Words matter, but love matters most!

Just a warning up front...this may be longer than my usual...
I have been thinking about this post for a while, and debated on whether or not to write it.  In fact I'm still debating as I type, but if you are reading it, then it means I have decided to post it, so here it goes...

I remember a few months ago (I'm not sure how long ago it was, it seems like years!) I was driving down the road to go to the store, and I saw a sign.  Instantaneously, I had this feeling of judgement wash over me.  I took a second, and thought to myself 'Where is this coming from?  You have no idea who these people are!"  I have thought a lot about this since then, and especially as our summer has progressed with the Pandemic, protests, riots, and the upcoming election.  How quick we are sometimes to pigeon hole someone because of a phrase used, or not used.  We make judgments.  I think the first thing is to recognize that we do so. 

Even using the word protests instead of riots or riots instead of protests might lead people to think a certain way about you.  Some see what's been going on as peaceful protests, and others only see riots involving looters, arsonists, and vandals.  Whose right?  Whose wrong?  Both probably have some truth to them.  What may start out as peaceful protests, can end up with a much different outcome if just a few people show up and get out of hand.  

I have colleagues/friends who shout out at every injustice that happens and say this is the very thing that Jesus preached about, warned against, etc., etc.  To which I wonder what Bible are they reading?  Jesus really didn't speak out about the government of his day, but he taught forgiveness, and to love one another as we love ourselves (I kind of remember someone preaching about that on Sunday).  What does it look like to love someone who has a different political view than we do?  What does it look like to love someone who it seems we have little in common with?  When we say we follow a God who loves everyone, and wants us to love as He loved us, how will this shape our conversations, our actions, our lives?  Maybe this year it may mean being in real dialog with one another, listening fully to the concerns of each others hearts and not trying to prove that we, or our side, is right!