Sarah and I watched President Obama's speech last night. He again demonstrated his rhetorical gift which helped him get elected. It was the latest and biggest statement from politicians that has swirled around the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords.
I really liked the speech. I thought he did a good job and although there is plenty that I disagree with Obama on some things, I found a lot to agree with last night. The biggest of these was the call to improve how we talk about each other. Here's a quote:
“But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized – at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do – it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.”
So much of the dialog today (and throughout American history for that matter) focuses on dehumanizing those who we would disagree with. Now I am not saying that people aren't wrong sometimes. Sometimes people are very wrong. We cannot be afraid to take stands on truth and point out that someone can be wrong. The problem comes where we step beyond what they are wrong about and treat them in a way that is unloving and disrespectful. Let's look at the Bible for evidence of what the truth is about our discourse.
So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. (James 3:5-10 NAS)
Notice that it says we curse men who are made in the image of God. Who is that? EVERYONE! So it is saying that we shouldn't curse people but instead offer blessing. Do we have other example of this in Scripture?
"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. "If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. "If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. (Luke 6:27-37 NAS)
These of course are the words of Jesus Himself, teaching how we should treat others. Again, this does not mean that we can't point out Biblical truth and show people where their actions go against God's revealed truth. It means that as we do that, we remember that we are all wrong on so many levels, we are all in need of grace and mercy and we are to be defined by our grace and mercy, not our anger and retribution, even verbally.
Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (Colossians 4:5-6 NAS)
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:29-32 NAS)
God will come and judge the world and even now He disciplines. He has told us to be messengers of reconciliation, illustrating his love and forgiveness in the way we treat other people and even talk to and about them. Obama had good words. There have been times when he has not lived by them in his political speech. There have been times when I have not lived these words of Scripture either. We're still men in need of forgiveness. Let's watch our mouths, even and especially when we talk about politics and those who we have disagreement, perhaps strong disagreements with.
