know grace-become grace

i'll be honest- everything I have seen online today has just broken my heart.

everybody obviously has had their piece to say today-- on both sides. triumph on one side, deeply felt defeat on the other. we all knew it was coming- and that's the inevitable fact of the matter. some people were going to be hurt. and on both sides... responses to the outcome has been so far from gracious.

gloating and pride on one hand... slander and hate speech on the other.

Jesus reigns. it's an absolute-- He always has and always will. it would be just as true if Harris had won instead of Trump. His authority has never been dependent on the outcome of an election. and- it is simply not something to be referred to flippantly because the broken person you preferred is being appointed to a place of power.

I would argue that on both sides- there has been an unconscious thought of "oh if God is actually good, and actually cares for us, then He'll let this candidate win." and gosh, that so clearly reveals how shallow our view and understanding of the hand and will of God truly is.

the story He is writing is not dictated by which side has power. His knowledge transcends- what He decides cannot be changed or thwarted by human effort. none of it is dependent on circumstance. never has been, never will be.

for how much the Scriptures talk about love, there is so little care by believers for the hearts and souls that weigh on the opposite side of what we believe. any time that politics come up-- it is so clear that people hold their stance and convictions over the value of the person sitting across from them.

we claim to be a people of love under the name of Jesus. but somewhere along the way- we let the colors of blue or red define and dictate our words and actions toward people more than the blood of Jesus. instead of receiving and welcoming and caring for each other in the ways Jesus did during His years on earth, we stiff-arm and hold a seed of hatred in our souls toward brothers and sisters who hold different thoughts than our own.

it is not for us to decide which people do and do not deserve respect and the love of Christ. this is arrogance in and of itself-- we are all made in the same image, intimately fashioned by the same God. none of us better than another. none of us more loved by God than another. and it would do us good to remember that.

whether or not what you thought best happened yesterday-- whether the person you wanted is taking a seat in the Oval Office, the Father above is still on His throne. and the way He has commanded His disciples to live has not changed.

may we look at one another through the eyes of our Savior. the Savior who befriended tax collectors and prostitutes; and shared His table with outcasts and sinners.

He has called us to do the same. but it's now our choice to step off of our high horse- to lay down our opinions and our feelings to see those around us with care and compassion.

may we represent our God in purity-- becoming a people after His heart as we grow to truly know His.

love your neighbor. and not just the one who wants to celebrate this outcome with you. love the one who is grieving it too.

that's the point. to grow in mercy and be more deeply formed into the image of Jesus. it's in front of you... don't miss it.