LABELING

People seem to love labeling others who seem to disagree with them.

In Rwanda, one tribe called another tribe “roaches” and worthless garbage. It dehumanized them and made it easier for the others to slaughter them.

Calling someone “progressive, woke, liberal or socialist” keeps the name callers “safe” from having to see the other as a fellow human being in need of the same grace we are in desperate need of.

To call someone a racist because of their skin color, or because they voted for someone different than you did or to accuse them of bigotry is, in fact, bigotry defined.

We can be bigoted toward conservatives or liberals (sorry for the labels) and bastion ourselves behind pride and never see the other.

Jesus Christ saw the whole world in need of rescue; the religious and non-religious. He didn’t label people so He could avoid having to do anything with them. He marginalized no one.

He didn’t advocate the overthrow of Rome. He called everyone to repentance: turning from any other system, political affiliation, peer group, person or philosophy as a potential means of making the world a better place. He called us to turn to God, Who alone can give a new heart, a new spirit, a new way to finally become truly human.

People, jettison your labeling machinery and see others the way God sees you. Be a bridge over which the Lord can walk towards another so they can see how He loves them.

There is no compromise in mercy and forgiveness, just the truth and power of a new life.