The And/Both Side of Politics

I am a Christ-Follower.

I am Disciple,

I am learner of the ways of Christ.

My first and last priority is to share the profound change, grace, hope, forgiveness, and love that I have experienced by knowing Jesus. I want my words and my actions to be a reflection of Him.

That is why this election has been so hard. So much hatred, arguing and mean spirited behavior…the Facebook posts!

The shocking part for me was that it came from many who identify themselves with the Christian community.

I listened to people on both sides of the election. #NeverHilary & #NeverTrump

One woman, a Muslim immigrant kept her vote secret as she considered the choices. This single-mother voted for Trump because of his party’s position – Republican. She said, she couldn’t afford ObamaCare. She is not a “bigot,” “racist,” “chauvinist” or “white supremacist,” as Trump voters are being called. She is a single-mother who prayerfully made the best decision she could for her family.

Another woman said: “I understand the party position was a significant one for many.” But as a black female leader in ministry she was challenged to the core by the complete silence of the Evangelical community on the racism, bigotry and hatred that Trump espoused through his candidacy (none of which are Christian values). In addition, her son, who has an extreme medical condition will lose his medical benefits if Trump revokes ObamaCare. She is not a left wing liberalist who wants criminals running the country. She is a woman who has great hopes for a future world of equality and dignity.

When I asked people in the church why they voted for Trump, their unanimous voice said they voted based on Republican values (abortion and the Supreme Court, religious freedoms, marriage between a man and a woman…). NOT ONE said they voted for Trump because of his statements to ban Muslims & immigrants, his sexist and hate filled remarks about women, his lewd language, insults of the disabled, or his racist comments about people of color. But these latter reasons are the precise explanations people {including Christians} claimed the #NeverTrump stance and voted for Hilary Clinton or a third party candidate.

As a Christ-follower, it is NOT my job to judge how the Holy Spirit is speaking in other people’s lives. I honor each person’s decision in this election whether I agree with it or not. I seek to understand and to grow as I listen.

But where does all this leave us?

We have not become “Stronger Together” and half of America does not believe Trump will “Make America Great Again”.

America has a new slogan – The great divide. (But don’t give up hope yet!)

Division is caused by an either/or attitude. Disunity comes when I maintain that my way is right and your way is wrong. Division happens when I insist you get onboard with the program even though you don’t agree with my values or program. Division happens when people feel unheard or unseen.

Thankfully, Jesus showed us the right way to change things.

In the last 24 hours I heard the story of a young pregnant woman of Mexican descent who was told, “We won, go home”; an African American woman who was given a Nazi salute in her face; and a third young man taunted and bullied for his homosexuality until he had to run for his safety.

When you’ve had a relatively safe life (like me), these events are hard to understand. But, the reality is, many people are genuinely frightened. We are not talking about hurt feelings or a difference of opinion, we are talking about literal threats because of race, religion or sexual orientation. PLEASE try to imagine life for those more vulnerable than yourself.

Whether all these events were spurred on by “Trump Talk” doesn’t matter. These words and actions towards another person are WRONG. They are incompatible with the word of God and should be repulsive to anyone who has the living Spirit of God dwelling inside of them.

Think for a minute, what would Jesus do? What is the nature of Jesus?

Jesus integrated his faith into practice.

Jesus never banned people, He invited people in.

Jesus protected and defended the marginalized.

Jesus saw people as image bearers of God and treated them the same.

In Jesus’ world, recognition led to relationship which lead to salvation and freedom.

Policy did not change people. Relationship changed people.

Think back to the young man who ran for his safety.

Ask yourself, will I be the person chasing the young man with the law in hand or will I be the place of safety he comes running too?

If I am silent about the injustice and influence of Trumps’ racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and hate filled language towards fellow creations of God, I am the person chasing the young man running. I am not his safe place. I believe my silence is worse than any physical blow I could give him.

A similar scenario plays out in the story of the Good Samaritan.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Jesus was a defender of the people on the fringe, the outcast and the disadvantaged. He often has a word for the religious people of the time, reminding them where their priority should lie.

Our LGBT community, legal and illegal immigrants, Muslims, people of color, our Christian brother or sister who have a different opinion than us, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton – they are all our neighbors, not our enemies. They are ALL made in the image of God and pursued by God.

As a Christ-follower, God has asked me to lay down my life for my neighbor. He has asked me to defend the defenseless, not my rights. He is asking me to help the hopeless, and to restore the brokenhearted, caring for them as He has shown me in His word. He has not only asked me to fight for the unborn, He has asked me to fight for the living.

Electing someone else to do it was never His plan.

Christians must be both/and people. Those that stand on the truth of God’s word and those that fight for the lives of the people He loved enough to give his life for.

 

Resources for Change:

What is our responsibility as Christians?

http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2016/november/what-do-white-evangelicals-owe-people-of-color-in-trumps-am.html

The power of a simple smile:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbaldoni/2015/06/02/pope-francis-the-power-of-a-smile/2/#609ae3de409f

Be a safe place. Take the safety pin challenge: (If you can wear a football jersey to support your team, you can wear a safety pin to show your love.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/safety-pin-trump-brexit_us_58251b53e4b0c4b63b0c11a9

TAKE ACTION on the things you want changed.

• Feed the hungry
• Visit the shut in
• Foster the orphan
• Talk to your children about the gift of purity
• Be a friend to your neighbor, the Muslim, homosexual, or whoever is different than you
• _________________________________________ {Fill in the blank}