Scratching my head.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

No, it's no fungus, lack of personal hygiene, or another invading medical anomaly. It's just old fashioned body language of frustration. The experts over in the Psychology Department say we modern sophisticated humans often express aggression in less threatening ways. Scratching our head is thought to be better than pummeling someone or throwing rocks at them. Right now, at least for me, this head scratching thing is just because some things don't make a bit of sense. The Christian vote is one of them. How in the world can a believer affirm a pro-choice view of the sanctity of human life, or sanction a young child's aversion to their gender at birth. It seems bizarre in my reckoning.

OK, so only approximately 17% of affirming Christians actually hold to the precepts of a biblical or Christian worldview. That's another head scratching thing too, that humans will call themselves Christian with little grasp of life actions and behaviors that define a believing confessional status. It may be an element of the spiritual drift so visible in One Nation Under God for a generation or two. This new age Christian outlook is soft on Scripture and the biblical moral/ethical standards that were the initial basis of our legal system. And, it touches every consideration of human existence---birth, life and death, marriage and family, education, protection of our population, our concepts of governing the nation, judicial processes, and going to the polls, to mention a few.

Several years ago Focus on the Family proposed aspect of the Christian worldview. These included---

The existence of absolute moral truth.

Absolute moral truth is defined by the Bible.

Jesus Christ lived a sinless life.

God is the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universes who rules all things.

Salvation is a gift from God that cannot be earned.

Satan is real.

Christians have a biblical responsibility to share faith with others.

The Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.

You can read their article on the Christian worldview by clicking here.

Yes, I'm scratching my head. There are many perplexing realities about our times that just seem so our of sorts, and out of sync with the statistics that indicate so many Christians in our population. There are many more question marks than the ones dealing with abortion on demand and gender identity. Several Bible verses cover them both in my interpretation of this Christian worldview---

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and

female he created them.

Genesis 1: 27, ESV

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Psalm 127: 3, ESV

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I

praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my

soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in

secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed

substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for

me, when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139: 13-16, ESV

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before

God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more

value than many sparrows

Luke 12: 6-7, ESV

And, there are dozens more. Truthfully, I don't know what is in a person's heart. I do know this. Simon Peter, under trial reminded those who were accusing him, " We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5: 29, ESV). And, that seems to be the bottom line right now. Scratching our heads, and obeying God ourselves.

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Just the facts please.

Well, yes, these are exponential times. Complexity, velocity, mobility, and anonymity are the identifying features of this new world. Communicating now is a revised edition, a cosmos of newness. We have Zoom meetings, Asana and Trello project management systems, Slack, Skype, layers of social media, and digital toys in testing phases. And, we have fake news and its nemesis, fact-checkers, those individuals and organizations that pay attention to what is communicated and seek to certify it's authenticity. In my mind, the necessity of fact-checking is a sad commentary about our culture. For generations that good old American spirit encouraged us to believe information communicated to us. Now, we're considered naive when we accept information at face value. We demand just the facts please.

Politics has long been a dirty business. This doesn't mean that all politicians are dishonest or crooked. At times people in the public eye misquote statistics, ideas, and campaign matter that misses the mark. In many instances it is unintentional. As a preacher I know those faux pas intimately. In all of my churches there have been fact-checkers who would remind me of a textual error or some out-of-kilter numbers. Oops, we humans are infallible. Still, in our current environment, these accuracy folks remind us of more than human error. Today, fact-checking exposes deception, the intended communication of information that is off-center. Getting just the facts please is a more difficult enterprise.

Deception is one of those naughty word in the Christian worldview. At root is the constant tension between truth and dishonesty. People of faith should seek and honor the truth in every life pursuit. Give attention to several Scriptural reminders---

Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.

Psalm 52: 2, ESV

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

Proverbs 12: 22, ESV

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.

Colossians 3: 9, ESV

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1: 22, ESV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from

God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 John 4: 1, ESV

Obviously we should speak the truth, and perceive the truth when interpreting that which is communicated to us. The Bible does promise that deceivers will be exposed in the final accounting of life. Solomon wrote, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out" (Proverbs 10:9, ESV). Until that day, however, we must learn the discipline of discovering just the facts please. So, how is that accomplished?

There are many reliable fact checking systems. During campaign season, that is, the next eighteen days, each of us should weigh and examine that which is communicated by political parties, candidates, and campaign operative. If you would like solid data about fact-checking organizations, let me recommend the Richard G. Trefry Library of the American Public University System. You can review their data by clicking here.

Our November 3 election may be the most challenging in our national history. The political parties and their candidates have distinctly opposing views of our nation, touching elements of our history, government, and what it means to be an American. Let's cut through the fake news character that could define these decisions, and seek just the facts please in our preparation.

Blessings!

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The book and it's cover.

You don't have to hold an advanced degree in political science to understand the truth about political systems, campaign maneuvering, or election processes. The slick blather invading our living rooms right now isn't the tipping point for most of us. No, there's more than what the marketing gurus reveal in their screen shots, fades, graphics, and strategic musical background. It's not complicated either, not one of the hidden mysteries of exponential times. It's what our mothers taught us as children---don't judge a book by it's cover. Or, dozens of equivalents: beauty's only skin deep; all that is gold does not glitter; don't just scratch the surface; looks are deceiving; and many more. Truth is, only when we look past what bubbles to the surface in campaign advertising will we discover the true merits or flaws of candidates, parties, or political operatives. And, that's a trouble spot for many voters. You see, superficiality is the curse of our age. Shallow is easy. We'd prefer the first impressions system.

Looking beyond the obvious is a distinct Christian virtue. When Jesus was attacked and criticized for healing a man on the Sabbath he spoke to the Jewish critics. He said---

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.

John 7: 24, ESV

He knew their usual quick measure of people and situations. Their religious system sized people up and judged others by what was visible in their actions. When they were ritualistic and prideful in the mechanics of prayer he told them to go deeper in their assessments, to consider what happened in the quieter, less visible prayer closet. One day the Jewish legalists were prepared to stone a woman accused of adultery. Jesus took a step back and drew in the dust, then challenged them to examine their own lives. He told them, "...Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone" (John 8: 7). He taught that their judgements and decisions should move beyond first impressions. You know, the book and it's cover.

Candidates and political parties want to press our hot buttons by showing us glimpses of the ones seeking office. But, you know there are many truths about those people that cannot be depicted in a one minute advertisement. Our challenge is to go deeper, to examine more than the shining elements of their candidate or the raw edges they portray of their opponents. First impressions don't always reveal truth.

May I suggest a much more efficient deeper view of the parties and candidates we're considering in election 2020? The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association magazine Decision voter guide is a brilliant and biblical assessment of the choices we'll make on November 3. You can access their article 2020 Election Guide by clicking here. It is, of course, as assessment attuned to the Christian worldview and provides a deeper look into our voting decisions in this election. It is much more than the book and it's cover, and provides us that deeper assessment of where the parties and candidates stand on issues of concern in the election we'll decide in 19 days.

The book and it's cover is no way to elect a President, Senators, Congressmen, and others who will lead our nation, states, and communities at every level of government. The book and it's cover just won't do in election 2020.

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