From my journal today: a prayer for this nation! Just felt like sharing it….(got to process all this somehow; sorry it’s long, but, these are long times!)

Ugly days for this particular nation!

 First, Sorry everyone! Terrible days for America—sort of a slow motion horror film, this election. I’m not talking about who got elected (I don’t talk politics but with close friends), but rather the whole process.

Sorry too all my friends globally for visually and phychologically traumatizing you this year! We suck today, lack dignity, and I’m sorry, it’s our worst hour of confusion.   We forgot who we were. And this election process revealed our state of internal heart confusion. Welcome to our wounds. It turns out, we aren’t whole yet.

 Now you see them, and have a choice whether to love us or not. Sorry it came to this. And I apologize for my nation’s behavior. We have acted like teenage brats.

 And I often feel like a father who comes home and his kids are chaotic. He stops thinks about each one and what they need, after bringing them into Peace. That’s my orientation today. How to love people back into place, so we can at least think together (“Come let us reason together!”).

 But let me assure you, we have many good people-women men people of all colors- here still, and many great humble servant leaders as well. I know them. I talked to one of my african friends today, who said, watch out for fear, that’s what comes next.

 For some reason, as my friend said, “God is lowering the flag here for a bit.” She needs to heal. Her stripes are overextended. She needs to remember all her resources are to serve others. She needs humility again. Leaders get humbled so they learn to serve.

 And this could take time. She needs to be delivered from materialism, consumerism and racism and some other things, some of which were inherited sins and ways. This could take some time. Be patient.

 But also please pray for her, if you love her at all, or if she ever gave you something from her true heart of generosity, which she does still have. I know you must not like her now. But today, she is freaking out. So, on another note, the necessary healing…peacemakers and Jeremiah like prophets are being called into place.

 I’ve held three people in tears in my arms today. Those who are in a higher Peace, be praying. “In the world you will have increasing trouble, but I give you Peace (abundant Peace, which is the place to interpret from).” We know that God is bigger than politics and is into people. And there is a great opportunity before us to bless one another now. To move in kindness and love and tangible comfort.

 Today, we have near riots or very loud protest at the least, in our neighborhood, and people are very confused and beyond bewildered how this happened. It’s an identity crisis of course. So let’s find something True to ground our identities in. To recall core values is a decent starting point. Just as Europe was trying to do, when writing their new constitution, but didn’t quite get there either.

 In the meantime, we need healing. So pray for those who are trying to help people feel some comfort and peace today. Bless the peacemakers now, so they can bring Peace. It’s uglier than it looks even on the media. It’s a heart problem not a political one. Perhaps these elections just made that visible-our unhealed areas are now exposed. So what is your response, when someone’s wounds are finally out in the open? If your hopes were in America, you’re as lost as she is. Our hope has to have a higher gravity line than one nation, or one passing leader.

 Hard to watch a teenager nation struggle with sanity though. It’s not pretty. That’s how it’s felt today on the ground. Hard times, as promised. But “I give you My Peace.”

 So, if you pray, please do. This is not good art. But there are things to be learned from this, and discerned through it. And great potential for true formation and transformation, especially in His People. And the story isn’t over. The fat lady has not sung yet!!!

 And now, we have many more people who are more open to true healing and true spiritual grounding, and useful interpretation of the times. There is a great opportunity for those who want to serve and be bringers of peace reconciliation and healing, gentleness and kindness. Sometime a train has to crash to understand its destination. We just did.

 This is one way to wake up- a crash landing. A sudden heart explosion. A cacophony of being. A nightmare you can feel coming before you fall asleep. Not my favorite way to wake up but-sort of like waking up to the sound of bombs instead of birds. Yet, this could be what it takes to stir the conscience of a nation (which as MLK said, is meant to be her church; and if you are religious, please pray for her as well-for unity and ecumenism!) into Life!

  Well, so your wake up call has come, time to drink coffee and consider where you are, and what’s next, now time to roll up your sleeves, put on the clothes of service, and go help some people. Many are manic now even in your own streets. If you really love the human family, time to get down to the business of the heart.

Thankfully, America is not the Kingdom of God. The promised land turns out to be a bit higher! But it is made up still of humans, people in need like everywhere else. And today, for some reason, she needs more than usual.

  I was born here, so had to learn to love her. Many of her ways i don’t love, but I do love her herself. I do even in full view of her naked self. I love some other nations as much, and maybe more, but have never been willing to stop loving her once i saw who she really was, and was meant to be. Once you get a glimpse of a person’s (or nation’s) true identity, you never really stop loving them.

I suppose it is good when you see the overt weaknesses of someone you thought might be a hero. Then you have to think about trying to be heroic yourself (even daily). Or about the Source of heroism or true values.

 Thankfully our God is not a nation, but rather nations are meant to be under God. So hopefully this will lead to a sort of global discipleship, to the degree He allows America to still be some sort of example or fable, parable or tale-a symbol that is (for she is symbolic).

 Europe has been lost for some time in terms of identity (more of an amnesia), now America—perhaps that puts us in a useful insecurity, one which guides us to a higher “ground of Being” than ourselves and our gifts, technology and resources, “good looks and shiny teeth”, as one brother put it.. In the meantime, lots of people are hurting, confused and in need of healing here.

  Good time to move in the Spirit and ways of Christ!

 Fortunately, our identities are not grounded in our nation, but something higher. In fact, this election has revealed to what extent our security is grounded in externals rather than something spiritual.

 Still, once grounded we want to bless and serve the lands we are given, and to plant good seeds in good soil. So we will be searching for that good soil over these next years, where we can plant seeds of righteousness (morality) wisdom (counsel) and love. If you truly care, pray for this silly country until she shines again, and can harvest stars, and understand the stripes of suffering necessary to help one another.

 We need it. And thank you in advance.