The Simple Life

Is it just me or is the simple life not so simple?? Every family craves security, tranquility, and happiness. We just all go about finding it in different ways.

In this election, the McCain camp seems to direct its attention to rural America - the so-called real Americans- asserting that city folk are somehow not real Americans?! So, what makes rural values so appealing? Is it because we here in the prairie are viewed as having the "simple life"? An outsider looking in may see us clinging to our religion and our guns (thanks, Barack), and I don't totally disagree. My father who neither hunts nor shoots for recreation is convinced that if he votes for Obama his guns will be stripped from him for use in the New Wave Obama Communist Overthrow. So many people around me also vote based strictly on who is pro-life, anti-stem cell, and anti-gay. Yes, in many ways we do cling to our religious beliefs. Unfortunately, we cling to the wrong ones.

Years of religious school should have taught me about Jesus' love and acceptance and tolerance for everyone. They didn't. I had to find that part of the Bible on my own. Yes, we will all face our God's judgement (whichever god it may be). Can we in good conscience face that God knowing that instead of helping fix the problems facing the least of our brethren, WE judged them? We pointed our fingers and said, "No, what I have is not for you. You didn't work hard enough. You didn't pray hard enough. You are not good enough to deserve my help." If we here in the "heartland" are really proud to cling to our guns and our religion, let's use them for the common good. Arm yourselves in the fight for social justice. No handouts. No freebees. Social justice requires work from both the givers and the receivers. We can give to those in need, but those receivers have an obligation to make a difference with what they are given.

We can all have a piece of the simple life. Happiness. Security. Faith. And most of all HOPE. I hope that we can all continue to love our neighbors as ourselves even through this rough time. We should all continue to work hard, pray hard, and expect to be given only what we deserve.