A command to love

The presidential election is just around the corner and we will have the opportunity to exercise our vote. What a beautiful thing this is.

In our democracy, we will participate in choosing who we want to represent us in the Oval Office. No doubt we hear a lot from candidates about their plans and what their party represents. Of course, there will be many conflicts between those on the left and those on the right of the political spectrum. It is said that of all conflicts between groups in America, partisanship is one of the most divisive, with 86% of Americans seeing strong conflicts between Republicans and Democrats.

In what will be a very highly charged environment leading up to the election, what should people of faith do? The answer is simple. Obey God’s command to LOVE. “This is my commandment, that you love one another even as I have loved you.” (John 15:12). “Speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15) “Love your enemy, and pray for those who despitefully use you.” (Matthew 5:44) These are not optional for Christians. These are not voluntary initiatives. These are, instead, commands.

The Love that the Bible speaks about will help us show respect even in our disagreement with other. Respect is certainly a quality most people desire from others. When we do this, it means we honor the other person’s right to have an opinion (even if it varies from my own).

We value the other person as an individual, whether or not we see all issues from the same vantage point.

Practice Love that shows respect, maintains civility and is polite. This command to love resists the temptation to demean the other who dares to disagree with us. This love will allow us to articulate our ideas without becoming adversarial or bullying the other. Those are basic expectations inherent in the Christian faith. Those are not voluntary initiatives. They are, instead, commands that call us to lives of mutual respect and civility.

“We may have come on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.” Let’s try to keep afloat. Martin Luther King, Jr.