POLITICAL
ATTATCHMENTS AND LOSING YOUR SOUL
Here we are at another election year and people are up in
arms about who is the right candidate to become President for the next four
years. I have even heard folks say they
will “leave the country” if the outcome does not go the way they want it. It happens every four years that many folk
seem to work themselves up into a frenzied state about the super hero’s status
of their particular candidate who once were mere mortals but now are on a
mission to save the world and right every wrong. While it is important to participate in our
democracy by voting and working for our candidate of choice we should be
careful not to lose ourselves in the political rhetoric.
Politics can often become mean spirited and cruel in order
to vilify the
opposition. Jesus actually spoke about
this and offered another way to approach our differences. Jesus said, “Call no one a fool.” A fool in this context is the idea of
dehumanization and slander. We can still
have our strong beliefs and opinions without taking away from the sacred human
essence of another person. To me this is
where politics has become overly violent and silly all at the same time. We are all God’s children walking toward the
light and no one has the complete answer by themselves. I also realize that the way we are set up as
a dual party system someone will win and someone will lose. With this comes the idea of an adversary in
which to do battle and conquer. Therefore a constant political war ensues and in the meantime
nothing of any significance ever gets accomplished for the American people as a
whole.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
James
