No. I believe there is still a movement in the world – and in our country – to do the right thing even if it means being called a traitor or crossing party lines or being condemned to hell – which is now an everyday response from those with whom we disagree.
Our current President isn’t the first to call his political enemies “vermin” or “the enemy of normal Americans.” Newt Gingrich wrote his 1990 GOP Memo called “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control” to be used to train political candidates in how to communicate “more effectively.” Among it’s teachings:
Apply these (words) to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party:
decay, failure (fail) collapse(ing) deeper, crisis, urgent(cy), destructive, destroy, sick, pathetic, lie, liberal, they/them, unionized bureaucracy, “compassion” is not enough, betray, consequences, limit(s), shallow, traitors, sensationalists, endanger, coercion, hypocrisy, radical, threaten, devour, waste, corruption, incompetent, permissive attitude, destructive, impose, self-serving, greed, ideological, insecure, anti-(issue): flag, family, child, jobs; pessimistic, excuses, intolerant, stagnation, welfare, corrupt, selfish, insensitive, status quo, mandate(s) taxes, spend (ing) shame, disgrace, punish (poor…) bizarre, cynicism, cheat, steal, abuse of power, machine, bosses, obsolete, criminal rights, red tape, patronage.
Because of the demonization of our neighbors (and both political parties are guilty of this) our Congress has become ineffective, our friendships have become more narrowly hive-minded, our churches have divided. The congregation I served for many years outside Our Nation’s Capital had members who had served every administration since Ford. Today – while it’s still a great church – there is much less political diversity in the pews.
There are Southern Baptists who believe that Mainline Christians believe are enemies of the LORD. And there are Mainline Christians who believe that their Southern Baptist neighbors are too hateful to call themselves Followers of Jesus. What I am saying: The Bible is an equal opportunity offender. We all fall short of God’s glory. We all have something to learn from each other. What I’m NOT saying: there are some denominations that are holier than others. Every spiritual community in every faith has righteous and unrighteous people – and most of us are both.
We are either too tired or too conflict averse or – and this is the worst – too indifferent to have friends, leaders, and neighbors who disagree with us. We don’t love each other enough to fight for what’s right. We don’t value each other as Children of God enough to speak up when we see cruelty and disrespect. We don’t take the time to listen to each other before we bark at each other.
Has the fire to do the right thing been forever extinguished in our nation? Call me naive, but as I hear people prepare to vote in November, I hear hopeful voices. More and more people are saying that we can come together, that some government actions (even in America) must be stopped, that cruel leaders must be held accountable. For people of faith, this has everything to do with God. Serious reading of our holy scriptures make it clear that we were created to love and serve God and each other.
I am hopeful. And I’m also tired – but not nearly as tired as those activists who’ve been trying to light fires under all of us who are complacent. Our urgent calling is to be more inspired by the love of God than frightened by the hate of powerful people.
Love is the strongest force in the universe. One of our political candidates keeps repeating that statement as he campaigns. I think he might actually get elected.
