Politicians Will Not Save Us

 Politicians Will Not Save Us

“I voted! Now, everything wrong in this country will be right!” Those may not be the exact words that people say, but they are definitely the sentiment. As human beings, we have not evolved or grown much for the past two thousand years. The Israelites were anticipating a king who would come and save them. They believed that this king would defeat their enemies and allow them to live in safety, peace, and comfort. That king never came. They got Jesus. This reminds me that as human beings we don’t need a human being to take all our problems away. We need a Savior to take our sins away and save us with grace and love. 

With all of the political rhetoric in-person, on social media and through our news outlets, it is observable that people are waiting for a politician to save them from their dire straits. This political leader will rescue them from financial struggles and keep them safe from other enemies. 

Both of these groups fail to recognize that we don’t need someone to rescue us from our government but from ourselves. The peace that Jesus brought when he came into the world, was not a peace from physical war. Jesus gives us a peace that gives us strength to endure the trials in life that occur, and with every trial, Jesus will be with us. 

Jesus came to save us from our sins. He did not come to make our life comfortable and safe. We strive to have a comfortable and safe life, and we become disillusioned when we do not achieve it. Jesus did not come into the world and expel all the wicked people. He forgave them and died for them. With our sin, we are in the category of the wicked people for which he died. His actions confounded the people that he encountered when he walked on earth, and it would confound the people today, as it still does. 

Jesus would disappoint many of the Christians today if he arrived as he did when he was a baby. The people then rejected him as king, so the people of today would too. Jesus would not arrive and make or confirm any new laws. He wouldn’t support any political candidate. He went to thee homes of sinners and had a meal with them. He would heal people and tell them to go and sin no more. Most people today both Christians and non-Christians would be confused with the actions of Jesus. With that confusion, many would struggle to believe in Jesus. 

Jesus came and was the perfect Savior that we needed. He forgave us of our sins and gave us freedom from sin with his love and grace. We need his sacrifice, love, and grace. Jesus always gives us what we need. Many of us want our country to be better, but we don’t want to do anything to sacrifice for it. If we want people around us to be better, we must be better, which will cause us to sacrifice our own desires for the desires of others. We must focus on what we need, which is salvation, and less on what we want, which is comfort and safety. 

We need a savior who will save us from our sins. A politician cannot do that. We need a savior who will love us and show us mercy. A politician doesn’t even know us, much less love us with our flaws and all. Jesus promised us that we can go to him for comfort and peace, but he never promised us he will keep us safe or comfortable. Politicians have promised us to keep us safe and comfortable, but they have all failed at that too. 

We need less arguing over whose political agenda is correct and more of knowing who Christ is and how he works in our lives. We can vote, but if we are not acting with the love of Jesus in our daily lives, then our political debates are just clanging gongs that are useless to everyone who hears them. With our voices, we must proclaim the hope and love that Jesus gives. We all need a savior. Jesus is the savior that we need, as he has saved us from our sins, will continue to save us today and tomorrow in the future. God knows what is best for his human beings. God didn’t send a politician. He sent his perfect son who sacrificed everything so we can live. May we sacrifice our pride and our arguments to bring people into the presence of Jesus. 

The Power of Books

 I spent this last weekend at an English teacher’s conference. While at this conference, I will receive many books for my classroom library and my own personal library. I haven’t been an English teacher all my life, but when I was returning to the classroom, it makes sense that I am teaching my passions…reading and writing. I have always devoured books my entire life. I may not read what is always popular or what others believe is spectacular literature, but I read broadly and deeply. 

Books have influenced my life. They have informed my decisions. For example, I have read Christian literature that made me think about my own choices in life with relationships. I have read and taught Frankenstein so much that I often wonder who or what is a true monster in life. That book also opened my eyes to how some people may view God. I have read nonfiction books that are in the Christian genre for growth and understanding of the Bible. I have read nonfiction business books that are also self-improvement books. I have made better decisions in my life because of those nonfiction books. 

I have read novels in which I have resonated with the main character. Some of the historical novels that I am currently reading have opened my eyes to the understanding of true history because I have been able to research the events. I also have a love for history, so I am the one buying the historical books on sale. With all of my reading, there is one book that has made the most impact on my life. 

I have read the Bible, more than once. Even as a child, I tried to read the entire Bible, although I got stuck around 1 and 2 Kings. For a kid, those books are a bit heavy. Then, when I joined my church’s Bible quiz team, I was memorizing and soaking in God’s Word everyday as a highschooler. The Bible impacted my decisions and my view of the world. I resonate with many of the characters in the Bible, especially those who were overlooked. 

As I continue to study the Bible, I realized that even though I had memorized it or had read it before, it still speaks into my life. With my Bible reading, I have discovered the love Jesus has for me and for everyone in the world. I also realized that many of the ideologies that were taught to me in the church were not Biblical but were created by human beings to monitor the lives of people in the church. That thought made me ask a question of wonder. I wondered how many people in the church, including the leaders, read the Bible for their own understanding? 

Here's my confession: I have been more consistent with reading the Bible since I left youth ministry than when I was in youth ministry. Sure, I read the Bible to prepare lessons and presentations, but my own consistent time in God’s Word was lackluster. I knew God’s Word, but instead of reading it for how God could work in my life, I only read it for how it could work in the lives of my students. With that method, I sounded great, but I wasn’t practicing what I was preaching. Once I left youth ministry, I began to practice what I preached. 

When I left youth ministry, I fell in love with God’s Word again. I began to devour it and started to read all those Christian books that I had purchased while in youth ministry. My attitude toward other people changed. I realized I cannot fix or change anyone. I can only fix or change myself. Jesus can change people. Jesus does change people. It is up to us to lead people to Jesus, not our version of who he is with our understanding of the Bible. 

If we claim to have Biblical values, we must open the Bible and read it. We must read it for how it is written and not with our blinders of our own agendas or views. We must find commentaries, dictionaries, and other helps that explain the context, so we understand what it actually says and not with our own blinders of what we have been taught all our lives. 

We must stop quoting passages or a verse here and there and then believe it ends the conversation. We must quote a passage or a verse to start the conversation. A conversation includes questions. Instead of getting frustrated when people ask us questions about the Bible, especially when it is about the confusing parts, we must answer with love. If we don’t have the answer, we let them know that we will do everything we can to find the answer. 

We must stop using the Bible as a stick to strike upon someone’s head. The Bible is a sword. It is an offensive weapon. The battle is between unseen things, not human beings to whom we are supposed to show love. As an offensive weapon, it can only be used to start and bring people into the winning side, not to defeat and just walk away with pride. When we defeat people using the Bible on social media and walk away with pride, we do not represent Jesus. we represent the Pharisees, as that is exactly how they behaved. 

Taking time to read the Bible is a process. First, we must stop with the guilt shaming. If you miss a day, then pick it up the next day. If you miss a week, pick it up the next week. The goal is not just to read it, but to infuse it into your life and allow God to speak directly to you. So, set a time that is best for you. It could be first thing in the morning, or when you get home from work, or before you go to bed, or after dinner. Whatever time that you have as natural down time in your life, use that time to meet with God in his Word. 

Where should you start? Start where you need to be. Search on Google for passages that connect with the areas in your life of which you are struggling, even with doubts in your faith. Then start with that passage or book. You can continue with that or read the books around the one that you just finished. 

Use devotionals or readings set in the Bible Apps. There are several devotionals that are free on the Internet. We don’t have room for all of the excuses. There are even guides if you want to read through the Bible on the Internet. I don’t have a problem with reading through the Bible, but if we want to dive deep into God’s Word, you must be intentional of your reading. Be intentional to read to understand. 

The more people in the church that are taking the time to read the Bible will create stronger connections with those who are outside of the church. Instead of just throwing out “Biblical thoughts,” we will have answers that God has given us. In this time of Thanksgiving, take the time to show gratefulness and begin a conversation with God by reading and listening to what he has to say. It will open your mind and heart to what you have to say to him. 

Vote, Then Act

 At the most, we vote four times a year. Is that all we have to do? Do we just vote, and then go on social media and blast those who believe and vote differently than us? It seems strange to me because I see the hole. I see the gap. That’s one of my specialties. I am able to see the gaps in areas that no one wants to admit exist, but that doesn’t mean they are not there. In fact, those holes and gaps are growing larger, and they are causing most of our problems. 

It’s the gaps and holes that I want to fill because if they are not filled then nothing changes, no matter who the leaders are. We have holes and gaps in our society, and they must be filled so that change can occur in our country. Change is not a bad thing. It is a necessity for growth. We are a young country, so we should always be growing and changing. 

The first hole or gap that must be filled is the one of economic disparity. I am not one of those who blasts those who are billionaires, and those who are better not play the lottery this week. If you are a billionaire, that’s great. What I do wonder is why we, especially the church, have neglected the poor.  The church is great at responding, especially to the emergencies, or drives for the holidays. However, the church would be stronger and a beacon of light if we would act instead of reacting. 

We don’t always realize that what we do well, could benefit someone else. Do you love math? You could help guide some in our impoverished communities with a budget or help with taxes. There are centers at which you can volunteer in those areas. Do you love to cook or bake? You could work at a shelter within the food services area. You could also train others to create healthy meals. Are you in the medical field? You could donate time in a community to give basic health care. As a teacher, we need help. In our poor communities, we could use tutors to help our young people get on grade level with reading, writing, and math. 

Volunteering your time can feel incredibly invading into your life because time is short and there is not enough time to give in your life. There are other ways to volunteer. Pick one issue in which you are extremely passionate and connect with a group online and volunteer with them. It could be as small as sending out announcements in emails or sending a group text.

For people who claim that they do not have the time to volunteer, then make sure you are not wasting your time debating or arguing on social media with people you do not know about politics. That does not help. It does not change anyone’s mind. It is just someone trying to receive validation that their way of thinking is the best way of thinking, and everyone should join them in their ideas. That is not helpful. In fact, it is harmful. No one is going to change their minds politically because of our social media posts. Doing a small act of kindness could create an incredible ripple effect of that act creating in someone else doing a small act of kindness, and then it continues to someone else. 

Being active in serving the community always trumps voting because it validates the vote that you are giving. Besides, people will not remember you for how you voted. They will remember how you treated them. Our society has become so polluted with hatred toward those who think and believe differently than us. This has harmed the church because people believe that we hate those who think and believe differently than us. We don’t. We may not agree with the actions of stealing or murder, but we accept you for your different beliefs and thoughts. 

When I was in youth ministry, I recognized a phenomenon with our growth in numbers. Our ministry thrived and grew numerically when we had unity. The moment a mole came in our group and began division, we began to disseminate. When we were united, everyone was willing and even volunteered to serve in various spaces. Being united wasn’t about the fact we all believed the same. Our unity came when we accepted and genuinely cared for everyone who walked into the room. Imagine that occurring in our churches and our country. 

Voting is powerful, but maybe with our vote we need to serve. Along with our serving, we need to unite with those who think and believe differently than us. Power doesn’t come with one small act. It comes with many small acts that make the vote actually work. We are powerless when we insult those who are different from us. We are powerful when we empower those who need it. We need more actions with our voting and less arguing.  We need more love and less hatred. Imagine the world we would wake up in with one in which people accepted one another instead of rejecting one another. You just might have a world in which the politicians have to do their jobs and fulfill their promises. Now that would be a powerful shift! 

Kindergarten was Right-We Need Rest Time!

 “God’s work is never done! So, I can’t take an entire day off because I am doing God’s work!” I heard that line from pastors when I was in ministry my entire career. I almost always heard it when I declined to do something because it was on my day off. One pastor was regarded as the greatest because he never took a complete day off. That line of thinking is unbiblical. God rested. Jesus went off by himself to pray. We are not greater than God. We must take time to rest. 

I am taking time today to rest. I am exhausted. even though I went to an amazing conference with my church this weekend, I’m still tired. I started tired. Part of my tiredness is my fault. I don’t always go to bed early. I’m trying to change that with my small Sabbath this weekend and extra day. I know better. I know that with rest I am a better person. Rest affects every area of our health, emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual. We must do what Jesus did when he was on earth and take time to rest. 

When we are tired, our emotional health is low. Many people become angry. Anger is not a sin. What we do when we are angry can become sinful. When we are tired, many times our anger leads to sinful actions. Our words may be unpleasant to others. Our attitudes may be horrible. Other people do not need to tolerate our emotions. As Christians, we owe it to the world to give others our best selves. We can only do that when we are well rested. 

Our mental health suffers when we don’t rest. I recognized that I could not think of simple terms or names when I was completely exhausted. I made silly mistakes with electronics or in my life. Those mistakes can be costly, especially with areas of driving. The Bible tells us to control our minds and to not conform to the patterns of this world. When we are tired, we conform because we cannot think clearly. Rest will give us clear thinking. 

Our physical health suffers when we are tired. I noticed I eat unhealthier when I am tired because I crave unhealthy foods. During the pandemic, many people gained weight. They were eating unhealthily because they were emotionally and physically tired. We can get hurt if we exhort too much exercise when we are tired. It happens to young athletes. Rest helps our bodies become healthy. 

Our spiritual health suffers when we are tired. We don’t want to worship God. We begin to question if God exists because life is so bad for us at this time. if we just take time to rest, we will have clarity of the life situations that surround us. When Elijah was ready to die, it was because he was exhausted. God gave him food and put him to sleep. He rested. He was ready to go. Rest helps our faith in God. 

So, how do we rest? First, we stop with the excuses. If you believe you do not have time to rest, find mentors that will help you find the time. These mentors can be in the same professions as you. They can be authors or coworkers, or those on podcasts. Although many teachers are tired, I have always found those teachers that are not tired and have a lot of energy. I realize that if I want to be that teacher, I must rest. 

Stop with the excuses of not setting a bedtime. Science has proven that teenagers need more rest. Science has proven that the rest comes going to bed earlier, not sleeping in later. So, what did the state of California do? They started high school later. It’s not beneficial. My students are still tired as many of them have to come to school early as their parents still go to work early. I realized that I’m just like my students. I want to stay up late. I must get into the routine of going to bed earlier to have more rest at night. 

Next, we must find what the source of our problems are with sleep. If you struggle to sleep, you must go to the doctor and find ways with your doctor of what the issue is. The last time I took my sister to the doctor for a small procedure, I sat right outside the sleep therapy area. In that area, they were testing people for their sleep patterns. We must lower our pride and get help. 

Finally, we must see rest as a spiritual act. If we have better attitudes and are mentally stronger with more rest, we will see the necessity of rest. God’s work can be done by someone else. Many times, God wants someone else to do the job. God needs us, and he needs us to be healthy. We do no one any good when we are unhealthy. 

Take time to take some rest. Give yourself permission. Take time away from work to just rest. It is not a day to run errands, but a day that you stop and rest. Find yourself doing better with rest. People around you will notice the different you when you are well rested. The world needs us; they don’t need mean tweets, but well rested Christians to represent the love of Jesus. 

Surviving the Hurricanes of Life

 Surviving the Hurricane of Life

It was the end of summer in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1979. I remember it well. The media screamed for days that a hurricane was approaching, and we had to take shelter. It was Labor Day Weekend. The media didn’t scare my mom, but because we lived in a mobile home, we had to evacuate. Hurricane David hit our city at 1:00AM. We were fortunate. We got the eye of the storm. Do you know the meme where the lawn furniture is knocked over? That was the extinct of the damage of Hurricane David for us in Daytona. It went out in the ocean, moved up the coast, and demolished a small town in South Carolina. 

Hurricanes are predictable, and yet, they are not. Their path of destruction can turn and hit an unexpecting town. The media screams for people to be prepared, but they also instill fear. Life has its hurricanes. In life, it is not if a hurricane will strike us, but when. From my own experience, I have discovered that with the hurricanes of life, we must be prepared, we must assess the damage, and we must ask for help as we have served others. 

Whether you have been a boy scout or a girl scout, you know one of the important part of the creeds is to be prepared. The only way we can face the storms in life is to have plans and materials in place. For a hurricane in Florida, people have working generators, supplies of water, and food stored for several days. For the storms of life, we must have our lives ready for the storms that hit us. We must be in prayer. Just because we pray, it doesn’t mean that God will take away our storm, but He will give us guidance of how to weather the storm. We know how to weather the storm when we are grounded in God’s Word. 

Being grounded in God’s Word is going beyond the sweet stories and understanding the context and how God works in the lives of humans. We must seek out understanding of passages that have been destroyed through the eyes of those who do not know or understand God. The way we do this is to read the Bible, take notes, read commentaries, and find people who understand the passages, either in books, podcasts, or real life. Real life relationships are also essential for preparing for a storm. 

Relating to people who care and understand your storm is critical for surviving the storm, and then eventually thriving. No one needs the mean tweets of people who either don’t exist or do not care about other humans who exist. We need people who empower us. Those who have been through the storms, empower and encourage us. Storms like cancer, actual storms that destroy our homes, broken relationships, or lost careers are survived with people. People weathering the storm with you help you with the damage and help with the clean-up, which leads you to healing. 

We must be ready for the after effect of the storm. Clean-up from Hurricane Ian will be immense. I spent a week in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city. There were so many church groups, humanity groups, and non-profit organizations that gathered for the clean-up to rebuild of the city. 

Before we could rebuild in New Orleans with the group that I served, we first had to clean-up the damage. I was there six months after the hurricane hit, and we were gutting homes and cleaning them out for people who did not have the financial means or the people to help them do that. When a hurricane hits your life, you must rid your life of the damaged goods that will hinder you from moving in the future. 

Your damaged goods could be physical ailments, broken relationships, loss of a career, or physical loss of material items. Those broken items can either be repaired or thrown out for new. I hate getting rid of items in my life that are sentimental or that I have spent time on creating and spending my life within them. In recent years, I have discovered that when I held those items too close, I was blinded with emotions that were harming and not open to what could be in front of me. 

We all have damaged goods that must be removed from our lives. We may have to employ the help of others to remove them. I have recognized in my life and in the lives of others that asking for help is a difficulty for many people. In New Orleans, the people had left their homes as is from the hurricane. Six months later when we were there to help, they decided to take our help. Our leader connected with agencies to find these people. Once we gutted out one home, a neighbor asked us for help with their home. It was eye opening to them that volunteers were there for them. We didn’t say, “No,” to anyone. 

We all must receive help when the hurricanes in life hit us. It’s not weak to receive help. It’s not socialism to have a group of people surround you and give you their talents, time, and gifts to help you recover from your storm. It’s humanity. In recent years, many have forgotten how to be human. Maybe it was the lockdown of the pandemic that created selfishness. If you don’t agree with people, you don’t get their help is a selfish and evil way to think. Jesus helped those who didn’t even believe in him. He fed those who were hungry and healed those who needed healing whether they followed him or not. We must be willing to receive the help, and when we have weathered the storm, we must step up and help those who are experiencing a similar storm. 

For those of us who are not in a time of a hurricane, we must reach out and empower and help those who are. For those of you who are weathering a storm, reach out for help. Many people in my social media have opened up about having cancer. They kept it to themselves for many months. Imagine the prayer warriors if they had given us their diagnosis from the beginning. People will not pity you. People will give you empathy. I have seen people connect people with doctors, lawyers, and new jobs because they were vulnerable and willing to allow others to serve them. 

We may not get financial help just because we are broke. We may receive advice. We may receive a way to find a job, or a job offer. For me, I discovered how to make my resume and cover letter better. I also discovered how to interview better. I did get prayer from prayer warriors, and it was from them that gave me strength. 

We all have storms in our lives. Reflecting on my life and the storms I had, I wish I had connected with others more and was more open about my status in life. Whenever I did tell people about my situation, I received good advice, friends, and prayers from people. I didn’t get pity. I didn’t get shamed. I got empowerment.

Hurricane Ian has hit. Let’s join in the effort to help those with their hurricanes to clean-up and move forward to thrive. Let’s help others and receive the help from others. We were not created to do life alone but in community. The church exists in community. The community can gather with one another and build you up. The help may not be what you want, (Many churches are financially strapped, so a handout of money may not be available) but it will always be what you need. For those of us not in a storm right now, let us be the church and serve those who are. 

Autumn-The Season of Chage

 Since I cannot see the change of autumn with leaves turning colors in the trees and creating a beautiful landscape, I have become obsessed with pumpkin spice. Living in Southern California, I know it is the season of autumn with all the pumpkin spice lattes, bakery items, and Trader Joe’s delightful foods that add pumpkin into it. We have one street in Los Angeles where the trees change colors. The weather is not cool, as we are experiencing a small heat wave. So, we rely on the treats that give our physical bodies comfort. 

As much as I love summer, the pumpkin spice lattes have given me a reason to look forward to autumn. My favorite season is summer. As a young person and now as a teacher, it is a season of rest and fun. When autumn comes, we are back in the dull routine of school, work, and fun comes on the weekends. If I’m being honest, what really scares me about autumn is the idea that change is coming. Even though I am someone who likes change or rather the end result of change, like everyone else, I do not like the process of change. 

Change comes into our lives at all seasons, but autumn reminds us that change must come so that we can grow. When the leaves fall from the trees, and the weather becomes cooler (in some parts of America), we begin to prepare ourselves for a new season. God has given us the seasons to remind us that we must change so we can grow. 

If every season was summer, most people would not be productive. We would become content and comfortable. Once something comes along that disrupts our comfort, we whine and cry out to God wondering where he is. He’s right where he always is. God doesn’t change because God doesn’t need to grow. We must change so we can grow. 

Change is painful because it leads us into the unknown, but we can lessen the pain with changing our attitude about change. We must understand that change is necessary for us to grow. Children change as they grow. They grow so fast. They don’t complain about the growth and changes until adults create the complaints for them. Children face the growth eagerly with anticipation that the result will be amazing. Imagine if as adults we had that same attitude. 

If we faced change in our relationships that it will be amazing if we change our habits, we will be willing to change habits. If we faced change in careers or jobs that it will be great in the end, we would enjoy the process of finding a new career. If we faced change in the church that the result will be amazing with more people coming to Jesus, we will see more people come to Jesus. It’s not about changing the process or methods. It’s about changing our hearts to allow God to work with us with the change. 

We must be ready to change. We must change our hearts from an attitude of arrogance to humility. We must be willing to allow change into our lives so that we can influence others. We don’t have to change our moral values or our theology. We can, however, change how we think about those who have different moral values and theology than us. Instead of arguing and complaining, especially online, we can allow others to teach us how they came to their ideas of theology and morals. 

For the past few years, I have had a change of heart about how to treat those who think differently from me politically. I listen to their point of view. If I ask questions, I try to frame them with a heart of learning and not a heart of bashing. This has become a huge change for me. I post less on social media, as I have discovered that many people do not respond to sarcasm or cynicism. Besides, I have also learned that those two actions are unbecoming for healthy relationships. 

We must change our attitudes of how we see people. We must see others as fellow human beings. Jesus saw people for their humanity. He didn’t excuse or overlook their sins, but he saw their humanity. Imagine the power the church would have over the world if we saw the humanity in people, especially those who believe and think differently than us. It would be a beautiful world. The world is waiting and watching for Christians to take a step forward. Let us step forward and change our hearts to see the humanity of people. 

The process of seeing the humanity of people will be allowing the deadness of our words to drop and cease. We will get tired. We will have to cool down from the emotions, but in the end, as we see people meet Jesus, it will be worth it. Our goal was never to have better morals than others. It was always to bring people into the presence of Jesus. If we don’t do that, then the words that we use are unnecessary. Let’s make a change and change the world with us. 

The Fighting on Social Media and Christians.

I am just as guilty as anyone else who gets into a nonsensical argument on social media that will not even make a dent of a difference in the world. As much as I attempt to stay away, I find myself falling for another trap and getting involved in arguments that are useless. When I continued to see this discourse and how it is affecting people’s images of others, I decided to ponder upon it. Then, I saw a robot or what some consider a “bot” stirring up controversy on a hot-button issue. It’s bad enough that politicians and people who have the time to spend all day on social media stir up trouble, and now, we must be aware that some of those are just robots. So, why do we fall for it? 

Someone somewhere is controlling the atmosphere. Without being a psychologist, they also understand the dynamics that pull people into commenting on issues of which they are passionate. There it is. They find our passions. They know from history how people will respond when our passions are being attacked. It’s fine to defend our passions. What we must begin to understand is that because we are passionate about an issue doesn’t mean that we are experts or know the full truth or are empathetic to those whose passions may be different or opposite of ours. 

I have discovered in recent times that everyone is an expert…about everything. Take an issue and the next thing you know, they know every detail about it, or so they think. Just because a church, a political party, or a news outlet aligns with your views, does not make it correct or you an expert. Is anyone besides Jesus a true expert? Didn’t we learn during the lockdowns that experts can be wrong? You can have knowledge about a subject, but that doesn’t mean you are an expert. We must become humble and acknowledge that we may not know everything about everything. 

Instead of being experts, we must become learners. When we discover an issue in the world that bothers us, we must research what the truth is with that issue. Once we discover all the details, we realize that not only are we not experts about an issue, but we may have been wrong. Whether we discover if we are right or wrong, we must search for the truth. Without truth, we sound ignorant because we bought into the lie. With those lies, we insult people. Truth is essential to squash the disunity in our society, especially on social media.  

For centuries, people have been searching for truth. When Jesus told Pilate that every one of the truth testifies that Jesus is king, Pilate asked, “What is truth?” Pilate didn’t understand truth because he lived by his truth instead of the truth. We cannot just spew our truth, which is based on our life experiences. We all have unique life experiences. We all have lived within our own upbringings and cultures. That creates a diverse society. What we must begin to understand is that other people have lived other experiences. We must begin to learn from others. If we are continuous learners, we will discover the truth over what we perceive to be true. 

When an issue arises in society, instead of jumping on the side of your political or religious views, research the subject. Find the truth. Religious leaders have been wrong. They misuse the Bible to force people to obey their standards. When you research the subject, you discover information that is not in the media. You discover information that has been eliminated from the public view, which should be concerning. The truth will set you free. It sets us free from getting into the debates because we know the truth. It sets us free from misunderstandings because we know what the truth is. Once we know the truth about an issue, we then can understand other people and our empathy grows. 

When we are followers of Christ, we know we don’t have to get into the petty debates because we understand that Jesus has room for everyone. Since Jesus has room for everyone, so can we. We don’t have to water down the Bible or the theology of Jesus. We must take a walk in the path of someone else. Most of us do not know what it is like to live in a different country other than America. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, we must admit that we have no idea what life is like in a country with living standards that are different from ours. 

If we admit that we don’t understand the living standards of people in other countries, we can admit that we don’t know what it is like to live the lives of others in our own communities. Everyone has their own peculiarities. Each person is an individual. Without empathy, we are rude and unkind. The fighting breaks friendships because we didn’t take the time to understand the other person and his or her struggle. 

We as Christians must do better. It is one of the factors that is driving people away from the church. Who wants to be involved with a group of people who are perfect and know everything about everything? Jesus didn’t work with the perfect. Research the way his disciples behaved, and you will realize that Jesus had empathy for humans, and He set the perfect example for us to have empathy for others. 

Take time this week to research an issue that you are passionate about. Go beyond the first topic on the Internet. Dig deep and have conversations with people who are dealing with those issues. Instead of jumping on a bandwagon with the group that you agree, take a stroll in the other lane, and discover why people may think differently from you. 

It all comes to the point that we must have love and respect for human beings. No one human is the same as the other. We are not clones. Some of us refuse to be put into a box with the clones that people try to create. Let us live the passage in 2 Timothy 2. “Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But reject foolish and ignorant disputes because you know that they breed quarrels. The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of THE truth.” (2 Timothy 2:22-25; CSB) Let us pursue righteousness, flee from quarrels, and be led to knowledge of THE truth.