Two years ago, I did the unthinkable. As a currents events observer and an encourager of respectful dialogue, I typically tune into significant cultural events, including watching returns, for example, from even the most random elections.<\/p>\n
But on Election Night 2016, I did the unthinkable. I never turned on the laptop nor TV; I turned off the lights, said my prayers, and went to bed exceptionally early. I did not watch a single return. While elections are important, my faith is not in an election nor in any of the elect. I thus slept very well that night.<\/p>\n
I guess that\u2019s it. I don\u2019t see government as our moral authority. In fact, I don\u2019t find it even capable of such; we are no one\u2019s convictor of truth. In fact, when we started this blog 10 years ago (Happy Birthday, Intramuralist),<\/i> our first post shared the top ten things learned from the election cycle. These included:<\/p>\n 10 years later, I would reiterate those same words.<\/p>\n We continue to find persons \u2014 in God\u2019s name or in intentional omission of him \u2014 who attempt to morph government into the moral authority of the land\u2026 acting as if there\u2019s only one right perspective\u2026 dismissing entire people groups\u2026 no longer seeing the wisdom in another point of view. Note these words from an editorial in Time Magazine<\/i> last week:<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026 We are in a political moment where we find ourselves on opposite sides of what feels like an unbreachable gulf. I find myself annoyed by the hand-wringing about how we need to find common ground. People ask how might we \u2018meet in the middle,\u2019 as though this represents a safe, neutral and civilized space. This American fetishization of the moral middle is a misguided and dangerous cultural impulse\u2026 What is halfway between moral and immoral?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n And just like that we\u2019ve convinced ourselves that it\u2019s ok \u2014 maybe even good<\/i> \u2014 to wholly describe an entire other people group <\/i>as immoral,<\/i> elevating our perspective as the only moral approach. With all due respect, when we claim that our political position is the only moral perspective possible,<\/i> we have usurped the role that only the divine is capable of assuming.<\/p>\n This is bothersome \u2014 and much of why my faith remains not in a person or party. There is a lack of integrity\/morality\/ethics hailing from both political parties\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u2026 like the conservative supporter who shamed one of my friends in the LGBTQ community last week\u2026\u00a0like the liberal protestor my friend watched mock the veteran… or<\/em><\/i>\u00a0like the Kavanaugh accuser who only now admits that she lied\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n Friends, no party is completely moral.<\/p>\n Last week two highly respected friends of mine attended the same partisan function. Both are emotionally healthy, intelligent and sincere in their desire to live and love well. And yet, one walked away impressed \u2014 the other, disturbed. How is it possible that two wise people would walk away with polarized perspectives?<\/p>\n I wish there was an uncomplicated answer; it\u2019d be easier. It\u2019d be easier to label all of one party or one party\u2019s leaders or loyalists as all bad, evil, immoral, etc. Then we\u2019d never have to wrestle as to why a person thinks differently than “we.” But there is no easy answer; different perspectives exist from healthy, intelligent, compassionate people. So allow me to humbly offer what I believe to be true\u2026<\/p>\n To conclude that the entire political perspective of the other party is immoral is a limited conclusion.<\/p>\n Friends, as an entire party, conservatives aren\u2019t bigots; liberals aren\u2019t liars. But when we take our individual experience and interactions \u2014 \u00a0with the bigots and liars in both<\/strong> parties \u2014 <\/i>and project them onto all others as their character, we fall prey to limited, judgmental conclusions.<\/p>\n Rep. Ryan Costello, a Pennsylvania moderate, said it well recently:<\/p>\n \u201cI think the far left and the far right look at people like me, and they say we\u2019re the problem. And I actually think, No, we\u2019re the answer. But what you hear and what you get is just ugliness toward you\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n If you\u2019re in the hot 10% on the left or the hot 10% on the right, you have a national audience. If you\u2019re in the middle and can see both sides, you know what? You used to get called thoughtful \u2014 now you get called weak. And that\u2019s messed up, man.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n It\u2019s messed up when we look down upon the different or attempt to eradicate the middle. It\u2019s messed up when we thrust limited, judgmental conclusions upon entire parties or people groups. There truly are good people on all sides. Wisdom calls us to get to know them… interact with them… and be humble enough to listen as to why they think differently than “we.”<\/p>\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two years ago, I did the unthinkable. As a currents events observer and an encourager of respectful dialogue, I typically tune into significant cultural events, including watching returns, for example, from even the most random elections. But on Election Night 2016, I did the unthinkable. I never turned on the laptop nor TV; I turned … <\/p>\n\n