Did Republicans Lose the Culture War?

Several months ago the Politico published an article called: How Republicans Lost the Culture War. I have been thinking about it and although I think the author is very right that the “Culture War” is a loss and has been doomed for at least 5 years, I do, however, think he overstates his case. I know my thoughts might be controversial, and I would be happy to dialogue in the comments, just keep it civil. 

So here are my thoughts on the "Culture War" and what the future looks like from here: 

For the last three or so decades many in the Republican base have been motivated by what has been called the "Culture War." They have trained foot soldiers to engage the enemy, they have mobilized voters on key issues, and they have rallied their troops time and time again to "defeat evil." But despite all that, the culture war has been lost. Politico is just one example of a post-mortem of the war. Long standing warriors have told me that they are tired of it; millennials are refusing to fight; and we are constantly being told that history is against us.

But there is more to it than that.

The loss of the “culture war” doesn’t equal loss on issues like abortion. The pro-life position, even with the culture war faux pas, is gaining ground. Legislators and political activists are fumbling the ball, but the hearts and minds are moving our way.

Republicans are desperately trying to figure out birth control because Santorum walked it out in front of people and believes it is all wrong and Romney didn’t know what to say because he is a bit of a squish on the topic, but that doesn’t mean the GOP is going to lose on the issue of making everyone pay for abortions.

The Politico author appeals to the “march of history” to show that the GOP is doomed on social issues. The fact is that only works if you accept the progressive approach to history where everything is marching slowly toward their socialist utopia. But they don’t know history. The fact is that slavery, racism, acceptance of various sexual practices, and even abortion have come in and out of style (and law) over the centuries. Just because a “culture war” is lost, doesn’t mean that political choices are set in stone.

The reason I believe the “culture war” is lost is not because of unartful politics, it is lost because the “foot soldiers” think it is stupid. Most rank and file conservatives (especially conservative Christians) think that politics is the wrong way to change hearts and minds. Many, like me, reject the idea that they are supposed to be soldiers in a “culture war” and would rather focus on helping real, purhaps lost, people.

Young people today are more likely to want to volunteer at a pregnancy resource center than protest at an abortion clinic. Young people are more likely to try to show the unconditional love of Jesus with gay friends than try to outlaw their lifestyle. Young people have told me that they don’t want to be bullets in a “culture war.” They would rather lose the “war” than lose sight of their real goals, caring for people and sharing unconditional love.

In the end, the “culture war” is a failed project, but not because it was defeated politically, but because it was abandoned by those expected to fight it. Those who still are trying to keep it alive are out of touch.

Does the loss of the "culture war" mean that Christians, conservatives, and Republicans (three groups that I associate myself with), are giving up on making a difference in the culture? No, it just means that the culture isn't a battleground, it is a place where we must be salt and light, where truth must be spoken in love, and where hurting people are desperately in need of hope.

How do we translate this new phenomenon into a new political world? How do we end abortion in America and save lives? Conservative stalwart Morton Blackwell has said countless times,
"people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." I think that applies to good laws. They wont be changed until people see that we care.

I believe that abortion will be abolished in my lifetime, but it wont be because we hate abortion doctors. It will be because people see that we love people and that includes both the baby waiting to be born and the mom struggling with life.

For a Christian, if there is a conflict, it is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities, beyond this world. But what is hanging in the balance? Nothing less than the lives of those who need true, unconditional, empowering love. Seeing those lives changed by love is worth losing a dozen culture wars.

Post by Jeremiah Lorrig

Best George Washington Quotes

George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

Today is Presidents Day and therefore George Washington's birthday. In honor of the day, I have compiled my favorite quotes attributed to America's first president. I hope you can appreciate the wisdom here and are inspired by this great man.

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“I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” ― George Washington

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. - George Washington

True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity, before it is entitled to the appellation. - George Washington

Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse. - George Washington

I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent. - George Washington

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze

“To encourage literature and the arts is a duty which every good citizen owes to his country.” ― George Washington

“Real men despise battle, but will never run from it.” ― George Washington

“Be not glad at the misfortune of another, though he may be your enemy.” ― George Washington

George Washington by Robert Field

“The hour is fast approaching, on which the Honor and Success of this army, and the safety of our bleeding Country depend. Remember officers and Soldiers, that you are free men, fighting for the blessings of Liberty -- that slavery will be your portion, and that of your posterity, if you do not acquit yourselves like men.” ― George Washington

“I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” ― George Washington

“LIBERTY, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” ― George Washington

Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light. - George Washington

It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it. - George Washington

While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the rights of conscience in others, ever considering that God alone is the judge of the hearts of men, and to him only in this case they are answerable. - George Washington

Signing of the Constitution by Howard Chandler Christy

Post by Jeremiah Lorrig

Jeremiah's Letter to the IRS

I finished my taxes last night and was quite frustrated with the process. So I decided to write this letter to the IRS and also send it to my elected officials to just remind them that someone is willing to say something.

This idea came from reading an article several months ago about how Donald Rumsfeld sends an incredible letter to the IRS every year. So to follow in his footsteps, I just dropped my own letter into the mail, but I thought I'd share it with you too.

What would you say to the IRS?

Post by Jeremiah Lorrig

Maze Runner Review

Thomas and friends

What do you do when you don't know what to do?

Last night I went to see Maze Runner. The overarching plot, quite far fetched, can mostly be ignored. But the basic plot allows the viewer to wrestle with the questions of uncertainty and risk.

In the beginning of the film, we find ourselves introduced to the “Glade” and its inhabitants through the eyes of the new guy, Thomas. Thomas joins the “Gladers” by default because no one knows what is really going on. All they know is that they have no memories prior to their arrival there and that bad stuff happens all around them.

Gladers

Thomas, quickly learns that they have been living in fear and uncertainty but if they just keep their heads down, they are pretty safe. But safety isn’t Thomas’ highest priority. He wants more. He is willing to take risks to find answers and pursue freedom.

To me the haunting question the movie asks is, “What do you do when you don't know what to do?”

I know I tend to be like the “Gladers” who want to just stay put. They are the ones who want to hunker down and not take any risks - to do what seems safe rather than to boldly make decisions and changes that might go horribly wrong but also might lead to change good change.

Hong Kong Protesters 

But then I think of the people of Hong Kong. They would be safer at home, quietly doing what millions of Chinese do every day and just quietly allow the Communist Party leaders stack the deck and run the country pretending to have elections. But they want freedom. Thousands are standing up, like Thomas, and taking to the streets. They know there is a good chance that they will be hit with tear gas (or worse). But they are willing to take that risk. Freedom is worth it. Some risks are worth taking.

You can check out more reviews here!


Post by Jeremiah Lorrig

My Very Own Greek Myth

Greek Temple in Athens (Photo by Jeremiah)

So, today was a long day. Long days inspire me to want to mope around, watch TV, or sleep. But today was not only long, but it also included me sitting down and reading Romeo and Juliet (gotta love the classics…). So what happens when Jeremiah has a long day and reads Romeo and Juliet? He starts writing revisionist history.

Here is what I have so far:

In the days of ancient Greece, the Persians were planning to invade Greece (it had become a national pastime). So, they marshalled their forces, mounted their fiercest Rinos and Hippos and rode off to war. Then they hit the coast and remembered that there was a sea between them and the Greeks (you would think that they would remember this fact, after all, they invaded Greece all the time). So at that point they mounted their fiercest Rinos and Hippos and loaded them on some near by ships and rowed off to war.

This invasion, of course, was expected by the wise Greek philosophers in Athens. So they called the people together and told them that they should prepare for war. Now the people of Athens didn’t really like fighting; they prefered to sculpt and trade. So they decided to ask the brutish Spartans to help them in the upcoming war.

They wrote a letter that said,

“Dear Fierce Spartans,

Spartan (Photo by Jeremiah)

Hope you are doing well. How did your pillaging go last week? We heard that you did great. By the way, we heard that you might be bored on Tuesday. Would you like to come over and beat up on some Persians? We are having the Corinthians over too, but you know they can be a little slow in battle. Pottery really is more of their thing.

Anyway, having you here would really liven things up.

Love, 

Your friends,

Fighting until the end,

Athens

P.S. BYOS (Bring your own shield)”

Then they realized that Ben Franklin hadn’t opened the post offices yet. That meant they needed a messenger. But no one volunteered. This may have been due to the fact that last summer a volunteer agreed to carry the message of victory from the battle of Marathon back to Athens. The problem was that no one thought to give him a horse (or even a hang glider!), so he literally ran himself to death. There was a series of long eulogies and every prophet worth his salt predicted that his run would go down in history as a tricky torture method that would lure people in and then slowly kill them. Little did they know that this would become a lucrative business because silly American’s would even pay to be victims of this Greek torture.

The bottom line was that no one wanted to run the all the way to Sparta. They offered a prize to any messenger and even promised that the runner’s family would be well taken care of. But somehow this didn’t help.

But the eagle flew overhead and everyone knew that the dogs of war had been loosed and the Persians weren’t going to sit around fiddling while Athenian ears burned because Egypt thought about them behind their back. So, the third most noble family in Athens offered whoever was to be the messenger a noble horse named Peg to ride while on this errand. Of course, the second most noble family couldn’t be outdone, so they offered a parasail (this turned out to be completely worthless, so they revised their offer to be a hang glider).  

The first most noble family was more than happy to let everyone else do all the work and pay for everything, so they didn’t offer anything at all.

That being settled, they found a youth named Peg who was willing to go. (Apparently Peg was a popular name for youths and horses in Athens.) What they didn’t know, however, was that this particular youth was wanted for pick pocketing in Corinth. He didn’t tell them because he needed the reward, but he wasn’t sure what to do (all roads lead through Corinth! ... well, all roads from Athens to Sparta lead through Corinth). Anyway, he decided not to tell anyone and that he would come up with something…

Once he was out of town, he started thinking hard. He had seen the philosophers on the Areopagus and they seemed to think that ideas came by the stroking of the beard. But he didn’t have a beard. The Priest’s in the Temple of Athena seemed to think inspiration came from owls. But he didn’t have an owl. So he was left to ponder his owlless, beardless, sad life.

But suddenly he had an idea. “Wisdom is a bearded owl!” But his excitement quickly faded, because that didn’t help him. What he needed was a beard, that way he could go through the city without being recognized. Wait! Maybe he was on to something!

“I shall use the wings of an owl to fly over the city!” he proclaimed. “I have a hang glider and a horse. I will attached the wings to the horse, and glide over the city and speed my journey to Sparta.”

He swiftly put his plan to action. It wasn’t easy, but he was a sharp boy. He did have to borrow some clothes lines for ropes and the contents of the clothes lines for extra cloth to make it work for a horse, but in the end it worked like a charm.

The people of Corinth saw him riding high in the sky and asked what it was that the gods had sent over their city. Peg, being honest (except for the pick pocketing), wanted to clear things up. So over the wind he tried to explain that he and the horse were not divine. He said with conviction, “We are just a couple of Pegs and the people of Athens have entrusted us to carry a message to Sparta.”

But to the people of Corinth it looked like a horse with wings. And the only words that they heard in the explanation were “Pegs” and “us.” To this day, the legend of a winged horse named “Pegasus” is told to children in Greece and American’s in Liberal Arts Colleges.

Pegasus 

The rest, my dear reader, of course is history that you are very aware of. But now, you know the origin of the Pegasus. I hope you will continue to tell the tale, and bring smiles to the faces of people in your life.

Post by Jeremiah Lorrig 

Captain America: the Winter Soldier Review

Don’t get me wrong: in many ways I really enjoyed the movie. There were some great one-liners, solid character moments, and exhilarating action scenes.

In short, Captain America: the Winter Soldier was an adequate film.

What got me down is that this film confirmed my fear of recent years: the Golden Age of superhero movies has passed. Let me put it this way, if you were to set up a spectrum with Batman Begins on one end and the Green Lantern on the other, recent superhero films have fallen closer to Green Lantern.

Nolan and others in the last decade and a half wanted to make movies. That seems to have been their goal. They would then take characters and situations from comic books and put them in the movie, and the results would end up astoundingly powerful. They pulled in millions of people who never read the comic books and where not at all interested in “comic book movies” because they were making good film that happened to have comic book characters. Each of those films could be watched on it’s own (or in a short trilogy) and be enjoyed for what it was without any concern for the greater comic book world (because it took place in a world not too different from our own).

In the last few years the comic book movies seem to be more about the comic books. They are not putting those heroes in our world (or a similar one), but instead they have built worlds where the strange is normal.

In these worlds the directors don’t need to justify anything with explanation other than “that’s how it is in the comics.”

As much as I enjoyed the film, a part of me walked out of the theater resigned to the fact that I’ll still go see these movies, but I’ll be getting Green Lantern-like fantastical worlds, not a NYC that can’t decide what to do with something as strange as a guy in a spider costume who beats up baddies.

I guess this is an ode to those in the good old days who died and stayed dead: Uncle Ben, Rachel Dawes, and Ra's al Ghul. Your deaths where powerful and stayed powerful because you stayed dead.

Click here for more movie reviews.

Blogpost Pertaining to Winnie the Pooh

This last weekend, I was visiting some close friends (they are practically family) who have a two–year-old son. Liam, of course, wanted to show me his tool kit, lego blocks, and tractors. And I, of course, couldn’t say “no.” While he was showing me his most prized possessions he started singing the Winnie the Pooh song from the movies. But his version never ended.

  

As he would sing the refrain in an endless cycle: 

“Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh,

A tubby, little cubby, all stuffed with fluff.

He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh.

A tubby, little cubby, all stuffed with fluff.

He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh.

A tubby, little cubby, all stuffed with fluff.

He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh.

A tubby, little cubby, all stuffed with fluff.

He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh.”

It became the song that never ends…

As I listened I could tell that he wanted to get to the end and that he didn’t want it to keep going, but he had lost control and was stuck in the cycle. However, his dad was also there watching. He listened, saw the need and desire to change, then stepped in with the solution. He didn’t interrupt the song, but instead he joined his son in singing it at just the right time and when the hard part came he provided the transition:

“A willy, nilly silly old bear.”

Timing is everything. If the father just jumped in and told the son that it was enough, Liam wouldn’t have learned the song. If he corrected him at the wrong time, then Liam might have known how it ends, but he wouldn’t know how to get from where he was to that point. In short, this moment of good fathering struck me because it reminds me to trust in the good fathering of my Heavenly Father.

How often are we stuck in a cycle that I don’t know how to escape? Like Liam we can see there is a problem, but also like Liam we can’t seem to get out on our own. We know that something needs to change, but we need someone to show us what it is. We may be crying out to God for answers right now but he is waiting for the right moment in the verse to join with us in song and to pull us from where we are to where we need to go. 

Post by Jeremiah Lorrig 

The Cinema: The Best and Worst Movies of 2013

Great Gatsby: Number 9

The first movie I remember seeing in the theater was The Land Before Time. I still remember the thrill of seeing the movie on the silver screen, and it was all I could talk about for days. Movies–especially on the big screen–can inspire, entertain, and teach.

This past year was a great year for movies. I didn’t get to go to all the ones I wanted to, but I was able to make it to most of the big movies that I was interested in. In this post, I am going to rate them in my own very subjective order.

Ender's Game: Number 2

I imagine that you’ll all hate at least one thing I say, but this is my list so I’m just going to say it anyway. What you can do, however, is comment and tell me how horribly I am off-base.

Without further adieu, here is Jeremiah’s 2013 list:

1.    Gravity -- This movie deserves best picture. Awe inspiring, breath taking, and original.

2.    Ender’s Game -- I don’t believe any other movie has made me think like this one has. I love the book and the movie didn’t let me down.

Hunger Games - Catching Fire: Number 3

3.    Hunger Games: Catching Fire -- The emotion that Catching Fire conveyed pulled me in and moved me deeply. It was way better than the first movie (and better than the book too). The themes of sacrifice, trust, and putting others first were vivid and potent.

4.    Jack the Giant Slayer -- I am a sucker for fairy tale movies, and this one made my day. It was a ton of fun and did a great job of bringing a fresh twist to a classic tale. Obi -Wan Kenobi led a great cast in a movie that could have been horrible, but they struck the right tone and set a high bar for future fairy tale movies (Maleficent, I’m looking at you). 

5.    Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug -- Tolkin's world comes to life again in the 5th Peter Jackson film about the greatest tale from Middle Earth. I loved the way that Jackson showed Gandalf in his standoff with Sarron, the heroic elves, and most everything about Laketown. I disliked the statue of gold and the barrel ride.

Jack the Giant Slayer: Number 4

6.    Star Wars: Return of the Jedi -- Classic movie on the big screen! The only reason it isn’t ranked higher is because it was a lousy print of the movie, and that was a little disappointing. But Mark Hamill showed up and that made it a great experience.

7.    Oz: the Great andPowerful -- Every so often, a story captures your imagination with a lesson that will leave you sitting in the car with a handful of friends discussing themes of pride, selfishness, beauty, and sacrifice. This was one of those stories.

8.    Frozen  -- Disney is making great films right now. The only reason Frozen is so low on the list is because the set-up was AMAZING and the middle and conclusion were only good. If they could have maintained the AMAZING all the way through it would have seriously vied for a spot among the top three.

Thor - the Dark World: Number 11 

9.    Great Gatsby -- This movie was a stunning visualization of the book; I don’t know if they could have done a better job. There is a certain sad beauty in the story of the Great Gatsby. Because of the sadness, I can’t say I enjoyed the movie, but it is powerful nonetheless.

10.  Star Trek: Into Darkness -- I loved the interaction between Kirk and Spock. They are developing those characters very well. On the flip side, I didn’t think that Khan made sense. I think they were trying to make him complex, but they wound up making him muddled. Still, I enjoyed the movie and hope they make more.

11.  Thor: the Dark World -- I love the dialogue: when Natalie Portman is talking she uses modern English and comes across as a real life human–when the Asgardians are talking they use high language that paints pictures. I enjoyed the flick. 

12.  RED 2 -- This was a fun movie. They took on too many characters and didn’t bring back my favorite, so it didn’t really go beyond fun for me. 

Frozen: Number 8

13.  Monsters University -- It was fun. But, as much as it made me laugh, it didn’t capture my head or my heart. If the folks at Pixar held off the silly just a tad and didn’t go crazy halfway through, I think they’d do better.

14.  Despicable Me 2 -- I loved the first one. And I loved the first half of this one, but the plot of taking the minions and making them un-silly didn’t impress me. I think keeping the plot simpler would have helped this film.

15.  Man of Steel -- I really enjoyed the first half of this movie. In fact, I think this movie would be a lot higher on this list if they just cut out the second half and just played the first half again. The character development really helped the audience to understand the innerworkings of Superman. But they needed him to actually save the day. I don’t consider it a victory when the city you are trying to defend is destroyed (partially by you). I hope they continue the story but lose the senseless violence and mayhem.  

16.  Iron Man 3 -- This film was a suitable end to the Iron Man story. We are left with a lot of spectacle, but not the flashy kind we’ve come to expect from Tony Stark. 

RED 2: Number 12

17.  Olympus Has Fallen -- I enjoyed this movie for what it was. It is heroic and action packed. I walked out having enjoyed it, but also thinking that it wasn’t very realistic.

18.  The Wolverine -- I like the X-Men movies, but this one was a ninja movie with Wolverine. You don’t know or care about anyone else, and he is about as shallow as usual.

19.  White House Down -- This movie made Olympus Has Fallen look realistic. (But I think I laughed at it more than any other movie I saw this year… 

What did you think? What was your favorite movie of 2013? 

Oz - The Great and Powerful: Number 7

Post by Jeremiah Lorrig 

History Channel's "The Bible" Reviewed

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good story. I particularly savor the beauty of such a story when shown on the big screen and told by a skilled cameraman. I relish witty dialogue penned by a sharp script writer, and I find myself immersed in a story portrayed by excellent actors. My heart swells with excitement when a well-written soundtrack pulls me into every emotion.

In short, a good story told with film can move my soul like little else can.

When I started watching The Bible series I expected to enjoy the story of the Bible played out on the screen.  I expected it to be well done and worth a bit of time.

What I didn't expect was the way it would impact me on the inside. Most Americans are familiar with many of the stories of both the New and Old Testaments. I, myself, have read these stories countless times. And they inspire me.

But, like the best literature, these stories are so deep that you can go through them 100 times and still realize something new on the 101st time.

The beauty of The Bible series is that it told the stories using a visual medium. It was like when I stood in St. Peter’s Basilica a Cathedral in Rome, my eyes transfixed on Michelangelo’s statue of Mary holding Jesus' body. The Scripture describes so much with words, but that statue captures something that cannot be expressed in words.

Words cannot express the way I feel after watching a visual portrayal of the calling of Matthew the disciple and the transformation of Saul of Tarshish into the Apostle Paul. The stoning of Stephen, the transformation of Nicodemus the Pharisee, the friendship of David and Jonathan, the awesomeness of the angles in Sodom, and the power of Peter's testimony were brought to life on the screen and brought the overarching story of God's story of redemption and love to life.

I could nitpick about how I didn't like the choice to use a narrator, the smallness of the crowds during the Exodus, or the wildness of the Prophet Jeremiah. But those issues were miniscule compared to everything else. I cannot claim that this series will change your life, but I can tell you that it changed mine.

The series isn't a substitute for the Scriptures, but it rings true to the central narrative: the transforming nature of what Christ does in our lives when we follow him.

If you are interested in reading more, Daniel Noa wrote a more detailed and traditional review for Looking for Overland and you can read it here! 

Posted by Jeremiah Lorrig

Click here for more movie reviews.

Marco Rubio and the Great American Experiment

Today, I’ve been mocked, I’ve had my credibility attacked, and I’ve been told that I “need to move to Mexico if you want to live with foreigners...”

Why, you ask?

Because Senator Marco Rubio has really impressed me by his willingness to do what he thinks is right even when it’s unpopular, and because I agree with him. Senator Rubio sees that the immigration system is broken and that it needs to be fixed. He is willing to stand toe-to-toe in debate with anyone Republican or Democrat who is willing to talk seriously on the issue.

So, people attack me because I agree with Rubio. I don’t know if they are really racist or if they are just speaking without thinking. But the fact is, I have personally seen the positive results of immigration: my adopted sister was an immigrant from Guatemala and is now an engaged citizen who loves this country.

The crazy thing about immigration is that “foreigners” come here to the USA and become citizens—just like us!

That’s why I love immigration. I am not just a fan of it in the abstract, because someone before I was born came here to make a better life. I love our country because it allowed my beautiful sister to become a citizen and a part of my family.

There are problems with our immigration system, however. It is broken. It was designed during the Cold War, and, as it stands, it neither protects our borders from those who want to harm us, nor does it assist those who long to enjoy freedom they’ve never before experienced.

The current system has long waiting times (sometimes up to 30 years!) and the bureaucrats have a field day deciding who they think is worthy of coming here to the USA.

The problem is not going away and Rubio seems to be the only person who is willing to try to do something about it.

So what should be done?

We have to have solid border security. That is not negotiable. But we cannot turn a blind eye to the results of bureaucrats in Washington handling the borders for so long. The bureaucratic control has led to many would-be immigrants outstaying their visas because the system cannot process them quickly enough. Both problems must be addressed:  the unsecure border and the generations of bad Washington policies that have made it next to impossible for people to come here. In short we cannot just deal with the border. The problem has lasted too long and, as a result, there are many who are here in the USA without proper paperwork. We have to come up with some process to get them the right paperwork so they can properly join our society, pay taxes, and follow the laws of the land.

In the end the whole thing is broken and we need to fix it. Rubio is trying to do that. Hopefully, his bill is the first step in the process of fixing the problem by encouraging other Republicans to step up and work on real solutions that go beyond talking points. And I pray that this process will bring us back to the land that took in the poor and vulnerable and helped them to join what the founding fathers called the Great American Experiment.

If you disagree with me about Senator Rubio’s bill, that’s fine, but do it with an eye for solutions. Don’t just attack Rubio (or me)—present what you think we should do. How can we make the system better? And as you consider that question, don’t forget to incorporate Matthew 7:12 ("So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you") into your policies.

I am a solution-based person; I want to find answers. And right now, the only person who even seems to be trying to get to an answer to the immigration question is Senator Rubio. So until I can find something else, I think I’ll continue to stand with Rubio.

By Jeremiah Lorrig

Editor's Note: This post was originally published on Generation Joshua's online publication: Liberty's Call and republished with permission. 

On Humble Leadership

Despite what I wrote in my article "Is Facebook Making us Lonely," I like Facebook. I was reminded of this the other day when it alerted me to a friend's birthday.

Now, this guy is truly unique because he defies the stereotypes of what you expect from a leader. If you know me, you know that I’m inspired by people who change the world by their sheer force of will. But my friend is no Julius Caesar, Alexander Hamilton, or Steve Jobs; my friend finds himself positions of responsibility because he is a servant leader.   

When I used to run into people in D.C. and tell them I worked for this fellow, they would light up. People always talked about how much they loved working with my friend, although few could articulate why they liked him so much. But if I were to venture a guess as to what set my friend apart to these people, it would be that he is genuinely humble--a rare thing to see in a city full of power players.

Through my observations of his leadership, I’ve learned two major lessons from my friend. The first is to avoid holding things too close. My friend was the leader of a nationwide organization that does incredible work, having a huge impact both spiritually and politically. He wisely guided the organization through hard times and intentionally built it to outlast himself.

Then, when the time was right, he gave up his job. He didn't drag his feet or try to control the organization from a distance; he gave it up and resolved to continue forward with new focus and vigor in a new direction. Inexplicably, his influence and his ability to do ministry and politics have only grown, even though he gave up one of the major ways he had exercised his gifts before. The only explanation that I can see is that God is blessing my friend for his willingness to pass the torch. 

The second lesson my friend has taught me is the value of being a straight shooter. Once, back when I worked for him, I was complaining about something that bothered me about how the organization worked and he admitted to me that under the current set up he would need to be run over by a truck for me to get the changes that I wanted. He didn't mince words or try to distract me: he let me know the truth, knowing that I wouldn't like it. Once again he proved his humble leadership by explaining that I could very well be right, and things might need to change, but he was honest and forthright about how the way things currently stood. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom where people avoid saying anything "offensive" and end up saying nothing but fluff.

So, this post is dedicated to those who model humble and honest servant leadership to the rest of us. May we learn from them and remember that leadership is not a position to be held or a title to be won, but rather a characteristic to be used to help make this world a better place.

Post by Jeremiah Lorrig