At times, when I start writing a column, I have a clear message in mind, but I struggle to find the right words to express it. My ideas can become so jumbled that it’s hard for me to make sense of them, even to myself!
For the first time, I turned to AI to help me clear my mind. I remember thinking, ‘How is this going to work?’ But as the answers appeared after my question, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was just AI at work or a blend of divine inspiration and artificial intelligence.
Earlier in the week, I started writing a column titled “Us Versus Them.” After three paragraphs, I ended up deleting it, but the idea still lingered in my mind.
I recently heard a minister say, “I walk a purple line all the time.” He was referring to his efforts to refrain from stirring the already heated political pot within his church.
The purple line is like walking a tightrope over fire while attempting to preach the gospel or write a column that doesn’t throw gas on the raging inferno. It is incredibly challenging because, regardless of how we phrase it or sidestep the issue, the politicization of faith remains a problem.
After asking Mr. AI, he said, “When religion becomes entangled with partisan politics, it can transform into an extension of a political party’s platform rather than a spiritual witness.”
When we introduce partisan politics into our spiritual being, we risk adopting an attitude of: “Well, God is on my side!” This creates an “Us vs Them” mentality, turning faith into a competition for superiority, which fosters fear, bias, and harm.
If we start to see groups of people being mistreated simply because others feel superior, that will be the day God will not be on our side. Our heavenly Father created all kinds of people to be who they are, and it is essential to honor that diversity.
There isn’t a church or religion anywhere that should condemn others; instead, we should embrace each other as the Bible instructs us to do. Jesus’ greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. I don’t think He meant to love only those who look or act like you, or vote the same way.
Kingdom first versus party-first? Of course, if we have even a shred of faith, we know that God’s kingdom should always take precedence over our interests. However, do our actions reflect this belief? I am often disheartened by Christians who attend church every Sunday but, upon returning home, engage in hate-filled attacks against political opponents on social media.
We all have the right to support our political preferences, but our primary allegiance should always be to the Kingdom of God. This is the only way we can truly discern right from wrong. It is also the only path through which God can fill us and our nation with peace.
One afternoon, two toddlers were playing in a large sandbox. One little boy held a blue shovel, while the other had a red one. They were playing well together until the boy with the blue shovel threw sand in the other boy’s eyes. In retaliation, the toddler with the red shovel used his to whack his pal over the head.
Their mothers came running, quickly grabbed both boys, and put them in the corner. As a result, the play in the sandbox ended because the toddlers couldn’t get along.
Is America like the sandbox, with us as the toddlers, and will God end our play because we have forgotten how to behave?
We are given free will to be the light of the world. If first we honor the Kingdom of God, we can be. Politicizing faith contributes significantly to political polarization. Many people are leaving religion because they perceive it as an extension of a political ideology with which they disagree. How can we illuminate the world if we’re extinguishing the lights of faith due to political division?
I cannot imagine how angry God must be knowing that we turn folks away from knowing Him because of our “holier than thou”, “us vs. them” mentality. This behavior, driven by a superiority complex, only alienates people from expressing or finding their faith.
When we examine the life of Christ, we see that he consistently paid attention to the poor, the marginalized, and those often overlooked. He teaches us that we should refrain from passing judgment since no sin is greater than another.
His power was not tied to politics.
Let us use our faith to close the divide that politics has created in America, rather than using our faith to fan the flames of division through politics.
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Lynn Walker Gendusa began her writing career as a columnist for the LaGrange News. Today, her essays are featured regularly throughout Georgia and Tennessee. Her work also appears in Guidepost, USA Today, The Atlanta Journal, MSN.com, among others. Lynn has authored two books; the latest, “Southern Comfort,” was published in 2022. She can be reached at www.lynngendusa.com. For more of her inspirational stories, click here.
