Politics that Pull Us Down

I felt the need to share what has been fluttering through my mind recently.

Election season means lots of passionate debate, heated arguments, prideful praising and hateful bashing. It brings out the best and the worst in people. That's nothing new. But, I have been repeatedly stunned by the number of followers of Christ who are bashing, bludgeoning and despising one candidate or the other. Elections, especially presidential elections, give us an excuse to share our beliefs boldly, loudly and by color (take your pick, red or blue).

Yet, somehow we also seem to think it gives us an excuse to be absolutely and completely disrespectful.

Without much thought, we bash one candidate or the other calling them "idiots," "jerks," or worse. Recently my Sunday school teacher challenged us to remember this reality when we are debating political issues with "the other side." He relayed the following story.

He is affiliated with the Democratic party, and has worked for years to build a relationship with many Democrats. As he told us, these relationships allow him to share the gospel in countless ways. Specifically, he had been building a relationship with a worker in the Democratic presidential campaign for several months. However, recently he was campaigning at a local fair or festival and observed hateful and shameful behavior. The booth campaigning for Barack Obama happened to be surrounded by several local church booths. Throughout the entire festival, the churches bashed, taunted and verbally abused the campaign workers.

As the teacher reminded us with tears in his eyes and anger in his voice, in one evening of disrespectful bashing, followers of Jesus completely destroyed the relationship he was building with this campaign worker. For now, what will this man associate church with? Bashing, disrespectful hypocrites.

This can happen in reverse too, with the Right-winged party receiving disrespectful bashing from blue-minded people. I don't care who you support, who you fear might win the election, who will earn your vote in November or who you think doesn't fit the job description.

I'm not saying we can't state our disagreement with someone or state how our values differ from someone else's values. I need to remember this too, for I easily and quickly say things out of passionate disagreement without realizing the impact those words may be having. You see, we are citizens of another kingdom, one that we are either promoting or demoting with every action and every word.

So, when does disagreement give us a license to disrespect? What does name-calling (yes, even during political season) do for the glory of Christ?

Friends, please remember that people, whether we like them or not and whether we agree with them or not, are a mission field. We do not know the times and ways of God's plans; He may be working and moving within that person as you relate to them. You are the hands and feet of Christ to the people you meet, the people you talk to, the people you argue with.

What image of Christ do they see in you?