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2 Corinthians 12:19 "Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved."

 

I think we can all agree that our country is very divided right now. It seems people have gone from supporting ideas that they think best for the country and the future, to a form of tribalism. They have no framework in which to hear voices that don't fit neatly into one of the only two sides they can see. Everyone is either with them entirely, or against them and deserving of rejection.

 

I was fairly unaware of this tribalism as it was growing (probably because I was not on Facebook or other social media). For the last twenty years or so, events in my life have been leading me deeper into my faith, where I have found everything I was looking for - comfort, truth, beauty, wisdom, and meaning. This journey kept me from becoming too concerned about politics, and led me to a much better place, a place I am certain God wants all of us to be, a place I would love to share with other people. 

 

Unfortunately, in our heated tribal environment, often when I speak of what faith has shown me, it causes those who are only seeing the world through their tribal lens to react badly. Christ's truth does not fit neatly into the hardened positions of either of our political parties. Their adherents, having unwittingly substituted their political beliefs for the tenets of a religion, therefore see me as a heretic. Often, those to whom I am speaking want to try to force me to defend the truth from the lies they have allowed themselves to come to believe, but not usually in good faith. So I just pray for them, hoping that one day the light of Christ will shine through their self-imposed political prison.

 

It seems Paul was running into this kind of problem with the Corinthians. They thought he was "crafty" and had got the better of them by guile (2 Corinthians 12:16), but that is just the ease with which truth cuts through lies, and the discomfort it causes when we realize we’ve been deceived. They thought Paul was arguing in defense of his "side", but he was only speaking to them for their upbuilding, and the only One he was trying to please was God.

 

I will try to remember to keep this as my goal. Rather than let myself be drawn into defensiveness, I will remember I am not fighting for a side, I am trying to win people over. I know what has been given to me is true and good, and I want to share it, not fight about it. I should only be concerned with loving my neighbor and doing God's will, just as Paul was.