Raising Magnolias

Recently I had the opportunity to listen to a roundtable discussion on originalism.  I had no idea what this meant and it was hard to concentrate because this one man was chomping his ice.

I do not have the emotional capacity for this. Praise Jesus I don’t “conceal and carry” because while I’m confident I wouldn’t have shot him, I might have been tempted to hit him over the head just to shush the chomping.

It’s empty. For the love, man, just order another iced tea.

Anyway.

If I’m running for president I should surely understand this big word, so I read several articles online.

One.

I read one article.

Most of it.

It quickly occurred to me that no-one truly knows, but the idea is that it would cause judges to better separate law from their own personal beliefs.

But it sounds more like a way to “politicize” judicial races in favor of conservatives.

But I’m not a lawyer so I can’t say for sure.

Anyway. The Constitution.

I can’t help but think that in our forefathers’ wildest and most horrific nightmares, they could never have foreseen how we would interpret our right to bear arms.

Back in the day, people had duels.  Best I can figure, we don’t do that anymore.

Yesterday on Facebook, a high school classmate wrote, and I quote, “you can keep your Q*eers and we’ll keep our guns and flag and churches.”

What the What?

First of all, totally watering down his argument since I’m pretty sure we can all agree that homosexuals have nothing to do with the right to bear arms. Second of all, he used hate speech (freedom of speech, also a constitutional issue. I’m so smart to remember that) that is so horrific, he wouldn’t even spell it out.

Seriously. If you are going to call someone that you disagree with a queer, man-up dude and at least spell it out.

And then re-read your sentence. You’re going to keep your flags and churches? Uhm, Ok. Also, not a gun issue.

One argument that makes sense to me is that criminals are going to find a way around the law and get their hands on guns anyway.

My Grandmother Pearl used to say that “you can’t legislate morality”.

Which I believe to be true.

So let’s use that same argument for the Pro-life movement. If we reverse Roe v. Wade (i’m starting to feel like I actually went to law school) doesn’t the same hold true?

Women who want an abortion will find a way?

But couldn’t we make it harder?

Couldn’t we make it harder to shoot up a classroom of children?

With the brilliant minds that penned (fancy-word alert) our constitution, and the brilliant minds that exist today, couldn’t we find a way?

To make it harder.

I don’t know. I’m not one of the brilliant minds of today, so I’m only asking questions. I just find it weird (and maybe a little bit lazy) how we shape the argument to fit our opinions.

What if we shaped the argument to fit our faith.

What if we re-shaped the argument into a conversation.

Into an opportunity. To be heard.

When we were growing up, my family of five had a square table. My brother and I had to share one side. I’ll never forget when we got a round table. We all fit. Such a little thing but I remember being so excited.

What if, instead of sitting on opposite sides of a square table, we joined together.

In a circle.

There’s this wonderful book about written by Mark Batterson called “The Circle Maker”. The story goes that this man drew a circle in the sand during a drought and cried out to the Lord for rain. The man refused to leave the circle until God sent rain.

What if we refused to leave the circle. Until —

Until we find a way to shape the next generation of youth by sharing the Gospel of Jesus and offering them hope instead of guns.

Criminals will get guns and frightened young women will get back-alley abortions? Really?  And what if we don’t settle.

For that.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face..”

God, teach me how to humble myself and pray and seek your face.

I don’t have the answer. But since I’m running for President, I think I better start looking for one.

 

 

 

 

Action > Opinions

Last week a very dear friend of a very dear friend, went into acute liver failure and almost died. Doctors discovered a brain tumor. Friends gathered around her bedside praying for a miracle, but preparing for a funeral.

Doctors acted immediately. And the Lord was gracious in delivering a miracle.

After successfully removing the tumor, my friend’s friend is home.

I followed this story closely. So encouraged by the outpouring of faith. Hands up, hands-on praying over and around and through and believing that there is healing in the name of Jesus.

Also last week, I saw a Facebook post following the Florida shooting, that said, “Now is not the time for this discussion. People are mourning.”

And I thought about my friend’s friend. And I thought, what if the doctors had said,

“She’s very ill. Now is not the time for this discussion. The time for surgery. The time for healing.”

If you don’t talk about healing during the sickness, then when?

This morning, I read a rambling, random post about loving and not hating and can’t we all just get along and I thought, well.

Duh.

But what about actions over opinions?

If you don’t want to limit access to assault weapons, then what are you doing to care for the mentally ill?

If you are in favor of  gun-control, then what are you doing to make that happen? Are you calling your representatives? Or shouting on Facebook?

We have a right to bear arms, yes-and-but, God gave us dominion over animals.

Not people.

Recently I joked about the empty chairs at my empty table during my book signing in Omaha. A lady walked by and said that she was opposite of me.

I knew exactly what she meant, but it’s way more fun to pretend that I didn’t.

To pretend that she was Mrs. Nebraska instead of Miss or that she never honks in the carpool line (liar!) or that she never forgets to pick up her children from school.

“Pearl” has been out for almost 6 months and for the first time, a friend asked me what I meant by being “politically liberal, socially conservative” as my subtitle reads.

I suspect the reason I wasn’t asked sooner, is a) my friends already understand or b) my friends think that I don’t really understand.

What that means.

But I do.

Mostly.

It means that I’m pro-life.

For all of one’s life.

For every life.

For the entirety of life.

From womb to grave. For. Life.

Neither party, if you align yourself fully supports this idea.

So I don’t.

Is pro-life just about having a baby or caring for all babies.

Is pro-life just anti-abortion or is it ensuring that hate-filled, mentally-ill people don’t have access to assault weapons created for military combat?

Is life only valuable at the point of conception or is being pro-life supporting programs that offer assistance to the under-resourced, supporting single-mothers and inviting them to sit next to us at church.

Valuing their life.

For all of their life.

God’s Word says that we were knit together in the womb, created in His likeness.

I took fertility drugs to conceive Coulter and we had an ultra-sound at 8 weeks.

I heard his heartbeat.

Of all the music, and theatre and laughter and stories and all the beautiful sounds that my ears have known, nothing.

Nothing.

Compares.

To the sound of life.

But being a one-issue voter will never work unless the candidate is pro-life for all lives, for all of their lives.

I fall into the socially conservative because I believe that pregnancies are not about a women’s body, but rather about a Mother’s baby. And I fall in the politically liberal because I believe gun-control is not about a hunter’s right to hunt or a man’s right to protect himself, rather it’s about a Mother’s baby. It’s about her right to send her baby to school without fear of being hunted.

Like an animal.

Conception is life. Babies have a right to be born. That is pro-life. So don’t those same babies have the right to feel safe at school? Isn’t that, too, pro-life?

So see, I don’t fit.

And I’m tired of trying.

And I’m tired of explaining hate to my children.

I’m running for President on the pro-life-for-all-of-their-life-for-every-life-because-we-are-all-created-in-the-image-of-the-most-high-God platform.

For what does the Lord require of us, but to do justly, and love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.