As If Politics Will Make Us Happy
I get it. It’s hard. Every where you look, social media, the news, friends conversations are all holding out their hands to you, inviting you to join in the discussion of politics.
It’s sad really. It’s like the universe is walking around with a big marker and drawing imaginary lines everywhere.
But do we have to accept it?
What is the true price for picking a side?
The Spirit of This Age
Recently, John Elderedge wrote a post about the “Spirit of this Age”.
“Human beings are ravenous. A famished craving for life haunts every person. We crave fullness; it is our design. We were created for unceasing happiness, and joy, and life. But ever since we lost Eden, we have never known a day of total fullness. We are never filled in any lasting way. Human beings are like cut flowers—we appear to be well, but we are cut off from the Vine. And we are ravenous.”
Filling Voids
People try to fill this hole with many things – politics, alcohol, relationships, self.
It’s a never filling hole.
Remarkably, you keep adding to it, thinking it will be better because you fed it.
But in fact, you wake up the next morning feeling guilty as ever.
John Elderedge elaborates that this dark hole is vicious,
“Spirits of Hatred, Violation and Violence have been released on the earth here in these last days. Paris, Brussels, Orlando, Dallas—how much more proof do we need? Hatred, Violation and Violence are sweeping the earth—and they find massive opportunity in humanity’s current condition. Someone (remember they are ravenous) feels violated; the spirit of Violation jumps all over it, and inflames it like gasoline on fire. Hatred joins in (like sharks smelling blood in the water); they feel hatred—they want to retaliate with a murderous rage. Thus Violence.”
Violence and danger lurks deep inside the human soul, ready to be flicked on.
They are emotions that lie to us, that tell us, if we let it out, we will feel better, we will feel more powerful.
But we don’t.
We feel ashamed and then we do it again, because the darkness is familiar. Sadly, the better way requires more of us. It requires us to not jump in.
To not wallow in the waters of “I must justify this, today, with my words, with my response”.
Jesus would not call us to fight anger with anger.
Jesus would not call us to respond to victims with swords nor blind eyes.
Jesus would call us to respond with one simple thing.
Love.
Love them anyways. They are mean? Love them. They are wrong? Love them.
Love conquers more than any well-written Facebook post.
Love conquers more than any gas tossing Molotov cocktail no matter how “proverbial” its essence.
Today, I encourage you to practice love as your response.
Simply love.
Need Help?
Steven D Brand is a coach, counselor, marriage therapist in Roswell, GA. He also travels the country and the world offering hope and direction with his retreat weekends focusing on Marriage and other tough subjects. He is accepting new clients in his office, call for an appointment 770-641-8726.