It is said that we preachers only have 3-5 things to say and we just keep\u00a0finding\u00a0new ways to say them. There is some truth to that I think and this state of being is not always bad. Themes of living love, extending\u00a0forgiveness, seeking justice etc. are well worth coming back to again and again and again.\u00a0With this in mind, I apologize for what may soon just be heard as \u201cblah, blah, blah, graciousness, blah, blah, blah, blah,\u201d but it seems as though the \u201csoap box\u201d upon which I have been standing during this presidential election season has a big ol\u2019 neon sign saying to my Christian brothers and sisters, \u201cDon\u2019t be mean!\u201d<\/p>\n If you did not catch it, yesterday a video was released from a private fundraiser where\u00a0Presidential\u00a0candidate, Governor Mitt Romney, got into some hot water with the following comments:<\/p>\n There are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47% who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that\u2019s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. [Mother Jones Breaking Article<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n One can imagine the hey day folks where having with this one. Obama supporters, Romney detractors and even conservative columnist, \u00a0David Brooks<\/a><\/em>, all joined in on the\u00a0dog-pile\u00a0on Romney festivities. And then there was Romney\u2019s press\u00a0conference<\/a>\u00a0to explain the comments and Reince Priebus<\/a>, Chairman of the\u00a0Republican\u00a0National Committee<\/a>, said that Romney was on message<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now as I have said before<\/a>, there is very little chance (0%) that I will vote for Romney and the\u00a0accompanying\u00a0Republican platform<\/a>, but, no matter how much I may disagree with his perspective and the policies\u00a0that would emerge from them,\u00a0I am also not going to jump on the \u201cRomney Hates You!\u201d train. After all, it was only one short election cycle ago that, then candidate Barack Obama got into his own hot water when at, yes, a private fundraiser<\/em>, he was caught saying the following to explain why he was having a hard time attracting support from the Mid-west and working-class Americans.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren\u2019t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.\u00a0[Video w\/words<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n And much like Romney\u2019s current gaffe, there were press conferences, apologies, justifications, etc.<\/p>\n So what? Are these just words taken out of context,\u00a0missteps\u00a0from campaign-weary candidates, blatant pandering or insights into what a\u00a0politicians\u00a0soul? Probably a little of all of these thing and I bet, no matter the origin, none are election game changers. Incidents like this certainly galvanize people who are against a candidiate and may even lesson the fervor with which some will support a candidate, but I doubt that any single incident, or even\u00a0compilations\u00a0of incidents will cause a Republican to vote for Obama or the other way around.<\/p>\n As I watched the commentary role out and the snark-fest reach a creciendo, I did think to myself that, as people of faith, we have missed an opportunity to witness to a better way of engaging in the public square and political arena. Rather than join in what feels so often like a village mob seeking the head of some political monster, imagine the power of collectively offering a vision of disagreement and discernment that does not resort to one-dimensional characterizations, dehumanizing rhetoric and mean-spiritedness masked as righteous indignation.<\/p>\n That would be pretty awesome.<\/p>\n It saddens me people when people call Obama a socialist, a marxist or a dictator and\u00a0label\u00a0him as stupid, ignorant and anti-American, because no person, no matter the office held should be seen the target of hateful rhetoric and personal attack. What then is the difference when Obama supporters do the same to Romney or Ryan? Not much. Sure this is\u00a0politics\u00a0where spin runs rampant, mud-slinging is justified and strategy trumps truth,\u00a0but when approached with a less of faith that should guide our whole life, aren\u2019t we compelled to speak outside of this style and tone?<\/p>\n Yes, yes we are.<\/p>\n Do not conform\u00a0to the pattern of this world,\u00a0but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.\u00a0Then you will be able to test and approve what God\u2019s will is\u2014his good, pleasing\u00a0and perfect will. \u2013 Romans 12:2<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Or as I posted on Facebook<\/a> yesterday, albeit with far less tact:<\/p>\n Okay church, please remember that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control did make the final \u201cfruit of the Spirit\u201d list . . . JACKASSERY, however, did not.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ultimately, as I engage in conversations about\u00a0politics and the common good, I ask myself the question, \u201cTo what end?\u201d and as\u00a0difficult\u00a0as it is to resist the satire, snark and sarcasm<\/a> that feels so good and feeds my soul, building community across lines of ideology, theology and perspective is more important than any snarky captioned picture that I might add to the conversation. So while I will\u00a0probably\u00a0not call anyone out in\u00a0particular, it\u2019s my hope that rather than join in and\u00a0promulgate\u00a0hatred and discord, more of us will seek to live those fruit of the Spirit ideals<\/a>:\u00a0love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.<\/p>\n A boy can dream.<\/p>\n Peace be with you all.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is said that we preachers only have 3-5 things to say and we just keep\u00a0finding\u00a0new ways to say them. There is some truth to that I think and this state of being is not always bad. Themes of living love, extending\u00a0forgiveness, seeking justice etc. are well worth coming back to again and again and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":5510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[244,17],"tags":[17106,17300,17295,17297,17301,17298,17299,17296,16735,17293,17294],"class_list":["post-5508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-politics","category-faith-religion","tag-2012-presidential-election","tag-17300","tag-david-brooks","tag-foot-in-mouth","tag-fruit-of-the-spirit","tag-gaffes","tag-gun-owners","tag-jackassery","tag-mitt-romney","tag-reince-priebus","tag-republican-national-committee"],"yoast_head":"\n