A Whacky, Daring Proposal. Or Not.

I’m going to make a whacky, daring proposal.

At least some people will think it’s whacky and daring. A good number probably will rack me over the coals for it.

Here’s the proposal:

Let’s turn to God instead of against each other, shall we?

I’m tired and fearful of the hatred being flung around on social media, in the headlines, and even in my personal life. I see it in the political realm as well as among the faithful of the Catholic Church. I thought it might settle down after the US Presidential election and as we as Church began to prepare for Lent.

Nope.

It keeps getting worse. Folks who were “friends” online and in real life have turned against each other. Respected colleagues have turned into vicious hate-slingers.

The anger keeps mounting. The insults keep flying.

Recently, I tried an experiment with my Facebook page. I posted a status that seemed mildly favorable toward Hillary Clinton. I got bashed. I posted a status that seemed mildly favorable toward President Donald Trump. I got bashed again. (No need to check back, the posts have been deleted).It was pretty much the same angry rhetoric from either perspective.

It wasn’t so much how I was bashed, but more so who was doing the bashing and what their reasons were for bashing.

Blind hatred. Or irrational, uncontrolled anger. Not sure which, but in the end it doesn’t matter.

I’m sure I’ll get bashed for this post as well. C’est la vie.

Everyone has a right to their opinions and convictions, and I respect that. These are tough times in our country and in our Church, and I understand that. In fact, both situations grieve me. I will not, will not, argue who is “right” and who is “wrong” – that isn’t the point of this post.

My point is that we’re turning in the wrong direction.

Instead of turning on each other, we should be turning to God.

I see the hateful tweets, statuses, and posts with their line after line after line of anger and accusations and wonder:

What would happen if all that negative energy and time were instead put into prayer, sacrifice and fasting? What if that fervency to destroy each other was turned into fervency to glorify God and discern his will?

I’m not an idiot, and I understand there are grave consequences at stake in the world arena both politically and religiously. I’ve not buried my head in the sand. I’m watching and thinking, but most of all I’m praying. Yes, in some cases, peaceful, legal action can be taken. It’s okay to rationally disagree and offer differing opinions. But, obsessing, ranting, slinging hatred, and freaking out will solve nothing. There are solutions out there, but they won’t be found without God’s grace and sincere invocation of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe, before we attack we should pray. Better yet, maybe we should pray and not attack at all. Behind every opinion and conviction is a human being created by God and loved deeply by him. If we treat everyone who thinks other from ourselves as enemies, how will we ever hold it together?

Let’s turn to God instead of against each other.

A whacky, daring proposal? Perhaps. Or not.