The sound of dissention

I wasn't able to watch the state of the union address last night, I was teaching an evening class.  I am aware of how polar we are politically these days.  In reading political commentary, many feel that we are more polarized today than we have ever been.  I see this myself as I read Facebook postings.  I don't seem to see much critical thought on either side.  I seem to see more attacks against conservative and Republican views, which might just be due to my own Facebook.  I would enjoy engaging in discussion that is well thought out, looks at facts and reality on both sides, and comes to conclusions based on reality versus political bias and emotions. 

I've been reading the book of Genesis, chapters 30 and 31 today, the story of Jacob and Laban, and Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel, sisters in birth. So much jealousy, so much manipulation, so much deceit, all within the structure of a family.  It made me realize, again, that what we are seeing politically is nothing new.  We choose our sides and refuse to see the others.  We become victims on our side and dehumanize the other side.  And in the whole mess, we feel that somewhere we have control.  We are a funny race, both back then and now.  We claim compassion and unity in one breath and spew slander and insults in the next.  We salivate like dogs when we hear charismatic words and place higher esteem over a smooth tongue than experience, character, and wisdom.  We ignore history, the worlds, our Nations, our cultures, our own, to feel good and to keep in step with the marching drums of propaganda and hate, yelling, "hurray for our side".

I must say, do we really have a side?  Or are we just walking the side of another?  I must also say, when we get in boot step with the line of a person or a party, who's line are we stepping out of?  That's my fear, that as we continue to be polarized and march the steps of the charismatic drummer, we forget who we are, who created us, who our Master truly is.  To me, that is what is sad.  We post hatred instead of love, dissent instead of compassion, division instead of unity.  Like Laban and Jacob, Rachel and Leah, we have forgotten who we are looking at.  We will disagree, that's OK.  But do we have to be so mean, so ignorant, so bias, that we would kill our own family.  My challenge would be before you post some cute "we're right and their wrong" slogan or picture, do your research, know who you are attacking, and realize that they are your brothers and sisters.  In the end, there really is only one right, one path, one party, one drummer, and it sure isn't man's.

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