Dueling Candidates - in the Season of Self Promotion

The advertising season is upon us – with a vengeance. Election Time. Time to tell the world how good you are, what you’ll do for people. And, how dangerous, how ominous, how bad are the other people.
 
As the days pass, the charges become more blatant, more bizarre, more exaggerated.
 
We watch, we listen, and we are more divided.
 
The Bible tells us to look for the good in others. “...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
 
But the newspapers, the candidates, the ads, call us to think about the bad things, the dark possibilities. And that darkness begins to invade our souls, our minds, our view of a whole group of people.
 
And we, who are called to be people of the light, become in our minds and hearts, people of the dark – overtaken by the negative.
 
In the days of creation, each thing God made, He called good. He made us, as His children, His people, to be good.
 
Until suspicion, promoted by the Evil One, took over our human minds. Suspicion of others, and glorification of ourselves. Our thoughts, centered on ourselves.
 
It was called pride. And always, sooner or later, connected with power. Adam and Eve began to think of themselves as competitors with God. They wanted to have that power.
 
The human race has forever struggled with the desire for power. With competition. With being better than others.
 
We are taught to strive for success. To be the BEST. And – good things can come from that. But, the balance of life – between humility and pride – is hard to achieve. Almost impossible to keep.
 
In early America, candidates for high offices never spoke for themselves. Others spoke for them.
 
America right now needs the Church. Because the Church is the great reminder of the One Who gave Himself up for others. Gave up His life! How? By love.
 
We are the people called to love others. Love the unlovable. Love those who differ with us. Love those who irritate us.
 
We are called to be a strange people in our modern day. Who don’t react like everyone else. Who are not watching out for ourselves. And, who can gracefully accept politicians of the other party who win when our person doesn’t. Who can learn to love this land as one country. As people who hold in common, deep principles of community life.
 
What privilege to be Americans. What honor to be Christians. How good to be people who have a history, who have great tradition of relationship and working together, helping each other to live by them.
 
We can pray for that, for ourselves, in these political, pandemic days. For grace, for kindliness. For humor. For believing the best of others.
 
God honors that and blesses that, and will strengthen that as we give Him our heart for that purpose. What a good time to practice the art of kindly living.
 
God help us all.
Arthur