Red or Blue?

Over the past few weeks, much of what has been published on the front pages of newspapers, magazines, and the internet centers around the financial crisis that continues to swell within our country and beyond. We continue to hear of our volatile condition as an economy, and how the 2008 election will play an extremely important role in establishing our country's position in the world for generations to come. There are many issues that are being voted upon today that have caused great divisions within our workplaces, friendship groups, churches, etc...

First things first: I have never been one to submerge myself into political discussions. I've always been rather reserved and partially private regarding politics, mainly because I've seen so many people "lose their cool" when discussing certain issues. This election in particular seems to have so many compounding emotional quotients attached to it, that it's even further developed the coy characteristics of my political personality.

As a country, I feel we are voting on very important, but also very personal issues and propositions in this election. I definitely have my opinions on the candidate for which I am voting to lead our country as president throughout the next four years, and how I will be voting on a variety of other topics, but I don't want to get into how we should vote in accordance with a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ on each of these matters. That discussion is not for this type of forum. I think the most important thing in this election goes way beyond democrat or republican, blue or red, left or right. It transcends both skin color and gender. This election, to me, comes down to each one of our individual attitudes and actions, beyond today.

Throughout the past few months, there has been so much division within the aforementioned categories: workplaces, friendship groups, churches, etc...There has been so much judgment cast from one person to the next, all as a result of disagreement on touchy and potentially very hurtful subjects. I feel in my soul that there is so much more at stake than what takes place at the polls. It all boils down to the fact that we can only vote in line with what we believe, and do what we can (in a loving way) to convince others that how we choose to vote is accurate. But at the end of the day, we only have just that, one vote on each issue. Ultimately, we only have control over our own actions and our own right to vote. And that's where the challenge takes effect. Regardless of our stance on whatever issues are voted upon, there are going to be things that take place from this moment forward that are at odds with what we believe to be right, moral, or just. We will never agree with everything that takes place around us or with those who are in our lives.

Whatever takes place in this election, we have to make a choice right now that regardless of whether or not we agree with who is sworn into office in the months to come, or what propositions are shot down or passed, we can choose to carry a loving attitude with us. The problem is that too many of us act as if love and approval are the same things or come as a bundled package-that you can't have one without the other. Too many of us choose not to love someone if we don't approve of their actions. That assumption is inherently false.

The truth is, the last two things our country needs is more division and people not willing to stand up for their beliefs. So then how does this all fit together? How can you truly stand up for what you believe, while not creating deep divisions amongst yourself and others around you?

You can accomplish this by having a loving attitude. To me, a loving attitude is characterized by many things, but two facets really stick out to me.

Living out what you believe to be right, true, and Christ-like.

Listening to others with different opinions. Listening shows you care more than any other thing you can do.

So my challenge to you (and myself) is this:

Regardless of what happens in the election, I encourage all of us to live out what we believe to be true in Christ, and to be a great listener with those who have different opinions than us. We are never to judge. Not even Jesus Christ came to this Earth to judge, but to save those who were lost. Let's leave all judgment to God the Father, and live out what we know to be right, with a loving attitude-that's what true leaders do.