Love Wins

I’m so glad the elections are over. I was exhausted from fast-forwarding over all of the mudslinging commercials on my DVR. Now, I can return to fast-forwarding over the regular commercials. Voting conservatively in California is like being a Cubs fan. Cursed.

There’s an old adage that says you never discuss religion and politics … except on Facebook. Social networking is more than networking. When it comes to religion and politics, Facebook is social witnessing, social soap-boxing, and social bragging.

I saw someone’s religious views listed on Facebook as, “Love Wins.” I have no idea what that means. It doesn’t tell me if the person loves Jesus or Buddha or Mohammed. But I dig it.

There’s a group in our society that is supposed to be the most loving, but they can be very unloving and, to me, appear to be quite misunderstood. There’s another group in our society that claims to be the most accepting and tolerant, but they seem to be very selective with their acceptance and tolerance.

The first group is the Christians. The second group is the liberal left.

A couple of months ago I wrote in this space how we as Americans are overlooking the dangers of Radical Islam because the vast majority of Muslims are fine, peaceful people. However, when it comes to Christianity, the radical meatballs spoil the soup for how the majority of fine, peaceful Christians are viewed and perceived. Just as all Muslims don’t fly airplanes into buildings, neither do all Christians want to bomb abortion clinics, burn the Koran on 9/11 and hate homosexuals.

I’ve been a Christian for many a year and I haven’t taken out an abortionist, set fire to any holy books, or walked the sidewalks with large cardboard signs blaming homosexuals for AIDS, the 9/11 attacks, or the general downfall of American society.

But I have been selfish.
Gossiped. Lied. Slandered. Gotten angry. Made mistakes. Basically been hypocritical.

But, it seems these days that Christians aren’t allowed to be imperfect. Last year, in a conversation with a USC football fan, I defended the Stanford head coach for running up the score in a win over USC, not because I think running up the score is admirable but because I love when USC gets beat. The USC fan yelled at me, “But you’re a Christian!” You see how imperfect I am? I let my football passions get the best of me. I should have chastised the Stanford coach. What a horrible display of disrespect! What a poor impression to make upon children (Uh, because USC never runs up the score)! Such a JWDT (Jesus wouldn’t do that) moment! I really blew it. That person will probably never come to a saving faith in Christ because I defended the Stanford football coach.

In addition to me, there are some really rotten people out there. Broken, hurting, cheating, corrupt, scandalous. In all walks of life. Politicians, athletes, businessmen, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and (gasp) Christians. If you encounter a crooked auto mechanic do you stop seeking mechanics? No, you get recommendations for a good one. Hopefully, if you run into a bad doctor, you search for a good one. I hope that one unscrupulous politician doesn’t keep you from voting. Do steroid-pumping, bribe-taking athletes prevent you from watching all sports? But if a Christian makes a mistake, we get written off as hypocritical, seriously offensive or hateful people.

As a Facebook fan, a majority of my “friends” are Christians. I am pretty sure that I haven’t seen one of them post a derogatory comment about a person of another faith, race, or sexual orientation. But I have read some comments or been given links to follow that are downright mean about Christians. Usually, these remarks come from very politically liberal folks. Now, I’m not trying to whine. Or be a crybaby. Things are much better for us believers in this day and age. I mean, early on, when our little sect was trying to get off the ground Christian-killing was a spectator sport.

Obviously, the reason for such slander is because most conservative Christians don’t agree with the social and political viewpoints of the liberal left. But I thought the left was all about equality, tolerance, and acceptance? It seems they’re … I must be careful not to fall into the same practice I’m trying to point out …. It seems that SOME liberals are not very tolerant and accepting of those who don’t agree with them.


To me that seems hypocritical. Okay, everybody’s got their own political wants, social agendas, religious worldviews. Everybody wants to make their point, get their law passed, prevent so-and-so from winning an election. I get it.

But, does that mean that respect has to be thrown out the social networking window? Just because somebody or a group of some bodies don’t agree with you, doesn’t give you the right to pick and choose who you are tolerant and accepting of. Remember that what you write, post, and share is available for people of all walks of life to read. If you have to err, please err on the side of respect.

I’d love to rebuke some Christians are that giving us a bad name. But other than myself, I don’t know anyone in this habit. But, Mr. Liberal Lefty, I do want to apologize for those who have offended, hurt, and slandered you. There is no place for that. You deserve the same amount of respect that I’m asking of from you. Please remember that we Christians are allowed to have and defend our beliefs. But we must hold them and articulate them in a loving and respectful way.

The Apostle Paul knew a thing or two about hate, love, and hypocrites. A man who once persecuted Christians, became their greatest traveling preacher, setting up churches and writing epistles. And yet he considered himself the “chief of all sinners”. (Imagine if Paul had Facebook: rough day today, got stoned again.)

He also wrote some pretty good passages about love. He said that a Christian without love is a resounding gong and a clanging cymbal. It’s hard to think of a more annoying or offensive sound, except maybe the USC fight song. So, Mr. Conservative Christian, don’t be a gong.

Because love should win. For both sides. Even on Facebook.