Offenses in election season

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Luke 17:3-5

Have you noticed recently how touchy our society has gotten? Everywhere I turn I’m seeing verbal slap fights between all kinds of folks!

It’s gotten more intense lately because of the hotly contested primary season and soon-to-come presidential campaigns.

Even among believers: “I like this party and you like the other”. If you and I aren’t careful, we can come to blows verbally.

Or perhaps you and I share a general party preference. I like one primary candidate and you like another. Well, I’ve felt the “wrath of God” pour out against my audacity/stupidity/dullness-of-heart in supporting one person over “God’s chosen candidate”—and this from dear believing people! But one such friend confided in me that she’s feeling the same “righteous indignation” directed at her from Christians who support the candidate I  like. Oi vey!

Jesus told us to be on our guard. Life is weird, and there are many potholes and pitfalls along the way. And some of the most deceitfully dangerous snares to be found occur in our everyday interactions with each other—especially with those we love or are more closely connected to.

Why? Because none of us are perfect. You can rub me the wrong way with your words, attitude, or ways, and Lord knows I can do the same to you! Thoughtlessness happens; and you and I are both capable of sinning against each other in word or deed.

What is Jesus’ input when someone messes with your peace? Blast their credibility? Give them the cold shoulder? Brand them as a despicable reprobate?

No; Jesus directs you to go to them personally and address the sin (by the way, disagreeing on candidates is not included on the list of verifiable offenses). If they repent, then let it drop. Don’t hold it over their head for all of eternity.

And if they sin again, forgive them again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.

And here’s the crux of the whole forgiveness deal:

The disciples didn’t say in response to Jesus’ forgiveness admonition, “Easy peasy; piece of cake.” Instead, they cried, “Increase our faith!”

In other words, the hardest thing to overcome won’t be a natural obstacle—a financial, material, or physical need; the hardest thing you’ll face is dealing with offenses! And trust me: Offenses are a dime a dozen—and they pile up, bloat, and stretch out with gluttonous tentacles that wind around the life of the person who refuses to let them go.

Back to the campaign trail. If you witness or are assaulted yourself by the zeal of political zealots during this election season, and you are determined to hold your own and refuse to give up ground…remember this: You live in an imperfect world with imperfect—albeit loved-by-God—people.

And although you have the right—and even the responsibility at times—to state your opinion about all matters politic, you are beholden only to One, the Lord Jesus Christ—not to Ted Cruz, not to Donald Trump, not to John Kasich, not to Bernie Sanders, not to Hillary Clinton.

If you feel the wrath and righteous indignation of others rising up against you—and your own rising up against them in return—step away for a minute, take a breath, look to Heaven and whisper, “Lord! Increase my faith!”

And because of the intensity of our current political climate, I want to offer a prayer for all of us:

Lord, help us as we navigate this weird, wacky, windy, wind-fest of an election season! Lord—Increase our faith!

Dorothy