Got the scare of my life the day in church! Just sitting at this table after services drinking my coffee and this friend came up to me and said, "Well, did you hear that this morning?"
And before I could say, "What?" my friend said, "God is a Republican!"
I sputtered something like, "No, I don't think so! What makes you say that?"
"Heard it myself. Here ... right here in the Gospel lesson. Verse 29 of Matthew 25 says, 'For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance.' There, doesn't that say it? Doesn't that sound like Republican thinking? Weren't you listening?"
"Well, not very well I guess."
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"He even told this one developer he should've invested in Wall Street instead of just burying the money he had given him." I shook my head. "Listen, here's what he said: 'You ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.' Its right there -- Verse 27! Isn't that what Republicans do? They invest other people's money and make a profit on it for themselves? A couple other guys in on this same deal invested twice that much and they made a heckuva lot! Doubled their investment! And God said to one of them, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things ...' isn't that how some of those Republicans made their fortunes?"
"Oh, come, friend. God didn't say all that. In the first place, Jesus was just using that story to tell his disciples that they shouldn't be afraid to take some risks with the gifts that God had given them. That's the point of that story. And in the second place, what that means for us is that we should use the gifts we've been given. Things like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and the imprisoned. Helping others, forgiving those who wrong us and being peacemakers. See, those two guys that used the talents they received pleased their master. That's what we're supposed to do."
"Well, that doesn't sound like a lot of Republican policies."
"It's not. Most Republican policies support those who already have a lot, and then want more. Sometimes they even ignore God's word of being generous to others and seeking what is best for everyone."
"So then, maybe God's a Democrat?"
"Wait till next week. You'll see. Go home and ready Matthew 25:31-48."
Rod Broding
Battle Lake
