The Washington Post has a very interesting story that comes in a long multi-year line of similar stories. Conservatives tend to have more friends who are liberal than liberals have conservative friends. The Post very helpfully starts the story with a liberal who had to abandon his friendship with a conservative who went down the QAnon rabbit hole. “
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
Mark 8:34-37 NIV
Befriend them, if you can. You are to reach the elect with the Good News !
Friendship is a two way street. You can care about someone who loathes you...you can have pity and sympathy for them, you can pray for their souls...but it's impossible to be "friends" with someone who literally wants you dead.
Just a couple of observations from someone who has not been educated in seminary. Each of the examples of God burning with rage against the sinners is from the old testament. Thus it is before Christ provided forgiveness for our sins. I wonder if that changes the way we should view sinners including those in the church. Also your comment about Jesus wishing he could have self-righteousness on the cross - or more likely so that he could avoid the cross. Yes, he prayed for another way. But at his core, I don't believe he really wished for self-righteousness. I don't believe you think that he did either. Sometimes what we want at a surface level don't align with our core beliefs well.
Erick, one of your BEST articles!!! VERY well put. I live by the question...."Do you want to be right or do you want a relationship?" I choose the relationship. I have Democrat friends with whom we have agreed to disagree politically...and love each other still. AND we Christians should always be open to planting a seed in the non-believer....you just never know what wonderful conversion might happen.
Whether an enclave in which you live, or simply your circle of friends, any group of folks can limit the diversity of said group...and it is quite natural to do so (befriend those with similar likes). The difference as you point out, is it seems the left strives to not only limit friends of the right, but to also crush those with right leanings. Also worth noting, most of my left leaning friends on social media no longer have many political posts...seems they are more interested in animal posts, for now.
Like a former pastor of mine said, "There are some folks you just don't prefer. Okay, you don't have to hang out with them. But you are commanded to love them as Christ loves you." Boom! Functionally, practically, be kind. Be the Jesus you hope they come to know. There's a great song by Randy Stonehill, "In Jesus Name," that lays out this truth: What we do in Jesus' name will affect someone else's eternity. When we are truly His hands and feet, people will be drawn to the truth we are living. Conversely, if we participate in open and public jackassery (thanks for the new word Erick...) then we may not know the person we push away from Christ, but God does.
Very well written Eric. I have some close friends that are liberal. I met most of them through work. None of them are overtly hateful towards conservatives. If we ever discuss politics, the topics are typically things we agree on such as economy, crime, etc. I have always tried to understand their viewpoints. Most of them are highly educated and financially well off. They tend to get most of their news from NPR type sources. Most of them do not have close relatives that served in the military. They don't go to church. They live in a bubble in metropolitan areas and have never spent any time in rural areas of the U.S. However, they are genuinely good people. They have always supported me when I needed help (death of family members, sickness etc.). I I think the biggest contributors to the current hate between liberals, leftists, progressives, and conservatives is the media and outspoken politicians that have based their careers on hateful rhetoric against white people and conservatives in general (Cor Bush, Maxine Waters, etc.).
Really well written and appreciated. You have really driven home the following points over the last few months.
(1). Christians show grace. It is what separates us from all other religions. If you are not showing grace where you have political disagreements, there is no way you are happy.
(2). Tribalism is a very real thing. As this continues to strengthen and grow, I think we all have to work hard to make sure we define ourselves first as Christians, before anything else. You do that, your likely to be a happier person.
(3). Social Media does not reflect who the left or the right is. If you quit talking to those you may have disagreements with, and rely on what Social Media is telling you where Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conservatives stand, then there is a good chance that you will become trapped in Tribalism.
I'm back to walking around with a smile on my face and worried less about what others say and do. Especially on social media.
Being friends with people who disagree with you is work. You have to get out of your own head and thoughts long enough to listen and find those places of agreement. Sometimes the agreement isn't political, it's worry about kids or wondering what to bring to a picnic.
That goes for both the far left and the far right. (Centrists seem to manage okay but they take a lot of flack for it).
Someone once told me that if you have a spouse who isn't a Christian, you have to be the Bible for them. Maybe this is similar.
Realizing I could easily treat this space as a therapists’s couch, I’ll be pithy: I much prefer my liberal friends to the obtuse family & friends who have substituted Trump for Jesus.
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
Mark 8:34-37 NIV
Befriend them, if you can. You are to reach the elect with the Good News !
Friendship is a two way street. You can care about someone who loathes you...you can have pity and sympathy for them, you can pray for their souls...but it's impossible to be "friends" with someone who literally wants you dead.
Just a couple of observations from someone who has not been educated in seminary. Each of the examples of God burning with rage against the sinners is from the old testament. Thus it is before Christ provided forgiveness for our sins. I wonder if that changes the way we should view sinners including those in the church. Also your comment about Jesus wishing he could have self-righteousness on the cross - or more likely so that he could avoid the cross. Yes, he prayed for another way. But at his core, I don't believe he really wished for self-righteousness. I don't believe you think that he did either. Sometimes what we want at a surface level don't align with our core beliefs well.
Erick, one of your BEST articles!!! VERY well put. I live by the question...."Do you want to be right or do you want a relationship?" I choose the relationship. I have Democrat friends with whom we have agreed to disagree politically...and love each other still. AND we Christians should always be open to planting a seed in the non-believer....you just never know what wonderful conversion might happen.
Whether an enclave in which you live, or simply your circle of friends, any group of folks can limit the diversity of said group...and it is quite natural to do so (befriend those with similar likes). The difference as you point out, is it seems the left strives to not only limit friends of the right, but to also crush those with right leanings. Also worth noting, most of my left leaning friends on social media no longer have many political posts...seems they are more interested in animal posts, for now.
It helps to think of "love" as an action, not a feeling. We can show love even when we may not feel live.
Well said brother. Jesus never stopped loving his enemies or the friends who abandoned Him. May we press toward that mark of our high calling.
Like a former pastor of mine said, "There are some folks you just don't prefer. Okay, you don't have to hang out with them. But you are commanded to love them as Christ loves you." Boom! Functionally, practically, be kind. Be the Jesus you hope they come to know. There's a great song by Randy Stonehill, "In Jesus Name," that lays out this truth: What we do in Jesus' name will affect someone else's eternity. When we are truly His hands and feet, people will be drawn to the truth we are living. Conversely, if we participate in open and public jackassery (thanks for the new word Erick...) then we may not know the person we push away from Christ, but God does.
Very well written Eric. I have some close friends that are liberal. I met most of them through work. None of them are overtly hateful towards conservatives. If we ever discuss politics, the topics are typically things we agree on such as economy, crime, etc. I have always tried to understand their viewpoints. Most of them are highly educated and financially well off. They tend to get most of their news from NPR type sources. Most of them do not have close relatives that served in the military. They don't go to church. They live in a bubble in metropolitan areas and have never spent any time in rural areas of the U.S. However, they are genuinely good people. They have always supported me when I needed help (death of family members, sickness etc.). I I think the biggest contributors to the current hate between liberals, leftists, progressives, and conservatives is the media and outspoken politicians that have based their careers on hateful rhetoric against white people and conservatives in general (Cor Bush, Maxine Waters, etc.).
Really well written and appreciated. You have really driven home the following points over the last few months.
(1). Christians show grace. It is what separates us from all other religions. If you are not showing grace where you have political disagreements, there is no way you are happy.
(2). Tribalism is a very real thing. As this continues to strengthen and grow, I think we all have to work hard to make sure we define ourselves first as Christians, before anything else. You do that, your likely to be a happier person.
(3). Social Media does not reflect who the left or the right is. If you quit talking to those you may have disagreements with, and rely on what Social Media is telling you where Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conservatives stand, then there is a good chance that you will become trapped in Tribalism.
I'm back to walking around with a smile on my face and worried less about what others say and do. Especially on social media.
"In other words, you think you can love them by being a jackass". Stealing this one!
Yes, beautifully put.
Being friends with people who disagree with you is work. You have to get out of your own head and thoughts long enough to listen and find those places of agreement. Sometimes the agreement isn't political, it's worry about kids or wondering what to bring to a picnic.
That goes for both the far left and the far right. (Centrists seem to manage okay but they take a lot of flack for it).
Someone once told me that if you have a spouse who isn't a Christian, you have to be the Bible for them. Maybe this is similar.
Well said.
Realizing I could easily treat this space as a therapists’s couch, I’ll be pithy: I much prefer my liberal friends to the obtuse family & friends who have substituted Trump for Jesus.