There was a moment this summer when my family was gleefully cruising the Mediterranean on a beautiful, populated boat. It was absolutely delightful. Beautiful seas\u2026 scrumptious, indigenous foods\u2026 and sweet interactions with people all across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time in the cabin was intentionally minimal, but in a moment of downtime, we turned on the TV to get a brief glimpse of what was happening outside our very comfortable vacation bubble. We had 3 news stations to choose from: the BBC, FOX News <\/em>and MSNBC.<\/em> (Lucky us.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n What happened next was slightly astonishing in my opinion. And allow me a brief introductory caveat: please don\u2019t take this as support for one party over another or for one candidate over another; it\u2019s not. It would be naive of us to suggest only one party has cornered the market on such behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was prime time. The station we had tuned into had 4 of their most noted hosts manning the desk. They proceeded to have a serious, in depth discussion on political ideology\u2026 on how they were \u201cthinkers\u201d\u2026 they like to analyze\u2026 they have \u201ccomplex\u201d thoughts. <\/em>They then juxtaposed themselves vs. the other party\u2026 the other party is so \u201csimple\u201d\u2026 not only are they \u201csimple,\u201d but \u201c<\/em>we<\/em><\/strong> use <\/em>adjectives<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d <\/em>they<\/em><\/strong> are reduced to merely <\/em>nouns and verbs<\/em><\/strong>\u2026 <\/em>they<\/em><\/strong> don\u2019t develop thoughts like <\/em>we<\/em><\/strong> do\u2026 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh my.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sat there, listening intently, not because I thought I was witness to a moment of journalistic brilliance, but more because I couldn\u2019t believe the audacity of those with a mic in front of them. They had an entire conversation conveying their perceived intellectual and ideological superiority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And just like that I thought, \u201cAnd you want more people to think like you?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Insults and praise can\u2019t come out of the same mouth. It makes neither effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends, right now there are a lot of \u201cnow what\u2019s.\u201d And with two candidates who each had strong perceived negatives, those \u201cnow what\u2019s\u201d are all over the place\u2026 should we fight? \u2026 dig in? \u2026 move to the middle? \u2026 resist the more extreme policy efforts? \u2026 compromise? \u2026 offer an olive branch? \u2026what?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But let me suggest a \u201cnow what\u201d that I think best applies to all\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the core of Judeo-Christian values is the Imago Dei. It\u2019s the Latin translation of the \u201cImage of God\u201d and the fundamental teaching that humans were created in God\u2019s image. That means that there\u2019s a part of each of us that reflects God\u2019s nature, that we have some kind of likeness to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t let me act as if I fully, completely understand it and how it applies, but what I do know is that each of us has it\u2026 each of us was created in that image\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n That then includes Donald Trump. Kamala Harris. And all those loud people with the mics in front of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That includes each of us now. It includes the people who are hurting. The people who are celebrating. And the people who are confused, don’t care or none of the above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It includes all the people who don\u2019t think like us \u2014 even if the issue is one we\u2019ve concluded is a moral one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best \u201cnow what\u201d in my semi-humble opinion has nothing to do with digging in or compromising or proclaiming moral superiority on TV. The best \u201cnow what\u201d \u2014 the wisest \u201cnow what\u201d \u2014 <\/em>would be challenging ourselves to see other people \u2014 especially those we don\u2019t like or understand \u2014 but to see them as just as equally, just as masterfully, created in the image of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us ask ourselves: am I treating that person as if they were created in God\u2019s image just as much as I am? <\/p>\n\n\n\n If I was, what would I do different? Would I listen more? Would I honor? Would I stop looking down upon them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such a \u201cnow what” makes us kinder. It makes hate harder. And it makes wisdom more prevalent immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There was a moment this summer when my family was gleefully cruising the Mediterranean on a beautiful, populated boat. It was absolutely delightful. Beautiful seas\u2026 scrumptious, indigenous foods\u2026 and sweet interactions with people all across the world. Time in the cabin was intentionally minimal, but in a moment of downtime, we turned on the TV … <\/p>\n