The best thing I can say about this current election cycle is that by the time you read this it will be over.
Although the incessant analysis and second guessing will continue. Plus the very likely increasingly repugnant campaign for 2020 will kick into full swing.
There will have been the declaration of winners and losers, but in truth We the People are the losers.
We have always had politicians running on mischaracterizations of facts, freely spouting statistics that are loosely based upon reality but don’t tell the whole story. We have an increasingly divided population resulting from the repeated misunderstandings about the other side that feed our bigotry and self-righteousness.
The level of outright lies, deceit and extreme vitriol is at a new high; or should I say a new low. As the saying goes, “How low can you go?” In this case it appears there may be no bottom.
In recovery circles it is said the bottom is when you decide to stop digging. We are addicted to chaos, disorder and sensationalism. Recovery begins when we decide to take personal responsibility for our own thoughts, words and actions.
This is all that we have any degree of control over, and precious little at that. We cannot control other people, places or things; we can only control ourselves, what we think, say and do.
We cannot change the world, we can only change ourselves. And when we have changed ourselves we have changed the world.
“I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Jesus came teaching peace and love and healing. He taught his disciples to do likewise.
They learned to be at peace in the midst of conflict, to express love in the presence of hate, to realize health and wholeness in the presence of disease, to realize abundance in the midst of apparent lack and limitation. He did not change the world, but the world has changed because of him.
What can we do about the increasing level of chaos, bigotry and hate encircling us? First, we have to stop adding to it. Think before we speak. Do we know it to be true, honest, intelligent, necessary and kind?
The three gates of speech have been written about for thousands of years, as far back as Plato who encouraged us to weigh our thoughts before we spoke. Do I know for certain that what I am about to say is true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? If not, it is best left unsaid.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” Matthew 23:25-26.
Second, we take the time to meet our neighbors who had the yard sign for the wrong candidate.
Listen, not just wait for your opportunity to speak, really listen to what they are saying and try to understand why they believe what they believe.
Instead of trying to change their minds we let them know we hear them by repeating back, hopefully in our own words, what it is that they said to us.
Only then, when they know that they have been heard, they may be willing to hear what you have to say.
“For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – Hamlet
Differences of opinion are not right nor wrong, good or bad, just different. And, it is honoring our differences that will allow us to be happy, healthy, whole and free. We learn to celebrate our differences, for we need all shapes, sizes, kinds and varieties in order to find our unique niche in life and to know our completeness.
“And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a den of robbers.’” Luke 19:45-46.
I know these ideas are not the majority opinion in so called Christian churches, but they express the underlying principles upon which the church is built: Love, the great commandment Matthew 22:37-40, and tolerance, the law and the prophets Matthew 7:12, these are what will make us Christian; these are what make us decent human beings.
Blessings of peace, joy & love, Rev. Matthew E. Long, Peace Unity Community.