Having witnessed the first American assassination attempt in forty-three years this past weekend, it seems this is a good time to check our attitudes toward those with whom we disagree. I will be blunt – this is an area where Christians can very easily be squeezed into the world’s mold and act in the flesh. In contrast to the natural arms of vitriol and violence, our weapons of warfare are truth and grace.
Jesus said the peacemakers are blessed along with the pure in heart, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. But it seems many think that happiness cannot be enjoyed unless their way is affirmed and realized. This is a tactic of the adversary of our souls.
As one journalist wrote, “On the national scale, at least, large portions of our politics amount to saying, ‘Raca’ and ‘You fool!’ We are cruel and vicious…We offer no mercy and abide no grace for our political enemies. We are not patient, hopeful, or kind. We do not hunger and thirst for righteousness but for power and vengeance.”*
People will always be people, they say. But if the biblical doctrines of regeneration, being born of God as new creations, being indwelt and filled with the Holy Spirit, and being conformed to the image of Christ are true, Christians are becoming Christlike. Faith in Christ is not just a matter of what we believe, it is how our lives are being transformed because we have entrusted ourselves to God’s self-disclosure and His Son’s redemptive work.
One can and ought to be confident and gracious at the same time. There should never be dialogue where the follower of Christ is not gracious (Colossians 4:6). This should be true whether we are having a political or a theological dialogue. Love never affirms sin but is gracious toward the sinner. Let’s remember the church did not outlast the Roman Empire through political means. Jesus said that not even the gates of hell could prevail against His church. Let’s be careful to remember where the strength of our mission lies.
"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them."+
So, keep the big picture in view. Be informed with objective truth. In other words – don’t just listen to those who affirm what you think you know or believe. Follow the information, seek truth with integrity. Strive to understand those who differ with you. Be willing to engage them with conviction and character. Most importantly, remember that they bear the image of God.
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*Bonnie Kristian Christianity Today, Oct. 30, 2020
+Journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1931)
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