For some reason I woke up this morning in a lousy mood. Part of it has to do with the fact that I lay there, back sore, thinking about several situations in which I'm pressured now. Some of it has to do with my being absolutely exhausted the past few nights and not being able to write or work on writing-related or bookstore things at all. My mood was enhanced by slamming a toe while on the day's first bathroom break. Prayer and meditation always help things, though. I feel better after having chanted Matins. Well, not the entire office of Matins, but the Psalms. Someday I hope to chant Matins and Vespers whether I'm at church or not, but I'm not there yet.

I was just writing an email to my dad. He'd asked for Christmas present ideas for Stacey and myself. I started out writing about our plans for this Christmas, a couple projects we're looking to do, and ended up on this long rant about how I have a feeling that God's less concerned with a few homosexuals being allowed to share benefits and a bit more concerned with the fact that much of our nation lives in excess and calls itself concerned with "family values" while so many families live in poverty, so many people are homeless with no real hope for recovery, and so on.

I don't want to use this blog as some sort of ultra-political rambling place. God knows I use the Vagrant Cafe for that enough! I have to say this, though.
If these past elections taught me anything, it taught me that we can't rely on mainstream Protestant evangelical Christianity to "come around." Yes, many great organizations like Sojourners are working to help that happen, and it will in small increments. An honest look at the situation shows that the main voices and movements still have James Dobsons and Jerry Falwells putting all their effort into spouting about Hollywood and Gays and MTV and all that. Whether or not they're well-intentioned isn't for me to judge. However, in this past election, millions and millions of voters who proudly call them Christians and with decent intent vote what they see as being "for family values and moral issues." The situation is what it is and whether people are still just oblivious, have personalities that keep them focused on certain issues or are stubbornly refusing to listen to anyone not of the James Dobson mindset or think about other issues...I don't know. The situation is what it is and without sounding like I advocate "giving up," I'm realizing that we're all accountable for our own actions and it's time I started taking more of my own. I'm not going to stop talking about these things or trying to persuade others that perhaps Christ is more concerned with how we treat each other and "the least of these" than he is about gay marriage and the forms of entertainment non-Christians make. However, while many of us who are saying these things don't have much money or influence ourselves, I know that as for myself, it's time to do even more with what little I do have. To help others, to spread a Gospel unwarped by SUV mentalities and based less around stopping other people from doing what we don't agree with and more focused on what Christ actually brought to earth.