Eric’s Sunday Sermon; “Loving Politics”

Politics are cool. Politics keep us going. Politics are not a bad thing. My goodness, without politics where would we be?

There is so much wrong with politicians it is scary. Most of the time politicians are a no good lot it would seem. However I have never heard of a politician who did it for a salary and benefits. Maybe? Power seems to be the most frequent motivation. And many a politician does that for the public good in their mind. Maybe their mind is different than mine.

I think that there are microscopes and telescopes. Near sighted people and far sighted and people who have both. I basically have both although I am lazy and so use glasses and binoculars a lot. I have never seen an optometrist. That makes no sense, or does it?

Having done some philosophy I have mentally been myopic and I have lost my central vision and my side vision. We suppose that is normal. Creative writers need to go in and out of these nervous system transitions. I am using this not as science but a way of “looking” at life.

Politicians have to watch all matters. Near in time and later in time. Isn’t “seeing” time a concept that we just take for granted as spoken? Yet is nearly it is nonsensical.

My youngest son and I, well, all my children, play a game where I read their minds. I miss the mark sometimes but I am way over 70%. It is about the exact moment. OK, sometimes we all cheat but that is part of the game. But being honest is critical. Cheating ruins the game sort of. But not always as we get a laugh out of it. And that game has no real consequence.

But what about reading the minds of constituents/people in a political sense. Kind of like asking to know your God’s will and not your own. Oh well you can see where I am going now. How about being a politician who actually wants to do the good things for her people instead of self-aggrandizement and personal power. Seriously I have seen it happen.

What would happen if your “politics” were aimed at people across both isles? Well I reckon then that your integrity might be your strength or maybe your downfall. That is a very interesting concept. You be the judge there and not me.

Let us now look at the politics of belief and religion. Do you call your God he or she? Do you consider race involved? How do you think your God dresses? Do you engage in “politics” of your place of worship? How about your own home? Sorry to most of you but those are political. This series of years is a bit designed for those who do not participate in the above.

I like to visit places of worship. I was just trying to count those that I have. From Berlin to Melbourne to Oregon I just lost track. Forget about New England to Peru. Heck my wife was Buddhist. I cannot count. If you have never been in a Navajo sweat lodge put it on your list. I sometimes do not see them but am just there. One of my favorite places of worship is in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. My buddy since ’77 read scripture down there. Sedona and at 11,000 feet on the San Francisco Mountains is another, of course our beaches at dawn. Funny but they all require vision of the grand kind.

But yet reading Plato requires the vision of the short kind. Even though it is the timeless kind.

So do we let politics direct our vision? I think for so many it does. That does not really bother me. I have a strange past where I have guided or tracked with probably 200 people. Sometimes every step is important. Put your eye is on the destination. Careful there. Not paying attention to right where you are could have serious consequences. Do not ride a horse thinking about where you are going. Ride the horse in that time. Lest the result could be injurious.

My wife is a born negotiator. Incredible. That is how we met in 2000. The art of negotiation is critical in politics. My son just did politics with me over electronic time. He is good. Twenty sit ups for twenty minutes. Us Dierkers do not do well and we dang sure don’t do easy. We just plain sit around and figure how to kick life’s but. We are doing politic. He is convincing his mom and elder brother of some scheme he has. Bring it on, I will work on his elder sisters and aunts. I have a “war chest”. Something to do with a Nerf battle gun to use against me on the field of battle.

We do not negotiate with terrorists like my son. We do shock and awe.

Now we are having a blast. But this became real ugly politic wise. He has swayed my eldest daughter and I fear his weapons and ammo will be here by next. Not good as his politics have revealed a sinister side. Oh he has awakened the angry dragons. Fool he is. No ice cream and no candy or even the scent of sweets as I control the purse and refrigerator. I have cut off his supply line.

Now that is as silly as can be. Or is it one of those parable/metaphor deals? We both call upon our God. And we invoke his name. The bullets run out and we go hand to hand in my bed. This is like Civil war combat.

Then back to politics as I have pinned him. Negotiation and attrition. We do not do capitulation here. I have won the war. And what the heck does that mean? The other side has lost the battle and the war.

But have they lost my compassion? I think not ever. For my enemy. That is not the war. A true warrior does not deal in hate. She deploys people where they need to be and commands how they approach the field of battle. One heck of a hard job.

Love is so cool and right on. Sometimes you have to fight the enemy but you never ever have to hate them. Life is so awesome. I have been in a scrape or two but never despised my enemy.

So the war of art and the art of war seem to blend. A wordsmith stands by and does not publish. That is not an artistic warrior. That is just fine. Not all are designed to be warriors. Some just bound to create and not let it be known.

So in the spirit of a sermon let us go there. Do you fight your friend? You must, other wise you call a warrior against you as an enemy. Ridiculous. She is respected. Politics. No chance in the world that makes you hate each other. Get off the field of battle if it does. I would never enlist someone who hated the enemy. Their battle must be technical instead of rage. This is the Art of War.

We must love the art of war rather than hate. The skill of propriety and not anger. Hatred and anger causes casualties’ on both sides.

But this into your own family.