power, avarice, and oppression

Thursday October 6th, Matthew 21: 33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. This world has all that is needed for all to live as God intended. The call is to live as the children of God and to show mercy, love justice and walk humbly before our God. We have a little trouble with the mercy part, and now that it is mentioned, the justice part also, and we don’t do so well at walking humbly before God. There are times we even blame God for our part in the mess, but that doesn’t work so well. There are a few shining examples but most of the fruit is kind of small and sour. Sometimes the fruit we get is processed. I will offer something I stole from the facebook of a pastor friend in Iowa. Some Presidential wannabes loudly proclaim their belief that we need to restore religious values into American politics. If the religion they would have applied to the political realm is the Christian religion it would mean (among other things) that our government would have us pray for our enemies, not bomb them; feed the poor, not raise food prices; care for the sick, not add to their woes; share burdens, not overburden some; bless children, not deprive them; encourage the wealthy to sell what they have and give the money to the poor. These are the lessons, the "values" of Christ. Am I missing something? (pause) Don't tell me that those who want this to be "a Christian nation" are singing the praises of power, avarice, and oppressing the poor! Don't they know that power, avarice, and oppression are the antitheses of the values Christ brought to earth? If not, someone needs to tell them. I'll try. I hope you will, too.