Love and Politics - Are They Compatible

Love and Politics - Are They Compatible?

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

How much does your private talk took like that?  Your political opinions?  Your view of non-Christians?
Of Muslims?  Of Christians with whom you've had a run in?

These questions ran through my mind as I read the above scripture quote in the context of Joel Miller's post - Where Real Influence Lies. (Joel asks whether our politics measures up to this love standard.)

"Love is not provoked."  Yet, I have struggled for years now in the aftermath of feeling provoked by some Christian leaders at a church.  How does not being provoked relate to being cut, hurt by others words of judgment and rejection?  Does asking that question reveal a failure to love?  The Holy Spirit is tweaking my heart and the challenge still remains uncomfortable.

When I'm self-protecting, when I seek to not be hurt again, is that "seeking his own"? If so love get killed off in the process.  Is that why my love for God seems cold?  Why my being loved by God no longer feels as warm and personal as it used to?

"Love hopes all things, endures all things."  Hope, for me, feels so out of reach most days.  Just ask my wife about that struggle.  Sometimes it is just her love and hope that I hold on to, that keep me from sinking. Lord, are you telling me this too is a love issue?  An issue of lost or broken love?  Is my feeling that I can endure this no longer an outcome of this loss of, brokenness of love?

My personal journey with God launched by putting this scripture into a different context easily gets depressing - perhaps also depressing to read?

Using myself as an illustration - a provocation - hopefully can free you to let the original questions use this love passage for a time of godly reflection.  May the Holy Spirit be as plain, as blunt with you as he has been with me.  And, may we yield to his evaluation, and learn to love as Christ has loved us.

Again ...

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

How much does your private talk took like that? 
Your political opinions? 
Your view of non-Christians?
Of Muslims? 
Of Christians with whom you've had a run in?
Your private thoughts? 
You?

Photo Credits:
Christian love (14535) by ehoyer @ flickr.co