A Southern Thing? (or maybe It’s a Thing for Everyone)

President Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt while I was in seminary. And I remember that when a classmate of mine (who often expressed her disagreement with the President) picked up her first grader at school that day, her daughter said, “We’re glad that President Reagan got shot, right?”

My classmate was mortified. ”Of course we aren’t glad. We disagree with the President but we would never want him to be hurt.”

I grew up in a culture that seemed to believe that if we disagree with someone then we also hate them. I thought it was A Southern Thing. But I’m fairly certain now that it’s A Thing for Everyone – a widespread and destructive thing.

If you are a church person, think about a time you very much disagreed with a person on a church committee or in a Bible study. In every congregation there are “sides” in terms of worship preferences or political differences or theological contrasts. And it’s so easy to see “the other side” as an enemy – even in church. Maybe especially in church.

The often violent divisions in the world – especially in our nation – are based upon the belief that if we disagree with people we also hate them. This is unholy at the least and insane at the most. 

Imagine a world in which we hear someone express an opposing “side” and nevertheless we love them. 

Remember when Jesus challenged the Pharisees? Keep in mind that Jesus loved the Pharisees. Jesus died for the Pharisees. Jesus spoke the truth in love to the Pharisees and sometimes his words were fierce. In the end – even from the cross – Jesus exuded love.

Imagine a world in which Trump voters disagreed with but obviously wanted the best for Biden voters – and visa versa. Imagine a world in which “liberals” and “conservatives” agreed to disagree while still loving and respecting each other. Imagine people genuinely loving their enemies. Maybe we don’t like them, but we still love them.

Imagine a world in which we say, “Bless their hearts” and we mean it. It’s not just a Southern thing. It’s a universal thing.

If they know we are Christians by our love, how is that going?