Wednesday, August 4, 2021

How do I loathe thee? With apologies to Shakespeare, there are more ways than my feeble mind can manifest. This country is so broken. I am so exhausted trying to listen to the different arguments, giving respect and truly doing my level best to understand your point (or points). I sincerely believe in redemption, in another chance, in making lemonade out of lemons. Where my belief falls short is when muddled ideologies of Christianity and the Republican party attempt to mesh. This particular philosophy is appalling in that Jesus Christ taught over and over the concept of loving and caring for those who you might not pal with, those less fortunate, the people who don't agree with every word you utter. Only once did Jesus go off on anyone, when He cleared the temple of moneychangers - every other time He showed love and patience with people.

Politics aren't spirit-filled! Please stop trying to make faith-based judgements on Political rhetoric. The abolishment of historical fact in order to make your belief fit in a scenario is insulting. The use of Wikapedia to site evidence is a joke. Faith and science can coexist. Instead of arguing for or against any point by bullying the person or persons who disagree with you, sit down with them, as Jesus did with the Pharisees, the woman at Jacob's well, or as Paul and Peter did. If we have evidence that just because you are a follower of Christ you always must agree with each other, the apostle Paul and Peter are examples to the contrary.

You may be correct, or have a valid point, but if you are a southern end of a north-bound horse, your point falls mute. If you constantly believe you are the smartest person in the room, or chat room, you have a following of one. Sharing is caring - not I'm big, you're small. I'm smart, you're dumb! It seems to be a matter of perspective.

I have friends I wholeheartedly disagree with on issues and opinions, but they have amazing ways of making their point with no condemnation. Other friends I agree with and I can't stand to read their work. It works in reverse as well. I was bullied as a child, by some of my closest Facebook friends - Family and friends alike can be both simple and easy to understand, regardless of my level of agreement, while others are just horrific to communicate with.

These last 16 months of Pandemic have been very hard for so many. Untimely deaths, serious illnesses, loss of jobs, and then add social unrest, politics out of control at federal, state, and county levels! Cancel culture run amok, Democrats and Republicans acting like Hatfield's and McCoy's. This year has been horrible in so many ways. However, there are blessings, if you look for them.

There is no room for hate or hate rhetoric as a Christian. There are opportunities to misuse Scripture all the time, but politics isn't the place. We Christians aren't perfect, but we should know the difference between love and bullying in our communication. "1If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. I Cor. 13.1-4 NIV

We shouldn't hate or talk like we hate.

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