Thursday, July 26, 2012

Everything is Political

Dear You,

Can we talk politics sometime?  I'm not into them, but I understand you are, and I'm understanding I need to be.  Last summer I had a prof at Fuller who insisted EVERYTHING is political.  We were studying the book of Matthew at the time, and I didn't want to believe him because politics to me have always been like smelly, dead fish - not anything I'd want to touch, even with a 10-foot pole.

Now, there was a brief time period in my early twenties when I was slightly interested in politics, but only because I was more than slightly interested in a guy who was into them.  Early on in our complicated friendship, he e-mailed, inquiring if I was into politics.  I wrote him back, telling him, yes, I had visited White House once.

He replied, "Visiting the White House doesn't necessarily mean you're into politics." Ah yes, he had me on that one.  Regardless of my politic disinterest, he invited me to be his date the Presidential Inaugural Ball in Washington D.C.  Now, if getting dressed up and going to some fancy ball with some guy I like falls under the category of politics - then yes, I'm waaaaaaaaaay into politics.  Politics was seeming more like a fairy tale, rather than dead fish.

I accepted the invite, and purchased my plane ticket to DC, and then a few days later my date to the ball discovered he could no longer go, which meant I couldn't go either.  (See, I knew it - politics are lousy!)

Anyway, the past few months I've been wrestling with politics - the tension of wanting nothing to do with them, yet knowing it's the very thing I need to step into.  After visiting Uganda, and understanding the infrastructure shortcomings of their nation (and as a result, further understanding our own), I have to admit, my professor from Fuller is right.  Everything is political. 

So what does this mean for me?  I'm not exactly sure, but it is why I am hoping you and I might be able to chat further on the matter sometime.  Perhaps we can meet up in Central Park - by the pond with all the ducks. 


Sincerely,
Me




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