I know you are, but what am I?

Lately it seems like the communication in our country has been reduced to the arguments of a couple of elementary school kids on a playground. "I know you are, but what am I?" I'm saddened almost weekly by posts, often times political in nature, that spew hateful messages or ignorant stereotypes. What saddens me most about this, is that many of them come from Christians. 

As Christians shouldn't we be the ones crossing the street, aisle, or line, in an attempt to understand the other side? We definitely shouldn't be the ones making the rifts even wider, fueling the anger and hate, or enforcing misguided stereotypes. Not only is this behavior hurtful and dis-heartening to our fellow Christians, who may be on the other side, but it's teaching our kids to approach their issues with anger, hate, and a lack of understanding.

What the future of our country desperately needs, is for us to be modeling for our kids respect of others, even if we disagree with them. We should be showing them that acting through truth, respect, love and understanding is more important than any political ideologies, personal opinions, or even our own wants and desires.

This may seem idealistic, but as Christians that is what we're called to be. We're supposed to be aiming for the greatest ideal, the ideal of a perfect man who lived a life rejecting judgments and stereotypes. One who lived His life crossing lines, spending time with both sides, to not only communicate with, but understand each. Instead of criticizing the misguided, lost and confused, He felt for them.

My hope for us, as Christians, is that before we post another article, picture, meme, or anything else that projects an "us against them" attitude, we stop and consider how WE are "them" in God's eyes. We see, think and act in a way that is different from God...yet He shows us His continuous love and understanding.

Colossians 3:12-15 ESV Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.