Shame and Grace III

 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

 - From John 14

We've been discussing the problem of on-line shaming, in these recent posts. It's a serious problem. I predict that many people will reach a breaking point, because of the addictive qualities of Social Media and the relentless shaming, and ganging up, that is so prevalent there. When a handful of schoolkids gang up on one of their friends, the problem is serious but short-lived. 

When a hundred people on-line, gang up against someone they don't know, and shame him or her, it can ripple out into problems that make the nightly news. 

It's even worse when people in the Church practice it. 

Talk about "resistance." We should be resisting those around us, that practice public shaming. And we especially should push back when a member of our own church (or family) is attacked, even by someone on your own political side.

I have a relative that has blocked her aunt, because of political postings. And yet, this aunt would give her niece the last cup of water, to save her, if it were necessary. 

A Trump and Sanders supporter have a greater bond, a more important bond than politics, if they are fellow believers. 

So what to do about it? Kids can't resist ganging up on a peer. But neither can adults .It must make us feel good, otherwise we wouldn't do it so much.

What if we identified someone, each one of us, everybody reading these words; what if you thought about someone that you know, that is on the other side politically, and that you honestly think is Hitler, or a Communist . . . whatever the case, someone that has become very hard to love, thanks to Social Media . . . what if you asked Christ to help you love that person?

Ask the Father and Son . . . right now . . . in Jesus' name, to make it so that you see that other person as He does. Would you be willing to do that? What if you looked at your political opponents as Christ does? Do you think you would feel differently?

Try it.