Politics, theology and the arguments they start. Well, that is about all I can muster in that sentence and not say angry things. I am not talking about taking sides on an issue, I am talking about arguing about an issue at all. When I say arguing I mean being mean, hateful and acting juvenile. When I say acting juvenile, I mean calling people names, like liberal or a fundamentalist or assuming that a political party affiliation sends people to hell. Less you think your side is the good one - I'm here to tell you there is no good side. They are both bad. That's the thing with sides in a battle of any kind, at some point either one will do anything that wins and I mean I guess in the grand scheme of things someone has to be wrong. You are right someone has to be wrong - but what if both sides are wrong? What would that mean?
And I'd like to interject here...we can talk about things and disagree. We can. I do it often with friends. And they are still my friends. I don't doubt their salvation because of it, I just listen. They just listen. Without name calling like an elementary school play ground.
I grew up a big time nerd. Ok, so I still am a nerd. I loved politics and watching CNN as a child. I voted for Ronald Reagan before I was even born. As I got older I learned the world is not as cut and dry as I make it out to be. Both sides of the aisle have valid arguments. Why can't we all just come, hold hands and sing Kum bah Yah? Because we demonize each other. I was told recently in a class that if you put the country on a political spectrum and draw a line right down the middle most of America hovers ever so closely to that line. That is a no brainer, look at the polls. The problem? We elect two candidates that are so far to the right and so far to the left that they need binoculars or a telescope to see that the vast majority of America is in the middle.
And then there is theology. Yep. I went there. Calvinism, Arminianism no middle ground. Women or no women, no semantics. Liberal or conservative. Heretic or fundamentalist. Lord, save us all. The truth is....the Bible talks about both sides of most of those issues. The Bible talks about election and free will (gasp). The Bible tells women to keep silent (hold on) and to prophesy (there you go). Let me go to inherency...what does that even mean? All I'm going to say is take Ken Gore's doctrine class this Spring and let your head explode around that one. But, let's just say we have demonized each other for taking stands that are all supported by the Bible. Now, I know that some of us have to be wrong. There has to be a middle there. Somewhere. I get that. And that's what I argue. Maybe the answer does lie in the middle where most of our congregants, those we preach to and minister to gather. I dare think most of the members of any church in America don't know what a Calvinist is and sure as heck don't care (and I dare say that may not be a horrible thing all together). So what do we do?
We learn to love. We change ourselves first. We change ourselves and commit to working with others. We commit to knowing that different is sometimes ok and it doesn't mean that the other person is going to hell. It just doesn't. I am friends with people that would be labeled all kinds of things Calvinists, Liberals, Fundamentalists, Democrats, Republicans the like. I work with people each summer that have different political opinions, different theological positions and different outlooks on life. None of them are heretics. And each and every one of them love the Lord, have a passion for kids and see the world through the lenses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Wouldn't that be great, instead of pushing a political agenda, or arguing with each other we put the Gospel between us. Because "it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes." That is what matters. That is the measure of our lives, that is what is going to get God to say, "well done my good and faithful servant." That is what seeks justice for the fatherless, the widow, the alien and the poor. That is what connects a Roman Catholic with a Southern Baptist. That's the Gospel and friends, that is what is important. Who are you going to vote for? That's your choice and does God want you to consult him? I'm going to go with a yes he'd like to know, but does your salvation depend on it? Never. Go, feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Go, be a disciple. And as a very smart man I know put it not to long ago we all get along when we sing the same song. Let's make that song the gospel. Come sing with me. You sing harmony.
