Democracy

 "But my purpose is not to get your vote, and not to appeal to mere human testimony. I'm speaking to you this way so that you will be saved.” John 5:34 (The Message)

In a blog post “The Principles of American Democracy” writer and novelist Joel D. Hirst writes: There is perhaps no term more used, misunderstood and abused than the word ‘democracy.’

Abraham Lincoln’s democracy was encapsulated in his quote, “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy”; while Gandhi said, “The spirit of democracy is not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms. It requires change of heart”; and Aristotle is quoted as saying, “If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.”

Yet what is democracy? The dictionary definition of democracy is simple: “Government by the people.” … In my opinion, democratic governance in America can be summed up in five elements…The first element is the mechanism of representative democracy…it is also essential to have a professional, non-partisan civil service that provide these services to the people…the third component of American democracy: the principal of separation of powers…The fourth is the principal of limited government…none of these principles would have any value if they were not woven around a nucleus of hard, civil and political rights which, enshrined in the bill of rights, guarantee the individual within American society certain “inalienable rights” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-d-hirst/the-principles-of-america_b_1397365.html)

As we all prepare to exercise one of our basic rights, to vote, let’s remember that we are a part of a democracy and that for it to work and work correctly all parties need to agree to its validity. There are some troubling things happening – a major party candidate not willing to pledge to support whatever the outcome of the election is, Senate leaders pledging to not approve Presidentially appointed justices and judges, etc. Voting is just a part of our role in a democracy. We also must vote well. We must hold elected officials accountable. We must call for our elected officials to do their jobs. And we must expect that participants in the democratic process will abide by the outcomes.

It is said that the governance of the USA is an experiment in democracy. Will we continue down the path of refining and learning while the experiment goes on or will we reach the end of the experiment, write up the conclusions and move on to another thesis statement? The key for our system to work is for those elected to understand themselves as representatives of everyone. They are not representing Democrats or Republicans, they aren’t representing the Tea Party, they aren’t elected to do what is best for a certain constituency but for the common good; the good of our city, region, county, state and nation. They get elected because they support ideas, options and programs that the majority of those who vote identify with but we elect them and expect them to “vote their conscience” and not look to donors or special interests or party but to their inner commitment to do what is the best thing for all the people. It is this basic understanding that worked in the past to get things done, even when parties disagreed about it, they were willing to compromise and find a solution that seemed best for everyone.

I think a lot of the dissatisfaction people are feeling toward our elected officials has to do with this breakdown in fulfilling the role they are elected to. I wish I had a way to legislate or make this happen but I am not sure how we move things from the contentious and manipulative present reality into something that truly works for the good of the nation and its people. What I do know is that voting matters and electing people who will try to do what they can to get us back on course and caring more about the common good then about personal wealth, status, or narrow agendas is a way forward. So, vote and pray and let’s hope that miracles happen and work to make them become real.

Dear God, help me to put aside my selfish wants, needs and desire and focus on what is best for all. Be with the people of my nation as we vote, open our hearts, minds and spirits so that we can move beyond selfishness and greed. Be with all those elected and give them hearts to do what must be done for the good of all. Be with those who loose and help them accept the outcome and do what they can to support those elected. Amen.

When the Power Goes Out

 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. - John 1:5 (NRSV)

No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. – Matthew 5:15 (NRSV)

First off let me apologize for not doing a Musing these last couple of weeks and not telling you I won’t. Nothing serious going on, just didn’t manage my schedule well enough to get everything in.

Last night I was preparing dinner for about 20 people at my church. Each year I “sell” and event at our church auction and sometimes these events include meals. This year I am doing 6 evenings with dinner and a presentation. Well anyway, last night the power when out in the area around the church. A power line was down and I think a fire was involved but the outcome was no electricity and total darkness when the sun set about 6pm.

Luckily I had already prepared the main dish and had it sealed up tight in a roaster keeping it warm and the dessert was made and we were having salad and tortillas. I wasn’t able to get the quinoa cooked but other than that dinner was ready. So we went ahead with the dinner by candlelight using candelabra and candleholders placed all around the room.

Two things struck me as folks gathered and we ate our dinner. One is how much light you get from just one candle. It is said that the human eye can detect the light of a candle as far away as 1.6 miles (https://www.technologyreview.com/s/539826/how-far-can-the-human-eye-see-a-candle-flame/). So even a little light from one candle flame can make a room brighten up. If you add many candles the room comes to light. Now using candelabras and such means the light is lower down so it gives the room a special glow and a comforting mix of soft light and soft shadow. There really is something nice about being in a safe place in candle light. And it gives special meaning to the scripture from John 1. Darkness cannot overcome the light of a candle.

The second thing that struck me had to do with the resilience of people. Now we were not in a terrible disaster nor were we ever in danger but still this group of folks came together in less than ideal circumstances and overcome them. We enjoyed our dinner. There was lots of laughter and conversation. The meal – though hard to see in detail – was eaten without a hitch. The presentation wasn’t the magnificent PowerPoint I had put together but from my notes I was able to share the substance of what that presentation held and doing so by candle was in a way fitting since we were talking about ancient Mesoamerica.

This power outage and our time together has reminded me of just how special people are and how we can get along without all our modern conveniences. If dinner hadn’t been mostly ready, we still could have ordered pizza and had a great time or just eaten the salad and tortillas. I like being reminded of this. Being the host and cook I sometimes get caught up in wanting everything to be “just so”. I worry that things will not be what I envision them to be. So it is good for me to be reminded once in a while that I really am not in control and that wonderful things can still happen when the best laid plans and all my great designs cannot come to life. It does me good to be with a group of people that rise to the occasion and make the best of what is given them.

As we head into a weekend that might bring other opportunities for fun in the dark and using candles these reminders are good for me. I hope you stay safe and have a good weekend.

Dear God, thank you for moments that help me remember that I am not in control. Thank you for resilient people who can make the most of a situation. And thank you most of all for your presence in all the dark and light moments of my life. Especially, O God, be with those who have experienced some of the worst of life with hurricanes and typhoons and flooding and with those who are helping them. Amen.