What is it about the 5th district that seems to typify the conflicts amongst conservatives in our country? Is it really that the state of the country is such a mess that it brings out the finger pointing, or is a lot of it simply that there are those who enjoy power and the thrill of the strife as they create it? I know there are conservatives all over the district who could weigh in on that question.
I'll try to avoid any finger pointing here, as I don't usually think that it's required to get a point across. Finger-pointing by name becomes nothing more than mudslinging - unless directly provoked, and there has been more than enough of that in the 5th.
I've seen this district turn over on itself more times than not. I've travelled around the state, only to have others laugh at me when they hear where I'm from. Very often, I get the reaction of, "oh, you're from the crazy district." Is that really how we'd like to have the rest of the state, and to some extent the country, see how politics happens in Virginia's 5th? These days, it reminds me more of the old days of Southern politics in Louisiana with the Long family dishing out their strong armed, using the Bible for their own purposes and vices kind of politics. It's now even being slanted as being Chicago style politics. Seriously, is this really the way that you want people to see the 5th district?
In raising children, we always try to teach them to be mindful of the Golden Rule. For those of you who quote your Bible, but don't remember how to use the Golden Rule - for those of you who think that God has given you some inroad to Heaven, but can't seem to bring yourselves to behave as Christians toward your own neighbors - for those of you who believe that somehow God gave you the right to cast stones at others, while Jesus himself stood in opposition, here's today's scripture lesson for you:
Matthew, 7:1-5 "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why to you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye"
7:7-12 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets"
And to some translation for Virginia's 5th district: Payback for hypocrites goes both ways.
So while there are those out there who now feel as though your neighbors are turning against you, ask yourselves why. Ask yourselves if you've done something to provoke the very Golden Rule that you should have been living by in the first place. Ask yourselves, really, why is it that others are now turning against me, and take that look inside of yourselves.
There will always be another with a stone to cast. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." And remember, birds come home to roost. What will yours be bringing back to you?
That, my friends, concludes today's lesson.
PS This isn't secluded to only the 5th. Remember how to treat your neighbors. They can only turn the other cheek for so long.
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