Photo by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash
Dear First Family and Friends,
This isn’t a Twilight Zone trailer. Imagine for a moment – a political season where the opponents lived in harmony, didn’t repay mudslinging with more mudslinging, lived peaceably with each other, and didn’t try to get revenge. Instead of berating the opponent and leaving me with hardly a clue as to what their actual ideas were; they would simply tell me their ideas. Wouldn’t it be a nice change if politicians respected one another as servants desiring to serve their common man, even if they didn’t agree with the ways they proposed to serve?
We might laugh at the improbability of such a campaign. However, I think this is the kind of campaign God calls His people to participate in. Paul writes, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them … Repay no one evil for evil … live peaceably with all … never avenge yourselves.” (Romans 12:14, 17-19) Paul urges Christians, don’t be vindictive towards those who oppose you, but rather try to live peaceably with all, including those who persecute us. He isn’t saying to give in when we disagree or encounter falsehoods as lies spread. But we’re to disagree or counter falsehood without striving for revenge and judgement. God calls on us to love our enemies while gently, calmly making our case – even to the point of caring for their basic human needs of food and drink. God calls on us to love and let Him repay evil with His vengeance and wrath (Romans 12:19-20).
As Jesus suffered the ultimate persecution on the cross, He showed us how this looks in its most extreme form. He didn’t try to get revenge on those who nailed Him to the cross. He forgave them. We may not agree with those on the opposite side of the political spectrum. But we can respect them as creatures who are also made in God’s image. Then we can gently, humbly, lovingly work to show them the love of Christ. All the while continuing to love them even as we disagree.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Jim