For me, Election Day can’t get here soon enough — and it has nothing to do with the outcome.
I do not mean to minimize the privilege I have to freely engage in the political process. Having done a fair bit of traveling throughout the world, I am grateful to be a part of a political system that allows me to not only make choices, but also to freely discuss those choices.
I am also acutely aware that I have been scripted through a number of influences, individuals and experiences to hold a certain political perspective. We are all products of our environments, histories, and the places our life journeys have taken us.
Somewhere along our political history, though, we seem to have moved away from talking substantively about the issues to focusing our attention on denigrating those who have a different political perspective from ours. The goal no longer seems to be an intentional, rational conversation — but rather to seek out potential character flaws that can be exploited.
“What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” (BCP 305)
Two of the Five Marks of Mission are to respond to human need by loving service and to seek to transform unjust structures of society.
We are clearly called to work for a more just world. Often, it takes political action to make this happen. Yet we are just as clearly called to respect every human being — not the least of whom are those who come from a completely different perspective than we do.