 This past year and a half has been a challenging - and thrilling - roller coaster. It would take a novel for all of us to detail the emotions, absurdities, and stark contrasts that have been revealed during the “COVID19” ride (you know how Democrats get freedom, and the little people don’t). We have all experienced the fear of friends and family, the uncertainty of our own livelihoods, the poor leadership from culture’s megaphones, and the unending struggle with power by governors and other institutional figureheads. My faith has allowed me to see things through a hopeful lens even in the moments of oppression and sorrow. And my close to two decades in politics gives me a broader perspective as to why we have what we have and why what many grassroots are demanding is a little premature, for this moment. Momentarily, the pressure points in our nation find us facing a few giants: the “passing” of COVID19 leaves a disaster in its wake. Businesses have closed, families are divided, children are suffering under masks in school, and the list goes on. One of the redemptive parts of this season is that at the root of it all is an uprising of grassroots activists, and citizens: they have had enough of this fear-game for power. They (we!) want their freedom back and they are ready to live again. However, with their excitement to engage comes a list of demands. My concern is that where we find ourselves as a nation is not due to elected leaders as a whole. The demands are not always realistic, and the nation we desire to “get back to” may take a few decades to rebuild. If we are going to be effective - and we can be - we have to have the long game in mind. We did not get here overnight and there is no way we will change it in the traditional American’s favorite speed of fast. A DREAM COME TRUE?
To someone that has been passionate about getting people involved in the civic process for a long time, observing an increasing number of citizens eager to engage is like a euphoric high. A growing number of patriots are excited to volunteer, participate, and contribute their time and energy. It is a dream come true to people like me. And yet, just like the rising of a tide shows you the weak parts in your bulwarks, so the rising of energy and participation highlights where things have been amiss. For more than four decades, citizens have abdicated their role to be engaged. The definition to abdicate: to fail to fulfill, to fail to undertake, to turndown, to spurn, to avoid, to reject, or to give up. This is what America’s citizens have done for the past few decades: they have avoided, rejected, and given up their rightful role in the process. They have not gone to school boards, they have not paid attention to Legislative votes, they have not voted, they have not run for office, they have not attended township meetings, and they have not grilled the candidates. They have simply been MIA (missing in action). On one hand, that is their right - to stay out of the fray and away from the battle. But with that comes consequences. And oftentimes what we don’t do results in worse consequences than when we do attempt to engage and influence. The longer the absence, the deeper the price we are paying for a lack of freedom and an existence of truth in the marketplace and culture. When millions of people have been MIA for over four decades and now want to jump into the arena and claim authority, knowledge, and brilliant demands to those who have been in the arena in their absence, they will meet friction and - it is rightly justified. The crumbling of our foundations, the dismantling of our freedoms, and the rocky bedrock upon which we now try to stand -- has only one person to blame for the life we don’t have that we yearn for -- ourselves. America was never meant to be a nation made up with those who have delegated or elected power. It is a nation by the people, for the people, of the people. And the people simply haven’t been engaged - which lands us in a murky mess that will take time, wisdom, grace, and perseverance to reverse. DIGGING DEEPER The majority of American citizens (perhaps you are one of them?) have snubbed their noses at participation in the civic process. People of faith, specifically, have shunned people in politics, condemned their participation as it’s a world “too dirty to engage in” and incapable of reform. To be engaged in culture at all, as a holy mission, has been misunderstood, overlooked, and ignored. America’s citizens have willfully avoided knowing what policies were taking over and where local leaders were leading us. Their absence (our absence) has lost a gaping hole that was vacant for others that did not share our values to fill. Families contributed their free time to individual activities, concerned with their own priorities. Individuals claimed a “life too busy to do anything” but they were quick to offer opinions when opportunity presented itself. Men and women of excellence shunned the idea of giving back to your nation’s future through elected office, or supporting those who would make good leaders. And influencers that did pay attention were those with an agenda, and often a self-absorbed destructive end game (can we say progressive socialism?). Oftentimes the average citizen had no clue of the policies that were driving our communities, state, and nation far off course. Now, thankfully, American citizens are waking up. We are all keenly aware we don’t have the world we want. Yet, in order to course correct we have to address the painful realizations so we don’t repeat ourselves:
The scenario we face, just described above, is a vicious circle that repeats itself and grows with tension and significance. The longer the absence, the bigger the void; the bigger the void, the greater the impact. Repeat. Again and again. Only every “time around,” the rate of impact grows faster, and sweeps broader. (Oh! The pain and agony that our absence has caused should be enough to cause us as grateful American citizens to weep.) And yet we are facing another interesting reality. Grassroots, with hearts of gold, “demand” change now but the beauty of the American system is - we can’t have immediate change. If you want real, lasting, long term change you have to quickly:
Nothing truly good can happen really fast. And the longer you push on something that won’t change a certain way, the more tension and stress you will generate for you and your peers. A PRISON WITH HOPE For those reading this that are not residents of Michigan (or California or New York) in the season of COVID and government lockdowns, I hope that you count yourself richly blessed. Granted, I am in Michigan by my choice. But I am one (of thousands!) who has a new appreciation for the value of freedom and the sanctity of responsible individualism. We have been living for months in a state run by a Governor, a Secretary of State and an Attorney General that are all Democrats and all have their own agendas, and struggle for power. One can hide your reputation of narcissism for a while but eventually the word gets out. Our Governor, so I’ve been told, does not care about the people; she is petty; and I know she is a rising star in the Democrat arena with her national fundraising leadership position so - she is energized by power. Citizens have been agonizing over the ongoing shutdown. With every false step or bad decision by a Governor, they have looked for aid from a Legislature, and considered that with them they will be able to quickly change things. But the Legislative Representatives cannot - legally - do what grassroots demand. What has become clear to me is the absence of their knowledge on how the governing process works. We can say we like hot dogs, but we have no clue what goes into the process of actually making a hot dog. And most people simply don’t want to know. In the same way, with the demand for new leadership and laws, we can say we want “more laws, and better policy” but 99% of America’s citizens have no idea the tedious and arduous process that exists to be successful, all with landmines along the way, in the legislative process. And because they have been absent for so long the understanding of civics is so limited, they are creating not just a hard job for Legislators - but for many a hellish experience. Newly engaged and passionate citizens make statements like “elected officials work for me.” It appears they believe that this statement alone should result in a Legislator bowing their knee to say “oh yes! I will make it law now!” They want legislators to “pass laws'' and “unseat government leaders.” Those are good sound bites but they are not reality. They have no clue that what they ask and demand is not legal to do. (And if you are reading, speculating that I am wrong, you need to go study the government process and talk to elected officials before you dispute this with me.) They push legislators to scurry and be dictators -- which is the very thing our system does not allow and the very thing we do not want from others upon us. Oh I know this is not the heart of the average grassroots activist - in truth they are fighting for the survival of a nation, and to do something before it’s too late. But alas, it is only hurting their credibility and effectiveness. Observing and engaging with citizens right now, at times it is as though I’m watching a child walz into the kitchen, and ignore the arduous days-long process of making the most scrumptious and beautiful 100 step vanilla cake. All of a sudden they realize their birthday is tomorrow and they overlook what is being done in front of them and oblivious to how the process works, they decide they want a chocolate cake. Not a vanilla cake. They demand that it be chocolate and not vanilla and if they do not have a vanilla cake in an hour --- they will be convinced they are not loved. I’m not dumb. I realize to some this example is going to seem so starkly different from what the larger piece is articulating. But to me, who has been in the proverbial kitchen working for a few years, to have people walz in and assume they know how to make the cake, how to run the kitchen, and if others don’t jump on board with them shame on us - it feels similar. AMERICA, THIS ISN’T A MOVIE I believe that the majority of the newcomers to the scene have hearts of gold. I KNOW we need their engagement. I know most of them have the best belief system: they want freedom, personal responsibility, and limited government. And they are right - this is what America means. They are also right: our nation is far off course and we have a lot of work to get it back on track. Sadly, I think we all just need a bigger dose of patience. I also believe anyone that wants to influence the arena and return America back to its founding, needs thick skin. When a crucial people group spend decades absent from the scene, it can mean it will take years to recalibrate and get it back to what it should be. So rushing the process is not the solution -- wisdom and patience and consistent engagement is. The more we as citizens can understand the value and significance of our strategy and tactics as rising leaders, the more we are going to be able to help others in seeing a clear way forward with hope and optimism. Unlike the movies, when a story can develop in 90 minutes, the story of our nation is unfolding over decades. The leaders who sit in office now, did not just - “poof” - appear on the scene. They have been working their way up the ladder for years. The current laws on the books that have caused problems for elections are problems likely started years ago. Many citizens can look around and realize some people have been trying to wave red flags for years on certain leaders and policies. Yet, they have been met with lack of concern among those who could make the change (citizens). Until now. The leaders in America’s state capitals are championing policies that take township power away from their local communities, or push silly (dangerous) bathroom bills, or reinforce when life begins and ends with legislation. These leaders are there because, well, no one stopped them along the way. What we face today in America’s culture is due to causation. Our sorrows that we are experiencing is the fruit of what has been taking place (or not taking place) for years.
I could go on and on and on. What we have NOW in our culture is from decades of decisions, lifestyle choices, abdication of responsibility. What you see in your communities, schools, and America’s government did not happen overnight. It has been building for decades. REWINDING TIME The agendas in our board rooms, and capital buildings are driven by the leadership. The leadership is put in place by voters, members, colleagues, or someone “higher up” that appointed them. Claiming the leadership seats takes time and process. But the ideas they champion have rippling effects. I am in awe as I observe this rush of madness to get “new election bills into place.” That is all good. I am 101% for good elections, fixing what is broken, repairing what is falling apart, and creating new checks and balances so that every person’s vote counts. But the realistic person in me knows that pursuit of new policy is only good for so long. Adopting a new policy is a whole different battle. The process of initiating legislation allows our lawmakers to go through the exploration process, explore valuable research and set things in place for needed changes. But pursuing the policy does not create new laws. It can, if the process is followed. But it does not mean it will materialize. For Michigan specifically, new laws will not happen until we get ⅔ majority of our Republicans in the House and Senate. Or get a Republican Governor. You can squawk and complain and yell all you want but a good Legislator stands by the law. And they literally cannot make a good policy into law on their own commission, or by the demand of their constituents. The real power lies in the majority of a Legislature or in the Governor making it so. For the sake of a teaching moment, I wish I could play this moment on a TV Screen, and rewind time. What would have happened if citizens in Ingham County (where our Michigan Governor hails from) paid attention in 2000 when then citizen Gretchen Whitmer ran for State House, and again in 2002, 2004? Or where were they stopping her when she ran for State Senate in 2006 and 2010? What if citizens caught wind of her abortion policies, her liberal alignments, her lack of integrity, and what if then they said, “she is unfit to serve as a State Legislator” and they elected someone else? It’s highly likely if she lost in the Legislature, she never would have run for Governor. But alas, citizens didn’t step in to stop her - and here we are now. Or, what about:
What if these - and so many other examples - had been confronted with all of the then silent conservatives? What if they had been faced with hard questions, moments of accountability, pressing examinations? But no, people were too absorbed with their lives and their worries of the day to pay attention. We have to examine the current policies that are hurting us. And then we have to ask, “What is the root cause? Where did they get their start? How do we get here from “there” all those years ago? Where did we drop the ball and how do we make sure it never happens again?” You see, my friends, it is not just the “fault” of current elected leaders. It is OUR FAULT. You cannot pay a contractor to build you a castle and then walk up when he’s finished and say, “WHAT! I WANTED A LOG CABIN!!” We - you - get what you asked for - or in America’s case, invested. SO WHAT TO DO? A friend of mine has taught me, don’t bring me a problem unless you bring me a solution. So, here are my solutions to the momentary tension in our culture. Grassroots, we need to:
Together, we will make America its finest it’s ever been. WE BEAR - AND DETERMINE - THE FRUIT Yes, it is true: we are living in the world of consequences (or fruit) of previous generations and leadership. And yet, we are the ones now who get to determine what will exist, manifest, and be the direction of our nation, state and community in the future. And we get to set the tone and frame the battle. I write this not to condemn those now awakening to the truth: you are needed in the arena. I write this as a clarifying voice with perspective. Consider me an older sister. I have cheered for you. I have prayed for you. I have hoped for you. You are now “here” (in the arena, ready to engage). I just ask that you proceed with discernment, wisdom, patience, and strategy. I also ask that before assuming an elected leader is your enemy, you look in the mirror to say, “what I’m frustrated with - is it because of me? Did I help cause this mess? And if so, what am I to do to help clean it up?” We can all groan about what leadership we have, or the slow movement of the election calendar, or the slowness of getting new leadership in place. But the reality is - we put them there. By our absence, inactivity, lack of strategy and ignorance. And no one is to blame but us as individuals, as churches, as communities and as groups. What we can do is repent for our ignorance and absence and commit this day to doing everything in our power now until we die to make sure there is a nation of freedom to pass onto the next generation. And we can choose to have a little more patience, give a little more grace, and eat a lot of humble pie. It’s not the fault of our elected leaders completely (it is in part but not completely) for the disaster we now face. Many of them are doing the best they can with the cards they have been dealt within the system and its laws. But at the root of everything is you and me. What priorities we championed 60 years ago are bearing fruit now. What policies we ignored and liberals adopted 50 years ago are bearing fruit now. What leaders we didn’t stop 40 years ago and they rose in power is bearing fruit now. What choices we surrendered 30 years ago are bearing fruit now. Those moments when we ignored Township meetings, School Board meetings, votes on City Council, being involved in choosing our leaders years ago are having an impact now. But even more fundamental: the moral absolutes we decided our nation no longer needed is bearing fruit now. Want a different outcome? We have to live a different way. Not just leading up to an Election but as a lifestyle. Within this moment, is potential, possibility, and a whole lot of hope. The future of America is “ours” to create. The foundation of our nation is “ours” to rebuild. The pathway we go forward is “ours” to direct. We can start at the local level, we can train our own children, we can take care of our families, and we can build relationships with our leaders. We can show up, prioritize the right values, demonstrate good virtues, and once again invite God back to the table from the ground up. Friends, on behalf of all those who have been involved in politics a long time, I say - welcome to the arena! We are glad to have you here! I guarantee you that with grit, fortitude, patience, teamwork, and faith our greatest days as communities and a nation are yet ahead.
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