I miss the days where politics rarely crossed my mind. I kept my views to myself (what little views I had) and no one was hurt.
Since those days I've educated myself more, I care about what’s going on in the world more and I can hold a conversation about these matters. Knowing too much though raises my blood pressure sometimes and I would rather not know as much as I do to be honest. I've lost some people in my life that I care about who I built nearly two decades of friendships with. I was seen in a certain way that they liked, (of which I still am and will get into in a minute) but they also assumed my political views matched theirs. When they discovered they didn’t, they changed the way they viewed me.
Some left winged friends flew away after reading some of my social media shares over the last few years. “How can you like Trump? He’s an arrogant idiot! Not sure if we can be friends anymore sorry we are too different.” Ok but even though I lean right and agree with ‘an arrogant idiot’ on world issues, I’m to a degree still (in the sense of lifestyle and interests) the same person you built a friendship with for almost 20 years.
If we think about some of the things that are labeled 'liberal' all over them then I’m one for sure. When I first discovered Seattle at a young age while growing up in WA I was in love with it so much I’d beg my mom to take me to touristy Pikes Place almost every weekend. I’d drive there during my high school/community college years so I could buy incense, hemp supplies, organic teas and submerge myself in a diverse environment. I liked how the city bustled with creativity. The historical architecture, quirky personalities, fashion and different cultures inspired me. I'm all about the hippie vibes! Then I moved to LA, one of the bluest cities ever to go to fashion school and stayed there for 18 years.
My closest friends were gay. I went vegan for a bit and hung at ‘liberal’ spots- Hollywood venues, yoga studios, artsy coffee shops and gatherings surrounded by queens. I miss Marys. One of the drags there is so sweet. We had some meaningful conversations with each other about life. We were so different but connected on many levels. I was the minority at a few companies I worked for of which were my favorite places to be at looking back compared to others. I was once asked the question, “What's your favorite race? Black, white, yellow?” I replied, "Black." They don’t take life so seriously (in a good way), they make me laugh, they know how to dance (I love hip hop) and they are soulful beings.” I remember the first time I stepped into a gospel church. Those guys know what it means to worship! I've always had a heart for nature (especially the ocean) and homeless shelters. I volunteered at Union Rescue on skid row for quite some time. I worked at an aquarium and a shark research foundation for even more time in which most everyone there leaned left. Not sure why environmentalists or the other things I shared tend to have this ‘liberal label’ stamped on them. It didn’t matter to me though and it still doesn’t matter.
I’m finally getting to my point of why I felt compelled to talk about all this!
A few years back a friend and I met up with a fellow FIDM alumni at our church in Belair one Sunday. We all struck up a great conversation after service and talked about getting together for a girls coffee later that week. As we made our way to the parking lot, (let’s call her Bella) Bella was beside herself when she looked at the back of my other friend's car (let’s call her Brandi) who I drove with and saw her window sticker that said “Obama 08.” Bella said, “Look at what’s on Brandi’s car. Oh no an Obama lover!”
So here's the thing. Jesus isn't running for president. Instead, we have two flawed men running for president and each one has certain strengths and certain weaknesses. If Jesus was a registered voter today I’m convinced that he wouldn’t be a registered Republican nor a registered Democrat. Jesus was never one to join political parties. He represents only one governing body -the kingdom of heaven.
Since Jesus isn’t running for office, we who call ourselves Christian’s have to do the next best thing: Determine the heart of Christ on the issues (because Jesus does care about many issues that our government leaders deal with on a daily basis) and prayerfully determine which political candidate, party and propositions are most in sync with the heart of Christ.
Psalm 89:14a, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.” When God rules, he always does what is right. And he always does what is just. So, any leader who is going to please the heart of God must also do what is right and just.
When I choose what I follow politically, I ask: “Will this candidate do what is right and just in God’s eyes?” Since keeping this more in mind, it's helped me better understand my Christian brothers and sisters on the other side of the aisle instead of judging them.
I had shared on an IG story how there are two policy positions in the Republican party that are biblically right. The sanctity of human life and marriage and family. I also shared how there are two positions in the Democratic party that are biblically just: Ending poverty and achieving racial justice and equity. Both parties have good and biblical things that I support.
We are all human, we all have opinions and we are all sinners who are a work in progress, but as a Christian, we are called to lead people to Christ, not to an elephant or a donkey.
To those who have different political views than me but we've stayed friends for a long time (long before discovering differences in our views/beliefs)- our friendship is a gift. It's nice when we are understanding of one another. It's also nice how we know when to stop talking about our views and go back to talking about our future dinner date at that cool new spot covered in graffiti, art festival, or vintage shopping plans. We all aren't going to agree on everything with each other, but we can embrace the parts in each of us that each bring out the beauty in each relationship.
Each of us live through different experiences throughout life and these experiences impact how we think now. Our scars have a way of showing up in certain ways later that won’t always be understood by others but we can’t allow our/their pain or politics to sabotage our relationships or sabotage us being a witness to unbelievers or to our fellowship with believers.
If our loyalty is with Christ, then our hearts and minds must stay in line with his. 💞
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