I wish I had nothing better to do with my time than wade into the raging debate currently burning within conservative circles about Rush Limbaugh’s speech at CPAC a couple of weekends ago. His comment about hoping President Obama fails has stirred up quite the eddies in the dust of rage, as Bruce Cockburn once eloquently put it.
Why so much is being said about so little is a tad confusing. Of course someone on the right wants someone on the left to fail, and vice versa. For them to succeed means their policies and politics are correct and the ones held by the other side are wrong. What do we expect to hear — “Boy, I sure hope you’re right about all this, person on the other side, because I’d enjoy nothing more than being proved an idiot for believing a different philosophy and course of action is what’s best?”
Whether there is a sentiment for personal failure doesn’t necessarily come into play, although certainly there are deeply held personal vendettas in the conflict between conservatives and liberals. That said, not all debates are subject to likes and dislikes aside from professional and/or philosophical differences. At the least, it’s preferable for them not to be that way.
I truly wish I had nothing better to do than debate Limbaugh’s choice of words. I truly wish I had nothing better to do than ruminate on how elements with the Democratic party have seized on them as a weapon with which to divide conservatives. Depending on whether they believe it was a personal attack and they’re fine with that, or no matter how intense the personal and/or professional distaste for Obama’s policies may be the debate should not be made personal coupled with how hoping for failure regardless of the resulting economic misery dwarfing even our current deep malaise is perceived as unacceptable perniciousness, the flames have been fanned and continue to be fanned on seemingly a minute by minute basis.
Unfortunately, I have no such luxury.
I have a brother with a myriad of powerful, chronic ailments. I have daily worries about employment and finances for my wife and myself. I have past and looming future sorrows pressing on my heart. I have friends who are hurting. I have to deal with trying to be a witness, ofttimes to people I’ve been anything but Christ-like to over the years. I have a book I’m trying to finish as quickly as possible without embarrassing myself or the artists in it by making mistakes.
That doesn’t leave a lot of time for political debate.
All I want to do right now is bury my face in Jesus’ shoulder and admit I’m scared, sad and shaken. I need His peace and love. I need His reassurance that He is indeed Lord, He is in control and it will be all right. It’s no lack of faith to admit these things. It’s a confession of faith in Christ alone, for I have none in myself or anything in this world.
I don’t know what’s in the lives of the flamethrowers. All I know is what is in mine. Right now, politics aren’t on the dance card.
No matter the burdens, I do have something better to do with my time.
Another great post. The third paragraph from the bottom are very close to my own feelings. I feel as though it is one issue after nothing every single day. Family members having questions about their faith when they need their faith more than ever. Reading your blog is very helpful.
Thank you,
Correction: Another great post. The third paragraph from the bottom are very close to my own feelings. I feel as though it is one issue after ANOTHER every single day. Family members having questions about their faith when they need their faith more than ever. Reading your blog is very helpful.
Thank you,