Why This College Educated Black Man Became a Republican

A better title for this post could be Why this College Educated Black Man Came Out of the Closet and Stopped Being Ashamed of His Conservatism. That's just too long though... I want to try and make this as concise as possible. Many of my friends and many new adversaries have not been shy about giving me their opinion as to why I am suddenly so "political" and pro GOP.

~"You just like going against the grain."

~"You're brainwashed."

~"You better stop tryin' to impress those white folks at your church."

I'd like to make it clear for those who are truly wondering what is wrong with me and I would like to set other closet conservatives free to express and be what they believe. I'm still the same nice guy that most of my Facebook friends have come to know and love I've just realized something with age. Are you ready for the single biggest factor in kicking me out of my conservative closet? Here it is.

I AM A CHRISTIAN

Yup, that's it. I can practically hear heads exploding already. When I say I am a Christian I don't mean I am one of these folks that attends church sporadically as a duty to help me be a better person. I believe every word of the Bible. I believe that Jesus Christ was dead, buried and risen on the third day.  I believe that Jesus Christ my King is coming and is coming soon. I also believe that He is the ONLY way to heaven PERIOD. We need Him because mankind is fatally flawed and marred by sin and is in desperate need of a Savior.

SO if you believe these things as well, please read on, if not, the rest of this post will just frustrate and quite possibly infuriate you and make you like me less so please stop.

I'm not even referring to abortion or traditional marriage right now. As a matter of fact, when I was still in the closet I would actually tell people that "you can't let those two factors alone dictate your vote." I won't even say that you can't be a Christian and Democrat/Liberal the way some of my friends do. (Though I will say you have some praying to do) I do believe however that if you allow your faith to fully inform your politics you will also come to the conclusion that progressive liberalism and Christianity are wholly incompatible. I have found the intersection of my faith and my politics.

I've had liberal pastors lecture me on how their faith compels them to vote Democrat. They tout that Jesus would have us to care for the poor. They lament that Jesus doesn't want us going to war. They are right. Where they are wrong is how the poor should be helped and who should do it. They are also wrong in their understanding of evil. A fundamental flaw in progressive thought is the notion that mankind is inherently good and somehow can be perfected through the effort, innovation and ingenuity of mankind. They believe that if the right people are in charge they can fix everything. They think that man's flaws are due to flaws in his environment and it is their mandate to perfect everyone's environment. Progressives say things like:

-When someone is poor it is because they weren't afforded the right opportunities.
-If someone is a criminal it is because they lacked proper education.
-If one is a TERRORIST it is because his people were oppressed by greedy imperialistic societies.
-All cultures, societies, religions etc. are equal and of equal good and importance and we are all connected. There is no place for nationalism or individualism. They just breed resentment.

All of this sounds great and noble. The problem is that my Bible and history have taught me that man is perfectly incapable of solving his problems. There are some hard truths that are true as a result of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden-

-People will always die
-Everyone will not make it.
-People will always lie.
-People will always steal.
-People will always disagree. There will be wars
-There will always be poor people.
-People will almost always ultimately work in and for their self interests even to the detriment of others.

Most Conservatives understand that mankind is fundamentally flawed and fatally limited by these flaws. Thomas Sowell calls this a constrained view of mankind in his book Intellectuals and Society. These flaws will not be fixed no matter how well meaning and smart we are. Many children, most adolescents and Liberals have an unconstrained view of mankind. They think that they are perfectly capable and are generally incredulously willing to try anything their whimsical little hearts can cook up when they are striving for world peace or trying to eradicate hunger... or childhood obesity.

As I stated, these are often noble aims that are undertaken by truly noble and benevolent people. I have just come to realize that much of their ideas are simply misguided and therefore ill fated. They may show up front success and effectiveness but the inevitable unintended consequences often leave things worse than they started. Welfare, Democratic Socialism and Pacifism are all seemingly harmless and beneficial ideas that come to mind that have had as much or more catastrophic long term side effects than whatever the immediate benefits have been.

Please understand, It's not that I don't care about issues such as poverty, hunger, oppression the environment etc. Most true Christians care about these issues. I fundamentally disagree with most progressive ideas for solving them. I find that too many offer a quick band-aid but fail to address or even understand the fundamental causes of calamity in the world. I care deeply about these issues but I have grown to realize that they need a far more holistic and fundamental approach than many Progressives and Liberals have the stomach for...

Racism and Prejudice: Part II

If you read my last blog entry you'll see that I believe that some level prejudice resides in all of us. What we do and how we act in light of that prejudice determines how we interrelate with other races, cultures and people who are different than us. I like to think of myself as a person that loves people. Learning about other people and the things that make them unique as individuals is refreshing to me. I often try to challenge my prejudices and do what I can to get to know different people.

I am an Evangelical Christian. When my family and I moved to St. Augustine, one of our top priorities was to find a strong, Bible teaching, Evangelical church. We also really wanted a church with a strong expository preacher. My entire life has been spent in Black churches. Racial makeup of the congregation really wasn't important to me but it was important to me that my next church home be a place where I can feel totally comfortable inviting anyone. I wanted a place where I knew that my guests would be treated with love and respect and they would hear the Gospel no matter what their skin color or socioeconomic status was.

We visited a number of churches. Some of them were predominantly black, others were predominantly white. We visited a couple Southern Baptist Churches and ended up settling on Turning Point @ Calvary in St. Augustine, Florida. Southern Baptist churches are known for expository preaching and we found a home that we are desperately in love with. For those of you who may be history buffs, you know that Southern Baptists are overwhelmingly Conservative and don't quite have an exemplary record when it comes to relations with Blacks in the past. (At one time they supported slavery and segregation)

If one were going to find racism in a church, they might be prejudiced to expect to find it in a place with ties to such a troubled racial past. My family and I are among perhaps eight to ten African American people in this congregation of well over a thousand. At the time of our joining, I never noticed more than two or three in regular attendance. This could have been a prime time for me to be guided by my prejudice. I could have said to myself, "Where are all the Blacks?" "I'll bet these folks will act funny towards us because we're black." It didn't take me long to realize that these prejudices couldn't be further from the truth.

I've found this church to be the single most inviting and loving congregation I have ever had the pleasure to interact with. While I'm sure that there are some that have certain prejudices about me as I do them, the love of God is evident in their interactions with me and my family and others. The Word of God is taught without compromise and God's work is evident in the life and deportment of the congregation. I am learning that white people are a lot like me. They work, pray, laugh, love and cry just like me. Many of my prejudices are being further broken down and I hope that many of their prejudices are being challenged by my family.

From time to time some well meaning person will say something to my wife like, "Sing soul sista" or some well meaning gentleman will make it a point to let me know how many Black people he knows in one of our conversations. Some would choose to be offended by these episodes in a kneejerk fashion. This is not how we are going to move forward into a real post-racial America. There are substantive differences among the cultures of the people of this great land. How will we ever learn to appreciate one another if we don't have patience and take the time to understand each other?

Sometimes we toss around the word diversity. What was the last thing that you did to actually promote diversity? When was the last time you intentionally befriended someone who perhaps is a little different than you? Maybe if more of us would take the steps to understand each other we could really move closer to a post racial future.

Racism and Prejudice: Part I

I love White people. I don’t always understand them—I love Black people. I don’t always understand them either. Am I a racist? I don’t believe so. I am however, prejudiced—and you are too. There is a difference between racism and prejudice. The difference is subtle but it makes a world of difference in our daily interactions as members of the human race. I won’t go to the dictionary for definitions because you can do that yourself and I really want to speak extemporaneously on this topic.

When I think of racism, I think of a deep seated belief that one’s race is superior to another. The world has seen its share of racists in its history. The history of White supremacists in this country is probably the most poignant and common example. There are also Black Supremacists. This may not be as well known to as many. These are they that proclaim that the White man is the devil and so forth.

This country has a history of racial tension and acrimony. This is very unfortunate. This is one of the primary reasons that we all are so prone to prejudice. Prejudice can be defined by simply breaking down its root words pre and judice. Prejudice quite simply means to pre-judge. Prejudice is the single biggest reason we are experiencing such a resurgence of racial tension in this country in 2010.

To be sure, racism is still alive and well in America. There are still too many who hold the aforementioned racist and bigoted views. The fact is there are exponentially more who do not hold racist or bigoted attitudes. I will concede however that all of us are prone to prejudice. Our history too often causes us to view each other through the prism of racism. It has to be noted however that all of our prejudices don’t have to do simply with skin color.

Disclaimer: This is where I may get in trouble…

Example 1

When I am walking through the mall parking lot and I see a group of young black men speaking loudly in foul language, in oversized shirts, sagging pants, gold teeth and bloodshot eyes, I give them a wide berth. I say to myself, “self, those fellas might be high and they might want to start some trouble.” I may want to keep an eye on them and try to stay out of their way. You don’t have to admit it but you would be just as nervous in this situation whatever color you are.

Example 2

On Monday of this week I took my five year old daughter to swim lessons at the local pool. After her lesson was over my daughter came out of the pool and started to walk towards where I was sitting. I got up and approached her to meet her and took her to a nearby bench where a white woman had just placed her and her small son’s belongings on one half of the bench. I sat down and proceeded to help my daughter dry off and get herself together. As we were working, my daughter started to climb on to the bench next to me. Before I could stop her she almost sat on a sun visor that belonged to the white woman. Almost immediately I noticed the woman approaching us. I said hello. She said nothing that I could discern and proceeded to move her things to the next bench.

She seemed bothered and I have to confess that my initial thoughts were not very fair minded. I thought to myself, “I don’t care if you don’t like black people.” I was calling her every kind of racist I could in my mind. I possibly could have been correct in some regard but why can’t it be just as likely that she may have been a little upset that she perceived I was allowing my daughter to climb all over her belongings?

Is it fair that I would be worried that people that look like the gentlemen in the first example might be violent? More importantly, is my fear of them simply because of their skin color or were more factors in play? Is it fair that my first reaction to the woman at the pool was to brand her a racist? Does she deserve the benefit of the doubt concerning her racism? Do you think all of our prejudices are based solely on skin color?

That’s enough food for thought. Now I’ll write Part II of Racism and Prejudice.

We used to have to sit in the back; Now we have to stand on the left

I've been on an odyssey of sorts lately. I feel obligated to share some of the things I have come to realize over that past year or so. I have a burden in my heart to set free people that are like I was. I don't write this for the following people:

Atheists
Humanists
Socialists
Communists
Progressives
People who believe that mankind is essentially good


If you fall into any of the aforementioned categories, you probably want to stop reading now because this will probably be a waste of your time. I write this to people that believe in the following:

God
Capitalism
Hard Work
Personal Responsibility
People who believe that mankind is fallen by nature and in need of a Savior

I voted Democrat my entire life up to and including the last presidential election. I honestly have to admit that I never took a long hard look at politics until I became enamored with all that Barack Obama was saying he could to do to fix our country and get us back on the right track. During the election, many of my good friends who knew me and knew what things I believe are important tried to open my eyes to why I would vote for him. They would ask me how I justify many of President Obama's policies in light of what I believe. I would manufacture an answer but I knew deep down that my answers had no solid footing.

You can check my Facebook for my constant rants about the specific things concern me but I ask you to take a look at the lists above and then think about what they mean to your vote. Think about this: 95% of Black Americans voted for Barack Obama. I'm as proud as anyone that a Black man can become the most powerful man in the world. However does this mean that 95% of black people essentially share the same views on the issues mentioned?

An Open Letter to White People

Dear White People,
I pray this letter finds you well. I am writing to inform you that I officially, henceforth, now and forever do absolve and forgive you from the guilt associated with slavery and our country's spotted history of civil rights. I do this while recognizing and understanding that there are yet still some whites that would still seek to propagate racist ideology. I submit that it is now easier than ever to navigate around these people. I truly believe that there is not a racist alive that can stop me or any of my fellow black people from achieving their dreams.

None of you had anything to do with slavery. I find it unfair to blame you for the evils of some of your forefathers. Also, if I were to continue to hold the evils of slavery against you, it would be necessary to also hold the same grievance against all of the Africans who practiced slavery and were complicit in trading Africans to those first European traders. It is in fact said that there were more African slave traders than White slave owners in America during colonial times. There were also many of your ancestors who were dead set against slavery right along with many of mine. Many of them sought to abolish it from it's outset in America. Their opposition unfortunately took a back seat to the revolutionaries who didn't want to open up a schism as they were forming this new union. It is truly a pity that it took so long. However, it is with these facts in mind that I find it more sensible to forgive and move on.

It is also my belief that we have come a long way since segregation. Most of you had nothing to do with that. I know that this doesn't apply to all of my fellow black people but I personally have never been called a n*gger by anyone white. I can't say that I have ever been passed over for a job because of my skin color. I have been subjected to injustice by blacks as well as whites. Bad things happen but I'm willing to bet that a relatively small amount of bad things that befall my fellow people of color can directly be attributed to racism. Racism does indeed still exist and it's much easier to notice when you are actively searching for episodes of it.

Though I realize that racism still exists, I find searching for examples of it and blaming it for my problems counterproductive and a waste of energy. I prefer to channel those energies into growing myself, educating myself and educating others. I don't need your affirmative action or any other quotas to help me find my place in America. I take more pride in finding my own way with a thankful eye on the sacrifices that people made before me to give me this freedom and opportunity and a focused eye on doing whatever it takes to forge my own destiny in this changing world. I don't need the so-called black voices in media to continually try to convince me of how much of a victim I am. I don't buy it. Too many people that look like me have found legitimate success in America. I want to travel that road of hard work, focus, and personal responsibility that so many successful people have followed and help others to do the same.

I want to thank you for doing what you can to assuage the fears of those that still wish to proudly carry the blood stained banner of victimhood. I know it can be difficult when it seems like you are labeled as racist every time you disagree with a person of color. I realize that there are some of you that still don't like me and people that look like me but that's okay. We can deal with you on a case by case basis. I also recognize that some black people may have a problem with me being so anxious to bury this hatchet. I can accept this. They don't have to bury it with me. I believe that we are all individuals not monolithic beings bound in thought by our skin color. I am simply ready and willing to truly step into a post-racial society. Who wants to go with me?

Sincerely,


Herbert

Independence of Thought and Patriotic Dissent

The following quote is attributed to Alexander Fraser Tytler a Scottish born, British lawyer, writer and historian:

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

• From bondage to spiritual faith;
• From spiritual faith to great courage;
• From courage to liberty;
• From liberty to abundance;
• From abundance to complacency;
• From complacency to apathy;
• From apathy to dependence;
• From dependence back into bondage.

As we approach another Independence Day I find myself in deep reflection of the virtues of our great nation. The United States were founded under extraordinary circumstances by extraordinary people. Perfect? Our founders and forefathers were not. However, they laid down an awesome framework in which America quickly traveled the aforementioned sequence from bondage all the way to abundance. It seems to me that we are now sliding into complacency and apathy and moving quickly into dependence. I am truly concerned about the last stage of this sequence- back into bondage.

It seems that more and more, disagreement with issues such as universal health care and comprehensive immigration reform will get you labeled as intolerant, indifferent to the poor and a racist. Contrary to popular belief, Americans are among the most benevolent people in the world. We individually give very generously when disaster strikes around the country and around the world. The key word being individually. There are forces at work in our nation that seek to oppress the will, rights and virtue of the individual and replace it with that of the group.

Major polls regularly indicate that a relatively small percentage of Americans actually consider themselves Liberal in terms of political policy. This raises many paradoxical questions about what we are seeing happen in our nation. Given the information gleaned from these polls, why does it seem that a disproportionate amount of our media, news and pop culture leans so far to the left? How do Conservative writers consistently top the New York Times Best Seller lists? How and why does Fox News consistently dominate the other cable news networks in spite of the vitriol from the current administration and much of the media world? Lets break it down a little bit.

Why do Conservative entities hold such an advantage relative to their liberal counterparts?

I'd like to offer this hypothesis: The majority of Americans who are interested in current events and are actively engaged in the political process are not interested in going with the flow of pop culture. They cast a critical eye at notions of group victimhood and cast aside notions of personal gain at any cost. They are not impressed because a politician offers them a leg up or an easy way out. They understand that everyone needs help at some time but we must weigh the cost.

How do far-left Liberals gain such inroads into our pop culture?
Here's another hypothesis: Too many Americans simply do not take the time to formulate a political stand based on what they truly believe. They are not prone to actually taking the time to deeply understand issues that will effect them and the nation. They are then easily manipulated by people that would seek to place them in a group. The groups are many. They include the poor, the middle class, Blacks, Latinos, Christians and labor just to name a few.

My hope for America is that we will not forget that our strength as individuals is what makes us collectively great. We can disagree on issues. That is the American way. Our disagreements are what make as stronger. Our debates are where we sharpen and prune our ideas. However, the key to this strength is an informed electorate that understands their strength and value as individuals. The founders understood this. They welcomed a melting pot of ideas for the purposes of strengthening the union. If we don't continue to avail ourselves to this process we may raise our eyes one day and find ourselves back into bondage, under what Tocqueville called the tyranny of the majority.

Useful Idiot's Indeed...

It pains me a little bit to write this as I used to be a "useful idiot."

Sarah Palin recently tweeted this article and the Huffington Post and many other Liberal outlets are going crazy about it. Here's an excerpt:

"When Adolf Hitler was building up the Nazi movement in the 1920s, leading up to his taking power in the 1930s, he deliberately sought to activate people who did not normally pay much attention to politics. Such people were a valuable addition to his political base, since they were particularly susceptible to Hitler's rhetoric and had far less basis for questioning his assumptions or his conclusions.

"Useful idiots" was the term supposedly coined by V.I. Lenin to describe similarly unthinking supporters of his dictatorship in the Soviet Union. "

Read the full column here:
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2010/06/22/degeneration_of_democracy?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter/page/2

Never mind the compelling parallels that Mr. Sowell brings up. Never mind that the thesis of this column is really about "useful idiots" He mentioned Hitler and Obama in the same column so everything else MUST be irrelevant. If we are honest about it, there are way too many on the right and left of the political spectrum in our country that are indeed "useful idiots."

It's time for us to wake up. Don't be distracted as news outlets mine for sound bytes to make the other side look bad. I believe that most of us believe in the concept of this great land. Most of us believe in, and agree with the Constitution. We must once again hold all of our elected officials accountable for what they do. I have often said to people, "don't vote Democrat simply because you are black or poor and don't vote Republican simply because you are a Christian." These are labels that I fear we hide behind too often. This gives us an excuse to not become enlightened and engaged in the political process.

Politicians of our day have used soaring rhetoric and hot-button issues to keep everyone distracted from the "little" things they are doing under the surface. Once again, this is on BOTH sides of the isle. Some are satisfied as long as a politician says they are pro-life, or advocates for the traditional definition of marriage. Others are immediately satisfied when a politician promises to be an advocate for "Main Street" and the "little guy."

These are VERY important but I challenge all Americans to take the time look very deeply into what is happening in our country. Then look very deeply into yourself and develop an educated defense for where you stand politically. Please don't be ANYONE'S "useful idiot."

Happy Father's (Baby's Momma's) Day???

Happy Father’s day to my real FATHERS! Single mothers, I deeply sympathize with your situation and I wish that things could have worked out between you and your baby’s father. THIS MAY HURT A LITTLE BIT, but I promise that my aim is to help.

I’d like to talk to two groups of people if I may…

$$$

FATHERS, DONORS AND BABY’S DADDIES:

Man up and make sure you are handling your responsibilities. Being a father means way more than sending that check on time or providing for the financial needs of your family. Even if you are separated from the baby’s mother, you need to be a presence in the life of your children. They need your presence, your affirmation, your attention and most of all, your love. Your women need your protection, passion and your presence. Your woman is a gift. She is a good thing that deserves to be cherished. You will regret mistreating her and your children one day. BROKEN FAMILIES ARE CRIPPLING OUR COMMUNITIES!!! If you are not ready to be committed to her or the results of your ill conceived intimacy, for the sake of my daughter and everyone that is going to have to bear the burden of your immaturity, KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS!!! Understand that FAMILIES are the single most beautiful institutions on this planet.

MOTHERS, SINGLE MOTHERS AND BABY’S MOMMAS:

Please on this father’s day, let’s stop with the “Happy Father’s Day to the mother’s who are doing both jobs” madness. When you celebrate your single motherhood in this way, you are sending a message that perhaps fathers aren’t really that essential.

Hmmm???

I’m sure that you are a strong mother and you no doubt are doing the very best you can with the hand you’ve been dealt. HOWEVER you are NOT a father and to suggest that you are doing both jobs is setting a dangerous example for your children and is an attack on the beauty and the sanctity of the institution known as THE FAMILY. If you find yourself in a bad situation it is not all your baby’s daddy’s fault that you and your child are there. THAT NO GOOD JIVE TURKEY that bedded you probably didn’t do so with you at gun point. We don’t like to talk about this but it is the truth.

SO CAN WE PLEASE STOP WITH THE ZANE NOVELS AND QUIT SEPARATING INTIMACY FROM COMMITMENT?

My people, if we can do this, if we can be honest with ourselves, we can begin to mend our families. True intimacy requires commitment. Nobody should be that close to you if they are not prepared to marry you PERIOD.

Folks, we’ve got a generation of boys AND GIRLS that are being raised with absolutely no concept of how important traditional families are to any society. If your family is not together—if the only examples you have are broken families, I implore you to take my word for it and get your cues from some families that have made it. Families are a beautiful thing. WE MUST MAKE FAMILIES COOL AGAIN.

This type of talk used to be commonplace for families. If you are one of these new age people that think that traditional families are a thing of the past, then these words aren't for you. However, if you still believe in the magic and the beauty of the family, It is time for us to re-teach these concepts to our youth... and to ourselves.

Happy Father's Day

Quote

"...There are similarities between the economics of slavery and the modern rap industry. Cheap labor, slaves made it possible for the Southern plantation to make money. All that was required was silent assent to a hellish compromise with the obvious immorality of slavery by the politicians, the religious leaders, the bankers and the newspaper editors."

~Excerpt from Enough by Juan Williams

If You Really, Really Want It…

If You Really, Really Want It…

John 5:1-9 NKJV

A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda

¹ After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ² Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. ³In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. ⁴ For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. ⁵ Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
⁸ Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” ⁹ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked…

I remember the early part of my college career. I was a young, green, and a little bit silly. I was into a lot of things that I knew deep down, I shouldn’t have been in involved in. I was doing what I felt was my right at that age. I was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois where I led a pretty straight-laced, church going life. When I hit the ground in Atlanta, Georgia and the campus of Clark Atlanta University, WHOOOA NELLY!!!! I had never seen so many beautiful women! I quickly found my place in that brave new world. I began to use poor language, chase women, drink a little bit and many participate in other behaviors that you probably wouldn’t want to tell your mother about. But hey, I was in college having my fun!

From time to time I would visit church or talk to believers. (For the first time in my life I wasn’t mandated to go to church) Like I said before, deep down, I knew I was into some things that God wasn’t pleased with. From time to time I would be convicted. Every now and then I would say I wanted to do better, but you want to know the truth? I really didn’t want to do anything different. I didn’t want anyone to change the life I was enjoying. I couldn’t imagine anything different.

I think we can learn a few things through this incident at the pool of Bethesda. This man was afflicted by his affliction for 38 years. I can’t be sure, but I’d surmise that whatever was wrong with him gradually and unstoppably got worse. Look at the way Jesus responds in verse 6:

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

Why would the Lord ask such a question? Isn’t the answer obvious? I’ve heard it said that the Lord wanted the man to ask for help. While that may be true, I think the answer is a little deeper. Jesus noticed that the man had been lying there a long time with his healing clearly within reach. Now this man indeed had a legitimate problem getting to the pool. However, I wonder if his condition had always hindered his entering the pool. I wonder if in the early days of his affliction, he could have jumped in that water and received his healing. I wonder if he thought he had time to get it right later but alas, he waited too late.

Sometimes we get too comfortable in our affliction. The affliction may be associations; it may be behaviors; it may be habits. Sometimes we get so used to living the way that we live. I think we stay comfortable until it becomes almost too late. I think that the Lord sees us and asks the same question, “Do you want to be made well.” The answer seems obvious on the surface, but sometimes our limited understanding of the grace, provision and goodness of the Lord cause us to doubt that there could truly be something different, something better for us.

I once heard it said that some will not change until the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of change. (Somebody please email me and tell me who said that.) Are you going to wait that long?

Do you (really) want to be made well?