The Price Is Rocky...Or Something. #Project2025 #Freedom #Justice

What if I told you that I believe the theme music for The Price Is Right is similar to that of the Rocky movie, and that I find it ironic that one is played while people are running DOWN some studio audience area stairs while the other accompanies Slyvester Stallone running up the steps to the East entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art? Would you think I am unstable or weird and be thankful you are a far too sensible person to entertain such a thought? Should I be ashamed of myself if one of you should happen to express to me that negative assessment? Or would you chuckle and think we should grab a cup of coffee sometime? Should I worry about either impression?

I wish I had learned at a far younger age not to concern myself how other people judge me. Granted, there have been mentors in my life who have had my character growth and best interests at heart, but for the most part the motivation for such concern has been to solve social pecking-order math equations. I say this as a guilty person. I grew up with a younger neighbor who I judged as odd, and I decided that because he was different due to being mostly non-verbal, I was perfectly justified to behave dismissively toward him. I had learned as a little school kid that my value was made more secure if there exist people who are perceived to be, in the small-mindedness of ways, as less capable than I’d like to believe about myself upon whom to punch down. I deeply regret my attitude toward him. What I needed was to grow in my understanding and to open my eyes and see him through the eyes of his creator and act accordingly. And see myself that way too, finding my value through a completely different source.

Now, I do not mean this as an excuse, but was I not keeping, well, some kind of “company”? Not in “good company”, but plenty of company? Is it not the way of this world to find our footing, our foundation, based upon our perceived typical rankings of the haves and have nots, can and can nots, the esteemed and the humbled, the elite and the plebeian? It is my observation that this is the well-populated territory of sin and death filled with the worst stumbling blocks for humanity. This is the fenced-in property where those who present in this world outside of the mythically typical, respectable, and “normal” parameters dictated by the times are treated as though they exist only for exploitation and mocking—to be stepped upon, involuntary props to be used by worldly status-seekers for the purpose of attaining elevated social and/or economic standing.

At some point life was gracious to me and held up a mirror so that I could see that I too was among those being stepped upon, and although great shame came to visit, it was empathy that has stayed. This is why I choose to do my best to follow the example of Jesus Christ—to love (revere, respect, honor the example) God and love others; to love neighbor as self. This is what it means to be guided out of that territory of sin and death and all those worrisome pecking order stumbling blocks and onto a firm foundation, a place of sure footing, not having to concern myself with those standards of what is “normal” and “typical”, and being re-directed to focus upon justice, mercy, and walking through this life humbly. (see Michah 6:8)

This is also why I despise Dominionist theology, the tenets of Project 2025 and the Seven Mountains Mandate. Those things are not only unnecessary, but they are heretical. When Jesus made his physical departure from this world, he left us with what is known as The Great Commission. (see Matt 28 :18-20) Jesus taught through parables and by his LIVED EXAMPLE, not by wielding His power over all the earthy political, economic, and legal establishments. Even though he states in the above mentioned scripture that all authority belongs to Him, He makes it clear through the gospels His interest is in freeing people from exploitation by institutions of power, not empowering those institutions in the cherry-picking of who is worthy of grace, mercy, and prosperity of soul and body, and who is not. His desire is that we’d ALL have life in abundance (John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” It may be worthy to note that the Heritage Foundation which authored Project 2025 allegedly sought some thievery of votes through false fraud accusations regarding the 2020 presidential election.)—life that allows personal autonomy as individuals in community to learn to grow in the honoring of Creator (thereby loving ourselves as well) and in loving our neighbors as ourselves, rather than demand we contort ourselves into a singular performative, homogeneous, constrictive, uniform shape with a shallow, compliantly cosmetic veneer of righteousness. This is doomed to failure. I mean, pity the fools who would try to micro-manage the Holy Spirit like that. (Shout out to Mr. T who played Clubber Lang in Rocky III…the free associations never end, I tells ya!)

I am just going to wrap this up by mentioning John 8:36, “So if the Son (Jesus) makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (For those wanting further supportive and clarifying scriptures, please see Galatians 5:22-23, Luke 12: 6-7, Matt 10:29-30, and Matt 7:7-8.) Whatever your theme song, if you find yourself stepping down through a valley or climbing upward out of one, remember there is a surer foundation than one established by stepping upon or over the backs of others for the sake worldly approval and financial advancement. Traveling along the solid footing founded upon love and respect for yourself and others, as well as having confidence to trust in cooperation with your creator and yourself as a reflection of that Artist’s character, it is a path outlined in liberty and life in abundance. Godspeed, my friends.

It's a long post...could not decide which drawing to add, so it gets two.