Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Be one in Christ." October 2020

The Whig and the Bull Moose parties are tearing us apart!  Whew! I finally said it.  I don't know about you but I will be glad when November 3 has come and gone and 2020 for that matter.   As you all know the rhetoric has been ugly, and from my perspective it is exponentially fueled by the the media's need for ratings.  Despite what I am about to write, I still chime in to the news to see where the world has gone.

Years ago in the late 90s, I used to listen to talk-show radio and news throughout the day.  I thought it would inform me about current events and keep me educated on our culture and the direction we were going. And I listened and listened.  

And after a few years of listening I noticed how negative I felt about our country and other people.  It always seemed that "they" were the problem.  If you had asked me directly who the problem was I would have answered the particular party leader.  But I might add that the leadership is simply a reflection of the people who elect that person.  The end result for me was simply frustration about American politics.

So, I intentionally started listening to talk show programs with which I disagreed.  I hoped  that by listening to the opposition's ideas my state-of-mind might be opened to understand their perspective.  It didn't. 

They equally condescended their opposition.  I believe now, that in both contexts of left and right the radio medium was used to propagate discontent, frequently to vilify our neighbors as the catalyst for real and imagined restlessness.

After listening to the alternative political positions I still thought the same way I had before.  And I had a wealth of life sufferings to justify my political bent.  

Don't misunderstand me.  Listening to the opposition is very important.  If you actually want to work for the betterment of a society you have to listen to the perspectives of others, and as far as possible, integrate the best ideas of all.

Looking back, I don't believe that compromise was the intention of the media.  Their desire was to pit one side against another and to shore up their listeners.  It was good for ratings, and what-is-good-for-ratings, is good for sponsorships.

Here is where it matters to me.  

1) I have Biden and Trump supporters in my flock.  And I get to listen to all of you.  I get to love all of you. I get to hear your frustrations, joys, fears, and disdain.  In our modern political climate feelings and thoughts are not simply directed at disembodied political ideologies or their far-off leaders in Washington.  But rather these negative thoughts and emotions are often directed at our neighbors in our community.

2) When it comes to what we call "political" issues that we disagree upon (immigration, abortion, and the like) you would find that many Christians base their positions not in a biblical hermeneutic (interpretation).  Scripture and Tradition has a great deal to say about how we treat the "sojourner-in-your-land" and the fashioning of children in the mother's womb.

I think many people would be surprised that the faith to which we ascribe (outlined by God's revelation in Holy Scripture) does not uphold many of your opinions and feelings about things.  This is true for both parties.  

However, unequivocally Jesus teaches to love your enemy.  To bless those who curse you.  Bless. Do not curse.  Both Ss. Peter and Paul admonish us to "pray for the emperor," and that, in a time when the emperor was rounding up Christians and executing them.  

In times like this when opposing sides are talking over each other, I find that devotional reading of Scripture brings me peace.  In fact the broad biblical sense of the word "salvation" contains in its fullest meaning the sense of universal health.  Salvation is equated with Health in Body, Mind, & Spirit.  And so we find that no matter what worldly words are thrown across the airwaves, the Word of God revealed through the scriptures "contains all things necessary to salvation," as the ordination vows say. 

The only way forward for the Church is for us to love one another as Christ loved us.  He looks past our sin to see the image of God written on each of you.  And so, I encourage you to look past the yard signs, bumper stickers, and all.  If you truly seek peace, ask your neighbor why s/he thinks in a particular way and be reconciled.  Be One in Christ so that the world may know that Jesus has sent us.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Will you?

There's nothing like a boat-load of baptisms to get you thinking about what it means to be a Christian-person.  Never in 20 years of min...