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Crank Up the Love

Monday, December 5, 2022

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“I learned a lot by listening to people with whom I didn’t necessarily agree.” – outgoing MA Gov. Charlie Baker

In my 63 years on this planet, I have never seen our country as divided as it is now. The amount of hate and vitriol that is spewed on the airwaves and via social media – not to mention in the halls of Congress – has reached epidemic proportions.

Now, I am as opinionated as anyone (probably much more so), and I don’t hesitate to share my views on important social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. If you don’t believe me, I invite you to visit my personal political blog sometime. Likewise, I won’t give an inch on spiritual matters such as the inerrancy of Scripture (see 2 Timothy 3:16) and salvation being by grace through faith alone (see Ephesians 2:8-9). However, there is a way to make or defend an argument without resorting to name calling or demonizing those who disagree with you.

Sure, there are times when people who support gender-reassignment surgery for minors must be vigorously opposed. And yes, those who favor abortion on demand should be confronted… and stopped, too. But, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to “speak the truth in love” (see Ephesians 4:15).

The only time I can recall Jesus giving someone a real tongue lashing was when He called out the holier-than-thou Pharisees. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness,” Jesus said in Matthew 23:27… and with good reason. These “holy rollers” acted the part, but their walk didn’t match their talk. In fact, Jesus accused them of being both “fools” and “blind,” whose greed led them to “devour” widows’ houses. That doesn’t sound like He was pulling any punches to me!

One of the differences, however, is that Jesus was 100% holy and sadly, you and I are not. That’s why Jesus cautioned us to remove the plank in our own eye first before calling attention to the speck in someone else’s (see Matthew 7:1-5).

So, let’s all dial back the rhetoric and crank up the love!

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (NASB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading

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