We're experiencing an intense political climate, one fraught with such opposing views and, as usual, the so-called voice of Christianity at the center of it. I just read a nasty post from a friend on Facebook who laughed at the recent right-wing defeat and said the joke was on Christians when they die and realize there's no Jesus or heaven.

Sometimes I hate freedom of speech. Not beacuse my Jesus feelings got hurt but because I know this sweet man and have no doubt that he did not mean to be cruel. Or stupid. But HE may be right about there being no Jesus or heaven. FOR HIM. As for the rest of us we need to see that a lot of people view our faith this way because they see a lot of churches, hear a lot of Christian sound bites but see very little Jesus in action.

Why don't we get our big fat mouths out of the political arena and start encouraging the world to find its One True Love?

Churches, churches everywhere but none that doesn't stink... Yeah I know, I'll get emails about this but I pastor one myself and we're all the same: looking for safety, comfort, validation in a familiar environment that requires little or no commitment, responsibility and, God forbid, confrontation. Well dear ones, Jesus called us to love the people in this world and to draw them to Him not turn them off by our prejudices, biases and addiction to pithy phrases and sound bites.

Ever notice what flies out of people's pie holes and how often it's something you've just heard on Fox or seen on a bumper sticker? Or Christians who quote Ben Franklin, Shakespeare, Mother Goose and Barney The Purple Dinosaur and think it's from the Bible? Well to quote the Bard, "To thine own self be true..." Stop saying you are a Christian and acting like a jack ass. No one needs another opinion. We're all begging for communication and communion with God. Why not serve us THAT for awhile?