In a time of political turmoil, there are so many blogs and "open letters" of various kinds with the writer's opinion on a certain matter. There are so many arguments out there, I have a hard time keeping them straight. I honestly am on the fence about so many issues that I am not even going to attempt to address any of these things. There is nothing in the Bible about whether we should support Bernie or Trump, or boycott stores because of a bathroom policy. There are two things, though, that the Bible clearly states. These two things are what I am clinging to in the time of political upheaval in our country.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:30-31
Could Jesus be any more clear? He specifically and radically calls us to do one thing: love. First, love God, because He is the ultimate Creator and is worthy of our love. Additionally, when you love Christ, it is easier to love others. When you realize we are all equally cherished and desired by the God who hung the moon, loving others seems a natural response. If he can love me in my wretchedness, I can certainly love others in theirs.
I understand both sides of nearly every controversy out there, or I at least try to. I also try to look at these issues through a Biblical lense. There usually isn't a clear cut path in the scriptures regarding who I should vote for or what store I should support. But every time I look in the Bible, Jesus clearly states our need to love those around us.
As believers, this is our doorway into showing other the love of Christ, which is so much greater than anything the world can give them. God does not need our help judging anyone - He's got that covered. He calls us out of our comfort to love and be His body on earth. To me, it seems rather difficult for a non-believer to draw Christ's love out of all the slander thrown their direction. I hold tight to these verses because there is no greater feeling than love. That is what we all strive for on this earth, but instead, we are surrounded by hatred and negativity.
I am not saying one view is more right than the other. I am also not degrading the fact that everyone has an opinion. I am just saying that there are a lot better things to do with our short lives than to hate on other people. Christ calls us to love on others so the world may see Him.
If you are reading this as a person who does not believe in a god, or Jesus, please know that I love you. I may not agree with everything you do, but I love you just the same. More than that, though, Jesus does. You may have experienced hatred from people who claim the name of Christ, and for that I am deeply sorry. I just want you to know that there is a God who loves you more than you can imagine.
