Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Heart of Politics (Chapter 3)

What does it mean to be a "living democracy"? Palmer suggests that after September 11, 2001 many of our nation's leaders promoted consumerism to promote our democracy rather than citizenship to restore our democracy. Do you agree? Why or why not?

As Americans, Palmer suggests that we are often lead by our hearts when making decisions about how to govern ourselves. When we disassociate our intellect (minds) from our heart (feelings) we are prone to making serious mistakes, (the Alan Greenspan example was a perfect illustration of this!). We also do a great job of shutting down communication and finding creative solutions for our problems when we fail to see the bigger picture. We enter either a dangerous game of being unaware of real human need or wallow in excessive emotional manipulation and mistruth.

I was not surprised to learn that Americans are first among the nations in per capita giving to charitable organizations, and I might just use that Farmer's Heart illustration in an upcoming sermon - reminds me of Mark 10:16-31.

Heartbreak... was there every a more intense motivator and game-changer than heartbreak? Palmer's question about what we do with out heartbreak is an important one to ask. May we have our hearts break open, not apart. Democracy is a delicate balancing act between individual freedom and collective responsibility (not unlike the local church!).

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