Positively Unpopular

This year seems to have been one of transformation --and not necessarily in ways we would typically label "good." We've lost iconic talent and steadfast Christian leaders. From Bertucci's to Burger King to Bear Grylls, bankruptcy impacted them all. The closure of hospitals, schools, churches, and even our own national government caused people to go without services. 

Or seek them elsewhere.

A friend expressed an opinion that would, in the public forum, likely be unpopular. I think it's a good thing people had to do without SNAP benefits. They were forced to find other resources. I hadn't considered that, but I understood the hope behind her thought process. Imagine never having to depend upon the government again; being free of all of their shenanigans and pretense at the expense of citizens. Imagine discovering a family of believers who stand with you --not only in your time of financial struggle, but when you are forced to decide next steps in the care of an aging parent --all because you went to them for food one day in October. Imagine being a taxpayer who no longer has to support the ridiculous salaries of self-serving career politicians because, through a government shutdown, we learned how to come together as citizens, to support one another, and to do away with the excess at the top. Could this ever be?

And the closure of our local hospital several months ago. As people raged and speculated over the loss of life that would occur absent the presence of our nearby trauma center, as people panicked over the burden that would place on other hospitals in our region, a thought came to my mind: Haven't we been praying for abortions to cease? Of course, they didn't cease completely, but in our little corner of the world, the reduction of resources (or difficulty obtaining them) has been a blessing. I know, unpopular; but the willingness to see how God is working even in the midst of change and pain is important.

Lastly, Pope Leo. He recently made a historic visit to Istanbul's Blue Mosque, a distinguished place of worship for Muslims, where he was invited to pray. This was a tremendous opportunity to stand with leaders of Islam in a show of unity and peace; to make a general statement about the power of prayer and the importance of worship in the lives of all people. It could have gained the pope worldwide accolades for his diplomacy and commitment to seeking faith. Instead, he declined. He took off his shoes and walked the halls of the mosque, but he refused strange fire; he stood for the worship of the One True God who is worshipped in spirit and truth. Definitely unpopular on the world stage, but integrity is rarely popular with those who are unwilling to seek it or live by it when it costs. I certainly can't speak for the leader of the Catholic Church, but I'm inclined to think that, outside of personal conviction, he understands what God can do with those who are willing to follow His rules for their lives. He can demonstrate his conviction because he knows the cost of disobedience and compromise; he can do the unexpected and unconventional because he serves a God who did the unexpected, suffered the unconventional and died to save an entire world. 

It's not popular to be positive when all the "facts," all the tangibles scream Tragedy! We're labelled hatemongers and warmongers. We're said to be anti-Christ: Christ is loving, after all. We're condemned for our exclusivity. We're chastised for our resistance to compromise. But maybe it just boils down to the ability to see what God can do. Maybe it's because those who tend to be positive, visionary, uncompromising, and unpopular have for their Master a God who can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or imagine.