Friday, April 25, 2008

This is what faith is all about...

I came across the referenced article this morning on my appointed rounds. The headline was:

McCain Keeps His Faith to Himself, At Church and In His Campaign

Then, I found this quote:

In Vietnam, a pared-down church service provided some routine in captivity. As the senior lieutenant in his Hanoi cell block, McCain led an 11 a.m. Sunday service after the prisoners' morning meal of ``weed soup,'' said Swindle, a former commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission who is advising McCain's campaign.

When the guards had cleared, the senior officer would cough or tap the letter "c,'' signaling to other captives that it was time to worship. The service began by reciting the 23rd Psalm, though "we did it in the plural,'' said Swindle, "so it was 'Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil.' ''
The gist of the article was that McCain takes his faith on a personal level and doesn't mix it with politics, even with stories that emerge like this one.

I can't condemn him completely because I identify with him on this level. Faith is a personal thing and when you're trying to reach out to others and share your faith, it should be person to person...not a grandstand type of action.

With all the Democratic infighting that's going on, it was kind of nice to read something like this where there's an example of someone showing their faith the way the Disciples did in Christ's time...having church in a place where church isn't encouraged, in the face of danger and serious retribution for simply practicing your faith.

I'm not trying to be all touchy-feely and stuff, but this is really something that struck me as interesting and a little comforting. I am not good at "saving souls"...I just try to be nice and be there for people because that's how it's supposed to be in this world. I don't like to get into theological discussions because people are never going to agree 100% on topics like that. To me, it's more important to LIVE it, not TALK about it.

And yes, this is from the woman who made a penis joke just two entries ago. I didn't say I was good at living it...I just try my best.

Take a look at this article and let me know what you think...