Well, the first debate if over. Presidential hopefuls talked over each other, tried to get their points across, and all proved they could express themselves better than the current President is able to do. But after all the hoopla, and all the preparation time, and all the money spent on the set and the production itself, what does it all prove? Simply this. Just as in Jesus’ time, people “run around like chickens without their heads” chasing after one idea or another, prompted by hours of advertising, the pundits have reviewed isolated clips and made their not-so-profound chatter about what this means or what that reference means, the fact-checkers have busily looked for falsehoods, and the videographers and editors have made the decisions for us about which moments are the “best” or “most engaging,” or “pivotal” or “meaningful” or “original” or which ones move one candidate above the others in their guiding us toward a preference. All of it will change before we enter the voting booth a year and a half from now.
I am reminded of Mark 6 in the New Testament. Here’s what it says: “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to them, “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So the went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things.”
This was the set up , the precursor to what was to come–the feeding of five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. A miracle.
Are there similarities to last night’s spectacle? Do we need to get away and get some rest? Do we need to become solitary and think. without the flashy media, biased and entertaining. Do we need time to assess what we heard? Do we need commentators and pundits telling us what to think? Or do we need to stop being at home paparazzi and watch miracles unfold?
I contend we need to be praying for our divided country which is chasing the newest this and the best that and the shiny and the fads and theories and just think and rest. With the chaos of twenty-first century life, we need to withdraw and look for the miracles. We need to personally listen to good solid teaching from God’s perspective, and let the wagging tongues and the rabble voices blabber on. Meanwhile, we need to do what Jesus said: “come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Sage advice by the King of the universe.
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