Oh, joy.
It appears as though a year and a half in advance of the actual Election Day, the season of endless articles, big announcements and vitriol spitting from all directions has officially begun.
I think it might help us all to remember that regardless if you are republican or democrat, libertarian or moderate, we all have more in common that what divides us. We all also have a responsibility to treat each other as Christ would want us to. We live in an increasingly negative society. It seems as though with the ability to hide somewhat anonymously behind our keyboards and screens, we say things that we might not actually say in person. It's also easier to misunderstand someone because you can't communicate tone well.
So we post articles whose headlines are intended to deride the "other party."
Or we make comments that are negative and unhelpful about the "other team."
Or we read articles that present the views we disagree with in the worse possible light and that mock the "other."
Me against you. Us against them. The division keeps on deepening so long as we encourage it to.
I'm not against political debate.Some of the best conversations I've ever had were with a few individuals that I disagreed with on just about every thing you can but that I knew loved me and I loved them. We disagreed but we treated each other with respect.
It wasn't Jennifer vs. Harry. It was Jennifer and Harry exchanging ideas.
It wasn't Jennifer vs. Brian. It was Jennifer and Brian finding middle ground in playful debate.
The difference is that they were never the "other" to me. They were my friend and family. They were people I socialized with and had come to respect. I never cast them in the mold of the opponent because they weren't. Now I've been just as guilty, perhaps more so then many, of pushing my own views of politics when I should back down and keep the peace.
I try to remember now though that even when I disagree with someone, they are still someone that God loves. Someone whose life God is working on and someone that I can learn from if I take the time to listen.
We may disagree but that doesn't mean that it's ever helpful to build walls up instead of opening conversation. No one is the "other" in God's eyes. We are all his creation and are all deserving of respect.
