I get it now. I can see how it happens: how ideology against ideology, belief versus belief, and deep contrasting political convictions regarding the government's reach on individual freedoms can turn friend against friend and brother against brother.
It happened in the Civil War and it looks like it is happening again––in 2020––because of Covid-19.
CBS posted a humorous look at this clash of values, as kids are rising up in protest against their parents: one fining her mother for putting corn in the chili, one group of siblings taking their mother hostage and making her take a nap in their room with the light on, while another young boy took his new-found knowledge of the American Revolution to create his own country and manifesto and then deny his parents the right to enter his bedroom.
These are the light moments, but there are tense moments as well, as disagreements about the cause, the threat, and the appropriate reaction surface among adults.
As I watch the various news outlets and listen to different reports and opinions, I am struck by one very real consistency: There are definitely two sides, manifested most simply by those wanting to go back to work protesting at the very same time as those not wanting to be at work.
Covid-19 itself is a physical threat, whether or not we all agree on the severity of it. Let’s not let it also threaten the very fabric of our relationships as well.
These are stressful times for everyone. Even in the best of times we don’t agree on all issues, so maybe now is a good time to say very little and not try to convince others of the rightness of our position, but instead be respectful of others' position and act instead. Perhaps we should adhere to the advice of Romans 12:10-13:
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
It happened in the Civil War and it looks like it is happening again––in 2020––because of Covid-19.
CBS posted a humorous look at this clash of values, as kids are rising up in protest against their parents: one fining her mother for putting corn in the chili, one group of siblings taking their mother hostage and making her take a nap in their room with the light on, while another young boy took his new-found knowledge of the American Revolution to create his own country and manifesto and then deny his parents the right to enter his bedroom.
These are the light moments, but there are tense moments as well, as disagreements about the cause, the threat, and the appropriate reaction surface among adults.
As I watch the various news outlets and listen to different reports and opinions, I am struck by one very real consistency: There are definitely two sides, manifested most simply by those wanting to go back to work protesting at the very same time as those not wanting to be at work.
Covid-19 itself is a physical threat, whether or not we all agree on the severity of it. Let’s not let it also threaten the very fabric of our relationships as well.
These are stressful times for everyone. Even in the best of times we don’t agree on all issues, so maybe now is a good time to say very little and not try to convince others of the rightness of our position, but instead be respectful of others' position and act instead. Perhaps we should adhere to the advice of Romans 12:10-13:
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
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