When asked to comment about something or someone you don't like or disagree with, do you find it easy to point out how and why they are wrong? Join the club. I can compile the quickest list highlighting points I disagree with others on such as politics, religion, and women's issues. And if you are anything like me, you have a LONG list where you disagree with those who are a part of the MAGA movement. Guess what? They have their lists too.
Disagreeing with others is part of the human experience but HOW we disagree with others makes a difference. I had a recent experience (today) where I encountered a Trump supporter who hit all the talking points Republicans have about the current Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris. If you read my blog then you know, I identify as Democrat. Yes, a Trump supporter and a Harris supporter met face to face. Each far from the comforts of talking smack online without repercussions. What could the possible outcome of face-to-face political talkie talk be I wonder?
Of course, me and the older lady did not begin our conversation with politics or Christianity, but somewhere along the way while discussing children, husbands, and vacations, she felt comfortable enough to say she did not believe the Bible condoned a woman being president, thus being over men. A woman she said, is a man's helper. I should have walked away then but, silly me explained the Scripture saying a woman is a 'helper' to her "HUSBAND" not every man on earth. In all instances of a woman falling under the direction of a man it pertains to her husband. She is a helper in the home. Point in case, Deborah, a female judge in the Old Testament selected by God to lead an army and men into battle. Deborah was over men and saved a nation, Judges 4:124 and 5:1-31.
This lady supporter of Trump's conceded to that interpretation of Scripture, regarding women rulers raised by God but then said Kamala Harris is not a Christian. WHY DIDN'T I WALK AWAY? I said Donald Trump does not model New Testament Christianity. Abandoning Christianity in regard to Trump, she said the cost of bread was lower under President Trump. Christianity seems not to matter when it comes to him. She said he mentions God whether he behaves like a Christian or not. She offered more and more talking points like Kamala mentioned Trump's name X number of times during the DNC. Yes! Duh! He is her opponent. Who else name should she mention? And yes, she said Kamala was brown, not necessarily a Black person. And no, she did not know Jamaicans were of African descent. WHY DIDN'T I WALK AWAY. Every fiber of me wanted to ask her AM I BLACK? If you're wondering, I am, even though I'm brown. Go figure our color system.
You get where this went right? There was not one moment she did not bring up a Fox News talking point and finally she said I was ANGRY. She asked me why was I angry? It wasn't Christian of me to be angry. Something I have blogged about when writing about Republicans. Now, I was an angry Democratic Christian. OUCH!
I apologized and told her she was right. I should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger because anger did not show the righteousness of God. I was truly convicted for my behavior. I was not ranting and raving or behaving in a threatening way but, I was heated in my response to her defense of Trump and being a Christian wanting a Christian president. She PUSHED that CHRISTIANITY is what mattered most to her. She struck the nerve of my Christian background and education and overheated my protectiveness of women's issues and African American heritage. Come on! No one questions my brown color and there is an Africa-American box for me to check on most legal documents. Black people are profiled and discriminated by the same color of skin as Kamala Harris and now we are supposed to believe people can't tell who is Black? Can you say INSULTED? Enter please Taylor Swift and sing Shake It Off! I need you more than ever.
She insisted we hug things out. I obliged after I told her sometimes God has a way of bringing people together. I have been praying and working on my temper, so, today let me know I still have more work and prayer to do. I asked her also to maybe think her encounter with me was so she could HEAR from a person like me how OFFENSIVE what she said was. I told her it was offensive, and we parted ways cool, calm, and collected. Voicing how a person makes you feel is not un-Christian if you were wondering.
But, as a Christian, I was ashamed of getting heated with her, because the facts and Scripture, I quoted her were lost and all that became relevant was I WAS AN ANGRY CHRISTIAN. I failed to represent Christ, and I let my words become irrelevant. Now, she probably wasn't going to listen to anything I had to say, but I gave her an easy out. She could now doubt if I were a Christian by my actions. I had become the POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK or brown or tan whatever color since we can't recognize black anymore.
My spirit has been unsettled by the encounter. I repented of course and asked people to continue to pray for me on this temper thing. But I had read a passage in the Bible earlier this same day and I wanted to write about it here. James 2:12-13, "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law (Love your neighbor as yourself) that gives FREEDOM, because JUDGEMENT WITHOUT MERCY will be shown to anyone who has not been MERCIFUL; MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGEMENT."
There you have it. I may find fault with people on varying topics well outside of and including politics, religion, and women's issues. But even when I find them completely wrong and unable to accept truth or facts, I am not to JUDGE them harshly. Harsh judgement may show as condemning them as crazy in every imaginable instance or a lost cause in everything important in life. It may be true, but that would be a HARSH judgement on my part.
Okay, I may not go that far. Good for me, right? Well, I'm not going to let myself off of the hook so easily as a Christian. I believe former President Obama said it best when he said we as people get things wrong, but that doesn't make us bad people necessarily. As wrong as I believe people are for USING/MISUSING religion, I must show mercy not judging them to the point of making them less than. I have to remember people can be wrong on something and be a loving caring father, mother, sibling, spouse, and yes, Christian. And this Christian who allowed a little of her temper to flare needs mercy also and not to be judged as a volatile, hostile, or an angry Christian. This interaction today should not cancel my long journey as a Christian and should not be used in determining my future as a Christian. That is what MERCY would say.
Some lessons come hard but thank God they come so we have an opportunity to grow, learn, change. We all need a little grace and mercy in our lives. Mercy is important to God. Whatever is important to God we should find a way to do it as Christian's no matter how hard it is to do. If we try, he will show us how. Why must we search ourselves and reach deep to do the hard things, things that TEST who we profess to be? James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face TRIALS of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith DEVELOPS perseverance. Perserverance must FINISH its work so that you may be MATURE and COMPLETE, not LACKING anything." Which means, be happy, a chance to grow is at hand in a nutshell.
The biological age of a person may or may not line up with that person's behavior. Christians ARE expected to mature and become wise. Many trials and tests, maybe like engaging with someone you are polar opposite in political views, women's issues, and religion, can be a trial. This political atmosphere can be one of the biggest tests for CHRISTIANS. Biggest opportunity for growth. Where how we forgive, love, and show mercy to others is DETERMINING how we are forgiven, loved and shown mercy to. Scripture says it is so.
It is so easy to have your eyes open and able to see clearly what is disagreeable about others and begin the name calling. We must also have our eyes open to what is disagreeable about ourselves and make a change. Did that lady today ruin my day or help me on my journey to becoming a better Christian, a better person? Was it painful all the way round? YOU BET. Her actions and mine. Because growth is painful at times is one reason so many refuse to grow. But we owe it to ourselves and others. When you face the hard things, you become a stronger person if you keep going. A RESULT needs you to not quit. By not quitting you learn, and being able to continue, you understand great things, good things most times take time, and that knowledge gives you wisdom, peace, and maturity. You no longer belong to the 'Right now tantrum people" of modernity. You can see around the corner as the old folks use to say.
MAGA nor Democrats are to be tossed out as having not one redeeming quality or less value. We all can and must do better. I know I'm trying.
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