People over Politicians

Dear momma, are you lonely and discouraged today? I know the feeling. This year has been a doozy for many of us. With the political atmosphere and tensions surrounding COVID-19 and health choices, it has been tough. Many of us have drawn lines in the sand and put up boundaries to protect ourselves, our choices and our families. Those boundaries can be isolating. 

Boundaries are an important and healthy part of relationships, but have we drawn lines so thick and put up walls so high that we are sealing ourselves into lonely fortresses? As believers, we are part of the body of Christ. There are many strong opinions among believers about the right stance on politics, healthcare, schooling and many other things, but is that the only thing we are known for now? In Sold into Egypt, Madeleine L’Engle stated: “This is perhaps the most difficult lesson of all to learn. If we love God, then we must also love each other.” Love doesn’t mean completely erasing boundaries, but it does mean taking time to consider the other person’s point of view and respecting them the way we want to be respected. 

I was challenged in a podcast recently to reach out to other moms in my area. Moms who maybe have different values or points of view than my own. The other morning I had a mom over to play who has many different opinions from my own but who is a follower of Jesus. John 13:35 (NLT) says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” I knew that, no matter my personal beliefs, the biggest thing I was called to do was to love this mom. 

It is easy to take over a conversation when you finally have an adult outlet, but I am trying to do more listening and be better at asking questions. When this mom was over, I tried to let her lead the conversation. When talk drifted near dangerous ground, I tried to redirect or say as little as possible. (There are others I can have those talks with. This was not the time.) As I listened, I discovered that this mom was struggling with loneliness. Some of the issues I faced after my first child was born – a spouse working long hours, panic attacks, postpartum rage, anxiety, loneliness, uncertainty – she was facing as well. How easy it would have been to miss all that if I only focused on our differences of opinion. 

I watched The Courier this summer and was struck by the relationship between Greville Wynne (a British businessman turned spy played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and Oleg Penkovsky (a Soviet passing on information to the British during the Cold War). In one scene, Penkovsky is having dinner at the Wynne’s home, and Greville’s son Andrew comments that the Soviets hate the British. He seems unsure of why his father would be friends with someone from a Soviet background. Penkovsky replies, “Our politicians hate your politicians. Maybe we’re only two people, but this is how things change.” People are more important than politics. Our country and those within our faith are so divided right now. Perhaps you and I are called to be agents of change. Our differences of opinion may never change, but may our love be greater than our differences. Can I challenge you to reach out to someone who, perhaps, has different stances than your own? You might discover more in common than you realize. People matter to Jesus, and they should matter to us too – no matter how different their beliefs.