I find today's political discourse way too convoluted to address.
In addition to being woefully lacking in civility, much of it lacks rigorous grounding in secular or religious history, sociology, political science, or economics. And those conditions make it near-impossible for me to engage in any sensible way. (See yesterday's mea culpa for why I think we're besieged with uncritical, sloppy, a-historical thinking.)
Plus, I must always prayerfully consider how I'm using my time, energy, and talent. Don't know about you, but I get distracted from the goal (Philippians 3:12-14) and so, years ago I adopted the practice of examining the spiritual value of everything.
When it comes to leaping into the fray du jour, I try to ask myself this question before getting head-bangingly involved:
Will this enhance my relationship with God,
or will this distract me from my relationship with God?
I've recently added this question to help me stay focused:
Will this further God's call to serve,
or will this distract me from God's call to serve?
These questions get me back on track every time! Feel free to add them to your tools for critical inquiry.
