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What are we doing? We are becoming a society where close ties are often frayed over politics and candidates. Our country is full of folks who belittle even their loved ones because of a differing opinion. 

Folks have always argued over politics and religion. However, when we start tossing aside friends or family members because of alignment with a party or candidate, our priorities are completely out of order. 

We all know if we look at the food pyramid and chocolate candy is on the top, then we must be looking at a fake diagram. If we see fruit and vegetables on the bottom, we are lost in a sweet dream. What happens if we make candy our primary source of healthy nutrition? Well, I suppose we will wind up with diabetes, heart disease and rotten teeth. 

As a Christian, one of the lessons we learned in church was the priority order of living through God. At the top of the pyramid was faith, then followed by our family, ministry, work and others. If we live by our faith, how does the priority of family lose against political posturing? I haven’t seen red or blue, liberal or conservative, or politics on any healthy pyramid. 

Folks get wholly crazy when we allow politics to become the central focus of our lives. The candidates we love may win, but we wind up losing more than our teeth. Most of us love our country, but when we create fights, grow contempt and lose close relationships over our inane behavior, we scar the very foundation of living freely. We knock the pyramid of healthy living to the ground with such a thud the demons of evil applaud.  

When American citizens condemn one another for the way they vote in an election, they discredit the very fundamentals of the right to vote. My best friend could vote for a person I would never align myself with, but my friend is far more valuable than my dedication to a party or any elected official. As it should be.

Do I want to surround myself with only those who think as I do? No. 

I am a terrible listener, but every now and then, my ears will hear a different take on a subject I thought I understood only to find I didn’t understand. The way to obtain more wisdom is by opening our minds to different opinions, attitudes and philosophies. No human being is so brilliant they know all things even though they may believe otherwise. 

If a friend you love, decided they did not want to be your pal because you were a liberal or conservative, are they really a friend? 

The only time that I could walk away from a friendship is if someone was filled with such hostility, they became a terrorist, racist, dangerous human being. Can I get into a disagreement with a friend or family member over politics? You betcha. However, would I jump in front of a bus to protect them? Of course.  

Many folks will fight traffic to get to Sunday School on time, listen intently to every sermon, tithe and promote kindness. And, by Monday, this group joined the crowds shouting unkind, disrespectful, bullying words to others in the name of politics. Isn’t it the hypocrisy that causes empty pews in our churches?

My weariness has grown with those who put all Biblical teachings aside, throw “love each other as I love you,” under the bus for the sake of supporting a cause, a candidate or a party. 

My heart breaks when crowds cheer after someone is mocked, called a loser, no good, stupid and any other vile thing a person can say only to get votes or applause. It’s is just not necessary. 

 Most of us raised our children to respect others, love God, and live by the golden rule. Why would we throw away all those ideals and lessons for the sake of political preferences?  

When that occurs, God just got knocked off the top of the pyramid and was replaced with a bunch of red or blue jellybeans. 

As we head into another year of more divisive, caustic behavior, can we all put the Bible on the table beside our computers, and before we spread more hatred, let it be a reminder of who the real Commander-in-Chief is? 

“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right,” Abraham Lincoln said.