Long before I logged back into the social media world, I saw a disturbing trend seeming to grow in tension by the day. While words such as "quarantine" and "Covid-19" are said to be our countries "new normal", there are other issues that are starting to outgrow them in a great way.
Negativity, hate, and abusive language, are becoming ingrained in our nations way of life. Turn on a television or scroll through your social media feed and you'll find it there. Go to a supermarket or your favorite retail store and you're sure to see it there as well.
Since I've been back on social media I've seen some truly vile posts with language I know my kids are going to be exposed to someday. I've seen HATRED and the break down of civility that people in this country use to esteem too.
I was recently picking up a pizza in a small restaurant that was filling up quickly. Everyone had on masks, but there were signs on the door of the establishment that said only a certain number of folks could be in the restaurant at a time because of Covid-19 precautions. An employee kindly pointed to four customers and asked them to step outside, just until things cleared out a bit. She did so very courteously and professionally. Three of the four she had asked to step out did so...but one stayed put. Her arms were crossed and the look of defiance in her eyes was clearly evident.
"Ma'am, would you please mind stepping out for just a moment?" the employee asked. "Just so we can stay in compliance with our stores current mandate on customer capacity."
"No, ________. (I'll let you use your own imagination on the curse word she called the employee) I'm staying right here."
People are angry right now...and for the most part, I get it. There are a lot of things in the United States that ARE NOT RIGHT. It's understandable that so many are angry. But why are we letting our emotions of justified anger transition into something unacceptable? At what point do we tell ourselves that it's okay to call someone a foul name at a restaurant or write a Facebook post plastered with F-bombs and incoherent hateful speech. What get's accomplished by these acts?
I think something that really puzzles me are the number of professing Christians I've seen joining in with this negativity. Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect, and my identity as a Christian hasn't prevented me from exhibiting negativity at times during this season... but isn't that a shame? I think so.
You would think that in times like these, brothers and sisters in Christ would see it as an opportunity to show Jesus to the world. To share the Good News of the Gospel, and speak the incredible truth, that God alone can truly change things in this country. You would think that as representatives of the Savior, we would do all we could to lift others up and show them the HOPE that is so desperately needed right now.
Instead, we tend to join the ranks of the "I AM RIGHT AND YOU ARE WRONG" fighters. Why? Does this group EVER actually achieve anything?
The Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonian church, "God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, A DEATH THAT TRIGGERED LIFE. Whether we're awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we're ALIVE with Him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind."
---Thessalonians 5:9-11 (MSG)
Brothers and sisters, Paul is speaking to the hope we should all have no matter what the circumstances in life are. Notice Paul's words of confirmation for the believer, whether we're awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we're ALIVE with Him! In this verse, when Paul speaks of sleep, he's meaning death...but not how we usually think of it. You see, Jesus's death WAS death, so that ours would only be sleep.
There's more. So much more. So much more than all the pain in the world right now. So much more than all the falling down and getting up again. So much more than conservatives and liberals. So much more than gay or straight...black or white. So much more than guns or needless violence. So much more than illness and death.
These things are not the end. There is so much more, and Jesus is going to be there with us for all of it...right now...and in the MORE.
Take hope in the MORE, brothers and sisters, and let that hope lead you to change the world for good. Don't go with the grain, be the SPLINTER. That one sliver in a piece of wood that sticks out. Take a chance and commit to the Lord you're calling to do what Paul said by speaking encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind.
Live in the MORE and see what happens. Live in the MORE.
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