Sunday Afternoon Tea - There are no inconsequential people

The results of the 2016 presidential election by county.

Recently I was listening to a speaker when he mentioned something about the presidential election.  Now usually the subject sends me to the remote in search of something like the BabyTV Channel but this was a question that I, too, had wondered about.

He asked the question how the polls could have gotten it so wrong prior to the election, predicting that the Democratic candidate would win in a landslide.  They were so certain of winning that one of the major news magazines had already printed their front cover to run the next day, titled "Madam President".  They lost.

It turns out the biggest reason is that the large polling companies did not poll those in America who lived in smaller towns and rural areas.  They thought their votes were... inconsequential.  The map above explains why that was a very bad decision.  For the map shows the results of the election by County.  That is a whole lot of Real Estate with smaller towns and rural areas and considering the Electoral College and all... a flawed arrogance.

It doesn't matter who we voted for, what this map shows is that the people whose opinions were disregarded are the very people who turned the results of the election to the other candidate.  There are no little people, no unimportant voters.

I was reminded after hearing this interview of the program an Ohio political leader had on one of the 20/7 news channels quite some years ago.  He was answering questions people had written in and one of them was from a viewer asking, "Since he supposedly broadcast the show from Ohio, what was the skyline of New York City doing in the background?".

He turned around and looked at the view through the window on the set and laughed.  Then he said something like, "Uh, that is not New York City.  That is Columbus, Ohio.  We do have skyscrapers in Ohio."  I found that such a description of the way people think of "fly over country" that all these years later I still think of it and get a chuckle.

The truth is, not only are there no inconsequential people living in the middle of this country... there are no inconsequential people anywhere in the world.  Not one.  For every man, woman, and child was created in the image of God.

I started writing this before the tragedy in Virginia yesterday but it struck me how honestly, the pollsters judging what rural and small town people are like have a lot in common with those who hate certain races because they think their own race superior to another.  It is all arrogance and God says over and over in the Bible that he hates pride.

Living in a big city does not make one any smarter or better than one who has corn and soybeans growing down the road.  Like, ummm... moi'.  Having white skin does not make one smarter or better than their neighbor who has black skin or red skin or yellow skin and let's not forget Kermit who reminded us that it is not easy being green.  Nope.  All God's children have a place in the choir.

The Bible tells us that when we get to Heaven, every tribe and nation that has ever existed will be represented.  How in the world people can remotely call themselves Christians and say God is behind the way they think their race is superior is beyond me because that is not what God said in His Word.  He says entirely the opposite.

Where I had originally planned to go with today's blog post was to remind people that they cannot let other people decide who they are and what they are.  Just because we have accepted Christ as our Savior and we really do believe in that "Old, Old, Story of Jesus and His Love", and we do believe we need a Savior for redemption of sins, and we believe the Bible is true from Genesis to Maps... does not mean we are stupid and we must never fall for that line which runs throughout society today.  Especially in TV, movies, and other media.

Instead I will be praying this week for those who were injured and the families of those killed, including the two police officers who died in the helicopter crash.  So senseless.  The other thing we can do is to show love in our own little corner of the world, to always do the opposite of what the enemy of our souls is nagging us to do. To share the love of Jesus and the salvation of Jesus with those who need Him, those who have lost hope, those who have grown weary in this fallen world.

We need to give a cup of cold water to a thirsty world.... or chocolate chip cookies... or some healthy fruit... or all of the above.

Maranatha.

LINKS
Further information about the map can be found... here.