As I look back on this year including the politics. There are a few things that I will remember to share with my son as he grows up.
- 2020 was a year when the people showed up and voted!
- A lot of people were/are hurt and elated at the results.
- 2020 was a year filled with so much pain, misinformation, destruction of property, death, injustice, polarization, illness, disrespect for human life on all sides of whatever your position, fear, hate, anger, sorrow, grief, loss and so much more. All of which informed peoples voting.
- It’s OK to be happy or sad about the election results. Because as life experience will teach him, as it has taught me. REAL Change in the world, whether in society, in politics, in general, takes a LONG time.
- Vote, then shut it. Just because we have these magical platforms to put out what we want, or think, or shove in other people’s faces our ideals thinking there aren’t consequences for what we post Is foolish. We may think we are championing a cause but instead we are alienating and feeding into a divisive machine. It’s easy to say I don’t care what people think of me, but do you care if you can relate to people outside social media. And I am not talking about liking people with different opinions, but relating and loving them for who they are even when you don’t agree. I don’t see a lot of that happening on social media.
Instead, I want my son to live up to his name definition, which is “peaceful ruler”. My real hope and prayer for him is that peace will rule in his heart and that he will then with his heat love people and help bring reconciliation, understanding and peace where there is none.
Instead, are we asking the question, is what I am saying and posting God honoring and glorifying. Cause if it isn’t, if it is in anyway going to cause your brother or sister to sin (anger, hate, bitterness, divisive basically anything that is not a fruit of walking in step with the Holy Spirit.)
I often try to point myself to Jesus in these seasons of life. We forget that Jesus during his ministry had conflict surrounding him. Yet, even with the people who brought him the most conflict (ie. Pharisees & Sadducees) he still loved them even though they disagreed with him rather loudly.
THEN DON’T POST IT!
I only wish there were more people like that in the world and I only hope that God will help me to be an example of that to my son and others!
God may I love others as you have.
A. Geist Production 