Tomorrow

 Tomorrow, as is every 4 years in inauguration day. There is a lot of tension and fear and anger and joy. Some people are happy about the transition of powers, others not so much. 4 years ago I remember people outside of the Trump tower and in many major cities wailing, crying and holding signs saying " Not my President." Tomorrow... will be much of the same, just on the other side of the wall. 

I think it is important, that we show compassion to both sides. Both have fears, spoken or not, both have anger and resentment, spoken or not. And both want a country that is protecting and hearing what they are asking for and saying and find value in. BOTH. 

For a number of reasons, I do not like the thought of left leaning platforms or right leaning platforms...because they cluster lump us in with same sided thinkers. So we are always and only with people who act and talk and think just like us. Yes men. This is not good. Not in  public square. We no longer take the time to hear the other side, to know the other side, to think kindly of people on the other side. We label them as enemies, idiots or worse. 

The country is split about 50/50 right now on a number of things. I think that is good! It shows we are a nation of free thinkers and have been able to live in balance...not such much harmony...but can live with completely different ideology...till law making comes. Which is to be expected. However, we do not live as if half of our neighbors think different. We only talk to those who eat and talk and do the same. Social Media is DESTROYING us, our neighborhoods, our families. You can say anything to anyone on this thing. Its easy to be brave sitting in your jammies, feeling free of reprecussion. It would be different if we had to say it face to face. So we watch shows and news that broadcast to our own thinking and keep in our homes and our safe spaces and label one another.

We set this wheel turning and now we have a mess. It is so good to not only know what your neighbor thinks, but to share a meal with them. To see their human side, to ask for recipes from someone who had a different political sign in their yard. When we take away the soul of one another, and see their lives as not worth as much as yours, simply because they think different, we have put ourselves in a VERY bad spot. We create more pockets then ever of fear and hate and prejudice. We are making stereotyping the abosolute norm and are willing to try and convict people with a death sentence without knowing a thing about them. "They look democrat, republican, Christian, Muslim...whatever." 

We have made a mess. WE...not they...WE. But...we can fix it. Yes even tomorrow. There are those who were scared the last 4 years, celebrating for their guy, there were those who were not scared, but now are very concerned about the next 4 years for themselves. We may all be filtiering a million different emotions, thoughts, pains and victories tomorrow- but together we can have compasssion and kindness for where each other are at. Here is the crazy thing, you don't have to agree with someone to like them! and you don't have to want to squish like a bug the guy on the other side. 

This is not a plea for a utopian society, this is a lament, for what has become. May we teach kindess to our children...hold a door for someone, buy a coffee for the next guy, shovel your neighbors driveway, do something, anything, because it has to be far better than what we are doing right now. 

All the wrong reasons.

 Hated, for My name's sake. These were the words of Christ. We have heard them echoes for centuries. And yet here we are in 2021 and the message seems awry.

These are simply my thoughts in a world that has too many already...but I grieve this year. I grieve what I read and see, especially among believers. We are to be a light in the world. A city on the hill, yet when you look around the division of things that hold no eternal value runs rampant. I have seen old college friends become so polarized that the way they talk to, or moreso, dismiss one another with utter disdain is heart wrenching. 

Are we not brothers and sisters in Christ?

I was talking to my husband yesterday, no I am lying, I was crying, over the state of the church. The hostilities, the hurt, and the LACK of Gospel witness is a world that is utterly broken overwhelmed my heart. How many times have there been atrocities, genocides, earthquakes and broken spirits around us where we remained silent. Not just silent but apathetic. Yet this year, I have see so many people willing to be hated for something other than the Name of Christ. 

Nations rise and fall, but the name of the Lord lasts forever! I guess, my concern is, so many of us have made a hill that we are willing to die on, that has zero eternal value. And we are willing to alienate neighbors, friends and brothers and sisters in the faith over it. This is for both sides. But when is the last time we were willing to be hated for the sake of the Gospel? When is the last time we were willing to speak truth at the cost of our reputation, job or even life? 

The banner we should be flying in times like this is the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. The world has enough bad news right now. And so many of us are trading in His banner of love for a cheapened white posterboard with our feelings on fleeting affairs. 

Are these things important, yes. Are injustices and prejudices and turmoil and handling of events of governmental affairs of value to debate; absolutely. But when they take our hearts and eyes and time of attention off of the main thing, they trivialize the hope that is within us. The only hope we have in this brokenness is Christ! We can offer hope and healing and a promise of justice and security in righteousness, IN CHRIST!

Nations rise and fall, they are but a drop in the bucket. But the Word of the Lord...that lasts forever. If I am to be hated, may my last breath be to His glory alone.