Do you Understand the Burden?

This past week I've officially been sucked into election coverage as I scanned through tweets from friends reacting to the Republican debate in Iowa (I don't get Fox News at home, so yes, tweets had to do).  I listened to a lot of rhetoric on conversative and liberal radio programs, and numero uno on everyone's minds was the budget deficit and national debt. 

Foreign policy entered into this, as people argued that we wouldn't be spending so much if we weren't fighting so many wars, but this wasn't the main issue...at least in my hearing.  The main issue was, I want to do with my money, what I want to do with my money.

And even in this there was a genuine concern on both sides of the aisle about those without money.  And yes...even the Republicans were concerned about people without money.  (They just don't seem to express it as much as they feel it)

This exploration into politics led me to find a story on the website The Huffington Post from a minister who argued that from a classical liberal standpoint the church was always the main priority of care programs, education and health care (and no I do not mean "I'll pray for you" health care).  But somewhere along the line we decided this needed to be detached from faith-based organizations and put in the hands of the government, as it was a body of the people, for the people and by the people.  Or at least they had the most wide-ranging influence.

Since this joining, churches have engaged in the political debate in hopes to do the most good (or stop the most evil).

Again, I genuinely feel that everyone is trying to do good at their core.

But here's the question.  When I posted this, and when I read the posts from the article, I knew everyone was going to agree with it. 

"Yes, we should have the choice to give or not to give!" (fair point)

"Yes, the church is guided by The Spirit!" (again, check +)

"Yes, the government is corrupt!" (...insert own caption here)

I'm all for the task of education, uplifting the poor and figuring out social reform falling to the church.  I'm sure we'd make a mess of it, but I do think that's where the responsibility lies, and apparently many of you do too.  God charged us to do good, avoid evil, help the widows, orphans and poor and bring justice to the nations.  It's a faith-based iniative. 

But do you understand what you're in favor of?  If we take this ball from the government and understand our responsibility given to us by Christ, then a $10 in the offering plate every week isn't going to cut it.  It's going to take investment not only in terms of finances, but we'll have to interact with people we don't want to talk to or who make us uncomfortable.  We'll have to figure out how our own life styles might be inducing evil of sorts and taking advantage of others.  We'll have to actually transform...

Do you understand what that burden will entail?  Are you ready to take on the world that Christ took on his shoulders?