It starts out innocently enough.
A group of
- Old friends,
- Family members,
- or work buddies
get together. They chat about their day. Share a few laughs.
Then, someone has to ruin the moment. He or she tosses in a few words like
- Obama
- Romney
- Tea Party
- Health Care
Suddenly, faces turn red. Voices tremble with rage.
Not so fun.
Even Christians can loose their cool when it comes to politics. It’s like God is suddenly on vacation. Faith a ritual. In a fit of spiritual insanity we turn to a mere man to save our society. To transform our future.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not denying the importance of choosing the leader of the free world.
That’s what we are going to do tomorrow. Cast our votes for president of the United States.
But, it’s not the most important thing we will do in the next 24 hours. Showing the compassion of Christ is what matters the most.
So, if you find yourself in
- a heated exchange in the voting line up,
- or a tense conversation at work or the grocery store
take a tip from the author of Ephesians 4:32.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another,” he wrote, “forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Kindness.
Compassion.
Forgiveness.
That’s what we have to offer to the world.
