The shooting of Congressman Gabrielle Giffords at her Congressional Community Gathering in Arizona at a local grocery store has shocked and stunned a Nation. For me it is impossible to write about this moment in American History without sharing the names of those that were killed: Gabe Zimmerman; Federal Judge, John M Roll; Christina Taylor Green; Dorothy Morris; Phyllis Schneck; Dorwan Stoddard; The loss of human life is always a tragedy but the senseless extinguished life leaves you empty and filled with questions.
Political correctness is something that those seeking public office and those serving the general public are concerned about. It means your comments and actions are welcoming and not offensive to individuals being mentioned or not hurtful regarding subjects and topics of discussion. As a Christian I believe in respecting people. This includes not intentionally hurting folks or acting out of improper motives that might include jealously, or selfishness. Christians must speak truth in love and there is no doubt that Biblical positions by themselves cause division of positions and ideas. I see no reason why people cannot disagree and still remain friends and cherish the varied opinions held but for some this is a battle and struggle.
Health Care is not an easy subject to discuss. If you have health care through your employer you are blessed. You might not agree with the coverage or the deductible but you still remain blessed. All you need to do is talk to someone who once had insurance but today is uninsured. I have a very close friend whose total income was $12,500.00 in 2009. With a mortgage his life allowed for not even the basics, much less added necessities. 7 jobs in one year is not exactly the career path he would have selected, rather it was the life that was handed to him. Talk with a diabetic who needs insulin and cannot afford the strips to test their blood sugar levels. That is not the position anyone wants to find themselves in, yet it is a reality for many.
There are many issues for which debate should be conducted and I’m confident that there will be many disagreements with folks divided by gaps of differences and thoughts but nothing that should ever lead to violence for any reason.
I believe that those of us that call ourselves Christians have a role to play in our Nation and the call to service and action is being sounded loudly. What can we do? As Christians we can help ease name calling and divisions by treating others with respect and by permitting differences of opinions all along respecting others to hold different views. We can treat people with love and our motivation for this is quite simple. The Bible says the greatest gift is not Faith, or Hope, but Love. I can only imagine what would have happened if someone had listened in love, helped in love and been involved. It is most important that Christians and Churches are involved in individual lives and in families. We all have neighbors that live next door, across the street and down the road from our home. We must move from our pews to become an active Army of God’s love and heal a Nation by beginning with the folks we go to school with, work with, see at sporting events and we must begin today. Love can build a bridge and God’s love is the answer even when folks don’t know that what they are looking for. Let’s help by demonstrating the answer without them even asking.
Until then
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