Dan Kunz
I’m going to do it. I’m going to get a tattoo. Well, maybe not, but I’m thinking about it. Kinda. Why would a guy with as many miles on his tires as I have, do something many would consider drastic? People get tattoos for all sorts of reasons. Some do so to remind themselves of something important, such as a departed loved one’s name or birthdate. Some also get tattoos to make a statement about something they strongly support or believe. My tattoo would do both. If I get a tattoo, it would read – John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world.” Why that? Why now?
This blog has never been about political beliefs. It’s been about religious beliefs. That doesn’t mean I don’t have political beliefs. I do. Some would say I have pretty strong political beliefs. I do. I’m a conservative Christian who supports conservative Christian values with my vote, my opinions, and my donations. I want my state and my country to be a place where my beliefs and values can flourish and be passed down to my children and grandchildren. That being said, the mid-term elections were incredibly upsetting to me, not because my candidate(s) of choice didn’t win and not because my candidate(s) of choice got drubbed. I was upset by some of the candidates that did win and some of the choices my fellow Americans made.
My home state of Wisconsin now has one-party rule. In other words, the governor and both houses of the legislature are the same party. Although they’re supposed to be non-partisan, the state Supreme Court also seems to have a liberal bias. That could drastically change things. School choice allows more people to take advantage of a Christian education for their children. That could go away. Like it or not, marijuana is likely to be legalized. Abortion access will possibly be expanded. Even Constitutional amendments might be weakened. Virtually anything may be on the table for change. To me, that’s scary.
Wisconsinites had three referendums on which to voice their opinion. One of them involved the separation of church and state. Basically, the referendum tried to limit the government’s ability to shut down places of worship in case of an emergency. It was the only referendum which failed. Maybe I’m a pessimist, but I don’t want the government to have the ability to lock the church doors.
That brings me back to my (maybe) tattoo. For you and I as Christians, remembering we are part of a kingdom which God rules is beyond important. It gives us patience. It gives us peace. It gives us a sense of calm when the winds of change (sometimes bad) swirl around us. As we all know, change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad. Either way, the good or the bad are temporary, just like life itself. When we’re reminded by God’s Word of the eternal nature of God’s Kingdom, it helps us to look forward, not backward. Even if the present is not pleasant, it’s not permanent. Our new home will be permanent! A reading of the book of Revelation or Daniel will reveal the transitory nature of earthly “kingdoms”. They come and go, as do earthly leaders. Even Simon the Zealot, one of Jesus’ disciples, thought political involvement and, if necessary, rebellion, was a good idea. Imagine how his “world view” was changed when Jesus entered his life. It certainly would have been great for him to hear that Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world. It must have removed a lot of frustration, as it does for you and me!
See you at the tattoo parlor!