Well, I'm sick. I have some kind of stomach bug or something. Fever, throwing up, feeling all achy. I threw up at work and my boss sent me home. So, I have been in my bed all day. Of course, since I'm totally weird, I watched the news most of the day. I have no clue why I'd much rather watch CNN than MTV, but that's me.
I was just watching the local news and they were talking about Elizabeth Edwards. I was APPALLED to hear that people are planning to protest at her funeral. That is just the most crass thing I have ever heard.
As a result, I've just been thinking all day about how many people spend their lives focused on issues. So often I come across people who think that the most important thing in life is to speak out against issues, to align yourself with a party, to maintain the 'us' and 'them' mantra. WE are right, and THEY are wrong. Think about it. This happens a LOT. How many Christians (especially the southern Baptist kind... and I was one, so I can say this) focus on being republican, conservative, etc. They worry about speaking out about abortion and homosexuality. They crusade tirelessly against drinking, sexual immorality, and liberal politics. They campaign tirelessly to get 'their' candidate into office.
But how often do you see those same people putting in such an effort when it comes to helping PEOPLE? Maybe the way to reach a homosexual isn't to campaign for his rights to be restricted when it comes to marriage and military service, but to instead demonstrate the love of Christ to him no matter what he chooses to do. My sin is no different than his, and Jesus still loves me....
Please don't think I am saying that being a republican or a conservative or even a baptist is bad, because I'm not. What I am saying is that PEOPLE are more important than ISSUES. I take my lifestyle cues from Jesus. Did you ever see him protesting anything? Did he ever go to a rally or endorse a political figure? Nope. He just spent his time loving people... all people. So maybe we should go about the business of loving people like Jesus did, and let our political and moral opinions to flow out of our love for him and for others. If we all did that, i doubt there'd be any protesting at funeral services.
I don't know if this makes it better or worse, but I thought I would just let you know that the people planning to protest Edward's funeral are not legitimate protesters. They are a group of people who make millions off controversial protestings where they provoke attendees until they respond and then sue over those responses.
ReplyDeleteI would hope that anyone who had a REAL problem with what she may have said or done within her lifetime would respect her humanity enough to let her family mourn.
:)