Facebook is a sad place to visit these days. While cute stories of dads getting their daughters ready for school or little children singing their favorite songs are very prevalent, stories of death, pain, politics, and hate often outnumber them.
However, we are not satisfied to read the stories and grieve for the loss or consider the predicaments they create. We are adamant to choose a side and fight to the death. When I see arguments on Facebook, I am saddened by the personal insults flying back and forth; this brings no hope of a positive outcome. My heart aches for each person, defending their convictions with all of the vigor they can muster. One debatable issue multiplies into criticism of another's entire moral standing. As my heart aches, all I can think of is one question. When did we all become enemies?
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I am not free of guilt in this area. I have definitely commented on a person's intelligence based on his or her statements made on social media regarding issues I feel strongly about. And that was wrong of me. I know nothing about what goes on in that person's daily life. The situations they encounter, the people they have to deal with, the memories that they cannot shake.
While I disagree with anyone who uses their past or present circumstances as an excuse to be irresponsible, unwise, or hateful, I do not disagree with the fact that those experiences affect people deeply. Betrayal from a loved one, a constant lack of encouragement, being labeled unworthy, or any situation that can hurt a person more than the human eye can see, those are the things that affect who we are.
Many people don't believe in God, but I do, and I truly believe He loves every single person on this earth. The angry troublesome teen, the wounded father who refuses to parent his children, the feisty debate master who stands firm on his or her beliefs. No matter how much another person irks you, how wrong you believe they are, or how annoying their position is to you, God calls us to love one another.
Some view themselves as martyrs, standing firm on the "truth" that God said they would be hated in this world for being Christians. I'm no expert, but I don't think God wanted them to hate us for being jerks or for insulting their opinions. What if we lived the way Jesus did- doing so much good that others hated us for it? What would our world look like then?
What if we allowed others to angrily argue their opinion and simply loved the fact that they were willing to discuss it with us? Perhaps the best option is to take emotion out of the equation for a moment and simply rely on truth. Truth that each person deserves to be loved. We may not know how to solve all of the problems in this world, but I can guarantee that every problem could improve- even if it was the slightest improvement- if people felt loved rather than judged. Love is not a feeling; love is a choice. You may not like the other person, but you have a choice to love.
So let's do away with insults; everyone has faults. Let's do away with the desperation to be right; our minds are not infallible. Let's, instead, focus on the only thing that can truly bring us together: a deliberate choice to love one another.
