Two weeks from tomorrow, a great deal of our population is going to be pissed off because their guy didn't win. No other way to put it. So let's start preparing ourselves now, okay?
I challenge everyone reading this to love me in spite of my vote. You have to assume I'm going to vote for the other guy. It's a secret ballot, so we can all assume that our friends and family are going to vote with us, unless we know otherwise. I'm challenging you to assume I'm voting for the other guy. Love me anyway. Not only me, but I challenge you to love every asinine, imbecilic and loud-mouth person who disagrees with you. I even challenge you to love the other candidate and his running mate. Whoa. Scary, right?
With what's next, I'm addressing my Christian readership. I certainly don't think Christianity has the corner on the love market. But I can just remind them what we were commanded to do. Everyone else has to love on their own. Paul had it right when he said "The greatest of these is love." He goes on to say that talent, self-sacrifice, righteousness, etc. are empty without love. So what does that mean? Just because you love Obama and McCain doesn't mean you have to vote for them. It doesn't even mean you have to give them the benefit of the doubt. But it might help us get through the day two weeks from tomorrow.
I'm just saying maybe if we all tried to love as Jesus did - not in spite of our differences, but BECAUSE of them - we could see that there are more right answers and more ways to love than just one. Paul didn't say, "The greatest of these is 'anti-abortion' or 'social justice' or 'defense' or 'supreme court appointments'." Nope. It's love. Now, one of the previous fill-in-the-blanks may be the way you think love is best expressed in government, but I'm just saying, what if there is more than one way?
Idealistic? I hope so. Love me anyway.
Hmmm, tough challenge...
ReplyDeleteIt's most challenging for me to have a loving response to those who claim to be Christians in the same breath that they are spewing something unloving to or about the very people that they are called to love the most. Should we have higher expectations of those who say they are part of the group that is to be "known by their love"? Or, should my expectations be the same for everyone, no matter what "faith" (or non-faith) they align themselves with?
So, in my knee-jerk "unloving" response to them (Christians), I myself do the same thing that sickens me about them. Ugh. Or, is my response appropriate, given the offense? I suppose that depends on whether my response is based in love for the individual, yet anger/sadness at the damage their unloving responses cause. I'm about 50/50 on that one, at best.
Forgive my ramblings, I'll ponder this further...
I think you have touched on an important point that gets lost in a lot of political debate and static.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes this country so great is that a person can spend their life expressing at the top of their lungs their view on an issue that I would spend the entirety of my life expressing the opposite view at the top of my lungs (that phrasing is actually from the movie Dave just FYI). In other words, from the beginning we have been a nation of misfits and outcasts that joined together in a great experiment of human nature and sociology to determine if the many could in fact be stronger than the few; if it was true that "United we stand, divided we fall". However, in order for us to succeed, we have to willing to accept (and in some instances tolerate) those with which we differ. We must do so in a respectful and loving manner or else the experiment fails. This country has been referred to as a shinning city on a hill, but if we allow our differences to come between us, to divide us, and to instill hate, then we are more akin to a stinking dump in the valley. We can only live up to that lofty metaphor if we love one another and affirmatively declare that love for all people, regardless of past, present or future decisions, race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status, is what guides us in our decisions. We can differ on what those decisions should be, but if we cannot agree that love needs to be the motivation, then no amount of hope, change, or rebellion will save the experiment.
In my opinion the experiment is worth saving; it is a privilege, honor, and responsibility to be a citizen of the United States of America.
Thank you for the well thought out comments. I look forward to hearing more as people continue to ponder.
ReplyDeleteCasey, I completely identify with what you say. Fortunately, love and anger are not exclusive emotions. I get most angry at those I love the most because I have the highest expectations of them! That's true of others as well. Those of whom we rightfully have higher expectations, tend to bring out the strongest anger in us. That doesn't mean we don't or can't love them. It just makes it harder.
Also, if we truly love people like this, is it our responsibility to confront this behavior in love? Interesting. If we don't love them, we can just let them continue on their way of ignorance and hurtfulness. Maybe this is the even harder task!
I love you and your idealism. I agree that there must be a way to transcend beyond even our most radical differences and find some common respect - even love - as human beings. It has struck me almost funny that as the election gets nearer each side is more and more conviced of what a scarey place this nation would become if the opposing candidate was elected.
ReplyDeleteFortunately our founding fathers were smart and we have an imperfect yet effective governmental structure that protects us from any one individual completely changing the way this country operates.
I tend to live in the ideal..maybe more than what is good for me..bordering on naive..but in my most ideal place I rest with the knowing that God trumps Obama and McCain (you can vomit a little in your mouth right now if you need too ;) ).
All this rambling to say that when things get so intense and emotional I think it's vital to take a step back and see the broader picture - a picture that I think you painted well.
Well said, Laurie. I promise to love the losing side... I kid!
ReplyDeleteIf the last 16 years have taught us anything, it's that the country can withstand (just fine) 8 years of "the other side" because both major parties have had their shot.
Bring on the 3rd parties!
Thank you Laurie! I appreciate your blog about love, and your desire to follow Christ's command. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves, but he also commanded us to love our enemies. This is perhaps one of the hardest of His commandments to keep. It seems to go against my very nature. When he tells me to love my enemies, he doesn't say I have to manufacture a warm, mushy feeling for them. He talks about action. Bless them that curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Bless, do good, and pray for. This is how I love my enemy. Amazingly after I have made these investments, my enemy becomes someone of value to me because I have invested in them, and the feelings of love follow. Regardless of who wins the election, I believe it would honor Christ to obey his command in praying for that person. I also believe that God is in control of who wins the election. No matter who is the next President, he has a purpose for it in his plan. Finally, I appreciate what Laurie Jo said about anger--that you can be angry and still love. You can be angry and forgive. Sometimes a loving response is anger like when your child walks out in the middle of the road after you've told them it isn't safe. I want those of you that are blogging to know that although I disagree on some points politically, I love all of you guys and look forward to getting to know you better. That is why I started reading your blogs and commenting because I want you to know that you are important to me and Carrie, and I'm glad you are our family.
ReplyDeleteLJ,
ReplyDeleteI love this blog! Love has been on my mind for several months. I have been stuck on the "love is an action" thing recently and wondering what is love compelling me to do? I haven't got it all figured out yet, but know that "by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." This is what I am striving for.
Thanks for this thought provoking blog. It makes me wonder what are you concerned about, or are you justing thinking out loud- or should I say in writing?
Well Laurie, I found no mistakes in grammer or spelling! And it was very intellectual and brought out an excellent idea to ponder! I give you an A+ for creativity and correct grammer, etc. (ha ha!)
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the comments and affirmation. These are mostly just thoughts that I'm working on processing. Because of who I am, even within the political process, I have to struggle with whether or not I will be loved in spite of my decisions. I am confident that I am loved of God regardless of my actions...it's the rest of you I'm unsure of. ;)
ReplyDeleteBen, I am humbled and softened by not only your expression of love for us but your desire to know us as well. Thank you.
ReplyDeletegee, i feel left out here--everybody else has commented and so must i... i'm just wondering what's prompted your musings? are you feeling unloved? as your aunt, i must know. i don't ever want you to feel unloved. i love you no matter who you vote for, promise!!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could tell you what prompted this! Too much time to think, I suppose. It's significantly less personal than it seems, I guess. I was just trying to make a sweeping generalization about loving our neighbor, even when they have the other guy's sign in the yard and that type of thing. I'm feeling very loved as a general rule, but thank you for affirming me. :)
ReplyDeleteI love you Laurie! Love is the most challenging thing for me to wrap my mind around. It can feel great, and it can hurt but it never fails. How is that? I will never fully understand all the things that God has called me to do, but I have hope in what he has done for me, and that is to show me love! In many forms. So in my hope, I have no other option, I must do what he has called me to do, and above all that is to love.
ReplyDelete