The road to the presidential election should be an opportunity to teach our children concepts such as politics, bias, research, civil rights or patriotism. Instead, this election season seems to teach more rage and hate than anything useful. As a parent and educator, I am saddened by the loss of learning opportunities that are falling victim to less-than-helpful red vs. blue rhetoric. As a Christian, I am deeply disturbed by the degree of hate being flung about like bubbles through a bubble wand. What happened to society, conversation and agreeing to disagree?
More and more, it seems the line between politics and racism is imperceptibly thin. Social assumptions about political affiliation often divides community by race, socioeconomic status and gender identity. The “political discussions” that occur on social and news media are sometimes so vile, the only thing missing is a well-timed racial epithet. The line to not cross is skirted so tightly in these verbal exchanges, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read between the lines at what is really being said.
Sadly, our children are watching what we do and are listening to what we say. On Sunday, we remind them of our loving God and His presence in our lives. Then, all week, they hear us drag Democrats and Republicans, by name, through a verbal meat grinder. Think about your political conversations today. Yesterday. Last week. What message would a child take away from what you have been saying in those political exchanges? What would our Lord and Savior say about what you’ve been saying? We Christians seem to forget that Jesus walked in love, even when He corrected sinners in the midst of their sin. He also used some of the worst sinners to accomplish His work. Unfortunately, when it comes to politics, many believers fail to consider that imperfect people can and will be used for God’s purposes.
I am weary of the anger and veiled hate that permeates the air seemingly everywhere I turn. I am not optimistic the air will be cleared after the election. I feel for our children who are inadvertently subjected to adults’ isms and biases that may surface in political conversations. My prayer is that we Christians step up to the plate as examples of God’s love for the rest of the world to see, not continually twist ourselves back into the mire we’ve been saved from.
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