Confessions of a Semi-Reformed Apathetic Voter
As my friend, Mr. Jack Winkle says, if you're not involved, you can't complain. Well, as of this morning, I can officially complain about the status of of our country. But I'm not going to do that, because some of my apathy still remains. This will most likely be the only time I ever blog about politics for the two reasons that I am apathetic and lazy when it comes to US politics. Sadly, I probably know more about African politics than I do about my own country.
My friend, Mr. Winkle, likes to characterize me as a contrarian; "
a person who takes an opposing view, esp. one who rejects the majority opinion, as in economic matters." This has been demonstrated by the fact that I am a sucker for the underdog in nearly every sporting event. Bring that attitude into our current political season, and my temptation is extremism; to disregard all things of a political nature. I was seriously considering not voting at all until I begin to have some interesting conversations with my junior high age friends, Rosie and Katie. In spite of my self proclaimed apathy, I couldn't contain my curiosity about their thoughts and attitudes regarding current events. I began to feel somewhat hypocritical as I challenged them and vice versa. Did I want them to adopt the same attitude I had? In spite of the fact that they are not of voting age, these are the years where they are in the beginning stages of forming worldviews, life philosophies, opinions etc. I wanted them to care about the issues we were talking about, to see the bigger picture, and yet my apathy was completely opposed to that.
I also began to consider what I had observed about politics overseas. Uganda; never has had a peaceful transition of power, presidents come into power through violent and bloody coups. My most current trip there was filled with rumors of yet another coup. Kenya; the hope of Africa, was left in chaos after a contested political election. Sudan; elections? Elections, who has time for those when you're engaged in decades of bloody civil war that completely destroy your country's infrastructure. When people go to vote in these countries, they have all paid a heavy price to do so. They don't have the luxury of being apathetic when it involves their very survival. And when they do exercise their freedom to vote, it is often done under threat of violence. Furthermore, my family and I spent a large part of our summer in Uganda talking politics with concerned Ugandans. Trust me, it was not a conversation I initiated, but I was floored as time after time, Ugandans continued to engage me in political discussions about the virtues of Barack Obama vs. the virtues of John McCain (although to be completely honest, few Ugandans had ever heard of McCain. The love was definitely on the Obama side). Ugandans were more interested in US politics than I was, and they saw the US elections as being extremely influential in the future of African nations. As I considered these things, I realized that I needed to take a serious look at my apathetic attitude toward politics. This led me to begin studying what was truly entailed in an apathetic lifestyle, and what I discovered scared me. The following are some interesting definitions I came across.
My friend, Mr. Winkle, likes to characterize me as a contrarian; "
a person who takes an opposing view, esp. one who rejects the majority opinion, as in economic matters." This has been demonstrated by the fact that I am a sucker for the underdog in nearly every sporting event. Bring that attitude into our current political season, and my temptation is extremism; to disregard all things of a political nature. I was seriously considering not voting at all until I begin to have some interesting conversations with my junior high age friends, Rosie and Katie. In spite of my self proclaimed apathy, I couldn't contain my curiosity about their thoughts and attitudes regarding current events. I began to feel somewhat hypocritical as I challenged them and vice versa. Did I want them to adopt the same attitude I had? In spite of the fact that they are not of voting age, these are the years where they are in the beginning stages of forming worldviews, life philosophies, opinions etc. I wanted them to care about the issues we were talking about, to see the bigger picture, and yet my apathy was completely opposed to that.
I also began to consider what I had observed about politics overseas. Uganda; never has had a peaceful transition of power, presidents come into power through violent and bloody coups. My most current trip there was filled with rumors of yet another coup. Kenya; the hope of Africa, was left in chaos after a contested political election. Sudan; elections? Elections, who has time for those when you're engaged in decades of bloody civil war that completely destroy your country's infrastructure. When people go to vote in these countries, they have all paid a heavy price to do so. They don't have the luxury of being apathetic when it involves their very survival. And when they do exercise their freedom to vote, it is often done under threat of violence. Furthermore, my family and I spent a large part of our summer in Uganda talking politics with concerned Ugandans. Trust me, it was not a conversation I initiated, but I was floored as time after time, Ugandans continued to engage me in political discussions about the virtues of Barack Obama vs. the virtues of John McCain (although to be completely honest, few Ugandans had ever heard of McCain. The love was definitely on the Obama side). Ugandans were more interested in US politics than I was, and they saw the US elections as being extremely influential in the future of African nations. As I considered these things, I realized that I needed to take a serious look at my apathetic attitude toward politics. This led me to begin studying what was truly entailed in an apathetic lifestyle, and what I discovered scared me. The following are some interesting definitions I came across.
"absence of suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement"
"lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting."
"lack of emotion or feeling; impassiveness"
As I looked at these simple definitions, I asked myself, are these the character qualities the Holy Spirit desires to grow in me? Is being made in the image of God in sync with being passionless and indifferent? Read Job 38-40, and the answer is more than a resounding no, God's presence in Creation and His Son renders complete and utter speechlessness. These thoughts then led me into looking at the history of the word "apathy," and here are the fascinating results.
"1603, "freedom from suffering," from Fr. apathie, from L. apathia, from Gk. apatheia "freedom from suffering, impassability," from apathes "without feeling," from a- "without" + pathos "emotion, feeling, suffering" (see pathos). Originally a positive quality; sense of "indolence of mind, indifference to what should excite" is from c.1733."
"Ap"a*thy\, n.; pl. Apathies. [L. apathia, Gr. ?; 'a priv. + ?, fr. ?, ?, to suffer: cf. F. apathie. See Pathos.] Want of feeling; privation of passion, emotion, or excitement; dispassion; -- applied either to the body or the mind. As applied to the mind, it is a calmness, indolence, or state of indifference, incapable of being ruffled or roused to active interest or exertion by pleasure, pain, or passion. "The apathy of despair." --Macaulay.
A certain apathy or sluggishness in his nature which led him . . . to leave events to take their own course. --Prescott.
According to the Stoics, apathy meant the extinction of the passions by the ascendency of reason. --Fleming.
Note: In the first ages of the church, the Christians adopted the term to express a contempt of earthly concerns.
Syn: Insensibility; unfeelingness; indifference; unconcern; stoicism; supineness; sluggishness."
A certain apathy or sluggishness in his nature which led him . . . to leave events to take their own course. --Prescott.
According to the Stoics, apathy meant the extinction of the passions by the ascendency of reason. --Fleming.
Note: In the first ages of the church, the Christians adopted the term to express a contempt of earthly concerns.
Syn: Insensibility; unfeelingness; indifference; unconcern; stoicism; supineness; sluggishness."
In essence, apathy is an avoidance of suffering; something our heavenly Father and His Son do not embrace. Apathy is largely an excuse to live your life based on your convenience regardless of your background and personal opinions. The best things in life are worth fighting for, as lived out by Christ and His followers, and apathy can not co-exist with that mindset and lifestyle. So we should use this current political season to really allow the Holy Spirit to put us through the refiners fire, and thus grow us in learning how to love God and love people. When it comes to standing before God, we are not going to be called into account for what political party we aligned ourselves with, but we will be called into account about how we loved God and loved Him through our love or lack of love for others. The political systems of the USA, of Africa, of the UK, of little tiny Bernei are all flawed and will continue to be; however, it is through the flaws that God works out His amazing and miraculous redemption. So in this current political season let us all consider what it is God would have us to learn and act on with regards to His redemption in the face of our inevitably imperfect choices.
posted by Carly Payne at 12:15 PM
0 comments
