Stories from the Streets of South Jackson
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As the election is upon us, I pray that we, as Christians, would keep our eyes and our hopes on God above.

The question over how political Jesus was, or how politically involved he expected his followers to be, is one that has always nagged at me. In the Gospels, Jesus is presented with numerous opportunities to throw his support behind the political and religious parties that dominated his day. It seems to me that he avoids aligning himself with all of them throughout the Gospels. This idea was reinforced to me in reading Mark 12 last night in our small group.

Starting with the last section in chapter 11, we see Jesus’ authority being challenged by the chief priests and the elders. Instead of proving his authority over this earth, he answers with a riddle designed to confuse them, and maybe even to mock them. Then, as we move into chapter 12 we have Jesus tearing down every major institution and ideology of his day.

First, again directed at the chief priests, he prophecies that the temple will be destroyed and handed over to those to whom it does not belong. Next, he is approached by a coalition of Pharisees and Herodians, the representatives of the local government. When asked whether he believed in paying taxes to Caesar, Jesus said to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. This, one of Jesus’ most well known sayings, attacks both the Pharisee’s, who had hoped Jesus would denounce the Roman ruler, and the Herodians, who may have been a little worried about the half hearted endorsement themselves.

Next up were the Sadducees. After seeing Jesus reject the Chief Priests, the Pharisees, and the Herodians, they must’ve have been very pleased. In fact, they probably thought that Jesus would throw his support behind their theological system, since he obviously didn’t support the other major systems of the day. But instead Jesus solemnly pronounces that they are “quite wrong.”

Finally we have a scribe that steps up to ask the great teacher a question. The scribe seems to be trying to pinpoint exactly where Jesus stands by asking him what, out of all the Old Testament laws and codes, he saw as the most important. Jesus responds by placing his focus entirely on loving God and loving your neighbor, and thereby going over any and all of the political debates of the time. Even though the scribe earns some praise for his response, Jesus very quickly asserts that the scribes cannot be trusted either.

In fact, it’s only after denouncing all of these people that had been vying for Jesus’ approval that he actually finds someone that represents what he stands for. When Jesus sees an old widow put two copper coins in the Temple’s offering plate, he praises her devotion. It was this widow’s generous giving, out of a heart of love for God, that earned Jesus’ approval.

I think we can all learn a very valuable lesson from this. It’s not the most eloquent speeches or the hard nosed political deals that appeal to God. He is indeed involved in the political process, appointing whomever he sees fit to rule the land. Scripture is clear about that. But God is not giving his endorsement to any political parties. He is not a Republican or Democrat. In fact, I believe that some of the cynicism we see among the young people today is an unforeseen side effect of the mixing of religion and politics.

That theory was further advanced when I heard an NPR program featuring Steven Waldman, author of Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America. His book explores the founding fathers, the religious atmosphere in the late 18th century, and the forces that formed our idea of religious freedom. In essence, he asserts that the idea of separating church and state arouse from the church’s desire to keep matters of faith and politics from becoming intertwined. The founding fathers, along with the leaders of the colonial church, had learned through experience that when church and state join forces, both are usually compromised.

With all of this in mind, I hope that everyone exercised their right to vote. Since it is a right and not a duty, I did not. But I hope that above all, no matter who wins, and no matter what direction our country heads in next, that we will ultimately put our faith in God, and not in any man-made institution. I’m going to live in Jackson.

That’s all I could really say. It never served as an answer. It was merely a gateway to more questions.

What will you do?

Where will you live?

How are you getting there?

I didn’t know the answer to any of the questions I was being asked. I was living in Turkey, finishing up two of the best and most challenging years of my life. I had gone to do missions, to reach the lost, to build up the church. I did what I could and I prayed a lot. As my time ended, I knew that my two years was simply a taste of my life to come. I knew I’d be back. If not Turkey, then somewhere. I knew that God had called me to a life of foreign missions. But I also knew it was time to move on. But to what?

I’ve heard it said that God doesn’t show us the whole journey, just the next step. I had been told the next step, but I had no idea if there was actually going to be ground under my feet once I took it.

I was headed to Jackson for a girl. We had met in training before I left. She had spent a rough year and a half in Peru while I was in Turkey and had come home a few months before me. From many long emails and late night Skype conversations, I had learned a lot about her. But to really know her, I knew that I needed to be on the same continent that she was on. So I did have a purpose.

And I did have a place to stay waiting on me. A friend of mine had put me in touch with a friend of his that could help me out. They were willing to let me live in a rental house of theirs rent-free. I was told that it wasn’t in the best shape or in the nicest part of town. But instead of that worrying me, it comforted me. Growing up in a trailer park and becoming accustomed to the occasional bombings of my city in Turkey made me quite fond of the other side of the tracks.

And I can’t forget the dog that has been with me through thick and thin was anxiously waiting at my grandma’s house. So it’s not like I had absolutely nothing waiting on me. Still, I was far from ready to start life over here in America.

But once I made it back to the States, things fell into place rather nicely. My first order of business was to find some transportation. With a small chunk of savings and a strong desire to stay out of debt, I searched the used car lots for something that would get me around on the cheap. I looked for weeks with little or no luck. Apparently the rising gas prices had finally begun to change how and what people drove. Dependable and economical cars were hard to come by, especially at the price I was offering. But my first little blessing came with a hatchback. It’s absolutely beautiful, except that one door won’t lock, and another won’t open. Oh, and the hatchback won’t stay open and the hood won’t stay shut. And the paint is coming off in a few places. And sometimes the keys won’t come out of the ignition. But it cranks every time, almost. And it’s great on gas, even if it does burn a little oil. The SpongeBob Square Pants seat covers were just icing on the cake.

So with my little piece of the American dream loaded down with my worldly belongings, I set off for Jackson, MS, and the life that God had prepared for me there. I made a few stops to see friends and then one stop to change a flat tire before I finally made it.

My second day in town, my new landlord took me to see the next place that I’d call home. In her words, “It’s a nice house, but I wouldn’t live here.” Honestly, it’s the first house I’ve ever lived in. And for the rent I’m paying, which is nothing I remind you, you couldn’t ask for more.

The last thing I needed to establish myself in Jackson was a job. I am a college educated man with a wide variety of work experiences. The job I had in Turkey had me teaching English. I had also spent a spring making pizza in the school cafeteria at Clemson, a summer cutting grass, a fall trapping bears and dissecting deer, and a winter in the police academy. I tried to think of what position would require that skill set. There aren’t many. But the girl that I was moving here for had a connection. The school she worked at was hiring people to help them develop an online diploma program. All they asked is that you be computer literate, halfway creative, and on time. Being two of the three was enough to land me the job.

And that, as they say, was that. In barely two weeks I had gone from unemployed, living with my grandma and driving her Chrysler Sebring to living in a house on the southside of Jackson, MS, driving a pimped out Honda Civic hatchback with sweet seat covers, and working a well paying job that I sometimes enjoy. All the questions had been answered. God had paved the way for me to re-enter life here in America.

To be completely honest, my job is actually pretty boring. My house really is in a bad part of town and it has a mold problem. My car has a leaky back tire and has broken down a time or two already. But, a good friend of mine summed it up best when he said, “The favor of the Lord is resting upon you.” For reasons I cannot explain, it is. He has blessed me greatly.

And I am living in Jackson.