I have, for some time now been engaged in an ongoing act of sin that does not befit a leader in the church. I’ve been trying my best to keep it hidden, but I fear that it is starting to get noticed the harder that I try to hide it.
Jesus said,
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:45)
While many struggle with sins that are more visible, my struggle has been an invisible one deep in the heart that has (in recent days) started slipping out in my words in the pulpit and in the conversations in my life.
The sin I’ve been struggling with is an unhealthy anger and (heck, I’ll just stop candy-coating it and call it like it is) a hatred toward our incumbent president, the members of his cabinet, and the conservative-right in both the house and senate.
Jesus also said,
“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.” (Matthew 5:22)
and,
“Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer,” (1 John 3:15)
Of this, I am guilty. I have blood on my hands. I have, many times over judged President Trump, considering him a fool and an idiot in the privacy of my own mind.
While judging his platform, policy, and agenda is a healthy, democratic freedom in which all should participate, I have taken my judgments a step beyond their healthy bounds and have, in recent months found myself judging him as a person.
To the “blues” in my life who feel the way that I do about Mr. Trump, I owe you an apology as a follower of Jesus. I’m sorry if my opinions, my words, or my postures have inspired you to further hate, judge, or condemn. I have served you poorly as a friend, only giving you more fuel for the same fire that may also be burning uncontrollably within you.
To the “reds” in my life, I’ll be honest— I continue to struggle to understand your reasons for voting “Trump,” but I also know that politics (especially in America) is a bloodsport that forces the electorate to choose from options of extremes. I am deeply sorry to have treated you with contempt in conversations and political discussions, judging your life based solely on who you voted for. Your life is more than that, and I have done a terrible job of affirming that in you.
As we move forward together as a country in a political climate that is literally tearing our nation apart, my prayer is that we would all, whether red or blue, be committed to the hard work of walking (as best we can) together even though we may disagree on very fundamental things.
The election is over. The die is cast. Now, we must live together. Now we must decide whether we will willingly fracture ourselves even further, or extend a hand and say, “What can we work on together?”
Our country was not set up to be an oligarchy (whether that oligarchy be liberal or conservative). The preamble to our constitution doesn’t read, “We the Executive Branch of the United States,” nor “We the Judicial Branch of The United States,” but, “We the people of the United States.”
Forming “a more perfect union” (which is a phrase that connotes process) never has been and never will be easy. Our thoughts, energy, and time can be spent angrily trying to show the other side how wrong they are, or it can be spent showing the powers that be that “we the people” choose what kind of a country this is by how we treat one another and take care of one another. This is a law that is written on the heart, and it carries far more weight than any law on a piece of paper.
A house divided against itself cannot stand, and if we don’t make a clear distinction between principles and people, neither will we.