Election Years

Last night we were with friends awaiting Election Results together.  We were all together in 2008, with Steve and were reminded of his reflections that he had emailed to us.

Here are his thoughts then:

I was struck again by the thought, and this is true of theology and
> politics, that no one person or party can see the whole. Each side is
> seeing the light refracted from a certain angle, and in paying close
> attention to that particular ray, are not able to see everything else.
> For example, think about what each side (conservative/liberal) thinks of as
> evil. The conservatives/republicans fear "LUST". And therefore they speak
> to a great number of private morality issues, and of course, believe the
> liberals to be evil for not sharing their fear. They would consider them
> amoral. But this is not true.
> The liberal/democrats fear GREED. Therefore they are speaking to a great
> number of social morality issues. And, of course, believe the conservatives
> to be evil for not sharing their fear.
> Both would use government to reign in the other. Both are trying to
> regulate evil, and behavior. And both are seeing a ray of refracted light.
> But neither sees the whole. And this is where polarization comes from.
> Each side in a debate believes that they have the whole figured out, when
> they really only represent a sliver of the pie. (It is "Free Markets" vs.
> "Free Bedrooms".)
> Recognizing that you are speaking to a part, and not the whole, should bring
> humility. One could speak with great passion, but would also listen with
> great passion. And would honor the light in the other. (Maybe this is why
> the country as a whole- the masses- are increasingly moving to the
> center...maybe the people know something more intuitively than the parties.)
> 
> Noewen says, "something evil has attached itself to the underside of my
> virtue". There is no good idea in me that is not limited at least (by my
> limits), or tainted and twisted at worst (by my sin). That does not mean
> there is no good. It's just that it always has a parasite (Mother Maria).
> As soon as I believe I am right (that my system of thought is THE system),
> evil has attached itself. The need to be right kills love. Evil is closing
> your heart to the other. I can hold on to my own, and still listen to the
> other (MBW).