve never had a savior on Capitol Hill

 

You can always trust the devil or a politician

To be the devil or a politician

But beyond that friends you’d best beware

‘Cause at the Pentagon bar they’re an inseparable pair

And as long as the lobbyist are paying their bills

We’ll never have a savior on Capitol Hill

 

All of our problems gonna disappear

When we can whisper right in the president’s ear

He could walk right across the reflection pool

In his combat boots and ten thousand dollar suit

 

You can render under to Caesar everything that’s his

You can trust in his power to come to your defense

It’s the way of the world, the way of the gun

It’s the trading of an evil for a lesser one

So don’t hold your breath or your vote until

You think you’ve finally found a savior up on Capitol Hill

Oh, and yay for Derek’s song “Name” gaining quite the audience last night on Grey’s Anatomy.

05.09.06

Just got the new “Relevant” in … just finished reading the cover article … just felt compelled to share a few quotes.

“I feel like the way that moral issues have been co-opted by a political party for nothing else but to develop a constituency whose votes they can depend on is really dangerous … I just want to get in that I feel like it is nearly impossible to walk a party line – especially in a two-party system – and follow Jesus.”

“I’m not interested in spiritually manipulating anyone.  God has already judged and punished Jesus for the fact that we don’t love people well.  That’s very good news, but it also calls us to be about the Lord’s business, which right now I believe is in Africa.”

02.01.06

I watched the State of the Union Address last night.  I don’t think I’ve ever sat down to watch the whole speech before … in the past I’m sure I was annoyed that it was bumping whatever show I wanted to watch at the time.  Tonight, however, I actually looked forward to hearing about the “state of the union” (thanks to a certain West Wing episode).

I definitely wouldn’t call myself a very political person.  Sure, there are issues I feel fairly strongly about, but I didn’t grow up with an ingrained political affiliation … something I am very grateful for.  My mom grew up Republican, my dad grew up Democrat, and I grew up hearing and seeing both sides of the issues.  I have never been told what to think but rather have been invited to the dialogue.

I have two pet peeves when it comes to politics.  One is blind acceptance, and the other is pessimistic dismissal.  I think it’s foolish to accept words and policies as gospel based solely on the fact that a political figure may share your same religious beliefs.  I also think it’s ridiculous to write off those same words and policies based on the fact that a political figure does not share your same religious beliefs.  It seems to me that many people are so emotionally invested in politics that they fail to truly seek discernment. 

So I’ll end this with a few quotes concerning these pet peeves of mine … one from last night’s address and a couple from a wise artist I’ve loved for years:

“Along the way, we have benefited from responsible criticism and counsel offered by members of Congress of both parties. In the coming year, I will continue to reach out and seek your good advice. Yet, there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure.  Hindsight alone is not wisdom, and second-guessing is not a strategy.”  President Bush on US involvement in Iraq“Don’t teach me about politics and government; just tell me who to vote for … I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy, so just bring it down from the mountain to me.  I want a new law.”  Derek Webb from “A New Law”“There are two great lies that I’ve heard: ‘The day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die’ and that Jesus Christ was a white middle class republican, and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him.  My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man.  My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood.  It’s to a King and a kingdom.”  Derek Webb from “A King and a Kingdom”