Redemption or destruction?

I never planned on bringing politics into this blog—if anything, I aimed to keep it out. 

After all, politics has been a large part of my career for almost 20 years, and it’s nice (or should I say absolutely essential :-)) to have something non-political in life, too!

But recently, I—who in many ways have become incredibly cynical over the years, working in a world where lies run rampant and unchecked and truth is the exception—have become increasingly heartbroken over how many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have seemingly chosen to subjugate our Lord to their political passions. 

Whatever side of the aisle we are on—and let me be clear, Christians exist on both sides—how often we now seek to “destroy” the “other side” rather than seeking redemption and truth to correct wrong beliefs. 

Because—let me also be clear, wrong beliefs exist on both sides. 

Scripture says God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  God’s heart should be our heart, too. 

This post is short—hardly reflective of the many months I’ve spent thinking about this. But then again, maybe it is reflective, because I keep coming back to the question: “What is the heart of God?”

It’s always reconciliation and redemption, never destruction. 

If we think we will “win” by “destroying” the “other side” – when that other side includes brothers and sisters in Christ, then we disregard 1 John 4:20: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”

I know some will read this and think I’m saying all beliefs are equal and equally true and equally moral. That’s false. 

Scripture does not waffle on truth. And we are called to speak truth in love (Eph. 4:15).

But so often we no longer argue truth. We argue parties, and our red or blue stripes have become more our religion than Christ is. 

Which brings me back to the question…. What is the heart of God? And is my heart reflective of God’s heart?