a heart with a twist of lemon

i was going to write something like this, but then i found out someone already wrote it. it's from decapolis, a site i read regularly. written by a man named conrad tolosa:

Annoyed at people who like the other candidate or party

I've heard it from Christians on both sides, "How could a Christian be a ________ (fill in the blank with Democrat or Republican)?" and they seriously get upset at people who don't believe as they do. They think that the other side is so obviously wrong, that you have to be an idiot or immoral to believe that side.

So let me just get to the point here. Christ had his political view, the Pharisees and the Romans soldiers had theirs. He wasn't all like, "Oh geez, they're totally dumb." Christ forgave them.

I always harp on the fruit of the spirit on how we should act in any situation. If people you know believe something dumb, weird or wrong - well which one of the fruit of the spirit is annoyance or anger? Love would have you feel compassion for them first for believing something dumb, weird or wrong. And that's even assuming they are wrong, and you in your amazing wisdom perfectly understand the world and how it runs.

There's not a whole lot of love in political debates amongst Christians is there? And if it's not showing the fruit of the spirit, it's not glorifying to God, which means we should just shut up until we can show love in that situation.

Another point about Christianity and politics - it doesn't matter what government we live in, democrat, republican, communist, totalitarian - you and I have to be like Christ under whatever government we live under. It's not like you and I are more glorifying to God cause we live in a democratic society versus some persecuted Christian living in a communist country.

Too many times Christians find lines of division rather than finding what unifies us. And what unifies us is Christ.

So during this election season, treat each other with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

I am Conrad, and I approved this message. This message paid for by the Citizens For Bacon with Every Meal.