United, We Stand

 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."

Matthew 12:25

I see comments on social media every now and then from one "side" or the other that read, "They know Jesus was a liberal, right?" or "They know Jesus was a conservative, right?" I have to laugh, because though Jesus referenced politics many times in the Bible, he certainly didn't choose a side. He wasn't even an "Independent", as I call myself. 

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place." 

John 18:36 

The kingdom of God. It transcends all political affiliations and all the ties that bind people to their restrictive rules and regulations. It cannot be contained by a worldly system, and yet so many have tried to use Jesus as a pawn for their cause. They put Jesus in a box. 

"HE would be on OUR side!" Well, we don't know that for sure, do we? What we do know is that being divided prevents God from working on either of our "sides". We are demolishing our own sides with our refusal to submit to His authority, not each other's, and that's where we fail. That's where we are divided against ourselves and division won't stand. 

Ironically, it's the whole American, "United we stand, divided we fall" thing that everyone is so mushy about, yet look at us, ruining ourselves and blaming someone else. And it's not even "division" of a country that we're causing. We're causing divided hearts. Our own and someone else's too. That's the biggest price of all. 

He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." 

Matthew 13:52

He's saying we need both old and new! The conservatives who don't like change and want to adhere to old policies and old structures to maintain integrity and sometimes very old viewpoints, and we also need new. New changes to incorporate the values that are sometimes necessary to invoke better standards, allow for freedoms not previously provided, or to allow growth where it was formerly not allowed. We need both viewpoints in order to be disciples in the kingdom. We need a blending and a balance of the two, and because of the great division, harmony cannot be found. And the "house" won't stand for long. 

Something that kept tugging at me when I saw the negative use of the word "liberal" by certain individuals was that if loving people the way that God told me to makes me a liberal, then so be it. If wanting people to feel loved and accepted the way I feel loved and accepted by God makes me a liberal, then good. If wearing a mask because I feel it is protecting myself and people I love makes me a liberal, then so what? People need to stop with the labels. I am a human. I am neither "liberal" nor "conservative", though I probably have traits of both! I am a person at the end of the day. And God help me love all of you better no matter what you call yourselves. 

I have seen the effects of households divided by political beliefs. Friendships ended because of the colors red and blue. Christianity smeared and misunderstood, misused and profaned by many. I think "divided" is the least of our worries as a country. It was just the beginning of bigger lessons to come.  How we choose to respond to those lessons and how well we are prepared for them is what will determine how well we fare in their wake. I can't fight off every hateful word I see on social media. I've been slaughtered and told I "take the cake for stupid". I giggled at that. It's pretty ridiculous to call people names from behind your keyboard. In your mom's basement. Okay, okay. I said nothing back, I promise. 

I'm not going to tell an angry Democrat to "understand" a Republican right now or vice versa. I'm just not. The fire is way too hot. But what I will say is that the temperature needs to come down on our words, especially the ones that aren't serving a purpose for change. Let's find a solution to our problems. Let's take ourselves to God and ask Him what in US needs to be altered and changed. What do we need to do about the division we see, hear, and feel? I have a feeling God wants the same things we do, and if we ask Him, He will deliver that message. Pray, people. Pray. 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens...

Ecclesiastes 3:1