I want to make a comment about the next election.

I am concerned.

But not about what you may think I would concerned about. This is not a political statement. I am really not all that concerned of who will get elected, because in theUS, it’s a binary choice. I already made mine and voted. And that is also something I will not be talking about here either.

My concern is for the relationships that are being torn apart. My concern is for the tone we have been employing. My concern is for the unearthed raw character we are seeing. I am concerned for those that proclaim to have the message of life, but speak as there was none. I am concerned for friendhips that because of what another might think, will shun each other on days to come. My concern is for the lack of maturity to have a honest and respectful conversation about dissenting views. My concern is about the language our hearts are speaking. I am concerned that we are blind to what our own words are saying. My concern is about our true priorities.

We seem to forget that after these days, those that we spoke as if they were not a person we might have to interact with them again. We seem to forget that after there has been an election, we will have to have community again. We seem to forget that either by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or whatever platform you may use, we are branding ourselves either with hate or with love. Make no mistake, our words brand us.

Elections come and go. Family will remain. Community will remain.

Ask yourself what has your motivation been? Have you been rooting for your candidate because of the facts and platform, or because of your hate and disdain for the opponent? What have you been teaching your children? What message are they hearing? On one side that you have to be a good citizen and love your neighbor and on the other side, hate whatever X candidate says because he’s a bad person? Isn’t this the definition of blindness?

James, the brother of Jesus, spoke about the capacity we have with our words.

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? James 3:9–11 (ESV)

So, what are we pouring forth?

Are our words fresh water those that listen to them or are we creating wounds and pouring salt water with them?

If your words, even the written ones have been birthed from bitterness, hate, condescension, or mockery, they have not been refreshing. They are neither justified just because a candidate has an opposing view nor has used the same language themselves. And all sides in this election has done this. Salt waters.

The question remains. Are our words refreshing waters or salt waters? If the latter, stop. Look deeply inside. Reflect, and maybe, if needed, you can delete the posts that are salt waters, and reach out. The world needs refreshing and we are called to pour out our lives as vessels of honor. Vessels of fresh waters.

Maybe this is the way healing might begin.

It starts with you and me.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

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© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2020