“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Recently, a friend of mine “liked” an editorial comment on Facebook that was written by a young woman who clearly has absolutely zero regard for anyone who accepts government assistance… particularly Food Stamps. In my opinion, this young woman painted every person who accepts this type of help with a very broad brush, and I felt her comments and “solutions” to what she viewed as “our country’s problem” were harsh and unkind in most cases. However, I did not comment to this post. To do so would have only opened up the door for a huge argument… and honestly, it just was not worth the trouble. I would not change the minds of those who “liked” this post… and I would only have created animosity between myself and my friend, who is not a bad person. We just happen to share different views on this subject.
Thankfully, we live in a country where free speech is our right and privilege. But the temptation is often there to jump in and comment… to write a letter to the editor and publicly berate someone for their ideas and opinions… or to lambast them on social media or in person. The worst of it is when “Christians” sink to the level of name calling. I see this often on Facebook and other social media outlets, and it disheartens me. Again, these are not bad people. But I will never understand why they think that mockery and deriding others is acceptable to anyone… much less to God.
I know that it’s a slippery slope to ignore such comments and actions. Will others assume we agree with these people and their rants? Will our silence be an endorsement of sorts? We have to carefully weigh our options. Would it be better to keep silent and risk the assumption that we feel the same way… or to comment and open “Pandora’s box” – and perhaps subject ourselves to ridicule and derision? Is it worth hurting another person’s feelings or damaging a friendship? I think we have to prayerfully consider all avenues… react and respond in the manner that we feel God is leading us…and then stand by our decision.
When I feel strongly about something I see posted on Facebook, I will sometimes privately message the person who made the post and outline my feelings or opinions. On at least one occasion, I quietly “unfriended” a few people, rather than continue the association and have to be confronted with their insulting posts each day. This, too, can have mixed results. In one case, a former student realized we were no longer “friends”, and when I tried to gently diffuse the situation, she accused me of lying to her. I apologized for anything I might have said or done to make her feel I was being deceitful in any way, but she would have none of it. Now she no longer speaks to me or acknowledges me at all. That is okay …I still love her. I think at the core, she knows that some of the things she was saying were wrong and inappropriate. Rather than deal with that, she chose to turn the tide and be mad at me. Truthfully, we are so far apart politically that she was probably looking for a reason to disassociate. Nobody ever said being a Christian – or trying to keep the peace – was easy!
So what do we do? How do we become “peacemakers in God’s army”?
- I believe we start with prayer. We ask God to “slow us and show us”… to give us the patience to stop and prayerfully consider our response… and then to act on the wisdom that God grants us.
- If you simply must write a letter to the editor, park it on your desktop and let it simmer for a few days before you send it. See if you still feel the same way in retrospect. Write out your thoughts and feelings before sharing them with someone else… let some time pass. You don’t have to respond immediately. Ask God to help you choose your words thoughtfully and carefully.
- Avoid knee-jerk reactions of any kind… even “unfriending” people on social media. Think before you hit that “like” button… or before you share any comments, photos or cartoons.
- Stand up for what is right when God leads you to do so… but be prepared to deal with the fallout. Trust God to give you strength and courage to do the right thing…whichever direction He sends you!
- Remember that God loves the other guy just as much as He loves you and me. Think about how precious that person is to Him before you start slinging mud and placing labels. At every turn, lead with love, grace, mercy, compassion and forgiveness… you know, all those things Jesus gives to you on a daily basis!
©2013 Debbie Robus
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