From the past 2 weeks we are now media stressed out! After a divisive election, we were hoping that a degree of civility would prevail so that much-needed work may be accomplished by elected leaders as well as by all of us. But so far this is not the case.
Everyday we are faced with a new tweet or a press release that appears to offend and provoke. Not only are there protests in the US, there are demonstrations around the globe. Some say that these are only outbursts by sore losers. But I am wondering if the profound reaction to the new president is that his silly and vulgar talk is contrary to basic human decency and integrity. It’s not a matter of whether one is of a certain religion, race, culture, sexual orientation, nationality and any other identifying feature that we are, but there is a basic human understanding that we are moral, kind, caring, and decent. When refugees are seeking a new home, we open our front doors. When someone shares deep thoughts, we respect and try to empathize with them. When we as a country have made a mistake, we admit our fault and try to rectify the mistake in any way we can. When people have done serious work to deliver information for us to live by, we don’t disparage the messengers and spread falsehood.
In Ephesus, the church was experiencing some domestic problems. Apostle Paul challenged them to “be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us…” Paul then said, “Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving” (Eph. 5:1, 2, 4). It seems to me that there has been a lot of “obscene, silly, and vulgar talk” that has consumed our attention and energies and preventing us to work toward the commonwealth of our country. When would this end?
Personally I have nothing against disrupting the status quo in government, culture and even in the church. There’s room for improvement everywhere including the church. However, the uproar we are witnessing from coast to coast and everywhere in between is rooted in the fact that people are mystified and troubled by “obscene, silly, and vulgar talk.” As human beings all created in the image of God, we are essentially moral, kind, caring and decent. And when that is not displayed, we are being misrepresented and thus, enraged. It is time for us again to be that moral, kind, caring and decent people; beginning in the White House and all the way to you and me.